Chemical Styles

Chemical StylesFIFA has introduced an exciting new Football Chemistry Styles which allows players to have different techniques in the different areas of the game. The styles can be found in two places: FUT Store and in the FM18 tactics which the game is now featured. These styles allow players to play more unique games, this is how creativity is brought to the game and these can also be used by any player in the FIFA 14 era.Players should select a style according to their preference and the style of his team mates. This is based on the preference and preferences of the player himself.Common football styles include dribbling, passing, shooting, defending, defending from the flanks, defending with the ball and throwing the ball forward, etc. There are many formations that can be used by any player in order to adapt to different situations. Using all these styles can increase the variety of different situations and choices a player has when playing football. This will also improve the m entality of a player.A lot of attention should be given to getting the best results possible, making the opposition think that they are out of the game. This will increase the probability of winning the game and therefore get the players to work harder and be more motivated. Players should try and ensure that they pick the styles that are most suitable for them and these should be in line with the tactical set ups. Players should also use the various tactics in combination with their style as this helps increase the outcome of the game.FIFAs has also introduced Chemistry Styles that is used for the captain, defense and midfield. These Chemistry Styles can be achieved through doing specific activities that will help get the best out of a player. These Chemistry Styles is based on the way in which players are able to work together, help each other and play different styles in order to get the best out of each other.Chemistry Styles can help improve the chance of winning the game, whic h is why the systems implemented in these styles are quite innovative. A lot of extra efforts and time should be put into mastering these methods to improve the performance of a player.The game has introduced a few new methods to improve the game, which includes Chemistry Styles and tactics. These tactics and methods should be adopted by any team in order to improve the performance of the team and also to improve the chances of winning the game.

Data Science for Beginners From Probability to Big Data

Data Science for Beginners From Probability to Big Data Everything You Need to Learn About Data Science ChaptersWhat is Big Data and Big Data Analytics?What Does a Data Scientist Do?What are Machine Learning and Deep Learning?How to Become a Data Scientist?What is data really?  Data is defined by information about the world and its individuals that is collected and analyzed in order to aid in decision making. Although data is, today, often associated with helpful data visualization, such as charts and infographics, it is important to understand the historical evolution of data.Looking to 3200 BC, when writing was first being developed in Mesopotamia, scribes would record data from daily life - such as tax and crop information - in order to improve their accounting and agricultural systems.As both the natural and mathematical sciences continued to advance, coupled with the introduction of better technology, mathematical statistics transformed into something more powerful: data science.Data Science can be fun for everyone!Data science combines what we tend to think of as traditional stat istics and computer science in order to analyze large amounts of data and find new ways of doing so.While data analytics utilizes mathematical knowledge from a statistics course in order to model data, data science functions mainly as a discipline that is used to extract information and draw new insight from large amounts of data. Some of the basic skills you will need to acquire in order to learn data science are:Calculus I IILinear AlgebraProbability TheoryMathematica StatisticsComputer ScienceThere are a number of online resources that can help get you started with learning or refining these fundamental skills. Sites like Superprof offer a wide variety of tutors that can give both online and face-to-face lessons in statistical maths and data driven computer science.Read about basic statistical methods and concepts. AisvaryaData Analysis Teacher 5.00 (4) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdeyemiData Analysis Teacher 5.00 (4) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tu tors AdenikeData Analysis Teacher 5.00 (4) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ThanushanData Analysis Teacher 5.00 (4) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GokhanData Analysis Teacher 5.00 (4) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OlawaleData Analysis Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AisvaranData Analysis Teacher 5.00 (4) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Muhammad umairData Analysis Teacher 5.00 (2) £100/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhat is Big Data and Big Data Analytics?When defining data science, it is impossible to do so without first defining what big data is. The first breakthrough in big data goes back to the second World War with the group of computers known as Colossus.Used through 1943-1945 by British cryptographers, the innovative framework was used to decipher codes used by the Nazi regime. While the term big data wasn’t coined until about 50 years later by John Mashey at Silicon Graphics, big data - and the large datasets that characterize it  - is still used in the same way. Meaning, computer programs and advanced algorithms are applied to analyze extremely large amounts of data in order to find valuable patterns and trends.Today, the analysis of big data can be done by a number of processing software and is performed by individuals, governments and companies. Hadoop, released in 2005, was the first free, open-source software that businesses and retailers could use in order to store large amounts of data and deliver better search results to their customers.Some of the most popular companies on the internet are using Hadoop, including Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and Linkedin. While Hadoop is widely seen as a revolutionary product in the field of big data and business analytics, there are a number of different programs available now, like Spark, that are equally as powerful.The mainstream definition of big data can be found within Doug Laney’s 2001 definition, which is n ow known as the three “V’s:”Volume: the idea that companies and governments amass large amounts of data from a multitude of sources, including social media and business transactionsVariety: the notion that data comes in a variety of forms, including text, audio and emailsVelocity: the idea that data flows in at a remarkable speed and needs to be processed efficiently and rapidlyThe most important extensions of this definition include innovation, which needs to be used in order to apply all three V’s effectively, and decision making, which is the ultimate result of processing big data.Transforming big unstructured data into decisionsWhat Does a Data Scientist Do?At the start of the decade, data science was pronounced by the Harvard Business Review to be the “sexiest job of the 21st century.” This statement was spurred not only from big data’s increasing role in