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School Admissions

Mastering The ISEB Pre-Test

Your child can sit the test anywhere in the UK or overseas, which appeals to both the school and child alike. Taken in either early November or the middle of January, it provides a universal and standardised measure of assessment of a child’s current academic level and potential. Students undertaking the test are not disadvantaged because of age, as there is an element of age-weighting in the examination, in which their results are adjusted and are given a standardised age score (SAS). The average score is around 100 but for the most competitive schools, a score of 120+ is considered a good number to aim for.

 

The Pre-test comprises of four separate components: English, Mathematics, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning. The test should take two hours and fifteen minutes to complete: English and Mathematics will take 40 minutes each, Non-verbal reasoning will be 30 minutes long and Verbal reasoning 25 minutes.

 

However, a change in format at the beginning of the 2022 academic year has resulted in some confusion. At Think Tutors, we would like to shed some light on the significant changes, so that you and your child feel confident and equipped to complete the test with ease.

 

2022-2023 Format 

 

Firstly, your child now needs to be registered with ISEB rather than automatically registered by your chosen senior school. Whilst the registration process can be completed though the ISEB website, do get in touch if you would prefer guidance on the matter.

 

Children can now decide whether or not they prefer to see the timer or not, an accommodation which will reduce stress in some children immensely. Other adjustments which can be made is the change of colour and size of the font, along with the use of pencil and paper for notes and rough working throughout the whole test. No longer refined to the use in verbal reasoning and mathematics.

 

The 2022 update has seen that the test is now fully accessible to all children, with less reliance on short term memory and more emphasis on improving accessibility features. Children with SEND can be given: 25% more time within each test, a reader for the tests, supervised rest breaks and a separate exam room. Parents can apply for these arrangements when you register your child for the test though the ISEB website. Although, it is advisable to contact the school to discuss your child’s needs in advance also.

 

The format change has impacted the English component of the Pre-Test significantly. There are now two separate scores within English rather than just the one: a score for reading comprehension and one for SPaG (spelling, punctuation and grammar). The text that the child must read within the test has also changed from one long piece of information to several short passages. It can be read by simply scrolling rather than clicking through several pages to read the whole passage.

 

As the whole test is answerable by multiple choice questions only, the system now assess the pupils ability after each response and selects the subsequent questions level of difficulty based upon the previous answer. Mistakes are taken into consideration and therefore, the end result will still be representative of the child’s overall ability.

 

Which schools will this impact?

 

There are several schools who determine a child’s entry circumstantial upon their performance in the ISEB Pre-test. Most notably, but not exclusively: Charterhouse, City of London, Eton College, Harrow, St Paul’s, and Westminster. These highly selective and popular senior schools utilise the Pre-Test to select/de-select pupils from the entry process. If a child passes the Pre-Test, they will usually be offered a place contingent on them then passing Common Entrance at 13+.

 

How can Think Tutors help?

 

From the information provided above, there is no doubt that familiarity with the different question types, experience of the computerised interface and some knowledge of what to expect can significantly help. At Think Tutors, your child will become confident and unfazed by the process.

 

Moreover, with the assistance of the highly qualified tutors that we can offer, your child will reach success. A number of our tutors and mentors are vastly experienced within school entrance exams and have worked with children of all levels and ages. If you are interested in finding a tutor to ensure that your child excels within the ISEB Pre-test, please do get in touch.

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School Admissions

Admissions Guide: Lambrook School

Lambrook has recently become the topic of much discussion with Prince Williams children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis starting this academic year. All three great-grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II, have followed in the footsteps of Queen Victoria’s grandsons, who were pupils of Lambrook in 1878. Noticeably, the Royals have started the school at varying ages. This is because the school encourages prospective students to start their journey from Nursery to Year 7, although the common points of entry are at years 3, 4 and 7. Entry to Lambrook is dependent on the school’s ability to meet the needs of the pupil, consequently a personal visit is required, in addition to the common entrance exams.

Stage 1: Registration and References

The first step of the process is to register via an online registration form, expressing your interest and ambition for your child to attend. After completion of the online registration form, references are requested from the candidate’s current school in order to obtain the relevant material to make a basic judgement of the character and academic level of the student. At this stage, applicants have the opportunity to declare whether they have any relevant connection to Lambrook. Although this does not guarantee entry, in our experience, students who have a Lambrookian sibling, parents as alumni or other contacts are prioritised. If there are no spaces available, a child will be placed on a waiting list. For the Pre-Preparatory school, parents are advised to register as early as possible and registration for the Preparatory school should be completed at least a year in advance.

