Independent Junior Schools offer a broad curriculum, specialist teaching, small classes, a fantastic range of facilities, wholesome food, teacher-parent partnerships and a huge focus on the development of the individual child academically, socially and spiritually.

On receiving a prospectus from an independent school it will often say that they offer a broad curriculum, but what does this mean? The broad curriculum relates to what the children will do in school. As well as offering the core subjects most independent schools offer much more.

Art, drama, languages, design technology, music, Latin, religious education, personal, social, and health education, physical education and games are some of the things common to the curriculum. Within these subject areas will be additional disciplines. In music, for example children will have access to individual music lessons. The instruments and teaching are supplied by the school at no cost to parents. Specialist choral training and opportunities to perform in a range of contexts, all from an early age are all on offer. It is common for games to be undertaken every day and form a core part of the daily routine, promoting fitness, working as a team and contributing to a healthy lifestyle. The teaching of foreign languages often begins at an early age. French is the most common but I have known Spanish and Chinese also to be undertaken.

The term ’specialist teaching’ often crops up in a prospectus and is a core aspect of the Independent School way of life. This term relates to teachers and how the children are taught. Instead of having a single teacher who teaches them for all subjects, Independent Schools organise their curriculum so teachers who are specialists in their subjects (i.e. their first degree is in the subject they teach) undertake tuition of the pupils. For example a science teacher will teach all the science lessons and so the children receive input from a teacher who has outstanding subject knowledge. Depending on the school this may range from one or two subjects being taught by specialists to the whole curriculum. The level of subject input the pupils get is second to none often resulting in a higher level of understanding being achieved by the pupils.

Coupled with outstanding teaching are small classes. Class sizes often range from eight to twenty children per class but are on average around fourteen to eighteen. This enables an enormous amount of interaction between the teacher and pupil and also enables children to contribute to all aspects of class life without having to struggle to be heard or seen. This single fact allows teachers to develop outstanding relationships with pupils and help them to become good citizens.

When introducing reading to young children the ability to spend a great deal of time individually with them empowers all children to develop confidence and the necessary decoding skills needed for future development. Small classes enable teachers to provide the necessary attention required for the acquisition of this important skill. As the child is working in a one-to-one situation, the teacher is able to establish a unique programme of development for that child which enables him or her to develop exactly the skills they need.

You may have wondered why I have mentioned wholesome food. In this world where we are all bombarded by advertisements for all kinds of foods it is essential to teach children the importance of good, wholesome food. School lunches have had bad press recently but not all schools are the same. Some schools have stuck to their guns and have always offered their pupils a good, healthy balanced diet without the threat of the vending machine! Staff also play their part when they sit with the children for lunch and discuss worldly affairs and guide children into choosing a healthy meal.

Of course, one of the most important parts of a child’s education is their parents. Schools only have children for part of the day therefore it is essential that parents play their part. Parents are usually always welcome in a Prep school environment. Teachers pride themselves on the relationships they establish with parents and the role they are encouraged to play. A good school will foster good relationships with parents and guide them on how they can play their part in the development of the whole child.

When you visit an Independent School with a view to placing your child or children, discover whether the education on offer really does offer a broad curriculum. Is it taught by specialists in an environment supported by outstanding facilities where excellent pastoral care supports each child’s moral and spiritual development coupled with an individual learning plan ensuring a tailored education?

Jo-Ro Haffenden
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/what-does-an-independent-junior-school-education-offer-706655.html

Many of us have been drastically affected by the economic downturn, despite our best attempts to save for rainy days and plan for retirement. With our Social Security and investment income dwindling down to a fraction of what they once were, it’s clear that this year we’re going to have to be more creative than ever when it comes to celebrating the holidays.

Fortunately, there are many ways to enjoy the holidays on a budget – and the Internet has made it easier than ever to find great gift ideas or stay connected with friends and family without breaking the bank. So you don’t have to let distance and travel costs keep you from seeing your loved ones and showing them how much you care!

