Where To Take Portuguese Lessons

Where To Take Portuguese Lessons Find Out Where To Find The Best Portuguese Classes Across The UK ChaptersLearn Portuguese In LondonPortuguese Lessons In ManchesterPortuguese Classes In BirminghamLearning Portuguese In LeedsGet Fluent In Portuguese In GlasgowPortuguese Lessons BelfastPortuguese Lessons CardiffPortuguese Lessons EdinburghThere are no two ways about it - learning a second language can only be a good thing.When you consider the reasons for studying a new language such as Portuguese, it is so easy to think of the positive rewards like being able to communicate with Portuguese speakers, having an extra skill on your CV, becoming more intelligent, and so on... yet it is really tough to think of any disadvantages. Can you think of any off the top of your head?There's a common misconception, usually among monolinguals (those who speak only one language), that being bilingual or even multilingual can cause you to become confused and mix up the different dialects. Any person who speaks a language on top of their mother tongue will disagree with this, as the different langu ages simply make sense in your head.Yes, okay, you may find yourself merging similar languages at the start of your language learning journey (especially languages like Spanish and Italian, for example), but soon enough you will master the language to a degree where you will just switch from one to the other with ease and all will click into place.Never mind worrying about which tie to wear to an interview, with an extra language skill on your CV you could ooze confidence and sail through the process. Photo on Visual HuntSo, now that we've established that there's absolutely no reason not to learn a foreign language, here are some advantages to learning Portuguese  specifically.Reasons For Learning Portuguese1. Portuguese is a highly useful languagePortuguese is the official language of Portugal and is a widely spoken language (probably more so than you think), so is definitely worth learning. While learning French and German is common at school, there are far more native speakers o f Spanish and Portuguese, with  over 230 million of the population  speaking  Portuguese  (among this number 222 million have it as their mother tongue).More people opt for Spanish over Portuguese, but what they may not know is that Portuguese is spoken not only in Portugal but it is also a principal language in Brazil (Brazilian Portuguese), Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and  São Tomé and Príncipe.  Portuguese is also widely spoken in Sri Lanka, Goa, India, and Macau, which shows that is commonly spoken across numerous continents.2. Learning Portuguese opens opportunities to travelAs we've discovered, Portuguese is on many people's lips, and not just in Europe! By becoming proficient in Portuguese, you could enable yourself to travel freely across Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia with little or no language barrier. So why not go and catch up with some of the 230 million speakers of this language and discover the world at the same time?Learning a new language like Portuguese opens up opportunities to travel and get by across the world. Photo credit: flossyflotsam on VisualhuntAlso, with Brazil having the eighth largest economy in the whole world, that seems like a good place to visit if you are on the search for a job!3. Portuguese will improve your career prospectsWhile having any second language will work to your advantage, there's a reason why Portuguese might make you stand out from the rest. Portuguese is said to be the seventh most studied language, therefore, with it being much lower down the table than its popular peers, as a speaker of this language, you could be bringing something unique to a business.In the US, Portuguese doesn't even come in in their top ten most studied languages, so US employers would have a field day if they saw this on your resume!4. Portuguese will help you learn other 'Romance' languagesFair enough, having a knowledge of Latin will ease the process of learning Latin-ba sed languages, but why not skip this process and move straight onto learning a language that you can actually use in real life, with real-life people, and in real-life situations? By learning Portuguese, you could make learning other languages like French or Spanish way simpler. The same goes if you do it the other way around - so if you are already a French or Spanish speaker, you will no doubt find that you pick up Portuguese really easily.Other examples of Romance languages are Romanian and Catalan, so it's not just the same old languages we are talking about here!5. Portuguese is a beautiful languageFinally, what really speaks for itself is the beauty and elegance of spoken Portuguese.As one of those languages that simply rolls off of the tongue of fluent speakers, it