Stage 2: Visit to the school and Interview with the Headmaster

After registering, it is required that you attend an appointment with the Headmaster Jonathan Perry and to also visit the school in person for a tour of the buildings, facilities and grounds. This allows both parties to consider whether the school is right for the child and if Lambrook can meet the needs of the pupil.

 

Relaxation is important at the interview stage, as overly rehearsed answers are obvious to the interviewer. The best way to do this is practice with somebody who knows the format and expectations of an Independent School interview. Our tutors are well-versed in the often peculiar assessment techniques included in a school interview, with many of them having been involved in the interview process itself. At this stage, our mentors have also had great success at building a natural confidence to ensure our students flourish during interviews.

Stage 3: Assessment

In the admissions process for entry into Early Years, Year 1 and Year 2, children will be assessed informally. The assessment day for the Pre-Preparatory school is usually held in January. For entry into the Preparatory school, children are not only assessed on their English, Mathematics and Non-Verbal Reasoning, but on four other criteria also: academic ability, wider interests, character and general behaviour. Mathematics is comprised of mental arithmetic, problem solving and times tables, whereas English is focussed primarily on reading, writing and oral inference, punctuation and grammar. The Non-Verbal reasoning assessment aims to discover a child’s ability to understand, interpret, problem solve and tests logic and intelligence. Assessments for entry into Year 4 take place in November, whereas entry into Year 7 is assessed in October.

 

On the condition that you have passed the assessments and have therefore been accepted into the school, you are offered a place in writing. You will then be asked for the deposit and to complete the acceptance of place form (this is the formal contract).

Contact Think Tutors

Organising tuition or mentoring with one of Think Tutors elite tutors or mentors is an excellent way to gain an advantage in the application process. With a 100% success rate for school entrance, our tutors are experts at improving results through practice, comprehensive planning and confidence building.

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University Admissions

Oxford and Cambridge Entrance: A Guide to Assessments

Cambridge Law Test

The Cambridge Law Test is a paper and pen test used to measure your aptitude for law by assessing your comprehension and exposition skills. You do not have to possess prior knowledge of the law to sit the test, which lasts for one hour and is sat on the day of your interview. The Cambridge Law Test is being phased out from 2022 onwards, to be replaced by the LNAT.

LNAT

The Law National Aptitude Test (LNAT) is a pre-interview admissions assessment. It tests an applicant’s abilities in reading comprehension, inductive and deductive reasoning, verbal reasoning, as well as analysis (but it does test an applicant’s intelligence or knowledge of the law). Comprised of two sections, the first consists of 42 multiple choice questions and the second is essay-based.

MAT

The Mathematics Admission’s Test is mandatory for those applying to various courses at Oxford (such as Computer Science and Mathematics). It is a subject-specific test that aims to gage the depth of an applicant’s mathematical understanding rather than the breadth of their knowledge. The MAT is designed to be approachable for all students, including those without Further Mathematics A-level or equivalent.

STEP

Achievement in the Sixth Term Examination Papers (STEP) forms a part of a conditional offer to read mathematics at Cambridge (it also used in the admissions process for mathematics at Warwick and Imperial College London). STEP has two papers (entitled STEP 2 and STEP 3): the former based on A Level Mathematics and AS Level Further Mathematics), while the latter is based on A Level Mathematics and A Level Further Mathematics. Of note, STEP questions are less standard and less structured than their A Level equivalents, which is designed to distinguish between ability (or potential) and good teaching.

BMAT

The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) is used by universities around the world to help select applicants for medical, dental, biomedical, and veterinary degree programmes. The BMAT tests an applicant’s ability to apply scientific and mathematical knowledge, as well as problem solving, critical thinking and written communication skills that are essential to university-level study. There are several BMAT sessions throughout the year and different universities accept different sessions, depending on their admissions cycle.

GAMSAT

The Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) is a day-long assessment required by several universities in the UK for graduate entry medicine programmes. The test’s length distinguishes it from the UCAT and BMAT, and it can be taken as many times as one likes. The GAMSAT covers basic science, as well as general problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and writing abilities.

UCAT

The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is a computer-based admissions test used by many UK and non-UK universities (in collaboration with the UCAS application system and the use of academic qualifications) for entry into medical and dental schools. The UCAT assess for verbal reasoning, decision making, quantitate reasoning, abstract reasonings, and situational judgement.