business structures and governments but also from fact. Two of Linkedin’s 2018 Top 5 emerging jobs included data scientist specializations. The question is, what do data scientists actually do?In 1962 Jon W. Turkey wrote “The Future of Data Analysis,” in which he starts to wonder whether his central function in his field of statisticians was shifting towards what he called data analysis.While professions in data analysis are common today, the same ambiguities that plagued the burgeoning discipline in the late 20th century are now being replicated in today’s hottest filed: data science. While there are many definitions of what exactly data scientists do, there are a few key roles they fill, which include:Collecting, cleaning and transforming often unstructured, large amounts of dataUtilizing computer programming languages in order to do so (most often SAS, SPSS, Python, R)Finding patterns in and modelling the big data of enterprises and governments in order to increase profit or ameliorate strategiesInventing better ways of dealing with big dataAutomating these processesThe last poin t is an important implication of data science. While many businesses hire data scientists to discover profitable ways to convert their large stores of customer data into better business practices, other sectors look to data scientists to drive the future. The skills that are most commonly linked to this drive towards automation are machine learning and deep learning.What are Machine Learning and Deep Learning?Once imagined as a far-off achievement of the future, artificial intelligence, or AI, is now used daily - everything from digital assistants to photo face recognition features. While many tend to think that the boundaries of AI only extend to computer science, it still captures many data science attributes. Two important examples of this are machine learning and deep learning.One of the first attempts at defining machine learning was made by a man named Alan Turing. In 1950, in his seminal paper “Computing Machinery and Intelligence,” Turing sought to discover whether machi nes could actually “think.”A year after this analytical paper was published, Marvin Minsky and Dean Edmonds introduced the first computer-based simulation that replicated the human brain - otherwise known as an artificial neural network. Since then, machine learning has grown to encompass a definition that involves computers being able to receive information and learn from that data themselves, becoming more accurate as they continue to “learn.”While machine learning is widely considered to be a subset of the field of AI, deep learning is seen as a subset of machine learning. Taking automation a step further, the goal of deep learning is for machines to be able to recognize objects and concepts without being programmed to do so.One famous example of both machine and deep learning involves cats. While machines can be trained by steps involving algorithms to recognize a cat through machine learning, deep learning suggests that by exposing a massive amount of images of cats to a machine, they will eventually learn to recognize a cat on their own.In other words, one involves manipulating data in order for machines to predict outcomes, and the other involves introducing vast amounts of data so that machines can predict outcomes. Needless to say, both of these processes are moves toward predictive analytics.Become a researcher or the head of an IT teamHow to Become a Data Scientist?Fortunately, whether you just want to learn more about the subject or are looking to refine the skills you’ve already acquired, there are plenty of sources to help people interested in becoming data scientists.For those who are looking either for undergraduate or graduate data science programs that will suit them best, it is important to keep two things in mind:Is data science right for you?What data science jobs are out there?When deciding which data science program is right for you, it is important to carefully compare the courses offered in each stage of the program. While so me data science programs are heavily math based and tend to lean more on quantitative theoretical applications, other programs will be geared towards data driven business intelligence.One action that can help you decide which program will be meaningful is browsing job offers in data science that seem exciting and relevant to you and your interests. If you notice required skills that keep recurring in the job listings you are interested in, write them down and later compare them to the university programs you have selected. In this way, you can get a better sense of which program will not only be right for you but will help you find a job after you graduate.If you are already a professional seeking to switch paths, one important step would be to decide whether data science is right for you. To do so, it might be useful to also look at job listings that incite your interest and look at the common skills required.If these skills sound like something you would like to acquire, if they d on’t already overlap with your current profession, then start seeking out ways in which you can master them. Some common capabilities required from data scientists are:SQLPythonHadoopStatisticsAnalytical skillsData preparationYou can practice some statistical problems here.Fortunately, sites like Superprof offer a wide range of tutors in these fields and can be found quickly and easily on their site. For more information, data sets and data analysis tools, you can also check out some online resources like Kaggle  and the data science toolbox.

Double Bar Graphs

Double Bar Graphs We can use the double bar graphs to compare or present more than one kind of information by using bars. We can also call the Double bar graphs as double bar charts. We have some important points to draw double bar graphs. Those are We need to decide which title we can give to graph We need to decide what kind of bars we can take (horizontal or vertical bars) given We need to choose a proper scale (To give the proper scale, we need to find the difference of the numbers which are in table, then from that, we can take the scale) We need to put the labels to x and y axis Next, from the given information, we need to draw the bars with the using of scale which we have taken in the third step. Example1:Construct the double bar graph with using of below table.We can use the double bar graphs to compare or present more than one kind of information by using bars. We can also call the Double bar graphs as double bar charts. We have some important points to draw double bar graphs. Those are We need to decide which title we can give to graph We need to decide what kind of bars we can take (horizontal or vertical bars) given We need to choose a proper scale (To give the proper scale, we need to find the difference of the numbers which are in table, then from that, we can take the scale) We need to put the labels to x and y axis Next, from the given information, we need to draw the bars with the using of scale which we have taken in the third step. Example1:Construct the double bar graph with using of below table. Solution: Step1: We need to decide which title we can give to graph We have the title from table that is Scores in practice test and test of students Step2: We decided to take vertical bars Step3: Since the scores are differ from one another by 5, 10, 15 0r 20 So, we can take scale of 10 If the differences are like 2, 4, 6 We can take scale of 2 Step4: we can label the x axis with students names Y axis with scores Step 5: Finally, from the given information, we need to draw the bars

