Monthly Archives: March 2023

Best Writing Software – What to Look for

Posted on by

Today being a writer or writing does not mean that you just need a notebook and pen. In the recent era, numerous writing software programs are available, which are amazingly helpful for writing. Now, you do not need to have lots of papers, pens and scraps lying around. Today, there are collaborative documents, which help you share your work with others. You need good feedback on your work. So now you can share your work with multiple people and get feedback instantly, along with the original work still intact.

Journal is one such writing, which is multitasking and appears to be a boon for a writer. The name is very simple but it has amazing functionalities. You can store huge amount of functions in the Journal. You can make your personal notes, your research and you can create many other files. All the information you need about your writing will be in one place. This helps to increase your productivity and you are saved from searching for your work every time you need.

If you are working on two completely different subjects for the same project, you can create two different files in a single software. You can click ‘open the subjects’ you require at the same time. It is less fussy and very comfortable to work with.

There are many other writing software programs available in the market. Most commonly, they have the same configurations, with one or two aspects more or less. There are writing software created for technical writing, content writing, even novel writing software is available. A novel writer can create each character differently, write about it independently and then combine the files at the end. All the written work remains in one orderly place. Now, the novel is also published on the internet along with its hard copy. Therefore, there is software present which can do scriptwriting, and formatting for publication on the internet.

There are many interesting programs available in the software, which will help you to arrange your ideas and story by a series of questions. Now, you can do endless creative writing such as stories, plots, poetry, and screenplay and store it in the same place. There is no mess or risk of losing the document. The creative writing and novel writing software are very useful for the writers to organize themselves without any stress. But when it comes to writing, only the writer can do that with his or her imagination and skills.

Now, when you go into the market looking for novel writing software, you must look out for a few things:
• The best novel writing software must consist of templates which are used for creating plots, creating characters, their personalities, settings, sub plots, etc. All these facilities you must get in one place.
• The creation of the characters and outline must be flexible enough and it must be easy for writer to make changes in the characters or story line. Everything must happen very easily.
• There are very useful templates in the software which are useful for character development. The templates have some character defining options. There are programs fed into the software which can help you to get a good name for your character.
• A very important aspect of the writing software is very sensitive grammar and spell check software. You must check for it.
• You must look for features that will help to cultivate your settings, plots, characters, etc.
• The software must be user friendly and easy to navigate. It should not be complicated, as it will take days to understand the software.
• The software must be such that you can yourself get the settings and install it on your computer.
• The instructions regarding the software must be clear and detailed. The manual must be there to resolve issues in case of any confusion, and customer service must be available at all times.

You can do all this research in the market and over the internet. You will get options for the best novel writing software and you will also get information about the free novel writing software which you can use for some time limit. The best ones are the ones that can be useful to you in all the aspects while writing. The writing software is very useful in organizing your work. It is up to writer to use it to his or her advantage.

My personal recommendation is Screenwriter.

Where Do Police Officers Train?

Posted on by

In the United States, there are different types of law enforcement agencies, each of which have different training requirements. There are federal, state, city and county police forces, and within the federal law enforcement agencies there are different divisions. Therefore, there is no single training academy for cops in the United States. Police academies exist in almost every state and each state has an agency that certifies police training academies and their programs. There is a minimum physical and academic requirement in most states which aspiring cops have to meet before they are allowed to be admitted in the police training academies. Some states allow open enrollment in training academies while others require candidates to be hired by a law enforcement agency before they are sent for training. Some states and departments require candidates to pass background checks, psychological evaluation, polygraph tests, drug screening, and demonstrate driving skills.

People who enroll in the basic cops training are selected to become patrol officers as well. Police training academies in the US offer more or less some basic training, and those who are able to clear the training are given badges and side arms to indicate their expert skills. Police training involves physical as well as educational training. Candidates are taught how to protect themselves and the people in their vicinity along with overpowering and arresting criminals. They are also taught traffic and criminal law, safety techniques, defensive tactics, report writing, emergency vehicle operation, first responder training and weapon, and firearms usage training. The general duration of police training varies from thirteen to fifteen weeks.