is mesmerising. It's no wonder that the 'Romance' languages are linked to love, they sound so breathtaking! Fall in love with Portuguese or fall in love with someone speaking to you in Portuguese... either way you will definitely want to learn this language once you start to learn more about it, I assure you!See below just a snippet of the Portuguese lessons, online courses, and workshops available to you across the country. During these sessions, you will learn to speak either beginner Portuguese, conversational skills or business Portuguese and will be taught about sentence structure, verbs, conjugation, pronunciation, vocab,  and grammar rules.You might,  for example, learn the days of the week and other common words and phrases, like 'obrigado' ('thank you').. Alternatively, you could look at going to Queen’s University Belfast, which runs beginners’ Portuguese courses over a period of 10 weeks.If you are interested in learning Portuguese though, whether European or Brazilian, it’s worth noting that it will likely take some time commitment from you in order to get better at the language and improve your speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills.For example, Language Trainers estimates that students would likely have to put in the following times in order to reach a certain proficiency in Portuguese:Elementary level of Portuguese â€" 30 hours;Intermediate level of Portuguese â€" 150 hours; andAdvanced level of Portuguese â€" 400 hours.So, if you are serious about getting better at Portuguese, it’s a good idea to be aware of how much time you can commit to learning a new language and think about which proficiency level you’d ultimately like to reach.Try Your Hand At Online LearningIf none of the courses above seems appealing, or you’re unsure about whether you can commit to attending regular Portuguese language classes, then you could also consider getting better at Portuguese with the help of online resources.There are plenty of apps out there that may help you get better at Portuguese, with some of the most well-known being:Babbel;Duolingo; andMosaLingua.On apps such as Babbel and Duolingo, lessons are often delivered in bite-sized chunks, which m akes these apps good to use to learn foreign languages such as Portuguese if you’re particularly time-poor.What’s more, some language learning apps are free to use, so if you’re thinking about studying a foreign language, whether that’s Portuguese, French, German, Spanish, or another language, these apps can be a good way to learn about the basics of a language and gauge whether you’d be interested in further study.It’s worth noting that, while these apps and websites can be very helpful, especially if you would consider yourself a beginner taking Portuguese classes London, you might find it harder to get as much value out of these kinds of language programmes if you’re a more advanced speaker, or consider yourself fluent or near-fluency in Portuguese.For advanced speakers, often going to a dedicated language class where you have the opportunity to speak in Portuguese, discuss complex matters in Portuguese, and learn about advanced aspects of Portuguese grammar can be more helpful.If you study a degree in Portuguese, you often have the chance to go on a year abroad (Image Source: Pixabay)Portuguese Lessons CardiffIf you live in Cardiff and want to learn Portuguese, then you’ll be pleased to hear there are plenty of options available regardless of your ability level.For example, if you’re a complete beginner when it comes to Portuguese, then you might want to consider attending a course designed to introduce you to the basics of the language.The University of Cardiff, for example, runs part-time courses designed for beginners’ Portuguese courses. Lasting 12 weeks, the course can help complete beginners who want to learn how to “hold a basic conversation” in Portuguese, with the course having a particular focus on Brazil.Even if you’re not a complete beginner in Portuguese, there are other basic Portuguese courses offered by the University of Cardiff, including the “Portuguese for Beginners II” course or “Portuguese for Improvers Stage B”.Note that the Portuguese for Improvers course runs for 20 weeks, and not 12, so you would have to be prepared to commit more time to your Portuguese studies to take this course.There’s Plenty To Learn In A Portuguese ClassThe content of a Portuguese lesson will depend on many factors, including:Your existing ability level in Portuguese;How long your course will run for;Whether you’re learning about European Portuguese or Brazilian Portuguese; andHow well you can read, write, speak, and listen in Portuguese.Beginners courses in Portuguese in Cardiff might cover areas such as basic grammar, including the past and present tense, or learning about basic adjectives, pronouns, and introductions.On the