How to Structure French Sentences for Beginners

How to Structure French Sentences for Beginners How To Build French Sentences ChaptersThe Simple Declarative SentenceNegative SentencesAdding Adjectives, Adverbial PhrasesDependent and relative clausesThe French Interrogative SentenceThe French Conditional SentenceConfessions of a Language Learner: Learning with a TutorSpeaking French is more than just learning vocabulary words from flash cards. Words are just the atoms, the building blocks of a language. They have to be put into context, strung together to form a sentence that is imparted with meaning.And grammar rules don’t just govern how to decline a verb, or what gender a French word is. They also regulate in what order you are going to put the words in a sentence. Your French classes will teach you a lot about how to conjugate a verb, have your nouns and adjectives agree and what words and phrases will help you find the bathroom. What they might not teach you (but should) is sentence structure.How are sentences put together in French? Does one use the dative, nominative, accusative and interrogative ca ses the same way as in English?Setting aside that pesky grammatical gender agreement required to speak French properly, where and how do adjectives and adverbial phrases fit in a properly constructed sentence?As an overview of these topics, Superprof presents this chart, one that you might consider printing and clipping and carrying with you to your French lessons or your French tutoring sessions.Native speakers of French experience the same conundrum: if they are already speaking correctly, why do they have to analyse their speech?Grammar rules are the blueprints upon which language is built; its role obvious only upon learning a second language.Going back to the earlier analogy, that words are a language's building blocks, we can put grammar in that context by assigning it the role of mortar holding the blocks together.Just as mortar may combine different ingredients, so, from one language to the next, grammar may involve different constructions to make sentences.The most common t ype of sentence in English and in French is the  declarative sentence;  a simple expression stating a fact:Il fait beau.   It (the weather) is nice.Catherine est une adolescente. Catherine is a teenager.  J'ai faim! I am hungry!Ma mère est danseuse. My mother is a dancer.  Il écoute la musique. He listens to music.  As in English, the declarative form in French is the core around which more complicated sentences can be built.Basic as (French) bread, the declarative sentence is the simplest form of expression Source: Pixabay Credit: Free-PhotosBasic French sentences with nounsWhen you learn a language, you start with basic sentences with the most common word order.In French, this is SVO - Subject + Verb + Object. As for most Romance languages - and, indeed, English - the subject (who is doing the action?) generally comes at the beginning of the sentence.There follows the verb, and then the direct object (what is he/she doing?). The sentences above are all examples of the SVO constr uct.We now expand on that basic sentence structure by adding an  indirect object (for/to/with whom is he doing it?):Subject + Verb + Direct Object + Indirect ObjectMarie donne le livre à sa maîtresse.  Marie gives the book to her teacher.Jean rend le cartable à son frère. Jean gives his brother his rucksack back.Suzanne apporte les pommes  Ã  la cuisine. Suzanne brings the apples to the kitchen.Lucie retourne les livres  Ã  la bibliotheque. Lucy returns the books to the library.  Remi mange son dîner  Ã  table. Remi eats dinner at the table.  In each of these examples, the subject is doing something with the direct object for, to or with the indirect object.Until now, we've only shown sample sentences using action verbs: somebody or something doing something. What about sentences that use a compound verb?In French as in English, compound verbs consist of an auxiliary verb and a participle verb form, either in past or present tense.In English these 'helper' verbs are to be, to h ave and to do. In French, only the first two, être and avoir, are used in compound structures with being  Ãªtre used less frequently.Nevertheless, the structure remains the same: the verb that indicates what is happening stays in second place:Le roi avait pardonné le mousquetaire. The king had pardoned the musketeer.J'ai fini la vaisselle. I have finished the dishes.  Les parents ont gaté ces enfants! The parents have spoiled these children!Le maitre avait donné des devoirs. The teacher had given homework.  Mon copain est arrivé hier soir. My mate arrived yesterday evening.  The only time a direct object might come after an indirect object is if there is additional information attached to it, such as a relative clause:Jean rend à son frère le cartable qu’il lui avait prêté. Jean gives his brother back the rucksack he had lent him.Ma soeur montre  Ã  ma mére les dessins que j'avais peint. My sister shows my mother the drawings I painted.  Mon collegue dit  Ã  nôtre patro n que je suis fainéante!  My colleague tells our boss that I am lazy!Benoit lit  Ã  sa copine des pôemes qu'il trouve romantique.   Benoit reads to his girlfriend poems he finds romantic.Gabriel donne  Ã  sa soeur les bonbons qu'il avait promi. Gabriel gave to his sister the sweets he had promised.  Naturally, you could structure the sentence in such a way that the direct object comes before the indirect:Gabriel a donné les bonbons qu'il avait promi a  sa soeur. Gabriel gave the sweets he had promised to his sister.  However, that makes the sentence meaning ambiguous: He promised the candies to his sister, but who exactly did he give them to?French being an exceedingly precise language, it is always best to follow the proper sentence structure in order to convey your intended meaning.It might take a bit of practice, but your language skills will be all the richer for it!Who exactly did Gabriel give the sweets to? Said correctly in French, we would know! Source: Pixabay Credit: Sk yradarWord order with pronounsAs in many other languages, French words are put into a different order if some or all of them are pronouns.Let’s take the sentence:Marie montre son dessin à sa maman. Marie shows her drawing to her mum.Subject pronouns stay at the beginning of the sentence:Elle montre son dessin à sa maman. She shows her drawing to her mum.  Sometimes, in French, it is much more convenient to describe an object in a sentence by using a pronoun.Consider the sentence above: She shows her drawing to her mum. How can that sentence be made less cumbersome?Elle lui montre son dessin. - 'lui' takes the place of 'maman' even though, generally, 'lui' represents a male. Elle le montre à sa maman. - 'le' takes the place of the picture. In this sentence, the gender matches; dessin is masculine. Elle le lui montre. - here, you have a combination of the two representations above, with 'le' meaning 'dessin' and 'lui' in for 'maman'.Let us now suppose you are that dear mum, telli ng a jealous mother about how your daughter creates artwork for you. You would say:Son dessin? Elle me le montre! Her drawing? She shows it to me!Because of its first person singular designation, “me” ranks higher than “le” - a mere article. Therefore, you would place 'me' before 'le' in such sentences.Object pronouns come BEFORE the verb but AFTER the subject. In what order they come depends on the pronoun:Subject + 'me', 'te', 'se', 'nous', 'vous' + 'le', 'la', 'les' + 'lui', 'leur' + (adverbial pronoun “y”) + 'en' + Verb.Examples:Elle nous les montre. She shows them to us. Note that 'montre' agrees with 'elle' - third person singular.You might also phrase it as a question:Elle vous les montre? Does she show them to you? Either way, the order listed above remains.'En' is an indefinite plural pronoun that, in this sentence's case, represents the drawings. 