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Writing a University Personal Statement

Writing a University Personal Statement

What is a personal statement? It is a statement that accompanies your college or university application and gives you a chance to explain and tell why you would like to and want to study in that university under that particular course. You can write about your skills, your experience showing the passion for the relative field you chose. Here are some tips that you should consider when writing a perfect university personal statement for you.

Find Perfect Words

Writing a good university personal statement will portray you in the best light. Finding the right words will sound more professional and sophisticated than just some regular words. For example, using the words “presumed” than “thought” and “accomplish” than “do” will sound more graceful and elegant. But you have to write these words very carefully because if you write over-the-top, then your university personal statement might look overdone.

Tone and style

Keep your tone professional and sophisticated. Using street language and slang are not appropriate for your university personal statement. Try to avoid the usage of passive voice and keep it active voice.

Develop a Good Opening Line.

Starting a statement with a strong sentence will have a good impact on the reader. Avoid beginning the statement with clichés. The most obvious words used for opening are usually considered boring and copied. Still, if you write something creative, it will make your statement stand out and positively impact the university.

Highlight Your Strengths

Use the opportunity of writing this university personal statement and promote your strengths. A personal statement is your first virtual image in university. Everything you write will matter. Describe what your strong qualities and your passions are. Telling your strengths will assure the university that the candidate is fit for us and make us proud.

Be Honest

Do not write fake stuff in your university personal statement. Do not write what you cannot do. If you are not capable of speaking Spanish, then do not write that in your statement. If you overcommit yourself in the statement in dire need of selection and ultimately get into that university, it will destroy your reputation.

Make a Good First Impression

Writing a professional university personal statement is a one-time opportunity. Starting with something unusual, hilarious, serious, or interesting will become the first impression of yours. Thus, it can make or ruin your chance to get admission in your desired institution.

Proofread at the End

One of the biggest mistakes is writing your university personal statement and not proofreading it. After completing your statement, proofread it yourself. Please keep all the points in your mind while reading it and carefully check grammar mistakes, spelling errors, formation, and tone and style mistakes are possible because, after all, we are all humans.

Conclusion

In the end, add some creative information like “where do you see yourself in the next five years?” and “what are your goals in your career?” Adding these questions and answering them creatively and wisely helps the reader understand the better perspective of your personality.

 

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Writing a University Personal Statement

How to Write a University Report?

A few academic assignments require reports rather than essays. The difference between them is that the essay delivers arguments and reasoning whilst a report focuses on facts. The report is a concise and factual document for specific audiences.

This excerpt will teach you an excellent way to write the academic report in five-minute. Stay with us!

Know the Brief:

The report requirements vary from tutor to tutor and subject to subject. Hence the student must know the specific guidelines before starts writing.

Keep in mind the report’s brief, including for whom the report is prepared and what you will analyse?

Stick to the Format:

The report is a structured document, so it needs to be followed by a specific pattern that includes;

Title page: A to-the-point stating of the topic of the report.

Abstract: An Executive Summary summarizes methods, findings, context, and conclusion of the report. Abstract provides a pre-read idea.

Table of contents: a compass of your report to let the reader pick the most relevant section. The content section must be correctly represented.

Introduction: It includes background perspective, aims, objectives, literature, and, in some cases, the ToRs (Terms of References).

Methodology: If the report is based on research activity, the methodology must be elaborated at length, i.e., interviews, literature review, or focus groups.

Findings or results: This section depicts the trends and results with figures, graphs, or tables. Reasons for products should be withheld for the next section.

Discussion – Evaluate your report by restating the central facts, verify the accuracy, and fit the whole extraction into your context.

Recommendations or conclusion – Summarize the outcomes and make some concrete suggestions here.

References – list references of the sources you incorporated in the report. A student must apply standard citation styles like APA, MLA, Harvard, or some other according to their instructor’s requirements.

Appendices – list backup information, statistics and data. However, the information must be relevant to the context and content.

Things that Make A Good University Report:

Consider writing style: The report aims to convey the findings in a precise manner, even to the least knowledgeable. Therefore, the three approaches must be availed.

Plain English: Use crisp and precise English with shorter words and sentences.

Avoid jargon: Restrict jargon in the first place. In the case of compulsion, explain every technical word in a separate bracket or the way more convenient.

Consider the audience: If the report is drafted for a particular segment or person, never forget to address them.

