NEWS FROM THE BLOG

eLearning company B Line Test Prep offers free SAT prep course

After creating course material guaranteed to improve SAT scores, B Line Test Prep is now offering its eLearning services for free to all students. The free SAT prep course is part of B Line Test Prep’s initiative to give back to the community, specifically to ensure everyone, no matter their socioeconomic background, has access to an SAT prep course.

“Even without a recession, lower and middle-class families worry about how they are going to pay for college-related expenses,” said Bryce Young, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We are a business that prides itself on community involvement; helping high school students get into college seems like the best place to start.”

B Line Test Prep not only is offering its SAT prep course for free, but through its unique online program, ensures everyone has a chance to learn the material at his or her own pace.

“The course is conducive to any schedule and by utilizing the growth of technology, students can study at anytime from any place,” said Allison Young, Vice President of Operations. “Unlike a classroom, no one will get left behind on topics they don’t understand or unnecessarily stay on a skill already mastered.”

Through B Line Test Prep’s online SAT course students are responsible for keeping up with their own studying, and to help, there is a tracking feature to chart growth and improvement. The online class also has eight full-length practice tests, more than 1,200 vocabulary words and review sections with animated feedback after each question.

To register for free online SAT prep, please visit: https://www.blinetestprep.com/sat

 

Five of the Best Jobs to Seek as a College Student

Let’s face it, in today’s economy a college graduate needs every competitive advantage they can get when it comes to landing their ideal first job in the professional world. Stellar grades and involvement in extra circulars, while extremely important, do not provide the real-world work experience that many employers seek in new hires. Taking on a part-time job is not only a perfect resume builder, but is also a great way to achieve some financial independence.

Seeking an on-campus job removes the need for transportation, and with the time commitments posed by classes, papers, studying and exams, the convenience of an on-campus job is noteworthy. Below are five on-campus jobs that will put some extra cash in your pocket while also helping to set you apart from the competition come graduation time.

1. Departmental Intern / Research Assistant
What better way to gain the inside-scoop on your field of study than by assisting your professors with research projects and other tasks? You will have the chance to form strong relationships with faculty members; be privy to information, opportunities and knowledge your classmates may not be; and be able to “sink your teeth” into projects that may reflect your future career path.

2. Bookstore Clerk
A job at your campus bookstore will help put a few extra dollars in your bank account and may also afford you a discount on textbooks, which can help offset a substantial college expense.

3. Tutor
Tutoring fellow classmates, or even local high school or middle school students, is advantageous for numerous reasons. The ability to properly teach someone is a beneficial skill to have. It requires one to be a good listener, a problem solver and a leader and also often entails looking at something from an entirely new perspective.

4. Social Media Marketing Assistant
Social media is here to stay and today’s youth certainly has an advantage over their predecessors, simply because it is a large part of many of their daily lives. Put that knowledge to work for you. Offer your services to your campus’ marketing department. Whether it’s assisting with a Facebook page, a Twitter account or writing a blog geared toward incoming students, this type of job will help you improve your communication skills while providing a valuable service to your university.

5. Resident Advisor
The cost to live on campus can be high, but part of the fun of college is campus life. Gaining a position as a resident advisor often means free (or at least reduced) room and board. You will typically be able to squeeze in some study time while on duty and helping to resolve conflicts between fellow students is also great preparation for the team environment found at most companies.

10 Tips to Survive College on a Budget

Operating on a college student budget is tricky at best. With little or no steady income, a constant stream of activity, and a highly stressful environment, college students are often just glad to make it through the semester.

Thankfully, there are small steps that college students can take to not just make it through, but save money while in college. By following these ten tips, students can graduate with the financial backing to enter the working world on the right foot.

1.Take advantage of public transportation and carpooling.
Larger cities typically offer public transportation and, by paying one monthly or yearly fee, students can use it limitlessly. Students can also take advantage of gas savings by carpooling with friends to school or when traveling home.

2.Find free food.
One of the great advantages of being a student is the access to free food. Many student organizations will provide meals weekly, as will local churches and government agencies. Students can usually find information on these programs at their student center.

3.Buy books online.
Campus bookstores are known for raising book prices far higher than they should be. Check out online bookstores like Amazon or eBay to save big on textbooks.