'en' is always placed just before the verb:Elle montre des dessins à sa maman. - Elle lui en montre. She shows some drawings to her mum. She shows her them.Learn more about French grammar rules.Negative SentencesThe French negative words are: ne…pas and ne…point (the latter is archaic or regional).“Ne” comes immediately after the subject. “Pas” comes immediately after the verb.Marie ne montre pas son dessin à sa maman. Marie does not show her drawing to her mum.  Marie ne le montre pas à sa maman. Marie doesn't show it to her mum.Marie ne lui montre pas son dessin. Marie doesn't show her her drawing.Marie ne le lui montre pas. Marie doesn't show her it.French sentence structure in the negative. Photo credit: biphop on Visual huntNegation is pretty straightforward in French, however you should be aware of using 'any' properly.The equivalent of the English “no” or “not…any” is “ne…aucun”:Marie ne montre aucun dessin à sa mère. Marie doesn’t show any drawing to her mother. Or: Marie shows no drawings to her mother.Adding Adjectives, Adverbial PhrasesAdverbs and a dverbial phrasesThe adverbial phrase or complément circonstanciel can come at the beginning, the end or the middle of the sentence. They are emphasised if they are put at the beginning or the end; it is more colloquial to only put single-word adverbs in the middle.Such phrases may denote a time:Marie lui montrera son dessin demain. Marie will show him/her her drawing tomorrow.  Demain, Marie lui montrera son dessin. Tomorrow, Marie will show him/her her drawing.Marie lui montrera demain son dessin. Marie will show him/her tomorrow her drawingOr a place:Marie lui montrera son dessin à l’école. Marie will show her drawing at school.  Ã€ l’école, Marie lui montrera son dessin. At school, Marie will show her drawing.However, if you are using a complément circonstanciel construction to denote a place where an activity has happened, you cannot put that location in the middle of the sentence:Marie lui montrera à l’école son dessin. Marie will show him/her at school her drawing .  You'll note that, as we do not know who the 'lui' in question is, it might represent a male or a female - hence both pronouns.    Adverbial pronounsThe adverbial pronoun “y” (directional) comes after most other pronouns but before the plural pronoun “en”. It is generally used to denote a progressive action, or one that is about to take place. However,  'y' can only be used if the listener knows what the speaker is talking about:Marie va à l’école. Marie goes to school. If the listener knows where Marie is headed, the speaker could say: Marie y va - Marie is going.Another example: Nous irons au bois. We go to the forest. Contrast that with the much simpler: Nous y allons. We're going - the usage is contingent on it being known where we are going!Caution! You should never say:Marie y va  Ã  l'école or Nous y allons au bois  - it suggests the listener both knows and doesn't know the destination.Find French lessons that may interest you here.How would you say Marie and P aul go to school in French? Source: Pixabay Credit: Mohamad HassanAdjectives and their placement in the sentence.Unlike in English, Adjectives  are generally placed right after the noun:Whereas an English speaker would say: 'the red balloon', in French, the proper order is: 'le ballon rouge'. Here are some more examples:The hungry lion = le lion affamé.The sleepy child = l'enfant somnolent(e).The playful cat = le chat (la chatte) ludique.A good book = un bon livre.Do you know of the BAGS group? It denotes constructions wherein the adjective comes before the noun:Beauty: Un joli ballon. A pretty balloon.  More: Une jolie femme (a pretty woman), une belle chanson (a pretty song)Age: Un vieux ballon. An old balloon. More: Un viel homme (an old man), une vieille bicyclette (an old bicycle)Goodness: Un méchant ballon. A mean balloon. More: un bon vin (a good wine), une bonne amie (a good friend).Size: Un grand ballon. A big balloon.  More: Un petit ballon (a small balloon), une petite fille (a small girl).Adjectives used with verbs expressing a state come after the verb:Le ballon est vert.  The balloon is green.Le ballon semble petit.  The balloon seems small.Le ballon deviendra grand.  The balloon will become big.  Note that adjectives should always agree with the noun they are qualifying in gender and number.La chatte deviendra grande. The (female) cat will become big.  La fille semble petite. The girl seems small.  La voiture est verte. The car is green.  An imperative phrase,always begins with the verb. Photo credit: biphop on Visual HuntDon’t forget to do the grammar exercises in your French grammar textbooks and from your online French course to help you learn all about French sentence structure, learn French expressions and how to conjugate French verbs.Confessions of a Language Learner: Learning with a TutorLet us again reflect on how we learned our native tongue: by speaking it. That being the case, wouldn't it make sense that language classes would fo cus on spoken language rather than language mechanics?All while acknowledging that grammar is indeed essential to language, must we inevitably conclude that lessons in grammar are a vital component of language lessons?It seems to be a universal practice that language classes will devote a substantial portion of their time to teaching grammar, placing less emphasis on speaking and listening skills.I can say that with some veracity. Having been a language learner for all of my life - aren't we all? - and currently embroiled in picking up a new tongue, I feel frustration at grammatical exercises in the classroom that do seemingly little to improve my speaking ability.I could rail about it, complain to my teacher or school leader... or I could do something about it.Grateful as I am of my teacher's efforts at imparting declensions, cases and other grammatical particulars - and having no desire to detract her, I have engaged a tutor for the express purpose of practicing my speaking skills .This gives me the best of both worlds.I have a teacher, in a formal setting, imparting all of the nuts and bolts that makes this language I'm learning so very challenging.I also have a conversation partner who is a native speaker of this language, whose focus is exclusively on my pronunciation and my ability to understand what he says.Whereas in class, I get very little talking time; with my online tutor, I get to talk as much as I want - indeed, I am encouraged to talk ever more!If you are reading this, then you too must be a language learner. As such, you might consider the solution I hit upon to acquire the most language capability in the fastest manner possible.A language tutor will tailor his/her lessons to your needs and abilities, all while driving you to improve steadily. Also, s/he will give you a substantial boost in confidence - something that sometimes gets left out for all of the busy-ness in class.Why not contact a Superprof French tutor to help you, the way my tutor helps me?

