How to Study Organic Chemistry

How to Study Organic ChemistryIf you're struggling with the advanced topics in organic chemistry, you may be interested in how to study organic chemistry. Organic chemistry is a rather complicated subject, as most of its terms are not easily defined to the layperson. But if you do your homework and study regularly, the class should not be too hard for you.If you're interested in how to study organic chemistry, the first thing you'll want to consider is your own level of ability in the subject. It's very important that you make sure that you're at a point where you're able to grasp the concepts of this course. Many people will need a tutor for this one, but if you don't have the time to spare, I'm sure there are plenty of resources on the internet that can help you. The best way to gauge your own abilities is to get some help from others.Now you can start to look into how to study organic chemistry by checking out a couple of books. Your first option will be to get a textbook that's w idely available. However, this may not be enough to help you learn the material, as these tend to contain confusing and irrelevant information. So it may be best to check out some other resources to see if they have any additional materials that may be useful.The next option is to go to some online resources. These are made to help you learn to do this course. Online materials come in a variety of formats, but you can typically find ones that will be more compact than the book versions, and also provide a wider range of information.All of these different sources are great and will likely help you learn more about the material. In fact, one of the most popular methods of learning is to do a mock exam. This will allow you to see what types of questions the online material might ask, and you can then use this information to prepare for the real exam.One other thing you can do to prepare yourself is to look into different materials, like e-books. These usually contain all the informatio n you'll need to prepare for this course but require less research time. The advantage is that they're fairly inexpensive, and you'll have everything you need right in front of you at your fingertips. With the convenience of the internet, this should be the best course for you.Hopefully by now you've found some resources on how to study organic chemistry that are helpful. Keep in mind that if you're not confident about what you're doing, a tutor may be able to show you how to learn. Just remember that your tutor should be someone who knows the material well, because they won't be able to teach you everything.

Three Tips to Performing Well on Standardized Tests

Three Tips to Performing Well on Standardized Tests Improving Academic Performance What priorities should students set, and how should parents help them get there with their integrity intact? MyGuru has three simple rules for navigating the college admissions process and the SAT/ACT â€" and this applies to the GMAT, LSAT, MCAT and GRE as well. Our rules are designed to take the stress out of the college admissions process, and make it possible for anyone to achieve a higher score on the SAT/ACT. Think Long Term Begin your formal test prep activities one year before the exam date. Every good test prep process begins with learning the ins and outs of the SAT or ACT. This requires a thorough review of each of the question types, the scoring method, and the format of the exam BEFORE ever doing a practice question. This is a relatively low pressure, low stakes way to prep and feel comfortable with the exam. Maximize Repetitions Do as many test prep questions as you can in order to get familiar with the patterns and habits of the question writers. This doesn’t require you to buy a ton of books or download massive databases of questions. As long as you get coverage across all the common question types, doing the same questions over will build the confidence and pattern recognition necessary to succeed. Tailor Your Learning You should avoid the cookie cutter approach at all costs. If you are testing at a high level on the math, but struggle with the verbal â€" attack the low hanging fruit! For you, an hour’s worth of verbal prep will yield more of a score improvement than an hour of math prep â€" so focus on the right things. Don’t waste your time (and money!) learning skills that will not help you improve your score. Do spend time practicing question types where you don’t feel as comfortable, and always look for new ways to relate to the material.Obviously, as providers of 1-1 tutoring and test prep, we at MyGuru believe that private, targeted 1-1 tutoring is a great way to accomplish tailored learning. However, there are other interesting and helpful tools to accomplish this. For example, MyGuru partners withBenchPrep to deliver customized, online test prep solutionsthat allow students to focus on specific areas, obtain feedback, and interact with peers and experts on their test prep journey.App lying these rules can help to lower the emotional and monetary cost of getting into college. If you need help with tutoring, MyGuru is proud to offer the best value in private SAT/ACT tutoring in Chicago. Feel free to call us to discuss our approach, or sign up for a tutoring session today. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(215486, '6baac2ae-05a3-4610-9d1f-265c8cbd809f', {});