other hand, an advanced Portuguese speaker might learn more about complex areas of grammar or learning how to discuss particularly complex subjects that require an in-depth knowledge of Portuguese vocabulary.Moving Past Beginners’ Portuguese Lessons In CardiffAlthough it’s great to know that there are beginners courses out there in Portuguese, there are other types of Portuguese classes available in Cardiff.For example, there are conversational Portuguese classes available through providers such as Language Trainers and Listen Learn, who generally offer a lot of flexibility when it comes to how you take your Portuguese lessons. One to one, group classes, and Skype lessons are just some of the lesson formats available.Aside from conversational Portuguese classes, you can also learn about Portuguese for business purposes. Cactus Language Training is just one provider that offers business Portuguese lessons, whether on a weekly or intensive basis.Alternatively, Simon Simon also offers business Portuguese lessons, using what they call the “Communicative Approach” to help you improve your understanding of Portuguese.Edinburgh has lots of Portuguese language classes on offer (Image Source: Pixabay)Portuguese Lessons EdinburghIf you’re looking to le arn Portuguese in Scotland, or more specifically in Edinburgh, then you have plenty of language tutors to choose from!For example, you might choose to improve your knowledge of Portuguese by going to the inlingua language centre. Offering classes in both European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese, there are lessons available for all ability levels.So, if you just want to learn common greetings or common phrases in Portuguese, or you’d like to learn about more technical aspects of Portuguese grammar, you should be able to find a course that can help you.It’s worth noting that how long the evening classes run can depend on the number of students attending a course. The more students there are, the longer the course is likely to run, with timeframes of 12 weeks given for five to ten students, 10 weeks for four students, and 8 weeks for three students.If you’re looking for a slightly different approach when it comes to learning Portuguese, then you could try the Portuguese Teach er. Offering classes for both general and business Portuguese, the Portuguese Teacher offers a free trial lesson for prospective students, which is a good way of seeing if you like the lessons before committing to an extended period of study.Yet another option for Portuguese language tuition in Edinburgh is Chris Polatch â€" The Language Specialists, who offer courses aimed at both junior learners as well as adults.Take Portuguese At UniversityAnother great option to learn more about Portuguese, whether that’s just to learn the basics such as the alphabet or take more serious Portuguese studies, is to take a Portuguese course through a university.If you’re looking for a short course in Portuguese then you might consider taking a course at the University of Edinburgh, which offers adult Portuguese classes for both beginners and those with an elementary knowledge of the language.However, if you’re looking to take more advanced Portuguese lessons, then you could think about going down the route of getting a formal qualification in Portuguese, such as an undergraduate degree.Again, the University of Edinburgh can help in this regard, although it’s worth noting there are minimum entry requirements that you would have to meet if you did want to study Portuguese at the university.If you do decide to study Portuguese as part of an undergraduate degree, then it’s likely you’ll be able to have a year abroad as part of your degree programme.A year abroad would give you a fantastic opportunity to improve your Portuguese language skills. This is because:Travelling to Portugal, Brazil, or another Portuguese-speaking country can help you appreciate the culture of that country more;You’ll get plenty of opportunities to practice your spoken Portuguese as well as your Portuguese listening skills; andYou’ll hopefully be able to improve your overall fluency in the language.Looking For Lessons Outside Of University?Whether or not you decide to go for formal Portugu ese study, you don’t have to rely on university language centres in Edinburgh if you’d like to learn Portuguese.Choosing to learn Portuguese (European or Brazilian) with the help of a language tutor, such as a Superprof tutor, is one option that could work well for you.With a private language tutor, you have more control over how many lessons you have, where they take place, and what kind of topics they should cover.If you think that Portuguese language tuition with a Superprof tutor might be for you, check out the range of tutors available on Superprof’s database, and see whether there’s a tutor that looks like a good fit!