This year, enjoy the holidays as much as ever with my list of 10 easy ways to spend less and still show your love and appreciation to all the important people in your life.

1. Use old knit sweaters to create cuddly creatures. As the daughter of Depression-Era parents, I’ve learned how to use everything sparingly and I know that my mom would be proud of me for “recycling” a wool sweater into a cuddly owl toy for my grandkids. Check out www.Etsy.com for inspiration – you can make a sock dog or socktopus – and even a punky monkey that older kids would enjoy!

2. Take a cue from eco-friendly gifts ideas that use recycled products to create new works of art!  This is another great way to use what you already have around the house. I’ve seen beautiful cufflinks created from vintage typewriter keys! For more ideas, check out www.eco-artware.com.

3. Save on long distance phone calls with Skype. If you can’t afford to travel this holiday season, keep in touch with Skype, which allows you to talk with anyone, anywhere in the world! There are no long distance charges here. The service is FREE to all registered users! Your calls originate and take place at your computer and you can chat with up to 100 people or conference call with up to 9 others.

4. Get a webcam and see all of your friends and family without leaving your house! Participating in free video conversations via the Internet helps you view your loved ones who are far away (and you can even watch baby Levi or Ilana take their first steps!). To purchase a webcam, count on tech reviewer CNET to base their ratings on your individual priority:  price, popularity, manufacturer, editors picks, user ratings, and product features.  Just make sure one of their recommendations is compatible with your PC or Mac.  You can then show off your creativity on YouTube, which allows you to upload your videos and broadcast them around the world.

5. Pick up those knitting or crochet needles. Whip up scarves, mittens, and throws for friends and family. The will treasure these hand-made items and all the thoughtful attention to detail that went into making them! 

6.  Don’t overlook consignment stores and popular discount retailers. Recently, I read an article about well-known interior designers, art museum curators, and other “A-list” people scouring discount stores (Tuesday Morning and Big Lots) for unique clearance items.  If they can do it, so can we! And don’t forget about consignment stores where you can discover many great finds at bargain prices.

7. Put together creative themed baskets. You can send someone a garden by packaging some seeds with a couple garden tools. For the college student, you can make a sewing kit (they’ll thank you for it later!) For the newlyweds, print some of the old family recipes and put them into a cookie jar, crockpot or a colorful index box. You can also assemble arts and craft items for any age (and don’t forget the stickers).

8.  Tell a new story or a favorite classic with picture books. Check out LookyBook.com, named as a best 2008 website by Time Magazine, to see great picture books in their entirety.  You could purchase their recommendations at full retail prices or find old standbys in “good as new” condition at garage sales, thrift stores or websites like Amazon.com.  Look for “Harold and the Purple Crayon,” “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day,” “The Hungry Caterpillar,” “Good Night Moon,” “Corduroy,” “The Giving Tree,” “Pat the Bunny,” “Guess How Much I Love You,” and the Dr. Seuss classics.

9. Shop Iliketotallyloveit.com for teens and other discriminating recipients. Check out this site for gifts to satisfy the tame as well as the outrageous members of your family.

10. Donate to charity and make the season bright for others. And finally, for those recipients who either have everything, don’t have the space for anything or don’t want anything, pick a charity they’d approve and make any size donation. Justgive.org makes it easy and secure to support your favorite charity.

Susan Levine
http://www.articlesbase.com/holidays-articles/10-creative-ways-to-make-the-holidays-bright-on-a-budget-a-boomers-guide-to-gift-giving-and-staying-connected-during-the-holidays-688893.html

Meet the “New-trients”

Today’s consumers are witnessing a new era in how foods are identified. New nutrients, not commonly understood for their health benefits, seem to be popping up on our grocer’s shelves every day. Omega fatty acids, newly defined sources of dietary fiber, and antioxidant phytochemicals are examples of healthful plant elements that are creeping into public media reports and water-cooler debates.