CAT

Sitting the Classics Aptitude Test (CAT) is required for all those applying to study Classics at the University of Oxford. The CAT is a paper-based test, divided into three sections: the Latin Translation Test, the Greek Translation Test and the Classics Language Aptitude Test (CLAT). Each section lasts 1 hour and is sat under timed exam conditions. Which of the sections you take depends on whether you are applying for Classics I or Classics II.

ELAT

Oxford University’s English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT) is a paper-based assessment, lasting 90 minutes and sat under timed exam conditions. The ELAT is designed to test a candidate’s close reading skills, and their ability to shape and articulate an informed response to unfamiliar literary material. Applicants will be asked to write one essay comparing two provided passages, focusing on elements such as language, imagery, syntax, form, and structure.

HAT

The History Aptitude Test (HAT) is a written assessment sat by those applying for a History degree at Oxford University. Candidates are asked to offer thoughtful interpretations of a source without knowing anything about its context. The HAT is a test of skills, not substantive historical knowledge. It is designed so that candidates should find it equally challenging, regardless of what they have studied or what school examinations they are taking.

PAT

The Physics Aptitude Test (PAT) is a part of the admissions process at the University of Oxford for courses such as Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, and Physics and Philosophy. The PAT is subject-specific and lasts 2 hours, which is sat under timed conditions. It is designed for candidates who have studied the first year of A-level (or equivalent) Maths and Physics and covers similar material to that of the GCSE and A-level syllabus.

MLAT

The Modern Languages Admissions Test (MLAT) is required for those applying to read any modern languages-based course at the University of Oxford. The MLAT is a paper-based test which consists of 10 sections. Which sections are taken depends on the course you are applying for. There are eight individual sections for each of the following languages: Czech, French, German, Italian, Modern Greek, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. The other two sections are: the Language Aptitude Test (LAT: for those applying for new languages as beginners and for Russian on its own), and the Philosophy test (for those applying for Philosophy and Modern Languages). The Philosophy section lasts 60 minutes while each other section is 30 minutes. Candidates are to take a maximum of two sections.

CAT

Sitting the Classics Aptitude Test (CAT) is required for all those applying to study Classics at the University of Oxford. The CAT is a paper-based test, divided into three sections: the Latin Translation Test, the Greek Translation Test and the Classics Language Aptitude Test (CLAT). Each section lasts 1 hour and is sat under timed exam conditions. Which of the sections you take depends on whether you are applying for Classics I or Classics II.

MML

All Cambridge Colleges (unless otherwise stated) requires applicants for the Modern and Medieval Languages course to sit an at-interview written assessment. This test it is designed to test your skills rather than your knowledge. The written test lasts one hour and is based on a short text in English. It will be marked by the subject experts in the College that are interviewing you according to an agreed set of criteria.

OLAT

Sitting the Oriental Languages Aptitude Test (OLAT) is required for all those applying for either Oriental Studies, Classics and Oriental Studies, European and Middle Eastern Languages, or Religion and Oriental Studies at the University of Oxford. The OLAT is a paper-based test, lasting 30 minutes and sat under timed exam conditions. The OLAT is designed to assess your ability to analyse how languages work, in a way which doesn’t depend on your knowledge of any particular language, but instead looks to gauge one’s aptitude for learning a new language rapidly.

TSA

The Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) is a two-part test, divided into a 90-minute multiple choice component (focussing on problem-solving and critical thinking skills), and a 30-minute writing task (focussing on organising ideas in a clear and concise manner). The TSA is required for those applying to study courses such as PPE at Oxford.

Oxford Philosophy Test

The Oxford Philosophy Test is required for all candidates applying to study Philosophy and Theology at the University of Oxford. It is a paper-based test, lasting 60 minutes and sat under timed exam conditions. The Philosophy Test is designed to test a candidate’s philosophical reasoning skills. There is no expectation that you will have undertaken any formal study of philosophy, and it is not a test of philosophical knowledge.

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University Admissions A-Level and IB Topical

A-Level Results Day 2022

When is A-level results day this year?

A-level results day is on Thursday 18 August 2022.

Where can you pick up your results?

Results can be collected anytime from 8am, or when your college or school is open on the 18th.

What happens on A-level results day?

In addition to your college or school disclosing your results, UCAS receives your results directly and updates your Hub. This often happens by about 08:15. The UCAS system will be incredibly busy, so it may take longer than expected for you to discover whether your applications have been successful.