Dont Let Fear Get the Better of You during Physics Tests

Don’t Let Fear Get the Better of You during Physics Tests 0SHARESShare Physics, for some students leads to poor confidence and fear which can cause havoc during exams and render you helpless. You may find yourself stressed and this could stop you from answering questions that are right up your alley! A methodical approach to learning the subject can help boost your confidence levels and can do wonders to improve your grades. If you feel thoroughly intimidated by the subject and simply can’t study by yourself, the best thing for you to do would be to work with online physics tutors. We have compiled a couple of tips that can help you learn physics concepts better and master them; read on. #1: As always basics of physics are important If you arent very confident in this area, work on your basic concepts and seek help from experts as and when required. You could either take a look at basics as and when you require or spend some time with it first with the help of online physics tutoring experts. Such an approach is healthy and will contribute to better learning in the long run. #2: Math is the key to improving your physics grades Invariably, you have to rely on math for derivations or problem solving and the two subjects are very closely connected. If your math requires work too, better get on it first! Without good math skills, it would be really difficult for you to work with physics. #3: Understand how complex physics formula are derived Some equations could be straight forward and easy to remember. However, there are many complex formula and equations that simply cannot be understood without effort. Don’t try the rote learning way; it won’t help you solve problems! Try to understand how the equation has been derived and try to do it yourself. This sort of an approach will help you wrap your head around the concept better. #4: Work on problems on a daily basis Even when you haven’t been assigned any homework, it is advisable to take up a concept daily and work on problems. Problems help you understand the underlying concepts easily and practice is required to get them right in exams. If you are struggling with problem solving, get in touch with an expert tutor for physics homework help and get all your doubts clarified. Doing this on a daily basis will certainly help you improve your confidence level. We also recommend that you take up mock tests and work on your assignments diligently to score better in your exams. Being better prepared will do wonders for your confidence levels and will certainly help you beat fear and score well. Good Luck!

A Guitarists Guide to Odd Time Signatures

A Guitarists Guide to Odd Time Signatures Megan L. Do you know how to count music in odd time signatures? Guitar teacher  Joe L.  breaks down the basics that guitarists need to know about playing in unusual times Timing is something that most guitarists have to pick up early in playing music. Playing in time is very important; it may be the most important quality and skill you can develop and improve upon as you continue learning to play guitar. If youre looking at a piece of music, the time signature is the two numbers that look like a fraction at the beginning of the piece. These numbers tell you how to count time in the piece youre going to play. The two most popular time signatures are 4/4 (1-2-3-4) and 3/4 (1-2-3-1-2-3).  People can naturally follow along with these time signatures, but what happens when the timing is different? Many newer musicians can get lost trying to play along with others who are playing in an odd time like 7/8. But there are some simple tricks you can do to play in time with strange grooves. Time Signatures in 5 For example, when playing in 5/4, you can count (1-2-3-4-5), (1-2-1-2-3) or (1-2-3-1-2).   By doing so, you will break down the structure to the timing, and you can then split it into two parts: 1-2 and then 1-2-3 (or the other way around: 1-2-3 and then 1-2). Youll find the groove in there somewhere (depending on how the music that youre playing goes) by recognizing where the accent is (the beat that gets stressed or emphasized) in the song. You can get very imaginative when breaking the rhythm down, such as (1-2-3-4-1). Here are some examples of popular songs in 5. Halloween Theme (Main Title) (from Halloween) by John Carpenter Mission Impossible Theme by Lalo Schifrin Time Signatures in 7 In 7/8, you can break the rhythm down into (1-2-3-1-2-1-2) or (1-2-1-2-1-2-3).  You can also use (1-2-3-1-2-3-1) or (1-2-1-2-1-1-2).  Again, listen for the accent notes to figure out how to break up your counts.   Get creative on how you can break these rhythms down; my examples arent the only methods. Below are a couple of popular tunes in 7. Dreaming in Metaphors by Seal Die To Live by Steve Vai With other times, such as 11, you can break them down in multiple ways, for example (1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3), (1-2-3-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4) or (1-2-3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4). A suggestion to getting better playing in odd times is to use a metronome in the time youre trying to learn. Or, you can look up drum tracks in odd times online, and play with them until you start finding yourself feeling the rhythm and playing in the groove. These unusual time signatures arent found too often, but when they are used, they can be the most recognizable pieces youve heard. Before you try to tackle these odd times with chords and scales, try muting the strings and work it out until you feel these grooves. It helps a lot to tackle only the rhythm first before trying to incorporate the chords. Once you feel comfortable strumming in odd time signatures, you can then start adding in chords and scales to really start jamming! Good luck! For more help learning the basics of guitar, taking lessons from a private teacher is the best way to improve. Find your guitar teacher now! Joe L. teaches guitar lessons in New York, NY. He has been teaching guitar for 15 years and in his teaching he focuses on breaking down music theory to make learning music easy and accessible for all his students. Learn more about Joe here.   Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by  Jen Gallardo