Laboratory and preliminary human clinical studies are revealing anti-disease properties of these “nutrients.” Extensive food and medical research underway presently will eventually translate the chemical properties into consumer understanding and terminology that we’ll grasp and use in everyday conversation.

With such potential significance to public health, the consumer education process should begin now in a way that people, from teenagers to grandparents, can readily understand antioxidants as easily as we now understand calories, carbohydrates, fat percentage, and vitamin C.

The scientific and regulatory bodies for food labeling have a great challenge ahead of them.

There are thousands of plant food sources with suspected health benefits with complicated chemical names that are unfamiliar and can be intimidating. The challenge at hand is to decipher this blizzard of names and to promote better nutrition for our families and for ourselves.

Why Antioxidants?

The beneficial antioxidant chemicals that we get from colorful plant foods represent our best defense against threatening oxidants. While oxidative stress is a normal part of cellular metabolism that occurs even in healthy people, left unchecked, it can lead to damage that accumulates with age.

Normally, oxidative species or “free radicals” are neutralized by antioxidant enzymes and food-derived antioxidants. However, the following circumstances can cause an imbalanced oxidant-antioxidant relationship that allows oxidative stress to go unopposed.

• Contamination by environmental conditions like pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides

• Normal aging

• Poor diets that lack essential nutrients and phytochemicals

The result of this imbalance is cell and tissue damage that could lead to diseases like:

• Cancer

• Hypertension

• Diabetes

• Chronic inflammation

• Neuronal degeneration like Alzheimer’s disease

The Color Code for Antioxidants

Over the past five years, we have begun a valuable process for recognizing plant food antioxidant qualities by groupings of color—The Color Code, as written in two books entitled The Color Code and What Color is Your Diet? (publication information below).

The following is a summary of those color guides for antioxidants, and an example of how we can begin to classify and categorize the different antioxidants into the food color code.

Summary of the Color Code

This is a general scheme of example foods that can fit into each color class. Keep in mind that there are no firm lines between the classes, which allows for overlap.

1. Red – tomato, pink grapefruit, watermelon

2. Blue/Red/Purple/Black (BRPB) – blueberry, cherry, prune, blackberry

3. Orange/Yellow – carrot, pumpkin, orange, papaya

4. Green – broccoli, kale, spinach, pea

5. White – garlic, onion, cabbage, turnip

6. Brown/Gray – spices, nuts, seeds, endogenous sources

How to Apply the Color Code

Here’s a general breakdown of the color groups that have food chemicals with antioxidant qualities:

1.Enzymes (Brown/Gray)

A protein substance with a name ending in “ase”, enzymes stimulate biochemical reactions in living cells and help form new compounds that, in this case, would serve antioxidant functions.

Members of this enzyme class of antioxidants include:

• Superoxide dismutase

• Catalases

• Reductases

• Peroxidases

• Transferases

2.Vitamins (Brown/Gray)

Most consumers would already recognize the three main antioxidant vitamins—A, C and E—that are derived from food and supplements common to the public. Vitamins A and E are fat-soluble, providing antioxidant protection in cell structures like the outer membrane and inner nuclear organelles. Vitamin C dissolves readily in body water compartments, so it is well distributed in the body. Of particular note is the important role of vitamin C in protecting vitamins A and E from damaging oxidative free radicals.

3.Phenolics (BRPB)

With more than 8,000 individual chemicals that serve plants as pigments, the phenolics (also called phenols or polyphenols) are water-soluble acids that not only give plants colors, but also differentiate scents, tastes, and bitterness. The large class of phenolics (called flavonoids) is often mentioned in current public media. Quercetin, kaempferol and peonidin are examples of flavonoids that have been in the news recently.

4.Carotenoids (Orange/Yellow, Red)

A fat-soluble group of more than 600 individual chemicals, the carotenoids (e.g., beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin “zee-a-zan-thin”) are especially powerful antioxidants. Due to their chemical structure, they are an excellent source of electrons that are aggressively sought by oxidative free radicals. A carotenoid molecule donates electrons to a free radical, sacrificing itself in antioxidant defense. Terpenes and xanthophylls are included in this class.