LSAT Tip of the Week Improve Your Time on the Reading Comprehension Section

LSAT Tip of the Week Improve Your Time on the Reading Comprehension Section LSAT Law School Blog This week we will focus on some general tips and tricks on how to attack the reading comprehension portion of the LSAT. This section can seem intimidating as the passages are lengthy and the time is minimal- this makes your plan of attack even more important. First, read the questions that follow the passage. Just skim over the stems so you know what you are looking for while reading. We will call this proactive reading. Now, while you are reading the passage do not just read- but understand. Highlight. Jot down key points and the author’s message. It is important to keep these brief and not include details, just find a specific process that works for you and stick to it. Once you have proactively read the passage, proceed to the questions. You know you properly grasped the passage and its contents when you find yourself being able to answer the general questions without having to refer to the passage. If this is something you do not feel like you can do, they you should go back an d fix your way of approaching the passage. The only times you should really refer back to the passage is on the questions that provide you with additional information or facts. By keeping this method in mind and working on it until you perfect it, you will find yourself breezing through the reading comprehension section.

Whats the Buzz All About Coffee in Different Languages and Cultures

Whats the Buzz All About Coffee in Different Languages and Cultures Whats the Buzz? All About Coffee in Different Languages and Cultures Coffee is a language in itself.Thats according to Jackie Chan, the internationally famous actor, martial artist and (evidently) coffee enthusiast.Its clear why that statement stands true: despite the fact that its always made using essentially the same simple ingredients, the idea of coffee nevertheless manifests itself in very different ways for different people, in different cultures and in different languages.If theres one thing that humanity has in common, though, its that we love a good cup of coffee, however we define the word.All over the world, coffee is a way to get rid of that morning grogginess or that Monday weariness. A  lot of people have coffee to thank for being able to pass as morning people.Coffee lets us be able to go into work or school with a smile on our face, and it gives us the energy to focus on the task at hand, like learning a new language.In many parts of the world its also a way of socializing, with different, sometimes intricate rituals involved in namin g, ordering, serving and consuming different forms of coffee.With all that in mind, one might argue that knowing how to ask for coffee is one of the most important things a language learner will learn.OK, maybe that was a bit of a stretch.Still, coffee is a fun thing to talk and learn about, so today well look at how people consume and talk about coffee in different cultures and languages.So pour yourself a nice hot cup of coffee and read on! Whats the Buzz? All About Coffee in Different Languages and CulturesWhere Did Coffee Come From?Coffee has a long history that, according to some, begins in the ancient forests of Ethiopia. Supposedly, a goat herder there discovered the energizing power of coffee after witnessing firsthand the effect that coffee had on his goats, who ate some of the seeds from a coffee plant. Word spread quickly, and soon coffee was being enjoyed from the plains of Ethiopia to the palaces of Persia.Well probably never know the full truth of coffees origin, but its clear that by the 16th century, coffee had made its way to Europe through trade between the Middle East and Italy. As with many new things, it was initially met with a hint of fear and an overreaction towards its bitterness, but soon people really began to enjoy the drink; even the Pope made his approval of it public!Eventually, coffee made its way to America. Tea was still the favored drink there until the Boston Tea Party, after which the colonials turned to coffee. Itsbeana favorite drink ever since then.No matter where you go, youll probably be able to get your coffee, likely without ever having to use a different word to order it.But have you ever wondered why? Why is the word coffee almost universally understood? To paraphrase a talented poet, whats in a name? A coffee by any other name would taste just as bitter.Heres the scoop: The word coffee originally came from Kaffa, the name of a former kingdom and current province of Ethiopia. It was referred to by the Arabs of th e Middle East as ???? (pronounced  /'kah.wa/) before they sold it to the Venetian merchants, who called it caffe. Through a few other twists and turns, that eventually worked its way into English as coffee.Weve touched on the history of coffee and its effect on the world, but theres still so much more. Theres a brilliant book on that very topic called The Devils Cup: A History of the World According to Coffee by Stewart Lee Allen, for coffee lovers who really want to know about the history of coffee around the world, without all that travel fare.For now, lets leave the past behind and focus on the present. Whats coffee culture like throughout the world, and how can we get ourselves a tasty sip of that sweet, caffeinated action?A Must: How to Order Coffee in Different LanguagesBeing able to sit down and chat with someone over a hot cup of coffee is one of lifes great pleasures. So in your quest to master your new language, be it Spanish, German,  French  or any other, it would no dou bt be useful to learn how to actually say coffee in different languages.Heres how to say it in some of the worlds most commonly spoken languages:Arabic:  ???? (qahwa)Chinese:  ?? (Kafei)French: CaféGerman: KaffeeItalian: CaffèJapanese:  ???? (Kohi)Korean:  ?? (Keopi)Portuguese: CaféRussian:  ???? (Kofe)Spanish: CaféRight about now, some of you might be thinking, Well thats not nearly enough for me to start my journey around the world, savoring all the coffee each culture has to offer! Dont worry, we hear you!Here are just a few more languages for the curious:Afrikaans: KoffieDutch: KoffieFinnish:  KahviGreek:  ?af?? (Kafés)Hindi:  ????? (Kofee)Icelandic: KaffiRomanian:  CafeaSwedish: KaffeYou can probably see by now that the word and pronunciation of coffee is more or less universal. And indeed, if you just say that word, regardless of the language, pretty much everyone will know what you want.Now, something you have to understand about all this is that just