Editing the Draft:

Report writing is a tough task, and the grammatical or typographical errors betray the non-serious attitude of the researcher-cum-writer. To avoid embarrassment and ensure the clarity of the report, the draft must be reviewed repeatedly until it morphs into an immaculate version.

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How to Write a University Essay?

How to Write a University Essay?

Since the inception of formal education, essay writing has been considered a gold standard to evaluate the learning outcome. Interestingly, this single text speaks volumes of the student’s ability to articulate the scattered thoughts. Here, we would share the nitty-gritty of essay writing applicable to every competitive examination or assessment.

First of all, let’s discuss the structure, and then we will proceed towards the tips to craft an immaculate essay.

A good writer is always a proficient reader.

The first step is to read and research the similar writings of peers and academicians. Besides, reading spree, “study group” is also a pleasant avenue to share ideas. Nonetheless, excessive reading helps you assimilate vocabulary, sentence structuring, and styling to emulate in your version.

Brush up your concepts

Another important aspect is that your prerequisites must be fulfilled, such as grammatical concepts, format, sufficient vocabulary, and most importantly, the know-how of good essay writing.

Relevancy Through Thesis Statement and Topic Sentences

A good rule of thumb illustrates that your whole essay should revolve around the given topic. The cliche approach makes your essay liable to get zero. Each paragraph should depict a different stance. Simultaneously, the focus must be pivoted by the inclusion of the thesis statement and topic sentence.

 Adopt Proper Referencing and Citation

A university essay is purely an academic subject, so the references and citation must be jotted down in a proper format, i.e., APA or MLA style.

Use of Transition Words

Transition words give a flow to your writing. The reader feels is taken on a journey through your main points, and your essay strikes the chord correctly.

 End With a Definite Standpoint

The academic essay is not a mystery novel, so the essay must be concluded in a concise approach rather than in a guessing notion. Creativity is applauded, but the figments of imagination are highly discouraged in academic essay writing.

Conclusion

If a pupil sticks to the abovementioned tips, the educator cannot deny top marks. Best of luck!

 

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Gifted and Talented Program

Gifted and Talented Program

What is the Gifted and Talented Program?

The Gifted and Talented program is the Australian Department of Education initiative to provide stimulating and challenging academic learning to exceptional children who outperform their peers of the same age.

The curriculum is specifically designed to provide these children with the environment they require for the best development of their academic capabilities. The courses include language programs, arts programs, and academic programs that help the children engage in intellectual, critical, and advanced thinking skills.

The programs are offered at several public schools, and online programs are available for country students.

Who is Considered Gifted and Talented?

This program caters to the students who regularly outperform their cohort. These children have exceptional learning abilities and can master new skills at a fast rate. Also, they are very creative and have a well-developed understanding and connection-making skills.

They are curious little souls with great empathy and social skills. They follow instructions and complete tasks considered complicated for their age. These children often have advanced language skills. All these qualities distinguish gifted and talented children from their peers.

Which Schools Offer This Program?

The gifted and talented program is offered at about 24 elite public schools, regional schools, and an arts college. New schools to offer the program are selected on a different basis. These programs are also offered online to accommodate as many students as possible. Perth Modern School offers a gifted and talented program based on the Academic Selective Entrance Test (ASET).

In addition to the school, John Curtin College of Art provides the gifted students selectively curated arts and media courses. Students from Western Australia can take the program at Bunbury Senior High School or Albany Senior High School, City Beach Residential College, and Albany Residential College.

How Can You Get Into The Program?

To get into the program, the candidates need to satisfy specific geographical criteria. The applicant must be an Australian or a New Zealand citizen. They must also exhibit the qualities listed above that make them different from their peers.

The entrance exam for the program is called ASET, and it consists of 4 parts. It includes reading comprehension, communicating ideas in writing, quantitative reasoning, and abstract reasoning. The test aims to evaluate all reading, writing, cognition, and reasoning skills of the students and is used to test potential rather than acquired information.

Sample Test For ASET

The entrance exam for the gifted and talented program doesn’t test the textbook knowledge of the applicants. It is focused on evaluating the critical skills and hidden potentials of the applicant. The Department of Education does not recommend any preparation methods or material for the test. However, a sample test of ASET can be downloaded from the website to get an idea about the format and style of the ASET.