5.Hormones (Brown/Gray)

A growing field of medical research is identifying normal hormones typically described with cell-to-cell messaging roles in the body as having antioxidant functions. Presently only a few hormones have this identified property such as melatonin, estradiol and insulin, but future research will likely unravel similar functions for the dozens of hormones known in human physiology.

6.Minerals (All colors)

Minerals have elements that enable enzyme activity. Selenium, zinc, manganese, magnesium and copper are minerals involved in hundreds of antioxidant roles in the body.

7.Glutathione (Brown/Gray)

Probably the human body’s single most important native antioxidant, glutathione is a water-soluble molecule synthesized from food-derived amino acids. It also depends on lipoic acid (below) for synthesis.

8.Lipid effectors (Orange/Yellow)

Lipoic acid is perhaps the “perfect” antioxidant because it is a small powerful molecule that dissolves readily both in fatty layers of cells and in water – the only antioxidant to do this. Other lipid oriented antioxidants include omega fatty acids, tocopherols (like vitamin E), phytosterols, perillyl alcohol and essential oils such as limonene.

9.Saponins, steroids and stilbenes (Green, BRPB)

Related in this discussion only by their common first letter “s”, this group has established antioxidant functions and includes some well-known chemicals such as resveratrol (a stilbene of red wine and dark grapes), brassinosteroid (the growth regulator of plants) and saponin (the waxy covering on plant leaves).

10.Sulfur-containing chemicals (Green, White)

Including organosulfides, tri and diallyl sulfides and sulforaphane, this group from plants like broccoli and cabbage has been shown to have properties affecting antioxidant enzyme activity, inflammatory mediators and tumor growth.

Proposing an Antioxidant Nomenclature

Just as vitamins have been given a nominal identity (Vitamin A, B, C…etc) so too should we refer to antioxidants. This is a new system not yet formally proposed to any regulatory authority or scientific body. Classification of antioxidants must undergo the scrutiny, revision and adoption by scientists, industry and government to be acceptable for food label use in the public.

Here is the proposed breakdown:

1. Antioxidant C – carotenoids

2. Antioxidant E – enzymes

3. Antioxidant G – glutathione

4. Antioxidant H – hormones

5. Antioxidant L – lipid-associated chemicals

6. Antioxidant M – minerals

7. Antioxidant P – phenolics

8. Antioxidant S – saponins, steroids, stilbenes, sulfurs

9. Antioxidant V – vitamins

Over time, the public must feel these proposed antioxidant classes are informative and practical for understanding antioxidants and choosing preferred foods. Time will tell, but this list gives us a simple working structure to get a handle on naming antioxidants.

Reading

* Heber D. What Color Is Your Diet? HarperCollins, New York, 2001.

* Joseph JA, Nadeau DA, Underwood A. The Color Code, Hyperion, New York, 2002.

* Lee J, Koo N, Min DB. Reactive oxygen species, aging, and antioxidative nutraceuticals. Compreh. Rev. Food Sci. Food Safety 3:21-33, 2004.

Copyright 2006 Berry Health Inc.

Dr. Paul Gross
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/getting-a-handle-on-antioxidants-a-color-guide-for-selecting-foods-by-specific-antioxidant-groups-77020.html

Modern day basketball can trace it’s origins to early December 1891 when Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian physical education teacher and a local instructor at Springfield, Massachusetts’ YMCA Training School was desperately seeking an indoor game active and fit during cold, snowy New England winters. After trying several different games and finding them too dangerous or not quite suitable for gymnasiums, Naismith wrote down the essential rules of basketball, incorporating some of the rules of a popular children’s game of the era, “Ducks on a Pond,” and then nailed a peach basket on an upraised track, ten feet above the playing surface. Of course, since the peach baskets still had closed bottoms, retrieving a ball after a player scored a basket was terribly inefficient – unbelievably, the game had to be stopped for someone to retrieve the ball with a dowel. And although the first official game was played in January of 1892, at the YMCA gymnasium Naismith’s handwritten diaries at the time indicate that he was extremely nervous about the new game he invented, fearing that his basketball wouldn’t take.

