abc

Tag: student Life

  • Five Top Tips for Making the Most of Grade 9

    Five Top Tips for Making the Most of Grade 9

    5 tips for grade 9

    Five Top Tips for Making the Most of Grade 9

    The move to Grade 9 can feel somewhat overwhelming, but it is also the start of a new chapter in a student’s life. Many think that learning has more of a point as thoughts start to move toward what comes after school. This makes Grade 9 a critical transition point for students; it allows them to explore options without worrying about standardized tests or researching colleges. Grade 9 is also the time to put in place good study practices, ones that will take you through the remainder of your education. In this blog, I will share five top tips to help you make Grade 9 the best yet.

    Tip 1: Build good relations with teachers.

    Teachers are essential to any pupil’s future; they will grade the work done, including the final grades awarded at the end of their course in Grade 10 and maybe beyond. Your son or daughter might also want to ask them for academic references for summer programs and possibly when they apply to college, so forming a good relationship with them in Grade 9 is a good start.

    Read More: Types of Colleges

    A starting point for this should be encouraging your son or daughter to participate in class actively. Being actively engaged in the lesson will help your child remember what they are being taught, but it will also show the teacher that they are eager, which will help boost their academic reputation. Most grades have some element of subjectivity, so your teacher’s perception of a pupil can influence the grades they award. A teacher is more likely to give the benefit of the doubt to a child they know to be an engaged student who positively contributes to their lessons.

    If your child is interested in a particular subject, encourage them to talk about it. For example, perhaps your son or daughter has watched a documentary or read a book related to the topic; talking to the teacher shows them that the pupil is exploring the subject beyond the curriculum and may also prompt them to suggest other material they can explore.

    Teachers are busy people, but if a pupil approaches them in the right way, they will often make themselves available to help with any questions pupils might have about their studies or assignments.

    Lessons often build on previous material, so if a student needs help understanding a concept, you should encourage them to address the problem with their teacher as soon as possible to avoid getting completely lost and falling behind. If they are not achieving the grades they want, try reaching out to ask your teacher what your son or daughter can do to improve. Are there particular topics they need to improve or are there additional resources that can help?

    Tip 2: Good study skills

    Sometimes pupils think that studying is something that should naturally happen, so helping them to understand that it is a skill that can be practiced and improved is an essential part of assisting them in making an excellent start to Grade 9.

    First, ensure they have a good area to study at home. Having a place where they can sit and concentrate while doing homework is important. Encourage them to keep it tidy while making sure they have all the stationery and equipment they need to work effectively.

    One of the study habits that many students struggle with is avoiding distractions. So set some ground rules about not having mobiles in the same room while working, and teach them how to stop notifications appearing on their screens whenever somebody sends a chat message. As I have already said, many young people struggle to let go of their grip on social media, even for a short time, so also make sure that they can catch up once their work is finished.

    Another habit that pupils need to develop is planning, so buy them a good daily planner to record test dates, assignment due dates, study times, and fun activities like meeting with friends or an important match on television.

    Taking good notes is vital for helping your son or daughter learn more effectively. Teachers have different teaching styles, so help your child experiment with different styles to find what works best for them. Louisa, at LP Tutoring, has some great suggestions about different types of note-taking on her website.

    Tip 3: Evaluate Progress

    Keeping abreast of how your son or daughter is getting on in school is the best way of picking up on any issues early.

    Make sure you ask about school, encouraging them to share the academic aspects of their school life and the social and extracurricular side. We all know that asking a teenager how school was, is likely to result in a very non-committal answer, so try to use open questions such as ‘What was good about school today?’ In addition to talking about school also help them to evaluate and improve their study skills.

    There are more formal ways to evaluate your son or daughter’s progress through reports, grades, and exams. Keep an eye open for slipping grades or notes of concern from teachers. It is usual for grades to dip during the first half of Grade 9 as students adjust to new expectations and subjects. Our experience is that grades usually go back to a more usual level before the end of the grade. If you are concerned, talk to teachers to help you understand what support or resources might help your child improve their performance.

    Tip 4: Try new things

    Grade 9 provides an excellent opportunity for pupils to explore, extend and deepen their career, academic and extracurricular interests. Encourage your son or daughter to sign up for extracurricular activities and clubs linked to areas they are interested in but also new to them. In doing so, you will be helping them to push their boundaries and experience things that would otherwise pass them by.

    Taking part in new things is not just about the knowledge or experience they gain; it also helps them develop the soft skills and self-confidence that will help carry them into adulthood.

    Tip 5: Let them fail

    My final tip for parents of students going into Grade 9 is for you to take a step back so that your sons and daughters can move forward themselves. As a parent, I know how difficult it can be to watch your child face the risk of failing, but it is probably the quickest way of helping them grow.

    A lot has been written and said about failure, and It’s probably a blog in itself. Helping young people to understand that it is normal to be fearful of failure but never letting failure stop them from chasing their dreams is an important lesson. In addition, those with tremendous success understand that failure is simply one of the many stepping stones to success.

    Working with study abroad consultants, overseas education consultants, or, as more commonly known, college counselors, can help you plan ahead and make those high school years count. Ivy Central offers exceptional focus to help you prepare for women college admissions throughout the high-schooling years. Start today!