There is a police training officer program that is funded by the department of justice and recruits in the US where cops are sent for training after having completed their basic training. This is an educational based training, and is a 16-week training program. It is designed to replace the field officer program. The training is broken into four phases and the duration of each phase is four weeks. The trainings imparted to recruits are: non-emergency, emergency, patrol and criminal investigation. Each phase of the process is accompanied by hands on training exercises. It also teaches recruits how to interact with community residents to deal with crime and neighborhood problems effectively.

This new system of cop training was rolled out and tested in 2000 and has been adapted by police training academies across the United States. The program has been reviewed and revised since its launch. This training’s approach is a problem solving approach and has been adapted by several states.

Building School Spirit

Posted on by

You know your school’s a fantastic place; now you want everyone else to know it, too! How can you build up some spirit in your school? Try these ideas!

– Publicize School Events

School spirit requires communication. Sure, everyone knows about the varsity basketball game against your archrival, but do they know about the junior varsity girl’s dive meet, the jazz band concert, or the chess tournament? The more students know, the more likely they are to show up to an event and encourage participants, even get involved themselves.

– Celebrate Students

Your fellow students are doing great things-recognize them! Decorating lockers, yard signs, banners, articles in the school paper or other media are ways you can honor kids and encourage school spirit; after all, if your school is full of talent and achievement, it must be a great place, right? Recognize athletes, but look beyond sports and steer towards the arts, science, debate, community involvement, trade programs, scouting, and other activities. The more students you include, the more everyone will feel involved in, and valued by, their school.

– Be Visible

Let your school spirit show by using school colors, yard signs, banners, and cheering sections. Involve your local community with team sponsorships, posting school events in local businesses, and providing them with information on school activities; most will be very receptive.

– Honor Tradition

Every school has its traditions: cheers, events, songs, etc. Use them to rally the student body and the community (who likely remember those traditions). Invent some new, bring back some old.

– Involve Everyone

We’re not all athletes, but we can all wear stupid hats on Thursday to support our teams. Publicize dress-up days well in advance, so no one is caught off guard. Offer prizes for the most spirit-filled class, goofiest get-up, most enthusiastic student. If possible, hold pep rallies during school hours, so everyone can attend. Run a small “spirit shop,” with bumper stickers, temporary tattoos, notebooks, shirts, and other affordable merchandise with school colors and logos.

– Be Active

School spirit isn’t just about, well, school. Get students involved in community work, through extracurricular clubs or soliciting volunteers. Work together as a school group; wear school colors, shirts, or temporary tattoos, so others know your school is full of active, caring people with much to contribute.
Temporary Tattoos Got Spirit, Yes They Do!

Temporary tattoos display school spirit. Because they’re custom-made, you can order tattoos depicting your school’s mascot, using school colors, proclaiming school superiority, or emblazoned with the school’s favorite theme. You can purchase tattoos of teachers, band instruments, club logos-whatever you imagine! Pass them out before the game or during the cast party. Wear them on field trips or for community projects. Sell them at the bookstore or spirit shop. They’re hypoallergenic, non-toxic, and made of FDA-approved materials. They’re waterproof, so they’re swim-team safe, but can be easily removed with baby oil or rubbing alcohol, so you won’t be wearing them for prom pictures.
Looking for a creative way to display school spirit? Try temporary tattoos!

How To Learn Guitar: How To Learn To Play The Guitar In 4 Different Ways

Posted on by

Learning to play the guitar can be a daunting task. Thankfully, there are several different ways you can master the “axe”. Which way is best for you? Here are the major learning methods available:

Traditional Lessons

This is how a lot of people learn to play the guitar, and for good reason. There are many benefits to getting personal lessons:

  • + You get hands-on advice, and corrections on every detail as you learn
  • + If you have any specific questions, your teacher can help you out immediately
  • + Your lessons are customized to your learning curve

However, there are a few minuses to learning from personal lessons:

  • – This is the most expensive way – each lesson costs on average $20 or more per lesson, and at one lesson per week this can add up fast
  • – Lessons have to be scheduled, so this is a commitment with both time and money

Personal lessons are still considered to often be the best way to learn, since each lesson is personally customized to each student.

Instructional Books/Videos

Books and videos can be an effective tool for learning. The perks?

  • + These can be specific to certain types of guitar styles, or even specific techniques
  • + This is one of the cheapest ways to learn, with books and videos anywhere from $5 and up

What are the downsides to these methods of learning?