because the word fo r coffee may look and sound similar around the world, it doesnt necessarily mean that youll be talking about exactly the same thing when you say the word in different places and in different languages.Different Cultures, Different Coffee HabitsIn the same way that pudding can refer to very different things throughout the English-speaking part of the world, coffee (or the words foreign equivalent) will not always refer to the same thing.For example, when you think about having coffee, you might imagine a cup of hot coffee with a cube or two of sugar and some milk, maybe even a snack on the side.But in Finland, people are just as likely to think about drinking coffee while eating  leipäjuusto (bread cheese), which is a slice of squeaky cheese that youre supposed to coat in hot coffee before eating. Its a Finnish favorite.There are many different thingsâ€"some of them maybe quite weird by your standardsâ€"that people put into their coffee and/or eat while drinking coffee.But it isnt j ust the actual drink that might take some getting used to.  In some places, there can be a maze of customs and manners that you need to navigate if you want to drink coffee. Each culture has its own unique rules of etiquette in regards to coffee.For instance, while you can order any kind of coffee at any time of day in Sweden without being gawked at, ordering a cappuccino past morning in Italy is frowned upon.These kinds of customs arent things you absolutely must keep in mind when youre traveling and need that quick pick-me-up, but its always good to be aware, especially since many of these traditions go back a long way.The Turkish coffee tradition has remained the same for centuries, to give just one example. Coffee reached Turkey in the beginning of the 16th century and since then, its been an important part of Turkish culture. They have a very specific way of making coffee, using coffee beans that have been grounded into very fine powder.Everyone Needs Coffee? Gimme a Break!Typi cally, youll be working or studying, gradually losing steam as the day wears on. So on one of your breaks, you head over to the nearest coffeepot or coffee shop to get yourself a lovely cup o joe before that stress starts to mocha you crazy.What weve just described is a coffee break, something everyone has in almost every coffee-loving country. When did the whole world suddenly agree that a short break at work was meant for that wonderfully bitter, black beverage?This  story begins in the late 19th century in a little town in Wisconsin called Stoughton. There, the wives of Norwegian immigrants would leave work for a short while to take care of the kids and also enjoy a much-needed cup of coffee.It was something they were used to doing since coffee breaks stem from a quite  old custom in Scandinavia. In Sweden, for example, its known as fika, and its been a habit of the Swedes for generations, one that has worked its way into the formal business world.The Nordic nations pretty much c reated the concept of a coffee break, a fact those from Stoughton havent forgotten, which is why they celebrate every year in August with the Stoughton Coffee Break Festival.Still, while there were a few workplaces around the globe that adopted coffee breaks as a habit, it wasnt actually made a mandatory break until the mid to late 20th century.Why was it deemed necessary? It wasnt just because coffee breaks are a fun thing to have. Studies show that breaks help people learn and refresh themselves, increasing productivity when they start up again. A little caffeine goes a long way.Plus, coffee breaks are enjoyable, and enjoyment is a huge part of why we drink coffee so much and so regularly. Really regularly.On average, people in America consume at least two cups of coffee per day, while even the supposedly tea-loving  UK  consumes more than 50 million cups a day.The country that statistically loves coffee the most is currently  Finland, followed by Norway, Iceland and Denmark. Diff erent surveys and studies use different methodologies, which can change the order of the top coffee drinkers. Still, in basically every case, the Nordic and other northern European countries claim most of the top spots for coffee consumption.A Part of World CultureThe wonderful thing about coffee is that every nation has had a part to play in its distribution and development. From its humble beginnings in Ethiopia to its current status as our go-to break beverage, coffee is the result of centuries of cultures meeting, combining and innovating in order to socialize and counter the effects of the daily grind.Thats a great thing to remember, too, because while every culture has its own unique spin on coffee (and there are quite a few very unique spins out there), enjoying coffee is something all of them have in common.We drink it when we need energy and we drink it while getting to know someone or spending time with people we care about.Thats why in every country you go to, youll alway s be able to find a coffee shop of some kind, and theyll always understand what you mean when you ask for coffee, even if you dont get the local word for it quite right.Knowing that, when youre ready to go out into the real world and start using those new languages youve been learning, the best place to start might just be the first coffee shop you visit in a foreign country.  After all, finding common ground always makes learning a new language a bit easier.And if you meet someone at a coffee shop and youre looking for a great conversation starter, you can talk about all the interesting  stuff you just learned about coffee! And One More ThingIf you want to learn authentic languages and converse with locals about more than just coffee, youll love FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages from music videos, commercials, news, inspiring talks and more.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them. Just a quick lo ok will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:FluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It’s already hand-picked the best videos for you and organized them by level and topic. All you have to do is choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started!Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.You can use FluentU’s unique adaptive quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions and exercises. Just swipe left or right to see more examples of the word youre studying.The program even keeps track of what you’re learning and tells you exactly when it’s time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes store or Google Play store.