Conclusion

Gifted and talented is a wonderful program and it offers a lot of opportunities for children around the globe. Make sure you check out this opportunity so you can do better things with your life.

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How to Do a Literature Close Reading?

How to Do a Literature Close Reading?

When it comes to literature, close reading is a technique that helps you understand and master the text in a better way. In other words, it is the art of looking very close within the lines, phrases, and words and understanding the whys of them.

So, here is the step-by-step process of how to do a close reading.

Begin With Annotation 

The first step to start your close read journey is to annotate. It is the process of highlighting and underlying the material that seems important or has a deeper meaning to it or offers insights towards a better understanding of the overall text. The key to this technique is to rely on the hard copy of the text. It will help you connect with the text near almost no electronic screen or e-book.

Make Notes as You go! 

Another thing you should do to understand the text better is to make side notes. The insights of these notes should come from the textual observation and your objective response to the material. For example, what was the first thing you observed that struck you? What are its elements? Is it love, suspense, or revolution? Jot everything down. It will help you draw logical conclusions about the text without even understanding the background.

Establish Patterns of Similarities and Differences 

Another step in close reading is to establish the patterns in the text. Is there a repetition of the same types of the word? Are the sentence structures rhyming or repetitive? What is the structuring in the paragraphs? What kinds of word are used to represent a particular situation? All of these questions can help determine the patterns within the sections as well as sentences. It is an essential step in literature analysis as it can represent the crucial details.

Observe at the Micro-Level 

Observation at a micro level can help you understand the crux of the whole content. Look out for the syntax, pauses, rhetorical devices, sounds, imagery, and tone of the text. For example, if the sentences are short or long? What does the text sound like? Is it harsh or represent turmoil, or is it calm? Do you feel something is missing? Did the writer use analogies or symbolism?

Question the Whys of Everything 

The last and the most important thing is reflecting into the f it. Why does the text use certain words? Why did the writer miss out on details that should be talked about? These questions will help you reflect on all the observations made during the reading up of the passage.

Conclusion

 Literature close reading is not rocket science however without the perfect strategy it is not possible to get the gist of it. While doing the literature close reading follow the above-mentioned points to have a rejuvenating experience.

 

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How to Prepare for IELTS Exam?

How to Prepare for IELTS exam

The name ‘IELTS’ scares many students whose aspirations are to land a dream job or study in a foreign land. To get a great score in IELTS, one needs to put in a lot of hard work if not smart work. You need a strategy if you are preparing for something new, be it an exam or something else.

Here are 5 simple tips on how to Prepare for the IELTS exam.

1. Power of a Practise Exam

The best way to start IELTS preparation is to take a practice exam and assess where you are. There are a number of websites that offer free practise tests but we suggest you take the test from the British council website. When you take the test, do it in the exam standards.

Take the listening and reading test as well, check the score and make a note on where you should improve. Make sure you take these exams with a timer. It is better to practise speaking and listening with a teacher or a friend so that you get proper feedback.

2. Daily Goal

Studying consistently every day is the key to crack IELTS. Draft a daily study plan and follow it. Make sure you study at least 2 hours per day, spend equal time on speaking, writing and listening. If not, analyse where you are weak and spend more time on that.

You can download an app to track your time or a daily planner template from google to check your progress.

3. English is the Key

Whether you are a native speaker or not, you have to improve your English, this is an exam to check your English skills after all. First thing you should do to improve the language is to think in this language, and also speak in English with your friends, family and others. Bluntly put, use English in your daily life as much as possible.

There are other effective ways to boost your English skills, listen to podcasts, read newspapers daily, listen to people with a native accent talking in shows or movies and lastly, find a teacher who can guide you with the language’s intricacies.

4. Choose Study Materials Wisely

There are many resources available on the internet, some are good but most resources aren’t reliable. Those who prepare IELTS for the first time will feel overwhelmed by the tips, study plans and materials available. Always go for authentic sources, Cambridge website or the British Council provides you past exam papers with answer keys. Practise it.

English Collocations in Use, English Vocabulary in Use, The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS are some useful books published by Cambridge.

5. Focus on Writing

Each section is equally important to crack IELTS, however, a low score in writing can seriously affect your band score. Not that only, compared to writing, listening and reading takes a lot of time to master it.

Either it’s task 1 or task 2 writing in the IELTS exam, your vocabulary must be improved. Learn new words, collocations and it’s better to use phrases in your answers.