Memorial Day Activities for Families

Memorial Day Activities for Families While summer officially begins on the June solstice, the season unofficially begins on the last Monday in May: Memorial Day. Its the end to what is often a three-day weekend for families across America involving barbeques, swimming pools, and other gatherings. But its important to remember the meaning behind Memorial Day as a federal holiday. The day is designated as a time to remember and honor the people who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Memorial Day Activities for families can include attending a Memorial Day parade, visiting military cemeteries and memorials, or visiting museums to learn more about Memorial Day and military history. [RELATED: 4 Educational Field Trips] What should you do on Memorial Day this year? Heres a list of some educational Memorial Day activities for families: 1. Attend a Memorial Day parade Traditions in and of themselves, Memorial Day parades are a great way to celebrate this holiday. The National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. is the biggest and most famous in the country. However, a huge number of cities and towns host their own parades as well. During the parade, youll likely be entertained by: marching bands youth groups floats performers Moreover, you will be educated by veterans and military officials who will speak about the history of the holiday and some of the fallen soldiers it honors. 2. Visit a memorial honoring fallen soldiers on Memorial Day Many memorials have been constructed all across the U.S. to honor fallen servicemen and women. Memorials have educational placards, and sometimes even docents who give tours and offer more information. [RELATED: 6 Activities to Keep Students Learning This Summer] Some of the most famous are on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and include the National World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. Many other well-known war memorials are in New York City, including the Korean War Memorial, Brooklyn War Memorial, Soldiers and Sailors Monument, and New York Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza. 3. Visit a National Cemetery on Memorial Day There are 147 National Cemeteries in the U.S., which contain the graves of fallen U.S. military personnel, veterans, and their spouses. Even if you do not have a relative buried in one of these cemeteries, it can be rewarding to visit one and pay respects to fallen soldiers. One of the most famous National Cemeteries, Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, holds more than 400,000 military veterans and their immediate family members. This cemetery is the final resting place for military veterans who have served since some of the countrys earliest days as a nation, from the Civil War to today. You can tour the cemetery on foot or by bus with a guide. [RELATED: Educational Road Trip Games for the Whole Family] One highlight of the Arlington National Cemetery includes the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which pays tribute to soldiers who died while fighting in World War II through the Vietnam War. Another is the Changing of the Guard ritual, which is a traditional ceremony done every half hour from April 1 to September 30 and every hour from October 1 to March 31. President John F. Kennedys grave and its eternal flame are also open for viewing at Arlington. 4. Visit a museum on Memorial Day Many national history museums across America have at least one exhibit paying homage to the countrys fallen military heroes. Consider visiting the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., or the National Museum of Jewish Military History, also in Washington, D.C. Take a guided tour or explore on your own and be prepared to learn! 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.

Interesting Facts About France

Interesting Facts About France Interesting Facts About France, French History and the French Language ChaptersFrench History Facts: Kingdom, French Republic, Empire and a Colonial PowerFrench Fact: French is Spoken in About 30 Different Countries WorldwideMore Fun Facts About France They Didn’t Teach You In SchoolLanguage is shaped by history, and French history is full of fascinating facts. Here at Superprof, we want to make sure you know as much as possible about French culture.Fun Facts About the French LanguageAre you eager to learn French? Have you already booked French classes at the Alliance Francaise or a Superprof tutor? Here are some interesting facts about  the languages of France:French is a Romance language, meaning it evolved mostly from Latin.Before Julius Caesar invaded Gaul and Latin became the administrative language, the language spoken by the Gauls  was a Celtic language called GaulishThe King of France Charlemagne did not learn to read as a child. He learned when he was an adult and promoted the founding of schools to increase literacy.In the Middle Ages, there were two main dialects  of French called the Langue d’Oc (which gave its name to a French region in the south of France, the Languedoc-Rousillon) and the Langue d’Oil. The names of these languages are  based on their word for “yes”.The French word for a novel is a “roman” - these were the first books written in the French language, also called “Roman”, rather than Latin. They were tales of chivalry and adventure.French pidgin languages combining the grammar and vocabulary of French and a local language are called “creoles”.  There are creoles spoken in Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and various African countries.The first French dictionary dates to 1606, the first grammar textbook to 1531.Here are good French lessons for you.The dying Gaul from this famous Roman statue would have spoken Gaulish. The French language evolved primarily from Latin. Photo credit: Xuan Che on Visual hunt AnnieFrench Teacher 4.89 (9) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutor s CarolineFrench Teacher 5.00 (13) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LowriFrench Teacher 5.00 (9) £90/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarianneFrench Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ThibautFrench Teacher 5.00 (3) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnnickFrench Teacher 5.00 (6) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DéborahFrench Teacher 5.00 (10) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SamyFrench Teacher 5.00 (2) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsFrench History Facts: Kingdom, French Republic, Empire and a Colonial PowerKingdom of the FranksWith the disintegration of the Roman Empire, Germanic tribes established new states throughout Europe. One such tribe was the Franks, ruled by the Merovigian dynasty. The earliest real king of the Franks was probably Childeric I., supposedly the son of the mythic founder of the dynasty Merovech. Childeric’s son Clovis became famous for converting to C hristianity in 496.Following the Merovingian dynasty came the Carolingians and the first de facto French empire, though it was not called by that name. Under Charlemagne, the Franks ruled over most of mainland Europe stopping at the Baltic states in the East, the border with Denmark to the North and excluding Spain to the southwest.The last dynasty to rule  over France was the Bourbons. They first ascended the throne in 1589, a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty that first ascended the throne