A Letter to My High School Self - by TutorNerds

A Letter to My High School Self - by TutorNerds An Orange County Academic Tutors Letter to Her High School Self If only I had is something that you never want to say to yourself but the reality is that many of us learn from our mistakes or from opportunities lost. If I could write a letter to my high school self and somehow send it magically back in time, this is what I would write: 1. Don’t worry so much! I put this one at the top for a reason. I worried about academics ALL of the time in my junior and senior year and I know many of you do as well. Despite my constant worry, I did go to college and I did get a job. Someone once told me that ‘worrying is about as productive as trying to solve an algebra problem by chewing bubble gum’. I don’t know where that saying came from but whoever said it was right. I wish I hadn’t spent all that time worrying but rather put it to good use, like say, studying effectively or reading novels or spending quality time with friends (READ: Coping with Stress as a Teen). Retrospect is 20/20 but if you are in high school right now, why not give relaxation a try before your teen years are over? 2. Study Effectively I remember spending the first half of high school not studying nearly enough and spending the second half of high school studying too much. I didn’t know how to study effectively. That is definitely something I wish I could go back and tell myself (READ: The Students Guide to Study Breaks). Why not ask your local Irvine academic tutor how you can do this? 3. Get help with the college admissions process I was entirely naive to the rigors of the college admissions process. I sent out a few applications, crossed my fingers and hoped it all worked out. Luckily it did but I was taking a big risk by going it alone. I would surely tell my younger self to get some assistance and organization with this process our Orange County college admissions consultants have a 97% success rate . 4. Get a study skills tutor What I wouldn’t give to have avoided all of those silly markdowns because I thought an assignment was due on Thursday when, in fact, it was due on Wednesday. I remember spending hours trying to remember what was due when and for which class. Even one hour a week of organizational help would have made a world of difference in my grades and peace of mind. 5. Go to bed early Yeah, that never happened. I was always staying up late to finish something up or to get in a bit of TV time. Every morning I would wake up feeling drowsy and unprepared for my first period class (sound familiar?). Each morning I would promise myself that, tonight, I would get a full eight hours of sleep. It never happened. Those eight hours are the best gift you can give your growing brain. 6. Invent awesome technology I wish I had access to the technology available to students now. (Dial up anyone?) So much of this technology is free so I highly support using anything and everything that makes school work easier. 7. Live outside of your comfort zone Many students, myself included, live inside their comfort zones. Are you 100% sure that you won’t make the swim team? Try out anyway. Feeling too shy to try out for the debate team? What is the worst that could happen? Pretty sure you won’t get into Stanford? Give it a shot. Anyone heard the saying that ‘the only failure is to not have tried’? Me too (READ: How to Balance Sports and Academics). All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at info@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us post about.