4.Sell, sell, sell!
Most college students have things they have collected over the years that they don’t use anymore. Get together and have a garage sale. Sell gently used clothing to a resale store. List old books online. Clean out regularly and collect extra cash for the end-of-semester crunch.

5.Coupon.
Check the local papers and websites like coupons.com for discounts on items regularly purchased.

6.Stock up.
Things are always cheaper when purchased in bulk. Go in with a roommate and buy the huge pack of toilet paper. It will last all semester!

7.Ask for gift cards.
Sure, that new guitar would be a great Christmas gift, but asking grandma for a gift card to the grocery store will pay off more in the long run.

8.Buy off-brand.
There’s not really much difference between name-brand milk and generic. Off-brands can be dollars cheaper than brand-name items, making them a great source of savings.

9.Skip the take-out.
Everyone has to learn to cook sometime. Buy some basic ingredients and find recipes online. At the very least, bring some of mom’s soup from home and eat leftovers.

10.Skip the movie.
Opt for game night instead. It’s cheaper and offers more face-time with friends.

Starting College in the Summer versus Fall?

High school graduation is looming, you’ve been accepted to your university of choice, and now you have a big decision to make: when should you start? There are pros and cons to both waiting for fall and for getting an early jump on your education this summer.

During summer semester, classes tend to feel more relaxed and the campus is much less crowded. This gives you ample opportunity to get used to your new home away from home without all the crowds of fall semester. However, don’t forget that summer semesters are shorter than fall and spring semesters; this means the same amount of coursework is crammed into a shorter window of time, potentially leaving you busier than you would otherwise expect. Do you have scholarships lined up for college? If so, you’ll want to check with them to see if summer classes are covered or not as many scholarships will only fund fall and spring semesters.

On the other hand, you’re nearing the end of your K-12 education: a journey lasting more than a decade! Don’t you deserve a summer off? While many would argue that taking a whole summer off is lazy and an inefficient use of your time, there is something to be said for taking a breather and decompressing before jumping into the next phase of your life. You can use that time wisely to prepare for college placement tests, catch up with friends and family, and to save money from a job so you’re able to spend time with the new friends you’ll make over the next few years.

There is no right or wrong answer to when you should begin college; it’s a personal decision that must be made based on your own personality and other factors that are specific to your life. Think about what makes the most sense for YOU and do what you need to do in order to be best prepared to make the most out of college.

SAT Prep Courses Help Boost Test Scores

The college admissions process can be highly competitive and brutal. Every Spring, colleges across the country get a flood of applications for a few freshman class spots. Many well-deserving students get rejected and miss out on the chance to attend the school of their choice. When it comes to college admissions, give your high-schooler every advantage possible. Choosing the right SAT prep for your child is the first step in helping them get into the college of their choice.

Why does my child need SAT prep? You’re not the first parent to wonder this. Even if your student is a high-achiever, taking the SAT can be daunting if he/she is not prepared. SAT testing procedures have changed in recent years, casting off the paper and pencil test in favor of electronic testing methods. In addition, many students’ use of technology have given them a false sense of security about the testing process, and these topics are explored in SAT test prep.

In keeping with the trend of technology, online test prep is a viable resource to become well-versed in the subject materials and familiar with the testing process. Many students get tripped up when they are not aware of the testing instruction requirements, causing them to have scores below their actual capabilities. B Line’s SAT prep will consist of dry test runs and answer questions common to students taking the SAT test.

In addition, SAT prep will help students review any subjects that he/she may be struggling with. Your child will be able to review any confusing subjects with animated review sections and feedback after every question answered. They will also be given practice tests that allow them to focus on their weak subjects before test day. In addition, your child will not be forced to review topics that he has already mastered. With specialized SAT test prep instruction, your student will be able to focus solely on the topics that matter most.

Don’t leave your student’s SAT score and college admissions opportunities to chance.

SAT Prep – Then and Now

As the next generation of this country’s youth stand poised, preparing to leap forward into adulthood and the world, they are leaping into a far different world than the one many of their parents braved. Communication happens in an instant, any place in the world is but a few mouse-clicks away, prices for even the most basic of needs are rising on a global scale, and the job market is more competitive and ruthless than it has ever been. Even with all these changes, there is still three little letters that can cause the most confident of students to worry: SAT.