 

Note that UCAS does not disclose your A-level results directly (unlike your school or college), merely the outcome of your university applications.

How Should I Prepare?

Apart from rising early and accessing your results at 8am, it’s advisable to have certain details and materials to hand. This is particularly applicable for those who might receive lower than expected results and need to apply for a university place through clearing.

 

You should have:

 

  • Your UCAS ID number and log-in details.
  • Your UCAS Clearing number. This will be available on the UCAS Hub for those who’ve failed to gain admittance at any of their choices.
  • Clearing phone numbers for universities you’ve applied to or are interested in.
  • Your personal statement as universities you communicate with in Clearing may ask you questions about it. It may help to know your GCSE results in case you are asked about them.

 

If you might need to go through Clearing, prepare ahead of time by researching your choices.

What if your UCAS Hub doesn’t update?

If this occurs and continues into mid-morning, then you should phone the university. It is very possible that they have yet to make a final decision. Be sure to note when you call that you are an existing offer holder and not a Clearing applicant.

What if you’ve met your offer?

It’s time to celebrate! Once your UCAS Hub status has updated (which can take a few hours on results day), you will receive confirmation from your firm choice.

What if you’ve just missed your predicted grades?

It’s still possible that you’ll get an offer from your firm choice. As such, check your UCAS Hub to discover whether your status has changed to ‘unconditional’ or if you’ve been offered a place on a different course at the same university. This is designated a ‘changed course offer’ and it will need to be either accepted or declined.

 

If you’ve narrowly missed out on your expected grades or you are intending to appeal the outcome, you might be able to request your firm choice to reconsider your application if they haven’t accepted you.

What happens if you don’t receive your desired offer?

Should this occur there are several options available to you which include accepting your insurance offer, applying to alternative universities through Clearing, retaking your A-levels, and reapplying for next year. This is also applicable if none of your insurance choices have offered you a place.

How can Think Tutors help?

Think Tutors can provide short-term assistance with university applications, and long-term tuition across every subject. Our industry-leading team of advisors are well positioned to assist with any inquiries or impediments that emerge during your university application process. Contact us to find out more.

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Homeschooling

Relocation: Capitalising on the British Education System

For those coming to the UK to capitalise on its world-leading schools (which span from nursery to university), there are additional challenges, ranging from entrance exams and medical appointments to arranging guardianship and securing high-end tutors. But despite these hurdles, the route from opportunity to outcome can be remarkably smooth when its travelled together. It doesn’t matter where you are coming from—whether its Singapore, Dubai, Geneva, or New York—our industry-leading team of education advisors, admissions experts, full-time and part-time tutors can both ease as well as optimise your family’s transition to the United Kingdom.

The UK Education System

Many high net-worth families from around the world send their children or relocate their entire family to the United Kingdom to benefit from the country’s outstanding education system. This is partly because schools and universities like Eton and Harrow, Oxford and Cambridge are synonymous with academic excellence and personal advancement—but as always, there’s more to the mountain than just the top. For many, the UK’s unique combination of history and tradition, innovation and excellence, along with its global status and world-wide connections provides the ideal environment for their children’s education and personal growth. Navigating these opportunities is one of the primary ways in which Think Tutors can help your family, as we provide unparalleled support across every stage and circumstance of a child’s education.

International Tuition

Think Tutors works with many families who live internationally, providing them with introductions and connections to leading nurseries, independent schools, and universities. For those who are sending their children to boarding schools in the UK, we routinely fulfil an academic guardian role for international students. In fact, our families enjoy 24-hour access to our services, which includes everything from mentoring and academic support to assisting with medical arrangements and liaising directly with schools. This also extends to providing families with travelling tutors and live-in tutors in case they wish to extend their child’s educational experiences at home or on holiday.

University Tuition

For those relocating to the United Kingdom to attend university, Think Tutors can partner with you through every stage from application to graduation. Our leading team of academic advisors, admissions specialists, and high net-worth tutors have all attended the world’s top universities (75% attended Oxford or Cambridge) and have 5+ years of industry experience. They are experts in their field and can assist with everything from study strategies and personal statements to dissertation research and securing blue-chip summer internships.

Contact Think Tutors

Think Tutors approaches education from a global perspective, offering cradle to career partnerships with families from around the globe. At the same time, our DNA is undeniably British. At Think Tutors we prize both tradition and innovation, academic rigour and the power of relationships, educating for excellence while ensuring student wellbeing. Ultimately, we seek to not only smooth the transition for those coming to the United Kingdom, but to help ensure their success as they make this country their new home, for however long that may be. Contact us for more information.