Tutorfair The story behind us

Tutorfair The story behind us On a sunny winters day in January 2012 I met with Andrew who showed me some concepts for a new website that he’d come up with. He was a parent who’d found the process of finding tutors for his own children both confusing and a little hit-and-miss. His concept was a website that would allow parents to actually browse for great tutors and then book them. I agreed that there wasn’t anything quite like it at the time, but what really captured my imagination was the concept that the company would give tutoring to children who otherwise couldn’t afford it. Hence the ‘fair’ bit of Tutorfair. In my 14 years of tutoring, most of the tutors I’d known had either  moved on to other work or set up agencies. I’d not set up my own simply because I had very little interest in running a company. Yet here was a concept that seemed so simple, and so likely to do some real good, that I found myself getting very excited. If there are billions of dollars being put into tutoring worldwide every year, why not take some of that money and give it to the kids who need it most? Andrew Ground wasn’t just a parent, he had a background in marketing and had been involved in building the hugely successful UK company LOVEFiLM. He introduced me to Edd Stockwell, a fantastically energetic web entrepreneur who’d been doing a large amount of research into the education sector. In our first proper meeting in a tapas restaurant in Old Street we discussed how this could work, and thus Tutorfair was born. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet most of the highest paid and best regarded tutors in the world. In fact, many are close friends. When we pitched the idea to those in Britain, most were hugely excited and almost everyone wanted to help in any way they could. At the very least, we’ve been able to help Andrew find tutors for his kids! Beyond individual tutors, there are many tutoring agencies. Most of the best in London are run by friends of mine or people I’d known professionally for years. We weren’t sure how they’d see Tutorfair, but the response was amazing. These professional tutoring agencies do a good job of finding and retaining great tutors so it was essential we had them on board too. Most seemed very open to our concept and loved the idea that if we worked together we could actually do some good. They’d list their recommended tutors on the website, and thus open up their tutor networks to parents wanting to book online. Together we agreed the promise that for every student who pays we’d give tutoring to a child who couldn’t afford it. Our aim has been to assemble the best tutors in London to kick us off. We meet all of them, check their documents and film videos of them so parents can get a better idea of what they’re like. We also offer training and mentoring for those looking to develop their tutoring into a career, and this has been a particularly fun part for me. The next challenge was how to arrange the free tuition. The solution was simple, rather than try find these children ourselves why not look for schools and charities that had already identified the children most in need of our help? I took the rest of 2012 to meet with various schools, charities and organisations. I went into classrooms, taught with children who’d never been given any personal tutoring and we took the time to look into what was working well. Once we’d earmarked the teams who seemed to make the most *real* difference to children’s lives: we pledged our support, our tutors and our time. Fast forward to early 2013, the website is live, we are receiving bookings and we’re already running a number of initiatives for the Tutorfair Foundation, our new charity. It’s an incredibly exciting time! Tutoring has been proven to be an incredibly effective education tool* but up until now it’s something that only the most wealthy can afford. Hopefully we can start to make it fair! In this blog we’ll keep you updated on how the company is going and what we’re doing with the charity. We’ll also be providing tips, tutoring resources (for students educators) and sharing with you what we find is getting results. We hope you enjoy! * (Bloom, 1984)