With college admissions being as competitive as ever and the job market still suffering in many places, a college education is as important as ever. One of the most daunting hurdles between many students and their future college careers is the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT. One test and the number it provides is the difference, for many students, between acceptance and rejection when it comes to college applications.

Fortunately, in all the changes the digital age has brought into the world, there have been some major advances in SAT prep courses. SAT prep was once an expensive affair, requiring students to set aside time for extra classes and their parents to spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on books and administration fees. Even with the books and fees, many times, prep courses overflow with students. Lost in the crowd, these students sometimes miss valuable personal attention that would make the difference between average scores and excellent scores.

Now, with the Internet, it is possible for a student to get a fully customized SAT prep course built to suit their needs. Students can take learn the information and take the practice tests on a timetable that suits their lifestyle. If there are any questions or trouble areas, it is as simple as reviewing the material and practicing until they know the content. With feedback and the ability to track their progress, confidence builds in a visible and meaningful way, allowing students to walk into their SAT with the knowledge that they can, and will, do well.

Best of all, this can now be obtained for free. With such an importance placed upon higher education in the workplace and global economy, there are very few things that a person can do at absolutely no cost to increase their chances of success. With no time obligations or upfront fees, what once was a service available to those who could afford it, is now easily accessible and ready to help anyone willing to take the time and take advantage of the offerings.

Tips for Retaking the SAT

Colleges and Universities schools rarely consider students with scores below their standards, so getting as close to their school’s average or above puts an applicant as an advantage. Unfortunately, not everyone receives their ideal score after taking the SAT just once.

Maybe the first time you took the SAT you didn’t prepare. You told yourself you were going to and maybe even bought a book to help you review but just never put in the time. Maybe you were the exact opposite and enrolled in a prep course, spent every weekend studying and carried vocabulary flashcards around with you and all of that work still didn’t amount to the score you wanted. Both are common scenarios and there is an answer for you if you fit into one of these two categories.

The SAT is not like the usual test you will face in high school, so it makes sense to utilize a strong SAT prep course that fits into your schedule. The idea is to get comfortable with the format and learn strategies to maximize results. Timing is very important throughout the SAT. Each of the three main sections has three subsections, each with its own time limit. In general, the easy questions are at the beginning and harder questions come at the end, but this is not always the case. One strategy you can explore and practice online is to blitz through an entire multiple-choice section, answering the questions that you’re at least somewhat sure of but marking some for review later. Just skip questions that are confusing or too difficult, but leave a few minutes at the very end to go back and guess at the answers. A blank counts as a wrong answer, so don’t leave any question blank.

By not even knowing what to expect on the test, you’re setting yourself up for failure. You won’t be nearly as confident and probably won’t get through as many questions as you would have hoped. On the other hand, by studying too much, you’re essentially drowning your brain with an overload of information so when it comes time for common sense questions, you’ll end up overanalyzing and probably miss questions that you shouldn’t.

By enrolling in a free online SAT prep course, you can move at your own pace and take breaks as often as possible. Unlike a classroom, you won’t get left behind on questions you don’t understand or stay stuck on skills already mastered. You can track your own progress and create a study plan that works for you. The course includes as many as eight timed practice tests. Taking these will help you get comfortable with the SAT format, which can do a lot to help you reach your best score. After taking the test twice, you’ll know for sure where your strengths and weaknesses are; which sections you score highly on, and which give you trouble.

What Does Your E-mail Address Say About You?

Given how tough the economy is these days, even minor typos in resumes, cover letters and job applications have been known to sink candidates’ chances for new employment. However, did you know that your e-mail address might also be giving off a very negative impression?

When the Internet was more commonly accessed through Internet service providers such as America Online and CompuServe, it was the usual practice for people to pick user names that did not contain their actual name, in order to preserve their anonymity. Many people also chose user names that reflected their personality, such as “SexyGirl69” and “BadBoyXXX.”