Categories
Homeschooling

Succession Planning: How important is education?

There is no single solution to ensuring successful family succession plans, which is why Think Tutors offers multiple services ranging from long-term mentoring and blue-chip internships to full-time tuition and cultural enrichment opportunities. Though wealth depletion can occur through taxes, inflation, investment volatility, and the natural dilution of assets once shared among heirs, the major problems besetting many family offices revolve around issues with communication, entitlement, education, control, and character development. That is why Think Tutors works closely with leading family offices around the world, designing bespoke full-time educational solutions for our UHNW clients. Our schemes of learning foster an ethos of hard work, providing unrivalled insight and preparation into the challenge of business leadership.

Bespoke Educational Solutions

Think Tutors can begin work with a family’s ‘next generation’ at any time, providing cradle to career opportunities in the UK and abroad. Working closely with leading nurseries, independent schools, and universities, we typically combine conventional schooling with internships, and professional and academic mentorship. To this we add bespoke, age-appropriate training courses on financial literacy, strategic thinking, communication, and business technology. Should a family prefer different arrangements, however, our industry leading live-in tutors, travelling tutors, and full-time tutors can easily accommodate such requests. Either way, we ensure that the next generation is introduced to the scope and scale of the opportunities and responsibilities facing them, while also ensuring they are supported through every stage with the best ideas, contacts, practices, and opportunities for their growth.

Young Leaders

To that end our Young Leaders programme offers a one off, highly unique, and exclusive service. It combines tuition, mentoring and academic advisory with real-world, relevant experiences. Designed for students aged 14-18, the course simulates the challenge of stewarding a multi-generational family office. Seminars, work-placements, one-to-one tuition, and interactive simulations provide an exceptional chance for participants to develop themselves personally and professionally, as well as make lasting and meaningful business relationships.

Contact Think Tutors

Whatever approach a family chooses, Think Tutors can provide industry leading solutions to support the entire family through the process of succession planning. Contact us to find out more.

Categories
Homeschooling

Full-time Private Tuition: Travelling Tutors

The Journey

The holiday began with a private flight from southwest England to the French Riviera. Whilst on board the children (aged 11 and 13) and I took advantage of the cloudy skies to do an assignment on the hydrologic cycle and could genera, with added bonuses for accurate cloud formation spotting! We followed this with reading a chapter from our holiday-themed novel. As we’ll be spending a week sailing on a yacht, we’re reading a Horatio Hornblower book. Afterwards, when discussing the chapter, our conversation turned to the history of naval warfare in the Mediterranean. Seeing how excited my students were about this subject I devised an additional lesson for when we’re aboard the yacht covering the scuttling of the French Fleet at Toulon in 1942—a site we’ll be sailing directly past. With the youngest student working towards Independent School Entrance at 13+, and the eldest developing a strong interest in History, our sessions were designed to be both enjoyable, and goal-driven.

The Trip

The first week of the holiday was based on a family estate near the famous city of Avignon. From a historical perspective this was ideal as we studied some of the city’s medieval history, including the reigns of its antipopes. The fact that we got to supplement these lessons with first-hand access to city’s historic centre (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) was an incredible experience. During this time, we followed a pre-set schedule of classes after breakfast and fieldtrips before lunch, with the afternoon set aside for family time. That said, by traveling together we were able to adapt lesson times to fit with their evolving schedule. Though we often enjoyed meals together and afternoon excursions, there was personal time set aside and I had plenty of opportunities both for lesson planning and for exploring Avignon on my own.

 

 

Having left the land behind we sailed along the coastline from near Marseilles to Monaco. I’m happy to report that the extra lesson on the Scuttling of the French Fleet at Toulon went down like a treat. It was likewise incredibly exciting to cover other aspects of our holiday aboard our sailing classroom, which included a science lesson on buoyancy (topped with a snorkelling field trip) and a marine biology lesson on the local aquatic life. Sometimes in the evening we’d play card games or charades together, and one evening the children and I adapted and enacted a scene from Horatio Hornblower. Though it didn’t earn us a spot at Cannes (which we sailed past), it was widely praised by all those aboard!