  • – Again, these can be specific to certain styles or techniques, which means learning the guitar fully will usually require multiple purchases
  • – Any questions you may have are not able to be answered by books or videos

Books and videos can be very effective to learn from, but they are fine-tuned to learning specific guitar skills or geared towards a very limited experience range.

Learning Online

The Internet is a huge wealth of knowledge, and can often contain good information:

  • + Some of the information is free, although it can be hard to find
  • + The Internet is international, so if there are no books, videos, or instructors available in your part of the world, you can still learn if you can get online
  • + There are some online guitar lesson packages that offer full instruction for a decent price – in some cases these can include written lessons, computer programs, video and audio files, or even all of these combined

So what’s bad about learning online?

  • – Similarly to books and videos, a lot of the free lessons are specific to people of a certain experience level, so finding lessons best for you can be a chore
  • – Spending money on a product that doesn’t work to help you learn can be a major disappointment – do your research before purchasing

Learning guitar online can be a good way to learn. The catch is finding quality instruction from the huge mass of information available about learning to play guitar.

Play By Ear

This last method is the cheapest by far, but also the hardest. The perks?

  • + It’s free!
  • + Making your own mistakes and correcting them can often lead to learning more effectively, even if you don’t learn exactly how other people have (just look at Jimi Hendrix)
  • + This will definitely lead to having your own personal style of playing, and possibly unique skills other people don’t have

But it’s not all perfect:

  • – It’s the hardest way to learn since you have nothing to help guide you along the way except yourself, and it is also the method that takes the longest by far
  • – Learning something wrong and not being corrected right away can be VERY hard to un-learn, and can sometimes cause damage to the guitar or even yourself
  • – Many tips and tricks that would help you learn effectively will be missed

Even though it’s hard, a lot of people do start learning guitar this way. It can be done, but just be cautious about making mistakes.

Conclusion

The method you use to learn guitar is ultimately up to you. Figure out which method works best for you and what you can afford. Anybody can learn guitar, it just takes time, effort, and some determination.

USMLE Step 2 CK Exam – Four Ways to Score Above 220

Posted on by

While so much emphasis is put on the Step 1 exam, it is equally important to pay special attention to the USMLE CK exam and ensure that you don’t blow your chances of a great residency program by scoring poorly on the Step 2 CK exam. If you scored well on the Step 1 exam, you can hurt your chances of a great residency by doing poorly on the CK exam, whereas if you didn’t fare so well on the Step 1 exam, a solid Step 2 score can increase your odds of landing a great residency spot in the specialty of your choice.

In order to ensure a great score on the CK exam, you must pay attention to the details and stay focused on proper and adequate preparation. Here are four tips I found useful in my preparation, and I ensure you that they can be useful in helping you score well on the Step 2 exam as well.

Tip #1 – Get a good study guide

The CK exam, while more clinically oriented than the Step 1 exam, is still very voluminous in information. The information found on this exam may not be covered while you are doing your clinical rotations. In order to ensure you get to see and master everything on the CK exam, get yourself a study source that is above and beyond the “review” books. This means getting a comprehensive study/preparation guide designed to help you learn everything the CK will potentially throw at you.

Tip #2 – Quality over quantity in the question banks

Some people swear by doing thousands upon thousands of questions as practice for the USMLE examinations, but when it comes to doing questions, always think quality over quantity. There are a handful of important tidbits that can be learned from each question you encounter in the top question banks. Take your time and go through these questions thoroughly, and you will find that one question can supply you with a great deal of high-quality medical information.

Tip #3 – Start your CK preparation early

It’s important not to rush this exam and “just get by”. Grab a question bank subscription nice and early, even at the beginning of your third year, and go through these questions slowly and thoroughly, which will allow you to learn and master the information on the test as well as implement it with your clinically based education.

Tip #4 – Master the high-yield information

While this statement may seem obvious, there are so many things that you will see over and over in the wards that are so high-yield that you will probably be tested in some form or another on the CK exam, and even on the Step 3 exam. Learn and master the high-yield stuff so you can answer it in your sleep and this will go a long way in helping you get a great score. If you master the really high-yield information, you will have enough to come close to passing with this information alone. After this, the rest of the details will help you bring your score past the mean and into the 230’s and above.