Oddly, in that first official game of basketball, there were nine players on a side and the winning team won a close fought 1-0 battle with a 25-foot shot – on a court barely half the size of the modern day court! By 1897 teams of five had become standard. Around the same time, women’s basketball was developed at nearby Smith College when Sandra Berenson, a physical education teacher at the college modified many of the rules for women to play. As it turned out, Berenson was fascinated by the values of teamwork, fair play and vigorous exercise that basketball promoted and began organizing some of the first women’s basketball games by 1893. By 1899 Berenson’s rules for women’s basketball were published and by the turn of the century, she was the editor of A.G. Spaulding’s legendary Women’s Basketball Guide which spread her version of basketball across the country to countless physical education instructors across the country. In fact, with the help of many YMCA instructors, basketball was promoted throughout the United States and Canada, paving the way for the game to be established as a varsity sport at many high schools. Sadly (and perhaps ironically), the YMCA began to discourage basketball by 1905, fearing that rowdy; belligerent crowds and rough play distracted from the organization’s mission. But that didn’t matter much as amateur clubs, colleges, high schools and even several short-lived professional basketball clubs and leagues not only filled in the void but also helped promote the game. Basketball was becoming so popular that the forebear to the NCAA, known as the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States and the Amateur Athletic Union fought for control of the game’s rules and of its future.

A little known fact is that during those first decades, basketball was primarily played with soccer balls, which were difficult to dribble. Most games consisted of players passing the ball to each other in order to advance it up and down the court. It wasn’t for some time until a ball was specifically designed and made for basketball and frequently basketballs were irregularly made, creating an odd scene for modern basketball fans. It wasn’t until the late 1940s when college basketball was becoming insanely popular and viable enough to pave the way for the National Basketball Association’s popularity that Tony Hinkle developed the orange basketball that fans are so familiar with. Of course, it should not be forgotten that Naismith was also influential in the promotion and creation of men’s college basketball when he became the University of Kansas ’ first basketball team. And believably, many of Naismith’s first students and disciples became important in the history of college basketball including Amos Alonzo Stagg, Forrest “Phog” Allen, and Adolph Rupp.

For more information on basketball, visit http://www.basketballmicroblog.com and http://www.basketballmicroblogging.com.

John Parks
http://www.articlesbase.com/basketball-articles/a-brief-history-of-basketball-672366.html

www.myspace.com/jbissellmusic
http://twitter.com/joe_r_biss
Since I’ve been through this audition several times and I know there are lots of people who want to apply, I felt like this might help with some questions people may have about it. I pretty much go through everything you need to know. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

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Runescape: Ultimate Runecrafting Part 1 – Spirit Graahk

Song: Disturbed – Inside The Fire

Edit: Wow, I’m a complete noob and didn’t cut the song off after the video was finished o.O. Aren’t you glad it’s a good song? Anyways, edited this at 2am last night :X.

Honors for this video:
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Oh, what a wonderful and terrifying time going off to college can be. Moving away from home and making it on your own is a huge step. You have taken all of the right classes to prepare you to succeed as a college student. But, you need the proper education outside the classroom in order to succeed. That includes knowing how to handle your student credit cards.

Keep Your Head On Straight!

One of the first things you will notice when you arrive on campus is that there are student credit card vendors everywhere. It makes sense, really. The credit card companies want to establish relationships while their client base is young. This relationship can lead to car loans and mortgages down the road, not to mention finance fees generated by the exuberant spending of American youth. Before you embark on this smorgasbord of credit consumption, you ought to consider a few things.