More Factors to Active Learning - Private Tutoring

More Factors to Active Learning BobbiM Mar 25, 2014 The tasks: a factor that influences active learning. Simply put, tasks are what your professors ask you to do. You can think of them as daily tasks, such as reading your text before you attend lectures; or larger tasks, such as preparing for various kinds of tests or writing papers. Most professors are pretty clear about what the task it. They will let you know the number of tests you will have and the kind of tests they will be. Some will even let you examine old copies of old tests or student papers so that you can see the kinds of questions they will ask or what their writing expectations are. Others will give you example test questions so that you can get an idea of how the questions will be asked. But some professors arent so clear in defining course tasks. Some may even give you conflicting messages. Therefore, it is important to try to get your professor to be as clear as possible about the tasks you must undertake. If you dont know what is expected of you, then you cant select the proper learning strategies or the most effective way to approach your texts. The texts: a factor that influences active learning. Texts are crucial to learning in college. In fact, it has been estimated that 85 percent of all college learning involves reading. Whatever types of text you are expected to interact with, you should know how the particular text is organized. In most textbooks, each chapter is usually organized in the same fashion. In addition, your professors lectures probably follow the same organization each day. Even visual texts have organizational patterns. Once you have determined how your text is organized, learning the material becomes a much easier task. Learning strategies: a factor that influences active learning. Strategies for active learning have several features in common. Strategy one: declarative knowledge. Declarative knowledge is knowing what- what you need to do and what strategy you need to use. Strategy two: procedural knowledge. Procedural knowledge involves more than knowing what you should do. It is knowing how to do it. Strategy three: conditional knowledge. Conditional knowledge means knowing under what conditions to use certain strategies-knowing why. Techniques to stretch your memory. -acronyms. You can use mnemonics to learn a list by creating an acronym. This means taking the first letter of each item you are trying to memorize and making them spell something. -imagery. Forming images is another powerful way to help you remember when you review. -method of Loci. Imagine a place that is familiar to you. Then you walk down this path through your memory. As you proceed, you attach a piece of information you have to learn to different places and objects to help you remember it. Excerpt from College Success Strategies by Sherrie L. Nist and Jodi Patrick Holschuh.

How to Finish Your Internship Strong Before the Holidays

How to Finish Your Internship Strong Before the Holidays Image via Pexels As for me, I interned at a daycare center while in college. While my main goal was to observe and analyze behavior and then write reports for class assignments, the day to day experience with the infants and children younger than five was eye-opening and exciting. I didn’t care for the environment all that much, but the lessons I learned while working alongside adults and kids were unforgettable. Whether you thought your experience was so great that you want to work for the firm or you’re just glad it’s almost over, you’ve got one final green light before you can actually stop. Here are a few ways that you can finish your internship strong. 1. Be appreciative. Write a personal note of thanks to your supervisor and/or to the team or individuals you worked with letting them know what the experience meant to you. State one or two specifics that will show your sincere appreciation and make them feel like they have helped to make a difference and/or assisted you in your journey. You can always type something up, but handwritten notes are truly gracious and show you gave a good amount of thought to it. Before I left the daycare center where I interned, I wrote a handwritten message to my supervisor and my fellow teachers doing just that. 2. Ask for feedback and accept whatever it is. Many people don’t like to give feedback simply because most people don’t like to receive it or they fear it will be taken the wrong way. But you will only be able to measure your progress if you know how you did before. Ask your supervisor and/or co-workers for feedback. My supervisor did this for me at the end of my time. Let them speak their minds. What they say will help you become a better person and employee in the future. When your boss mentions your strengths, pay attention as this can help you present your accomplishments to future employees. If a boss mentions any weakness, pay attention to this too as this is important constructive criticism that will help you to refine some of your not so good points so you can grow into the best you can be. 3. Make a list of your accomplishments. Completing an internship is a huge accomplishment. Go ahead and give yourself a high-five or the Carlton Banks wink and gun move. While it is all still fresh in your mind, take a few minutes to update your resume and your LinkedIn profile if you have one. Don’t simply list things though. Make sure to write it on your resume in a way where you show (not tell) how your work impacted the company. Doing this can go a long way especially when you’re looking to get a full-time job in the future. If need be, consult your supervisor or a co-worker to ensure you’re writing what you did in a professional manner where another employer can understand it. 4. Network. Network. Network. Your internship experience is a time to meet new people and really get to know them. You will find out a lot about people by how they work and how they communicate at work. These may not be your close friends, but you can call on them for career advice if need be. So add all of your co-workers to your address book. If you got along well, add them to your smartphone’s contact list. Take time to find them on LinkedIn and connect there. Make an effort to check in or just touch base with them every once in a while, approximately 3-6 months. Ask what they’ve been doing and let them know what you are up to these days. When you communicate after several months of being away, consider talking about a recent news piece about the company or a new project that involves the company. This will inform them that you’ve stayed interested even after you left. 5. Make a plan. It’s tough enough to think about next week’s class assignments or tomorrow’s grocery shopping trip, but try to think about your future plans. Your internship may or may not be ideal, but one way or another, you learned some valuable lessons and skills that you didn’t have before. (Cleaning baby changing stations wasn’t in my ultimate career goals, but it did give me experience I never had.) Choose to steer your internship experience to the career path that you ultimately have in mind for yourself. If you plan to stay with a company after your internship, make that known to your employee. Just let them know you’d like to move into a part-time or full-time paid employee position and ask if there are any openings for that. Bad or good, it is completely up to you to stick around or move on. Just make sure there is a plan in place either way. So there you have it, five ways to finish your internship strong before the holidays. Good luck!