Ask a Nerd! Community College by TutorNerds

Ask a Nerd! Community College by TutorNerds Ask a Nerd! Question: Is it a bad idea to attend a community college and then transfer to a 4-year university? Should I go straight to a 4-year university? Brief: There is not a simple yes or no answer to this question. Where you should attend college is based on what your personal educational and career goals are. Answer Many students in California chose to attend a community college before going to a 4-year university. In my opinion, as an Orange County college admissions consultant, It is not good or bad to attend a community or junior college before a 4-year; it depends on what you want as a student. Top 3 reasons students attend a community college and then transfer to a university. Money! Attending the University of California, for example, will set you (or your parents) back around $15,000 a year and that’s assuming that you live at home, eat for free at mom and dad’s kitchen and don’t buy any text books. Let’s be realistic and bump it up to around $18,000 per year or a grand total of $72,000. Attending SOCCCD (South Orange County Community College District), which consists of Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College, costs about $60 per unit. (12-15 units is considered full-time.) You’re looking at about $3,600 for two years of education, add in books etc and you’re spending about $4,500 instead of $36,000. $4,500 is a realistic number for a person who is working their way through college or who is not able to face the amount of student loan debt that they would accumulate. Work. Many students pay their way through college, which means that they need to be part time students and work part time or they need a really flexible school schedule so that they can make earning money a priority. High School Transcripts. Many students didn’t get into the college of their choice (or any college) due to lower than average SAT scores, lack of AP classes, an unoriginal entrance essay, grades or other factors. Community college is a great opportunity to raise those grades and transfer to either the University of California or California State University. Students who attend a community college can absolutely get a great education and transfer to a fabulous university (READ: How Should I Start My College Essays). Although there are some advantages to starting at a 4-year (assuming money is not an issue). Students who attend a 4-year from the beginning are essentially forced to get it together and make the adjustment to university life within one to two quarters (or semesters). Students are allowed to be on academic probation (a GA below 2.0) for one, and only one, term. After that, they are done. 4-year students must take college life seriously. This reality pushes many students to make their very best effort and not waste time on non-academic distractions. 4-years also offer excellent research opportunities to undergraduates who maintain a high GPA (usually 3.5 or above) (READ: 8 Reasons Applicants Fail to Get Into the College of Their Choice). Students who do decide to attend a community college should look out for a few pitfalls. The “7-year Plan”. Many community college students have every intention of transferring after two years but end up spending up to seven years as an underclassman. This can be a very bad thing and most students on this ‘plan’ eventually drop out. Lack of commitment. Some community college students don’t feel the pressure to do well and end up with grades that are not transferable (shoot for a 3.0 to a 3.5 minimum in order to transfer). Not planning ahead. Community colleges offer many classes that suit the community, such as yoga and website design. As a traditional student, these classes may or may not transfer to a program at a 4-year. Check with a career or transfer counselor at your local community college to make sure that you are taking the classes that you need, and only the classes that you need. Bottom Line: You can get a great education as a transfer student or as a traditional student; commitment, dedication and persistence are key. Have a question for one of our nerds? Tweet it to us @TutorNerds. Give yourself the TutorNerds advantage by checking back often for the latest in our “Ask a Nerd” series. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us post about. Applying to college this year? Don’t go it alone. As college becomes harder and harder to get into, it’s crucial you take the admissions process seriously. Let our Orange County college admissions consultants get you into your dream university. Our experienced consultants have a 97% success rate!