Consider, for instance, that the average student ends their college career with just under $3000 in credit card debt. An astounding ten percent of all students graduate with more than seven thousand dollars in credit card debt. I know, I know, you hear this statistic all of the time. It seems abstract and it is easy to tell yourself, “Well, I’m not the average student; I won’t fall into that trap.” That’s good. No, really, that is a great frame of mind. The (difficult) trick is to keep that perspective so you don’t get seduced by your newfound spending power.

Some Quick Tips

Here are a few quick tips to keep your finances in order:

1. Keep your card count low – Have you ever seen John Q. Consumer with 39 credit cards in his wallet? Absurd. Since you are just starting to build your credit history you shouldn’t need more than a couple of cards. Choose wisely.

2. Shop Around – Don’t grab the first credit card offer you see. There are a ton of options out there, and a little patience will get you settled into the card you need, and possibly save you much money and stress over the long run.

3. Pay Your Balance!!! – It’s the cardinal rule for developing superior credit: keep your balance low, and pay it off completely when it’s appropriate. If you do this now, you will get far better credit card offers in the future.

4. Tell Your Parents – Yeah, yeah… it’s the last thing any college student wants to hear. “Tell your parents.” Um, yeah… right. Well, in spite of your new independence you should let your parents know about your credit cards. They are a good resource for not just emergency financial support, but more importantly, for financial advice.

“In Conclusion…”

Finding the right student credit card can make all of the difference. Two of the most popular student credit cards are the Citi Platinum Select for College Students, and the Discover Student Clear Card. The Citi Platinum Select Card is an all around solid choice for first time card owners. It is an essentially bulletproof option for any student looking to establish credit history without having to worry about a minimum income, or a co-signor on the card. For those students looking for a little extra, they should start with the Discover Student Clear Card. The Clear Card has a lot of extra features, including up to 5% cash back on specific purchases. Both cards share a six month introductory APR of 0%.

When you arrive to college it is a good idea to get a student credit card or two, but it’s a better idea to use them wisely. You will quickly find that the right card is an extremely useful tool for your purchasing habits and developing a stable credit history. You shouldn’t be afraid of credit card ownership; rather you should realize that this is an early step to develop a happy financial picture in the long run.

Ed Vegliante
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/a-guide-for-student-credit-cards-72212.html

The CLEP test is an excellent way for high school students to get a head start on their college education – and one of the best ways to beat today’s inflated tuition costs and avoid the crushing burden of student debt (and you thought the 14th Amendment ended slavery!)

A reliable clep study guide is an excellent investment here, as it will help you in preparing to succeed at the CLEP test. It’s Another Standardized Test Understand that clep exams are not unlike the standardized tests students have been subjected to for years, particularly since the passage of NCLB. They differ somewhat in that a CLEP exam actually does attempt to measure the testee’s knowledge of a given subject – but it’s also a measure of how well someone takes takes.

Knowing and understanding this puts you ahead in the CLEP study game. Think Ahead The best time for CLEP study is before you start your lower division coursework. Most versions of the CLEP exam cover freshman and sophomore general requirements, or the classes you would take in a two-year college.

Learn What Is Offered Not every CLEP test is offered at every college. If you want to take a specific CLEP exam, you should talk to either your high school counselor or the registrar at a nearby college to find out what is available to you locally; otherwise, be prepared to do a bit of traveling for your CLEP test. Self Motivation

There are no grades or extrinsic rewards associated with the CLEP exam; you either succeed or you don’t, and nobody is going to push you but you. Guides for CLEP study usually have sample “practice tests” so you know what to expect. Stay in Shape This point cannot be overstressed. Hone your test-taking skills (remember, it’s a standardized test), stay healthy and show up to your CLEP test appointment fed and well-rested. This is as important as the CLEP study process itself. The Good News For those who are intrinsically motivated, disciplined, prepared and reasonably intelligent (i.e., you made the grades to get into college in the first place), the CLEP test presents few challenges by itself. The biggest challenge is motivating yourself to prepare for the clep test itself; do your homework, keep focused on the prize (cheap college credits!) and you’re 90% there.