9 Places to Buy Cheap Work Clothes

9 Places to Buy Cheap Work Clothes pexels.com Professional clothes are a must for most people. At some point in your life, you are probably going to need to suck it up and put on some slacks and a blazer every day for work. This might be hard, especially if you have never had to wear professional clothes before. It means figuring out what you like and what you look good in all the while trying to save money on a new wardrobe. The great thing about work clothes is that there is a big market for them, so a lot of stores carry affordable professional wear. Here is a list of a few places to help get you started on your hunt for professional clothing. Goodwill Goodwill should be your first stop if you are shopping on a budget. If you are committed to digging through the racks, you are sure to find some gems. At Goodwill, you could possibly get an entire work outfit for under $20. It’s an awesome store but because all of the stock is donated, you have to be ready to dig around to find something you like and in your size. Cut out a big chunk of time one day and dive into the racks of Goodwill for a super cheap way to get work clothes. Forever 21 Forever 21 is a great store to get cheap clothes, professional or not. You could potentially get your entire work wardrobe at Forever 21 if you do some digging. They have a wide array of trendy blazers, professional blouses, and slacks it just takes some searching! They also have a great selection of dresses that range from casual to elegant. However, you get what you pay for. Don’t expect your new pair of sleek, black boots you got for $12 to last you three years. HM HM is an awesome place to get your work clothes. It’s inexpensive, and the quality of the clothes is a lot better than a lot of its competitors. The clothes at HM tend to lean more towards professional style, so it’s not hard at all to find a few full work getups. The men’s section is also full of professional wear if dresses aren’t your style. You can find dress pants, button-downs, and blazers all for an affordable price. Target Target’s clothes section continues to get better and better. Their clothes are surprisingly on trend and cover a wide array of styles and elegance. Both their Men’s and Women’s sections are full of affordable professional wear that is of good quality. Don’t expect to leave Target with just a couple shirts there is something about that store that compels you to buy everything you don’t actually need. Zara Zara is a great place to get professional clothes that are sleek and stylish. They have blazers for days that are affordable and come in a variety of different cuts. They also offer up a wide selection of professional dresses and slacks. While a bit pricier than some of the other places on this list, Zara has a great variety of professional wear that is sure to last you a very long time. Old Navy Old Navy is an underrated gem when it comes to affordable shopping. They have everything and it’s all extremely affordable. It’s a great place to pick up nice blazers that are sure to give any outfit a flare of professionalism. From shoes to jewelry to shirts, Old Navy has everything you could need to compile your work wardrobe, and it won’t break your bank! pexels.com Macy’s Macy’s has an awesome selection of affordable work clothes, especially for men. They have a huge selection of ties, suits, and dress shirts all for affordable prices. Their ties sit at around $15 each which is a huge money saver. They also run frequent sales including their monthly One Day Sales where you can get your work wear even cheaper. Gap Gap is a great place to find alternatives to more expensive brands. A lot of their clothes mimic JCrew which, for a lot of people, is way too expensive. Thanks to Gap, you can get JCrew style professional wear for much, much cheaper. The clothes at Gap are on the more casual side, so if you are looking for something more elegant, try Gap’s sister store Banana Republic for affordable elegant wear. Amazon Shopping for clothes online can be a little bit risky, but Amazon has a huge variety of clothes that you can wear to work. If you have Prime, shipping is super fast and returns are super easy. Before discounting online shopping, scroll through the pages of Amazon and just see if there’s anything that catches your eye. Online shopping is often cheaper than shopping in-store (depending on where you are shopping), so it’s worth it to just take a look around.