You will easily miss noticing grammar errors and other mistakes in your writing. That’s why it is wise to get a teacher. You need someone to give you constant feedback throughout the process.

Conclusion

Yes, IELTS is a very difficult exam to crack but it’s not impossible. Any exam can be cracked easily, just keep practising. Take as many as mock tests as possible. Do not panic, give your best shot. Good Luck.

To know more about IELTS exam and tutoring, click here

Share these useful tips to students who are preparing for their IELTS exam.

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WHAT IS THE STAT TEST?

What is the stat test?

The STAT test is also known as the Special Tertiary Admissions Test, which allows universities to assess whether you are capable of attending and succeeding at university.

The test is suitable for people such as the following: 

  1. Mature-age applicants who don’t have a recent or standard Year 12 qualification
  2. Applicants who completed their previous studies outside Australia
  3. Applicants who did not gain a satisfactory ATAR (for certain courses and universities)

The STAT test is your typical aptitude test that evaluates verbal and quantitative reasoning. Specific curriculum knowledge is not required to be able to pass. In other words, you cannot study “content” for the test, just concepts. 

There are two different STAT tests that you will be required to complete:

  1. STAT Multiple Choice test
  2. STAT Written English test

DO ALL UNIVERSITIES ACCEPT STAT RESULTS?

Requirements vary from state to state within Australia. Individual institutions set their own admission requirements. You will need to refer to the university of choice. 

AM I ELIGIBLE TO SIT THE STAT TEST?

Candidates should check with the institution to which they are applying to assess whether you are eligible as a stat student. As a general rule, an applicant must be 18 years or over by a certain date in the year of admissions to use STAT results in their application but there may be extenuating circumstances.

WHICH TEST(S) DO I SIT?

Refer to the current university course guide to see what the admission requirements are for that particular university. They are the only people that can advise if they will accept STAT results and which test(s) are required (eg Multiple Choice only or Multiple Choice and Written English).

HOW MANY TIMES CAN I SIT STAT?

Candidates may only sit the STAT test once per test cycle. This runs from 15 April to 14 April of the following year. 

WHAT IS THE WRITTEN PART OF THE EXAM?

The STAT Written English requires written responses to two themes. Four comments (prompts) will be given for the students to respond to. 

The test will offer the following directions to candidates:

DIRECTIONS

  • There are two parts to this test, and four comments are offered for each part. You are required to produce two pieces of writing − one in response to a comment from Part A, and one in response to a comment from Part B.
  • Part A is a more formal public affairs issue that invites argument. Part B is a less formal topic that invites more personal reflection.
  • One hour is allocated for this test, with an additional five minutes reading time.
  • Your responses to the essay comments are written directly on the test paper. You should write your essays neatly and legibly in pen.
  • Circle the comment you are responding to. Do not try to address all of the other comments
  • Give each piece of writing a title that will help orient a reader to the approach you are taking.

The following themes and comments indicate the kind of stimulus material that will be offered in this test

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

PART A

  1. Technology has a destablising effect on humans and should be used with caution.
  2. Technology presents humanity with the greatest opportunity ever known to man. 
  3. Too much of technological advancement is focused on greed rather than on good. 
  4. If we can provide all of humanity with the tools and technology, we will be able to solve the world’s biggest problems. 

PART B

  1. Family is the most important part of our lives because it gives us our grounding and stability in life.
  2. Individuals should be able to decide whether they spend time with their family or take their personal space. 
  3. It is important to make our own space in the world rather than fall into the same patterns as our family. 
  4. Having boundaries in our life is the most important thing we can do for our mental health. 
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Genre Conventions For Atar Students

Genre Conventions For Atar Students

What are genre conventions?