in 987.A Republic, Directory and ConsulateUnlike America, which had a plan for after its Revolution in 1792, France just sort of stumbled into democracy. What started as a series of revolts for adequate representation in the people’s council and over poverty and inflation quickly escalated beyond the storming of the Bastille, with demagogues such as Marat and Robespierre catching the imagination of the French population during the French Revolution and instigating witch hunts for those oppo sing freedom (a vague concept, ensuring that the guillotine never slept.)At first, France was aiming for a constitutional monarchy, though they brought King Louis XVI from the palace of Versailles to the Louvre in Paris to keep a better eye on him, but when he betrayed their trust by trying to flee to Austria with his wife Marie Antoinette, that idea was scrapped under the blade of the guillotine. It then tried a Directory, which mostly didn’t function, until Napoleon Bonaparte decided to help instigate a coup and install a triumvirate, of which he was First Consul.First EmpireWith deft political manoeuvering, Napoleon set up a vote that almost unanimously decided to make France an Empire (the Directoire had already been busy bothering the neighbours by invading Italy and annexing Belgium and the Netherlands) under its first official Emperor, a young general from Corsica,  Napoleon I.Napoleon Bonaparte is a much-hated figure in England, but while the French are aware of his less-t han-stirling treatment of conquered populations, they can't help admiring his vision. Photo credit: Onasill ~ Bill Badzo on Visual huntNapoleon continued his expansionist policy, annexing southern Germany and continuing his campaign in Italy. Secure in the support of Russia, which until then had been an ally, he invaded Spain.There, he was ultimately pushed back by General Wellesley, while on the other front Russia and a coalition led by Prussia ensured his defeat in 1814.The Second French EmpireStill unsure of what it wanted, France decided to try monarchy again, installing a brother of Louis XVI, also called Louis (XVIII), as a constitutional monarch. His reign was interrupted by a brief return to power by the Corsican Napoleon Bonaparte, who was defeated at Waterloo and sent in exile to St. Helena.After two more monarchs (Charles X and Louis-Philippe), France decided to try a Republic again. It elected Napoleon's nephew Louis-Napoleon  as the   first President of France.Unfortuna tely, the new constitution did not allow him tostand for election to serve a second term - and so he declared himself Emperor.France is now on its Fifth RepublicRise and Fall of a Colonial PowerThe first wave of colonisation in the 17th century centred on North America (Nouvelle-France with Québec and Lousiana), South America (the Caribbean and French Guiana), the islands around Madagscar as a stopover for the India trade and, only mildly successfully, India itself.A series of wars and disadvantageous treaties greatly reduced the French holdings, though some, such as the Seychelles, were restored at the end of the Napoleonic Wars.The French colony of Louisana was ceded to Spain in the Treaty of Fountainebleau, only to be returned throught he Treaty of Ildefonso twenty yers later. It was then sold to the young United States. Photo credit: denisbin on Visualhunt.comThe Directoire and Consulat both took action to secure land outside of Europe, most notably in North Africa, but the sec ond wave of expansionism started under Napoleon III. France ended up with most of northwest Africa and holdings in Vietnam and Cambodia.DecolonisationThe colonies survived two further French republics, though dissatisfaction was growing. It wasn’t until after World War II that the Départements D’outre-Mer  (overseas departments) were created, allowing some of the ex-colonies (such as Guadeloupe and Martinique) to become an official part of France.Of the remaining territories, (for example, French Polynesia) some became independent, and others recieved a special status   in the French Republic, first as the Overseas Territories, and since 2007 as the Overseas Collectivities with semi-independent status. Learn more about the French Empire with our blog on  French Colonial Empire.French Fact: French is Spoken in About 30 Different Countries WorldwideFrench is still spoken in all the DOMs and COMs, where it is the official language (or one of them), but many of the ex-colonies  and territories have kept French as one of their official languages, including the Indian regions of Puducherry and Chantannagar, where it is an administrative language. In fact, many of the colonies lost before the 20th century still speak French in some form or other, such as Quebec and some parts of Louisiana.In Europe, French persists in regions once (or twice, or several times more) belonging to France, such as Belgium and parts of Switzerland. The population of several of the European microstates  in the European Union speak French as well:Monaco in the south  along the French RivieraLuxembourg,  alongside Strasbourg and Brussels a capital of the European UnionAndorra (though here it is not an official language) in the Pyrenees mountainsThere is even a little corner of Britain where a French dialect is still spoken by some of the inhabitants: the English  Channel islands, where they speak a version of the dialect spoken in Normandie.More Fun Facts About France They Didn’t Teach You In SchoolThe French island of the Mont Saint Michel is accessible on foot by low tideThe French coast of Normandy has a most spectacular tidal phenomenon. When the tide goes out, it reveals kilometres of sandy beaches and leaves a land bridge to a small island with a monastery and a town. Of course, now you can access the Mont Saint Michel at high tide, too, by means of a bridge connecting it to the mainland. It is one of the most beautiful places in France and one of the most visited along the coastline of Normandy.The first programmable machine was made in FranceWhen we think of computer progress, we think of Silicon Valley, but the first programs were for a mechanical loom invented by the French draper in Lyon, Joseph Marie Charles  Jacquard. Jacquard was well known for its woven designs, and found a way to use punch-cards on a roll to tell their mechanical loom how to adjust it sheds and shuttles to make the patterns automatically. Tourists who travel to France can visit an original at the Musée des Tissus et des Art Décoratifs in Lyon.The first computer programme was written by Ada Lovelace, Byron’s daughter, for English inventor Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine. And all without electricity.Parallel Popes in FranceFor a time, the Papal Seat was not in Rome, but in Avignon,  a city along the Mediterrannean. A disagreement between the French crown and the papacy culminated in the French king Phillip IV being excommunicated and killing Pope Boniface VIII in retaliation. Boniface’s successor, Benedict XI, reigned about a year before dying under mysterious circumstances. His successor, Clement V, was French and decided to leave Rome to live in France in 1309. Avignon remained the papal seat for the next 67 years, with 7 popes reigning from the Palais des Papes, until Gregory XI returned to Rome in 1376.After Gregory’s death, a disagreement between the elector cardinals and Gregory’s successor, Urban VI, led to the establishment of a paralle l lines of popes (called anti-popes) in Avignon. Two anti-popes