4 Jobs That Offer Flexibility

4 Jobs That Offer Flexibility pexels.com Everyone knows that the goal of (seemingly endless) years of schooling is to get a job. Some of us have dream jobs in mind occupations we’ve been planning and working hard for ever since we were young. However, there are sometimes instances when we’ve tried out what we thought we wanted, but eventually realized it’s not the path we want to pursue. If you have felt this way at any point during your college career thus far, one reason may be that you want something more flexible. Perhaps your original career path involves a strict schedule with little free time outside of the workday, or maybe the work hours themselves aren’t the most productive times for you. Personally, having an internship in a corporate environment this summer has opened my eyes to what kinds of jobs I do and don’t want to pursue in the future. I’m finding that the typical 9-5 office job perhaps isn’t the best fit for me, as I would prefer to be moving around and engaging with other people more often throughout the day. Yet, for others, this schedule may sound appealing. Whatever you prefer, there are a number of excellent jobs out there that offer a great deal of flexibility and which will work reasonably well with your own schedule. Actuary Forbes reports that actuaries have the benefits of both lucrative pay and flexibility. If you are interested in mathematics, this may be the job for you: actuaries use statistics and financial theory to assess the risk that an event will occur, and help businesses and clients develop policies that minimize the cost of that risk, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although some actuaries do follow a standard 9-5 office routine, their jobs often provide a good balance between work and personal life. Additionally, many who work as consultants are able to set their own schedules. My father, who is an actuary, certainly has flexible work hours. As of now, he is able to work from home twice a week; when he goes into the office, he has to complete eight hours for the day but isn’t held to specific clock-in or clock-out times. Plus, he always has time after work to spend the rest of the evening with my family and me at home. IT Many jobs in IT, such as information security analysts and managers, are flexible. IT jobs can be found in a variety of industries, so if you are interested in technology-related careers, you have the option to branch out into many different fields. According to Business News Daily, information security analysts and managers work on technical projects, as well as assess, develop, and troubleshoot a company’s information security systems and programs. What makes IT a flexible career option? Many IT workers are able to telecommute, meaning that they can work from home while using phone, email, and Internet to do their jobs and communicate with colleagues. That way, employees can stay in the comfort of their own homes while getting things done electronically. This may be a worthwhile option to consider if you are comfortable using technology to collaborate with others and are more productive in your own personal space, rather than in an office. Freelance writer This one offers a wide range of possibilities. Freelancers can write for a variety of industries, work from home, and set their own schedules. Oftentimes, they also have the freedom to write about things they are interested in and genuinely care about, which makes their jobs that much more rewarding. pexels.com Graphic designer Flexibility doesn’t just refer to the structure of a workday; it can also mean that there are many available options to pursue within a certain field. There are a number of positions within graphic design that are different from the common web design jobs that most people tend to first think of. For example, editorial designers might belong in the publishing or printing industries working on typography and content placement, according to this article on graphic design by Careertopia. If you look hard enough, there are many jobs out there that offer what you’re looking for: good pay, flexible schedule, and work that you genuinely enjoy. While this list serves as a rather narrow springboard for ideas on flexible jobs, you can use it to start thinking about what career path you would like to pursue, while factoring in work schedule and the variety of fields you could delve into.