Get Educated With IGNOU Distance Learning Now!

Posted on by

There is a very thin line of difference between Distance Learning and online education. Both aim at making the education system more flexible and accessible. As a matter of fact, all online education programs can be categorized as distance learning courses, however, this is not the case vice versa. The only difference is the technology and the means used by the distance and online education system to recognize these mentioned goals.

Talking about IGNOU distance learning or Indira Gandhi National Open University, offers several distance learning programs in almost every discipline covered by traditional regular schools, colleges and institutes. From Engineering to Public Administration, it offers distance learning courses at all levels, i.e. from Graduation to PhD.

Since 1985, IGNOU has been serving the educational realm with utmost dedication and responsibility, thereby, making a significant mark in fostering the development of higher education all over the country through the Open and Distance Learning.

Owing to its highly flexible features, IGNOU is recognized as the “People’s University”. It has adopted a learner friendly approach and follows the policy of flexibility in terms of:

  • Required qualifications
  • Time taken to complete a program
  • Place of study

IGNOU has made noteworthy endeavors in bringing education to every nook and cranny of the nation. At present it provides for 338 programs, about 3,500 courses and caters to the educations aspirations of more than 30 lakh students.

The IGNOU library is an ingenious national information centre which draws light on the concept of Distance Education. Established in 1886, IGNOU library is a largest collection of books, journals and other related materials on Distance education which strive to uphold the aims and objectives of IGNOU.

To know about the various fields of study covered by IGNOU, take a look at the following list of IGNOU Schools:

  1. School of agriculture
  2. School of Performing and Visual Arts
  3. School of Computer and information Sciences
  4. School of Education
  5. School of Engineering and Technology
  6. School of Extension and Development Studies
  7. School of Foreign Languages
  8. School of Gender and Development Studies
  9. School of Health Sciences
  10. School of Humanities
  11. School of Inter Disciplinary And trans-Disciplinary Studies
  12. School of Journalism and New Media Studies
  13. School of Law
  14. School of Management Studies
  15. School of Sciences
  16. School of Social Sciences
  17. School of Social Work
  18. School of Tourism Hospitality Service Sectoral Management
  19. School of Translation Studies and Training
  20. School of Vocational Education and Training

For more than two decades, with several study centers spread all over the country IGNOU has worked upon education Indians who could not avail the traditional education mode due to distance, financial or time constraints.

Keep in tone with the present online education technology, today IGNOU distance learning has adopted online means for imparting education. One can rightly say, nationally, IGNOU has played the role of a protagonist in the field of Distance learning.

Forex Trading Course – How to Choose the Right Forex Education?

Posted on by

A good Forex trading course will teach you how to make a solid profit from the Forex market. However, if you fall for some courses that teach unproven Forex systems, it could also mean big losses for you.

So a course can be a double-edged sword. It can be your friend or it could also become your worst enemy at the Forex. Because of this, it would be very critical to choose the right Forex course for you.

Choosing the right Forex trading course may sound easy but it is not. With hundreds of Forex courses being sold on the Internet, it would be very difficult to identify which one would help you succeed.

So here are some important things you have to consider when choosing the right education. These pointers should help you to identify which course is good and which ones are worthless.

Do Not Buy the Basics

The first thing you have to remember is not to buy a course that will teach only the basics of Forex. You can easily get such information for free. Even your broker can provide free basic trading courses and tutorials.

You will only waste your money on courses that teach you how to trade, how to read charts, and other information that you can get for free. Most probably, these courses are just written by authors who compiled different Forex information and sold them as a Forex course.

Focus on Strategies and Advanced Techniques

What you should be looking for is a Forex trading course that will teach you the step by step process of building your own trading strategies. However, you need to ensure that the strategy being discussed by the course has been proven in actual market conditions. This means you have to make some research and ask around if such Forex trading course can really increase your chances of winning big at the market.

Choose a Course that Offers Hands-On Services

Majority of courses are packaged into eBook modules which you can read and study. Although these types of courses may provide valuable input to sharpen your Forex knowledge, it would be best if the course provider can include hands-on training.