resided there, Clement VII and Benedict XIII. The latter was unpopular even with the French, and he was forced to flee to Perpignan. There were other anti-popes after him, but he was the last living in France to reside in the papal palace of Avignon.The Avignon popes lived in splendid palaces within the French city. By Jean-Marc Rosier from http://www.rosier.pro, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4837734The papal palace - actually two palaces joined together - is the largest Gothic building dating to the Middle Ages. You can still visit it  as a tourist in Avignon today, where it doubles (or triples) as a tourist attraction/conference centre, research centre and exhibition hall. A must-see for your next trip to France! You can take the high speed train from Paris to Marseille and be there i a few hours.There are WWI battlefields in France still unaccessible to the publicThere are still miles of trenches an d open battlefield zones  in certain regions in France from World War I that are off-limits to the public   and where no agriculture is permitted because the soil is so saturated with the chemicals used in the various gas weapons and the concentration of bodies buried there is so high that the soil is toxic. This means that even escargot and frogs legs are off the table, and the geese for the foie gras can't be fed from anything that grows there.However, when visiting France there are other World War I battlefields that are accessible, where you can visit the trenches and see how the soldiers lived,Click here for more interesting facts about France!Or, look for french lessons to improve your language skills!

Ask an Admissions Expert Abby Siegel

Ask an Admissions Expert Abby Siegel Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Abby Siegel is a College Entrance Consultant at her self-started firm, Abby Siegel Associates. After graduating from Vanderbilt University, she went on to graduate school at Loyola University Chicagowhere she directly worked in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Abby has worked in college guidance counseling for over a decade and was a recipient of the University of Miamis Excellence in Counseling Award. See what she had to say about the college application process: VT: How far ahead of time should a student begin working on his or her college application? Abby: The earlier the better! The Common Application, the online application that is currently used by over 488 colleges and universities in the United States (and France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and the UK), goes live on August 1st of a students senior year. At that time a student can create an account and begin the application. Colleges that do not use the Common Application also go live during August so its important to monitor their websites. Starting earlier allows students to take their time and not rush through the application, essays and individual college supplements. Most early and rolling deadlines are on or around November 1, so that gives students approximately three months to complete the entire application. In addition, its really imperative to plan ahead in case of an emergency. For example, when Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast on October 29, 2012, thousands of high school students lost power, and therefore their ability to use a computer. Those students who had procrastinated and waited until the end to finish their applications found themselves panicking, causing much unneeded stress. Having their applications done at least a week or two ahead of time would have saved many students a lot of undue aggravation. Also, what happens if a student gets sick or there is a family emergency, leaving one unable to complete his or her applications by the deadlines? Its best to plan ahead and adhere to all deadlines.one never knows what could happen. VT: What are the best ways to go about selecting a terrific essay topic? Abby: Generally, colleges will present students with a few choices for the essay topic. When writing the essay its important for students to pick a topic with which they feel comfortable as that usually results in a more genuine piece of writing. Do not write an essay stating what you believe a college or university wants to hear. Instead, pick a topic that gives the reader a better idea of who you are, what makes you unique and whether that college or university is a good fit. The essay is the one place on the application where a student can really let the Admissions office know who they are as a person. Its an excellent opportunity for students to share information about themselves that otherwise the Admissions office may not learn through other parts of the application. Take your time brainstorm, outline, write several drafts. Remember to use distinctive detail it will make the essay stand out and get noticed. VT: Are there any essay topics you get tired of seeing or would warn students to stay away from? Abby: There are several topics that are best to avoid. Students need to remember that they do not know the values or viewpoints of the person(s) reading their applications and its best to not offend the people they are hoping will accept them for admission. Avoid controversial topics of a religious or a political nature. Other topics to avoid include, but are not limited to: How Volunteering Once Changed My Life, My Travel Diary, issues regarding substance abuse, The Big Game, listing your successes and rehashing tragic events. The essay is an important part of an application, and students should focus on topics that best demonstrate who they are as a person that otherwise wouldnt be evident from other parts of the application. The most important thing is to be honest and authentic. VT: What is the biggest mistake a student can make on a college application? Abby: There are a lot of mistakes students can make to limit it to just the biggest. Several examples include misspellings and grammatical errors, exceeding the recommended word-limit for essays, not answering the essay topic(s) at hand, using acronyms when describing extracurricular activities, submitting extra documentation that doesnt add to the overall application, forgetting to proof essays, fast-forwarding through directions and missing small details (such as listing credits for senior year courses), applying online and not hitting the SUBMIT button (there are three areas on the Common Application that have to be submitted and students commonly forget to submit at least one, resulting in an incomplete application) and being careless with social media. Colleges are looking for reasons not to accept you dont give them any! VT: What is the typical process an admissions officer goes through to evaluate applications? Abby: College admissions offices are looking to find students who will comprise a well-rounded class. An application is considered complete once all supporting documents are received. This includes the application and essays, high school transcript, counselor and teacher recommendations, official test scores and any other material required by the college. How the process works depends on the individual college. Most selective colleges will take a holistic approach and consider all parts of the application while at some colleges only the hard numbers (GPA and test scores) are considered. Many schools report having only 15 minutes to read an entire application while at some colleges an application may get as many as three