All of the books and films you study have different elements, themes and some unique features. Each genre has a set of elements that will distinguish them from other genres. See our guide below:

GenresElements
Adventure:A heroic protagonistA journey or questUnusual locationsSense of danger An injustice
Bildungsroman:A struggle for identityA societal conflictA loss of innocenceA journeyMaturity
Comedy:SubstanceExpression and communicationThe originality of humourTiming and rhythmIntelligent writingSetting
Crime:ConflictTime(Unfolding the text within a tight time frame)Foreshadowing, atmosphere
and mood		High stakesContract with the reader.Strong charactersOther limitsRed herrings
Dystopian:

Government controlEnvironmental
destruction		Technological controlSurvivalLoss of individualism.The totalitarian stateThe use of propaganda
Fantasy:A magic systemA well-developed settingA cast of complex charactersA central conflictA power structure/system
of government
Fiction:PlotSettingCharacterConflict
Horror:FearSurpriseSuspenseMysterySpoilersCreepy, crawly things.Scary places
Magical Realism:Fantastical elementsReal-world settingAuthorial reticencePlenitudeHybridityMetafictionHeightened awareness
of mystery		Political critique
Realist Literature:Realistic characters and settingPlausible plotReal dialects of the areaCharacter development important.Importance in depicting
social class		Comprehensive detail
about everyday occurrences
Science Fiction:Time travelTeleportationMind control, telepathy,
and telekinesis		Extraterrestrial lifeformsSpace travelInterplanetaryParallel universes
Thriller:RansomsCaptivitiesHeistsRevengeKidnappings
Western:CowboysSheriffsNative AmericansReferences to the
American Civil War		Bad guys like criminals,
outlaws, or bandits		Descriptions of wilderness
and vast landscapes		Shootouts
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The Transition From Year 6 to Year 7

The Transition From Year 6 to Year 7

Waking up on the first day of year seven can be a very daunting experience. There are many different challenges the young people face in high school nowadays including but not limited to cyber bullying, issues with resilience, anxiety and depression and myriad others.

Many of your child’s subjects will change and adapt from a primary school curriculum to high school curriculum. The English curriculum in the transition from primary school to high school changes, however many of those foundational skills will still be tested. Students must be able to use grammar, punctuation, spelling, diction, syntax and many of the other language devices that make our writing soar.

When you are looking at helping your child transition from Year 6 to Year seven and studying English there are a few things that you need to know.

1. Find Your Reading Mojo

There is nothing worse than coming to school on the first day of year seven and not knowing what is going on. Usually your school will give you your booklist in advance of going into year seven and all of the required reading will be on that booklist. This gives your child a chance to get a head start on any of the reading that they will need to do during the year. If not, there are plenty of other options available to students but the most important thing is that they start reading as soon as possible.

Reading is the one skill that you can’t just pick up in your 11 and be really, really good at it. Many of my students wish that they had started reading earlier and many of my parents just don’t know how to make their child read. The biggest thing about choosing a book in the transition from year 6 to 7 is helping your child choose coming-of-age stories to help them navigate this difficult period in their lives. 

2. Learn Your Grammar and Punctuation

There is nothing that a high school teacher dislikes more and students who do not have the basic grasp of English grammar and punctuation. Over the term break, have your child do some simple activities on commas, possessive, apostrophes, contractions, plurals and capital letters and how to structure a good sentence.

There are many sites online that give simple activities for year six year seven level that should be suited to your child. 

3. Get Out There and Have Some Experiences

Having options and activities outside of school work actually helps your child to learn to plan their day and find other experiences to talk about when they are doing. English requires a lot of creative writing in year 7 to year 12 and when they don’t have fulfilling experiences outside of the classroom it can become difficult to imagine what they should write about in their stories in their feature articles and memoirs.

One thing you can do is make an effort to sit down with your family every Friday night and watch a film together and discuss the plot and ask them some simple questions after watching the film to encourage your child to think about how films are structured and how narratives are structured this will help come up with fantastic ideas when they are then in their classroom and having to think about a story.

Some other things you can do is send them to drama lessons, coding camp or other classes during the holidays that will give them fresh experiences of the world and allow them to flex their creativity. Finally, a free way to do this is to get out and experience nature – go down to the beach and describe what you say, go into the hills and describe all the nature that’s around you. There are things all around us in our lives and we have to help children open their eyes to the different experiences.

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What are Literary Devices and Language Features?

What Are Literary Devices And Language Features?

Language features are the specific language techniques that an author includes to create meaning. Literary elements are aspects of a text that the reader interprets, for example, themes and characterisation. Literary elements and language features both come under the umbrella of literary devices, along with the conventions of other genres (for example, dramatic or poetic conventions). 

Literary elements and language features are closely linked, and it is essential that you are able to discuss how they work together to form complex analysis. A clear example of this is characterisation. Characterisation is how a particular character is constructed and represented – this is a literary element. However this construction is formed through language features, such as the selection of particular words (diction).

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