Wayne Hemrick
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/how-to-study-for-clep-714586.html

The Real Estate Investment Academy is a complete and easy to understand roadmap to financial freedom. Condensing years of hands on and formal education of real estate knowledge, the academy presents clear and concise steps that will lead to complete fiscal independence. These logical and straight forward steps and tips provide a tangible spring board from which anyone can launch a profitable real estate investment career.

By showing you how to identify potential investments, you will learn how to separate the profitable, low risk opportunities from those that may be less advantageous. You will learn how to finance these investments with no upfront capital on your part. Finally, you will learn how to identify potential buyers for your properties and how to close the deal while securing a huge profit margin.

The first step to financial freedom is to correctly identify potential real estate investments. The most important aspect to consider is a property’s profitability. Profitability has two sides – the amount that an item costs to purchase and the amount that an item can sell for. Ask yourself the following question: Can I sell this property for more than I bought it for? If the answer is yes, then you have identified a prospective opportunity. You can maximize your profit by expending a minimum amount of time or upfront costs. Real estate that has been foreclosed or defaulted on or has been sold due to back taxes typically has an extremely low sale price. These are only a few examples of motivated sellers. The more motivated the seller, the lower the initial investment will be.

The next step to fiscal independence is to secure the money to make the purchase. The Real Estate Investment Academy teaches investors how to procure this money without actually having to utilize your own money. While this sounds too good to be true, many real estate deals are made without an upfront investment on the buyer’s part. Therefore, if you can find a property that can be bought and resold quickly. This transaction leaves you with all the profit of the sale without any cash up front.

In order to reap these huge profits, you need to find potential buyers. This process is a bit more fluid. However, there are no shortages of buyers in today’s market. A buyer might be a first time home buyer, an investor building their real estate portfolio, an individual with a commercial interest, or any one of a hundred other possibilities. The idea is to match the real estate with the buyer. Do your homework. Keep in mind such things as location, condition and other things that might help make a property more desirable.

Follow these simple step by step instructions the Real Estate Investment Academy teaches and you too can be on your way to financial freedom.

K. Van Liew
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/the-real-estate-investment-academy-a-guide-to-financial-freedom-704894.html

The CLEP test is an excellent way for high school students to get a head start on their college education – and one of the best ways to beat today’s inflated tuition costs and avoid the crushing burden of student debt (and you thought the 14th Amendment ended slavery!)

A reliable clep study guide is an excellent investment here, as it will help you in preparing to succeed at the CLEP test. It’s Another Standardized Test Understand that clep exams are not unlike the standardized tests students have been subjected to for years, particularly since the passage of NCLB. They differ somewhat in that a CLEP exam actually does attempt to measure the testee’s knowledge of a given subject – but it’s also a measure of how well someone takes takes.

Knowing and understanding this puts you ahead in the CLEP study game. Think Ahead The best time for CLEP study is before you start your lower division coursework. Most versions of the CLEP exam cover freshman and sophomore general requirements, or the classes you would take in a two-year college.

Learn What Is Offered Not every CLEP test is offered at every college. If you want to take a specific CLEP exam, you should talk to either your high school counselor or the registrar at a nearby college to find out what is available to you locally; otherwise, be prepared to do a bit of traveling for your CLEP test. Self Motivation

There are no grades or extrinsic rewards associated with the CLEP exam; you either succeed or you don’t, and nobody is going to push you but you. Guides for CLEP study usually have sample “practice tests” so you know what to expect. Stay in Shape This point cannot be overstressed. Hone your test-taking skills (remember, it’s a standardized test), stay healthy and show up to your CLEP test appointment fed and well-rested. This is as important as the CLEP study process itself. The Good News For those who are intrinsically motivated, disciplined, prepared and reasonably intelligent (i.e., you made the grades to get into college in the first place), the CLEP test presents few challenges by itself. The biggest challenge is motivating yourself to prepare for the clep test itself; do your homework, keep focused on the prize (cheap college credits!) and you’re 90% there.

Wayne Hemrick
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/how-to-study-for-clep-714586.html