  • Greek Life: An American Tradition

    Greek Life: An American Tradition

    Why Fraternities and Sororities are Called "Greek Life"

    The Greek Life in American Colleges

    For most international students the idea of fraternities and sororities is something they come across in films set in US colleges. Dating back to the early 1700 fraternities and sororities have grown into an American tradition, with a presence on campuses across the country. In this article, Ivy Central will explain what they are, the benefits of ‘pledging’, and the concerns that many have about them.

    What is ‘Greek Life’?

    Greek Life is the collective term used to describe the fraternities and sororities frequently found on the campus of colleges in the US. It’s called Greek Life because these organisations take their names from a combination of letters from the Greek alphabet, common examples are Sigma Alpha Epsilon or Pi Kappa Alpha. When the first fraternities were formed college was a male-only preserve but when women started to appear on campus they set up their organizations or sororities. For the most part this divide, on the grounds of gender survives to the current day.

    The common view of what fraternities and sororities are about probably comes from films like Animal House, the 1978 film that satirized and glorified Greek Life, in its portrayal of the drinking culture found in some fraternities. It was deeply influential in what people thought a US college experience should look like and has arguably led to some of the challenges to the Greek system in recent years.

    While the Animal House portrayal probably does exist in some places most Greek organisations have their roots firmly rooted in traditional values of camaraderie and philanthropy. Many of them will have a specific focus, for example, philanthropy, medicine, law or business. Some may be dedicated to a specific religion or ethnic group.

    How do you join?

    Following criticism of the way members were inducted into Greek Life some fraternities, sororities and indeed colleges have changed how they select new members. Traditionally those who wanted to join would first ‘rush’: this is the process where students choose which Greek organisations they want to join, attending recruitment events and interviews. Greek recruitment leaders use these events to take notes on the impression of the applicant and determine whether they would be a good fit for their organization. If they believe a person would work well they will offer the applicant a ‘bid’ or invite to join their fraternity or sorority.

    Having accepted the bid, the student becomes a ‘pledge’ member of that Greek organization until the following recruitment period. A pledge receives a ‘big’, someone who has been in the organization for one or more years than them, who will act as a mentor to the pledge, introducing them to people and showing them around the Greek organization. Bigs often pass down decorations, memorabilia, and Greek letter clothing to their ‘littles’ (the pledge they are looking after) as a way to continue spreading the word about their organization.

    Why should you join Greek Life?

    Friendship

    For many students arriving at a new college, and perhaps a new country, can be a daunting experience. Having people who can show you the ropes and ease your transition into college life can be a great help and joining a fraternity or sorority is one way to access that help. Once joined students tend to form a bond with other members, often these begin to resemble familial ties – fraternity members often refer to each other as ‘brothers’ and sorority members refer to each other as ‘sisters’. Many Greek devotees say that the friends you make in the house are strong, lifelong connections. Having these close friends can be an invaluable source of support during their time at college, it has been shown that members of Greek organisations have a lower dropout rate than non-members.

    Networking

    The Greek organisation a student belongs to will almost certainly be part of a larger network with brother or sister organisations on other campuses. Altogether it is estimated that there are in excess of nine million alumni of fraternities and sororities spread across the world and in all careers. Greek life gives students access to this network and can provide opportunities for internships while at college and help with employment and advancement post college with extracurricular activities to qualify.

    Giving back

    One aspect of Greek life that is often neglected in their portrayal in popular media is the work done to instil a strong commitment to service and philanthropy in their members. It is normal for a chapter to have somebody in a leadership position who will log the time members put in and coordinate events and fundraising. The work done at a particular chapter will often be part of a nationwide drive and it is not unusual for the national chapter to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for their chosen charities.

    What are the drawbacks?

    Time

    If you intend to join a fraternity or sorority you should prepare for it to take over your time outside of class, particularly while you are a pledge. When you first join you are likely to be required to spend much, if not all, of your free time in meetings, completing tasks or just being at the chapter house. This can place a huge strain on your ability to keep up with coursework, so much so that some colleges have banned rushing during the freshman year.

    Even after you are a full member of your fraternity or sorority there are still many commitments you are expected to meet, taking part in fundraisers, social events, attending meetings and so on. Students need to have great time management skills and the ability to balance conflicting demands.

    Cost

    In some colleges, it may feel as if going Greek is the only way to make friends and have a social life, however, the cost can be one of the largest expenses in your budget.

    Most fraternities and sororities will have a joining fee and then dues of up to $1,000 per semester. On top of this, there will probably be incidental fees associated with being Greek such as fines for missing a compulsory meeting or other misdemeanours, clothes in your organisations colours or with their name on it, ‘donations’ to good causes supported by the chapter and tickets to formal and informal events. It all adds up.

    Hazing

    Described as ‘a ritual that involves risk, pain, or harm to gain some form of initiation’ and has been linked with the deaths of 40 students between 2007 and 2017. As a result of the publicity caused by these tragedies many colleges and Greek organisations have banned hazing and many states have made the practice illegal. The reality is that informal hazing continues, often it will be trivial or demining tasks but at the more extreme level, it can also involve the consumption of large amounts of alcohol and ‘tests’ of physical and psychological strength.

    Final thoughts

    The choice of whether to go Greek or not is a personal one, many people gain a great deal from the experience and the connections they make but it is not for everybody. Think about what you want to get by joining and then spend time researching to find fraternities and sororities that match your personality, interests, and identity. If you do decide to pledge, be smart, be safe, and don’t let yourself be pressured to do something you don’t feel happy doing.