For example, if you are buying a course on developing a unique system, the provider should also include a demo platform in the course package. This way, you can try the theories and techniques being discussed in the course on the demo platform to see if they really work. On the other hand, if you are buying a Forex charting course, the package should include actual use of Forex charting software.

Look for a Money-back Guarantee

Course providers will promise you that their systems could improve your Forex prospects. A reputable provider will also give you a money back guarantee in the event that the course will not meet your expectations.

So it is always best to buy a Forex trading course with money back guarantee. Such guarantee could protect your interest when you buy a Forex course on trading strategies and systems.

Getting Ready For the Big Time – Distance Learning College Prep School

Posted on by

As the college admissions process becomes increasingly competitive, more and more parents who homeschool their children are turning to distance learning as a viable option for preparing their students for both admission into, and success in, college. With today’s students being involved in so many events and activities, homeschooling parents are definitely seeing the benefits of trusting in a distance learning college prep school.

Distance learning, or distance education as it is also known, works just as its name implies. Homeschooled students, especially those of high school age, essentially have the opportunity to attend courses that will be accepted by colleges and universities for admissions purposes. The basic premise behind distance learning is that students will make use of various forms of technology, in particular computers and the Internet, to gain access to courses designed to lead to a high school diploma and eventual admission into a particular college or university.

Through a distance learning program, students can study at their own pace, without sacrificing any activities or responsibilities in the process. Many students find the distance learning “environment” to be more conducive to their overall academic experience and college preparation than what they would receive from traditional public and private schools. Distance learning, especially college prep, is designed to prepare students for college by offering Advanced Placement courses that can earn them college units, SAT prep courses designed to help students achieve higher scores, honors-level courses that model college courses, and a wide variety of other options all with the intent of increasing a student’s chances of gaining admission and succeeding at the college of her or his choice.

Distance learning college prep courses also have an unintended benefit – an increased proficiency in the use and application of computer technology. Today, a good portion of a college course involves the use of technology. From participating in online forums and discussions, to submitting papers and completing tests online, colleges across the country are definitely integrating more technology into their curriculum. Participation in an online distance learning program, especially one that is college prep-based, can greatly help prepare students for the type of learning that will be taking place in college. By being more comfortable with and proficient in the use of technology, distance learning students stand a better chance of succeeding once they enter college.

With an acceptance rate in the high 80s to mid 90s, higher than average SAT scores, and legitimate support from accrediting agencies like WASC, distance learning college prep schools are not only popular, they are extremely effective in achieving their goals and outcomes. Unlike traditional public and private schools, college prep schools have the freedom to focus all of their efforts on preparing students for college and helping them gain admission. While traditional schools have to worry about problem students, lack of funds, and a great deal of administrative red tape, distance learning college prep schools can keep their attention on the needs of their students, in particular as it applies to college preparation and admission.

What is Professional Coaching?

Posted on by

The International Coach Federation (ICF) has defined professional coaching as follows:

“Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Coaching honors the client as the expert in his/her life and work and believes that every client is creative, resourceful, and whole.”

The Client-Coach Partnership

As a coach, you “partner” with your client in the most literal sense of the word. Yes, you know more “stuff” about your area of expertise. That’s fine and the way it’s supposed to be. But you don’t know more “stuff” about your client than he or she does. And so coaching only works when both parties form a genuine partnership built on mutual sharing, collaboration and cooperation. This is of particular importance and sometimes difficult to do when you think you have the solutions and answers for your client.

So what do professional coaches do? They provide an ongoing partnership that helps their clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Ultimately, coaches help people improve their performances and enhance the quality of their lives.

And how do they do it? Coaches listen and customize their approach to individual client needs. They believe that their job is to support their client to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that they already have; the true embodiment of “empowerment.”

In short, coaches:

– Discover, clarify, and align with what the client wants to achieve;
– Encourage client self-discovery;
– Elicit client-generated solutions and strategies; and
– Hold the client responsible and accountable for actions and results.

Basic Coaching Skills

As a therapist, counselor, educator or consultant you might need to know a lot about a problem- what causes it, strategies for treating it, etc. As a coach, believe it or not, you don’t need to be an expert in the focus of the coaching, you just need to apply your coaching skills expertly. For example, you don’t need to know how to build a house to coach a building contractor who wants to build better houses. Your client will teach you everything you need to know about their problem and solution as you are coaching them.