reads. Each process is different and several variables are considered depending on the nature of the school. VT: What do you think is the single most important thing a student should make sure they present in the best possible way on their application? Abby: Demonstrated interest. Colleges want to know why a student wants to attend their university. Admissions counselors encourage students to reach out and start a correspondence with them. Ways to do this include meeting with counselors when they conduct high school visits, attending college fairs, scheduling an interview and definitely visiting college campuses when possible. When admissions officers are reading applications there are certain things that are harder to lift off a piece of paper, like fit and enthusiasm about a school. If youre interested, let the college know! If the admissions counselor knows you it makes a difference when reading the application. Its also important when answering a supplement question Why X College that students be very specific and not generic in their answer. List detailed things about the college that attracted you to apply in the first place. VT: How should students go about determining the culture of a university, and whether they would be a good fit? Abby: VISIT! Whenever possible, it is highly recommended that students visit prospective colleges to see what theyre all about. When students visit a college they should take a guided campus tour, attend an information session, have an interview if that option is offered, sit in on a class and stay overnight in a residence hall with a current student. While on campus also eat a meal in the cafeteria, pick up and read a copy of the campus newspaper, meet with a professor in the department of your potential major(s), talk to students about their experiences and visit the Career Center. Whether or not students are able to visit a college campus they should also research college websites to see what is offered at each school - majors, extracurricular activities, internship and research opportunities, residence life and food options, and cultural and athletic events to see if the colleges on their list are really the right fit for them. Students can also attend college fairs, high school visits made by admissions officers and regional receptions offered by colleges to show demonstrated interest and learn more about the college. VT: Early-Action, Early-Decision, Binding/Non-Binding, Regular Decision. With so many choices when applying, what do you recommend to students? Abby: It really depends on the individual student and his/her situation. If a student has a clear first choice college then applying Early Decision is advised. Students must be sure that this is the school they really want to attend as they are making a binding commitment to that school, and if accepted they are expected to attend. Several colleges are starting to take a higher percentage of their students through ED, so applying ED could, but not always, give students a better chance of being admitted. It really depends on the individual college. There are a few downsides to applying ED. If a college is a huge reach for a student then applying ED usually wont make a difference in admission. Students can only apply to one college through ED, thus limiting their chances to receive various financial aid packages by not applying to other colleges. There is also the option of applying Early Action, which is a non-binding agreement between a student and a college. This is a great option f or students when available, because if they are accepted EA they will know early on in the process that they have a college to attend. Students can apply to more than one college EA unless they applying to a college that has Restrictive Early Action, in which you can only apply to one college early although the agreement is non-binding. If a student wants to apply to additional colleges aside from those through ED and/or EA then they should apply Regular Decision. These applications are usually due on or around January 1 or 15. If a student is not entirely sure on a first-choice option, or wants to have more financial aid options available, then it is recommended they wait and apply RD. Finally, there is Rolling Admission, which is when colleges start accepting applications early in the senior year and roll over applications as they are received. In Rolling Admission it is imperative that students apply earlier in the process (and meet any Priority deadlines) because colleges with Rolling Admission will fill their class as applications are received. Students increase their chances of gaining admission by applying sooner than later. VT: How important are grades and standardized test scores when admissions decisions are being made? Abby: Most colleges will tell students that the most important thing considered in the admissions process is the transcript. This is not necessarily just the grade point average but the strength of the curriculum the student has taken. Colleges want students to challenge themselves and take as demanding a curriculum as they can handle. Admissions counselors will look at the courses offered at the high school the student attends and see if the student is taking advantage of the curriculum that is available. The importance of test scores really depends on which college to which students are applying. Many colleges, especially those with extremely competitive admissions, still care a lot about test scores. However, there are approximately 850 colleges that are now test-optional (see fairtest.org), meaning that a student is not required to submit any test scores so the focus is on other parts of the application. One thing to consider is that many colleges, whether test-optional or not, will use or require test scores to be submitted in order to be considered for merit aid, which is financial aid based on merit and not need. VT: What tips do you have for students asking their teachers for letters of recommendation? Abby: Students are encouraged to ask teachers for letters of recommendation in the spring of their junior year. When choosing which teachers to ask it is preferable that they ask one from Humanities subjects (English, Social Science or Foreign Language) and one from Math/Science. Students dont necessarily need to ask teachers whose classes they aced, but more teachers who they are confident will write them a POSITIVE letter of recommendation. Remember that writing recommendations is not required of teachers nor is it their obligation, so please be respectful during the entire process. Ask your teacher in private and without friends around. Be sure to ask, Would you be willing to write me a positive recommendation for my college admissions? If the teacher says yes, then provide them a resume or brag sheet with your accomplishments and contact information. Dont forget to send a thank you note that says you appreciate their willingness to write the recommendation letter. Thank you notes go such a long way! Once students return to school for their senior year, they should follow up with their teachers to make sure they have all the information they need. Make sure teachers know how to submit their letters, whether it is through the Common Application, snail mail or using non-Common Application forms. Make the process as easy as possible - your teachers are doing you a HUGE favor! Check out Abby Siegel Associates, LLC for more information.The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.