However, as Internet use has become more prevalent in the business world over the last 10-15 years, the trend has been toward user names and personal e-mail addresses in professional correspondence that reflect the name of the person behind the messages, rather than a clever anonymous pseudonym. The reason for this is the same reason that formality is generally demanded in business communications in the first place, which is that one simply cannot assume that one will get along on a personal basis with a client or customer with whom one is doing business. Business relationships demand a certain level of formality so that people with widely differing viewpoints and ideas about the world can successfully interact with each other, and user names like “SexyGirl69” and “BadBoyXXX” presume a certain level of friendliness and familiarity with people that is wholly inappropriate in the business world.

Aside from whatever direct impact this kind of user name may have on a person reviewing your resume, it also tells a potential employer that you do not know how to communicate with customers or potential future coworkers on a professional basis. Although this is clearly not the intention of the people who use these user names, their use can communicate a kind of immaturity that can be fatal to job applications in this tough environment. Instead, most personal e-mail addresses these days used in professional correspondence are composed of some combination of a person’s first name, last name, or initials and maybe with some numbers, dashes or underscores thrown in for people with common names. With a professional sounding e-mail address, you can be certain you are putting your best foot forward in job applications and other business settings.

How Many MBA Programs Should I Apply To?

Applying to MBA programs can be a hectic time. Many factors are involved in the application process, but doing a little research in advance can maximize the chance of getting accepted.

The best tool an applicant can utilize is an updated book or web site on MBA programs. These tools profile various programs and contain information about the number of applications received during the previous year, the number of applicants accepted, typical GMAT scores, and GPAs. This information is usually published annually, and applicants may want to follow trends over a couple of years before applying.

Once the applicant has decided on a number of programs, the list should categorized based on how similar the applicant is to others that have been accepted. Sending applications blindly to many schools is equally as detrimental as focusing on one program. Most people suggest applying to at least five programs and applying to as many as possible. This can be difficult for applicants with limited funds. Application fees can be expensive, especially combined with the price of score reports, transcripts, and mailing. Applying to schools that require interviews during the selection process should also be thoroughly considered. If money is an obstacle, it may be wise to reconsider applying to a school where attending the interview would be impossible and a telephone interview is not an option.

Most of the applications should target programs where the applicant is similar in scores and GPA to previously accepted students. Applicants may also consider applying to a couple of schools they are overqualified for, and a school where they fall below the typical accepted applicant. Investing too many resources on programs that are beyond the reach of the applicant is inevitably a waste of time and money.

GMAT scores can have a strong influence on admission decisions and applicants will want to maximize their score. The most popular and convenient option is an online prep course. They are beneficial in their ability to cover information as well as giving sample tests and test-taking tactics. If the applicant is not satisfied with their score, they will want to give themselves ample opportunity to study and retake the test.

Students are Turning to Graduate Study to Improve Skills

With the economy still being in a very precarious state, and foreclosures and unemployment still a common occurrence, many wonder where life will take them. Americans are predictably resilient, starting new businesses, changing careers and going back to school to make the new reality work for them. Many people wonder how many students are going to grad school now that jobs are scarce and millions are struggling to make ends meet.

Test preparation companies are seeing a surge of students young and old enrolling in test prep classes and preparing for graduate study. These students want to gain new skills and sharpen old ones, making themselves more attractive in the employment market. For students looking to go to business school, it may be helpful to enroll in a free GMAT course, or enroll in online GMAT prep. These courses will prepare you for the questions that will be asked in the actual exam and will give you a snapshot of the test at a glance.

The GMAT, or Graduate Management Admission Test is the comprehensive exam that most students will need to pass in order to apply for graduate study. Most colleges and universities require this exam, although many schools are relaxing their score requirements to allow for more students to gain entry. The GMAT is administered by independent testing sites and registered proctors and requires a fee to sit for the test. The test is comprised of several parts that evaluate the verbal, mathematical and written analytical skills of the applicant.

Many students are enrolling in business programs in order to strike out on their own and learn entrepreneurship skills that will help them manage their own small businesses. Some are going back to school to learn skills that will allow them to train for more responsibility in their existing jobs. Still others are career changers looking for a totally new field, breaking away from their previous career fields.

With the state of the economy, more students are turning to graduate study as a means to earn new skills, and brush up on old ones. Many are finding that the new reality means that they have to change the way they think about the world of work. When it comes to graduate study, students can be prepared for college admission by studying for standardized tests, taking an online GMAT prep. The possibilities are endless.


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