Here are 12 basic coaching skills that you’ll use and re-use with your clients:

1. Accountability; obtaining commitment to action items that your client chooses, and holding the client responsible for their results.
2. Accentuating the positive; highlighting strengths, cheerleading accomplishments, and helping your client stay optimistic and focused on goals and solutions.
3. Challenging; requesting that your client stretch beyond their self-imposed limits.
4. Clarifying; questioning, reframing, articulating what’s going on.
5. Designing the alliance; assisting your client to take responsibility by deciding the form of support most beneficial to them. In therapy, the therapist usually designs the alliance, in coaching the client does.
6. Forwarding the action; using a variety of skills to move the client a step forward toward their goal.
7. Holding the client’s agenda; probably the most important and distinctive coaching skill. As a coach, you become almost invisible and without judgment, opinion or answers, which allows your client to access their own answers.
8. Holding the focus; assisting your client to keep on-track when distracted by feelings, circumstances, etc.
9. Maintaining an Attitude of Inquiry; curious, supportive, positive, non-judgmental.
10. Powerful questions; an open-ended question that evokes clarity, deepens learning, and propels action.
11. Requesting; forwarding the action by making a request based upon your client’s agenda.
12. Reflective listening; providing a mirror to help your client increase insight, understanding, and clarity.

Coaching is a positive, empowering and highly effective way to help others achieve their most important life, relationship, and business goals. Being a Professional Coach is the best and most fulfilling way to make a living you can imagine!

If you don’t have any counseling training but are passionate about making a significant difference in the world, becoming a professional coach is a great option for you. Building a successful business as a professional coach is much easier than you might think.

If you’re a therapist, clinician, or other helping professional attracted to coaching for expanding your practice by working with more functional, private pay clients, coaching might be a good fit for you as many of your colleagues have found.

Career Change After 50 – How to Market Your Experience!

Posted on by

If you lost your job after age 50, or you see a bleak future in your current job or industry now may be the time to consider planning a career change.

After you’ve researched a possible new careers after 50, and you find you had little or no experience in the field what do you do?

What job skills are you really good at? Start at this point. Do a complete assessment of all of your job skills and competencies.

Now use LinkedIn.com and other sources, like alumni groups and business associations, to secure informational interviews with others working in the planned career. Keep the interview short, you are not looking for a job, you are looking for information. Learn information about the career, educational requirements, special experience, where the jobs are, specific employers and referrals to others that can help you in your search.

The next step is to make the transition to the possible new career after 50. Become a member of appropriate career associations. Get on committees, do work on events, and become noticed in your planned field.

If you need specific education or certifications make arrangements to get this done. Educational requirements can sometimes be completed through self-study or on-line learning.

Now redo your resume to focus on your career change after 50, to include additional self-study and education, and possible relevant non-profit experience. You now have a better picture of what is required in the new career so it can be highlighted in your cover letter and sourcing possible employers.

For example, if in your planned new career after 50 many of the jobs require working with and managing multi-million dollar budgets and your experience is at the $250,000 level how do you bridge the gap? Highlight your results in saving money, being more efficient, making do with less, getting jobs done on time and under budget, these accomplishments are more important that the amounts of money handled.

If you worked in industry A and you are now looking for a job in industry B, what are similar issues facing each industry? How do you find this out? By using your network, by finding individuals working in industry B through LinkedIn, by researching industry publications and through research on the internet are all some of the sources of the required information.

Another key factor in highlighting your work experience is that the new career required working a high percentage of time doing a particular activity. In you past career you only did this activity occasionally; however you did this over a relatively long period of time. Who has more experience? You who negotiated a variety of real estate leases, one or two a year over 20 years and spent less than 2% of your time or someone who spent 30% of their time over three years doing 5 a year? With knowledge of what is required in the new career you can tailor your resume and respond to interview questions appropriately. Remember, you are selling accomplishments, a steep learning curve, the willingness to resolve new challenges and not your age.

By re-crafting your pitch your years of work experience will now more closely fit the employer’s requirements, your career change after 50 will be successful and by continuing to work your career plan you will now be on your way to a rewarding new career.