italki Team Language Challenge Week 3 Update

italki Team Language Challenge Week 3 Update The italki team is taking  the 2015 New Years Language Challenge How much Chinese can they learn in 20 hours? 3 members of the team at italki are taking the language challenge to improve their skill in Mandarin. Each of them will have 20 hours of lessons between January and February. Can you do better than them?  Check out their original Public Video Pledges that they made at the beginning of the Challenge here. Week 3 Updates Aimé, Intern Week 3 Sadly, I did not meet my goals for this week which was to be able to understand the question my teacher asks me. I  still have difficulty trying to understand what she is asking me even when it’s stuff that we’ve already went over.   I did get in 3 hours of lessons and I did however improve my pronunciation of the words and sentences I’ve already learned though! So 3 weeks in, I’m not as confident as I was before the challenge started.  Although I’ve learned a lot, its way harder than I thought and my listening skills are still terrible.  Chinese is really a tough language to learn.  Ive done some self-study but really realize I need to do more. Next week Im going to step up my game.  Im going to do some more self-study and also put in more hours.  I was able to sit down and give a quick update in the video above as well.   Go ahead and watch it above! Lastly, I just wanted to say my bets for next week are that Karthik will definitely NOT make his weekly goal! Josie, Services Week 3 This week was tough because I had a bad case of food poisoning and wasnt at work for two days!  I was barely able to sit up so studying Chinese was out of the question but  I was able to get 3 hours of lessons. What was even better was I was  I’ve cleaned up my notes and finally written my vocab words on flashcards. Makes it so much easier for me to revise during my lunch break! For this upcoming week my goal is to practice my vocab everyday and practice using the new words in sentences. My teacher Elena and I are going to review what I have learned so far in the next couple of sessions, so it’s important that I go over all of my cards! Im a bit scared about this upcoming week as well because this weekend I go to Hong Kong, so won’t take lessons then. I’m scared that I might fall behind! Honestly, I’m doubting myself at the moment! I still don’t feel 100% after my food poisoning and this weekend I know I won’t take lessons so I need to step up my game! Karthik, Data Scientist Week 3 This was a tough week for me as I week I was only able to do  1 hour.  I was hoping to put in some hours this weekend but we had to do server maintenance for most of that day and I really wanted to watch our engineering team in action.  I was able to really put in some time to work on my pronunciation and grammar so it wasnt a complete waste. I realize that I need to put in some more time for next week.  I hope to do 5-6 hours to make up for lost time.  Thus far, at this halfway point  I’ve only completed 5 hours. That’s pretty good for me, but I got to step up in order to finish. So, I need schedule more lessons. One thing that I do have going for me is that I still get to practice speaking occasionally with my co-workers  and  friends. The duration of this practice is typically less than 1 hour/week so that sort of counts, doesnt it?  Im going to kick some butt for week 4! italki Team Language Challenge Week 3 Update The italki team is taking  the 2015 New Years Language Challenge How much Chinese can they learn in 20 hours? 3 members of the team at italki are taking the language challenge to improve their skill in Mandarin. Each of them will have 20 hours of lessons between January and February. Can you do better than them?  Check out their original Public Video Pledges that they made at the beginning of the Challenge here. Week 3 Updates Aimé, Intern Week 3 Sadly, I did not meet my goals for this week which was to be able to understand the question my teacher asks me. I  still have difficulty trying to understand what she is asking me even when it’s stuff that we’ve already went over.   I did get in 3 hours of lessons and I did however improve my pronunciation of the words and sentences I’ve already learned though! So 3 weeks in, I’m not as confident as I was before the challenge started.  Although I’ve learned a lot, its way harder than I thought and my listening skills are still terrible.  Chinese is really a tough language to learn.  Ive done some self-study but really realize I need to do more. Next week Im going to step up my game.  Im going to do some more self-study and also put in more hours.  I was able to sit down and give a quick update in the video above as well.   Go ahead and watch it above! Lastly, I just wanted to say my bets for next week are that Karthik will definitely NOT make his weekly goal! Josie, Services Week 3 This week was tough because I had a bad case of food poisoning and wasnt at work for two days!  I was barely able to sit up so studying Chinese was out of the question but  I was able to get 3 hours of lessons. What was even better was I was  I’ve cleaned up my notes and finally written my vocab words on flashcards. Makes it so much easier for me to revise during my lunch break! For this upcoming week my goal is to practice my vocab everyday and practice using the new words in sentences. My teacher Elena and I are going to review what I have learned so far in the next couple of sessions, so it’s important that I go over all of my cards! Im a bit scared about this upcoming week as well because this weekend I go to Hong Kong, so won’t take lessons then. I’m scared that I might fall behind! Honestly, I’m doubting myself at the moment! I still don’t feel 100% after my food poisoning and this weekend I know I won’t take lessons so I need to step up my game! Karthik, Data Scientist Week 3 This was a tough week for me as I week I was only able to do  1 hour.  I was hoping to put in some hours this weekend but we had to do server maintenance for most of that day and I really wanted to watch our engineering team in action.  I was able to really put in some time to work on my pronunciation and grammar so it wasnt a complete waste. I realize that I need to put in some more time for next week.  I hope to do 5-6 hours to make up for lost time.  Thus far, at this halfway point  I’ve only completed 5 hours. That’s pretty good for me, but I got to step up in order to finish. So, I need schedule more lessons. One thing that I do have going for me is that I still get to practice speaking occasionally with my co-workers  and  friends. The duration of this practice is typically less than 1 hour/week so that sort of counts, doesnt it?  Im going to kick some butt for week 4!