Outside The Classroom

The last day was a particular highlight for me as a professional tutor, which was spent in the Principality of Monaco. As a massive Formula 1 fan the family kindly indulged me in listening to a brief history of the sport, which was followed by a walking tour along some of the street circuit’s most famous sights. As a last assignment the students watched race highlights from the previous Grand Prix and then we wrote and recorded their own scripted race commentary. On the flight back we used editing software to match their commentary to the highlight segments. It was, without a doubt, an enjoyable way to finish the holiday. Indeed, the children thrived in our summer sessions so much that we’ve booked a second holiday together for next year.

 

 

Looking back, I greatly enjoyed the integrated learning and educational adventures that travelling with a family provided. Tailoring each session to our unique surroundings – whether it was land, sea, or air – and incorporating aspects of the local history and environment into our lessons made for exciting learning opportunities. It was, without a doubt, the best way to simultaneously learn and travel.

Contact Think Tutors

If you’re thinking about travelling with your children, I’d recommend getting in touch with Think Tutors. We provide world-class education to accompany your family anywhere you want to go.

Categories
GCSE A-Level and IB Homeschooling Topical

Think Tutors’ Summer Reading List

Best Summer Reads

Below are a few books recommended by our industry leading tutors. Spanning fiction and non-fiction, politics and science, they represent what some of the best and brightest are stimulating their minds with this summer.

 

The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu

 

Soon to be a major Netflix production, this award-winning Chinese science fiction book (the first in a trilogy) takes place in a world where science has hit its limits at the worst possible time—just as earth has made first contact with a threatening alien race. It’s a fascinating and imaginative read and all the more interesting for being written from a contemporary Chinese perspective.

 

Silverview by John le Carré

 

The last novel to come from the pen of one of Britain’s finest authors, this spy novel investigates the secret world (and the secrets people keep) hidden within a small seaside town in England. A fascinating depiction public duties vs private morals, this espionage novel is a classic from a now-classic author.

 

Liberalism and its Discontents by Francis Fukuyama 

 

This slim volume by one of the world’s leading political scientists provides an insightful study into why liberalism is both the source and the solution to many of the world’s identity-driven problems.

 

The Age of AI: and our human future by Henry Kissinger

 

This fascinating book is co-written by Henry Kissinger (the most famous diplomat of the 20th century), Eric Schmidt (former CEO of Google), and Daniel Huttenlocher (Dean of the College of Computing at MIT). Together they explore AI and the ways it is transforming human society and human identity – and what it means for us all, both now and in the future.

 

Why We Sleep: the new science of sleep and dreams by Matthew Walker

 

This book is a perennial favourite at Think Tutors. It’s a masterful scientific account about why sleep is not only vital, but how impaired we become – in both the short and long term – by a lack of sleep opportunities. Read this and you’ll never sleep the same again!

Learn a New Subject

Perhaps you are a budding historian, but you’d like to know more about cognitive psychology; or a future biologist who’s interested in learning more about ethics. If so, the Oxford Very Short Introduction series is perfect for you. Written at a first-year undergraduate level, these short introductions cover a huge array of subjects and are highly accessible. They offer up-to-date scholarly research and are academically reliable. You can read one for fun in an afternoon and quote them in your essays next year… how good is that?

 

Earth System Science: A Very Short Introduction by Tim Lenton

 

Lenton explores the concept of the Earth’s atmosphere, biosphere, oceans, soil, and rocks operating as a closely interacting system. Drawing on elements of geology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, it explores whether Earth system science can help guide us on to a sustainable course before we alter the Earth system to the point where we destroy ourselves and current civilization.

 

Robotics: A Very Short Introduction by Alan Winfield

 

This book explains how it is that robotics can simultaneously present us with success and disappointment, how they can remain both commonplace and extraordinary, and investigates recent developments in science with a view to their applications in everyday life.

 

Environmental Ethics: A Very Short Introduction by Robin Attfield

 

This book explores the principles and values that are involved in combating environmental issues like pollution, loss of habitats and species, and climate change. Exploring a wide array of approaches to ethical decision making and judgements, it stresses the importance of making both production and consumption sustainable, addressing human population levels, and what must be done policy-wise to preserve species, sub-species, and their habitats.

Make the Most of Audio Books

If you don’t want to spend all summer indoors reading books, Think Tutors highly recommends using audio books (such as those provided by Amazon’s Audible). Not only does this enable you to listen to a book while on the move, but you can also listen at faster than 1x speed (you can listen at 1.5x speed and won’t miss a word). This way you can get through more books than you would otherwise and come out the other side of the summer as brain buff as never before.

 

To discuss more strategies and recommendations for maximizing your summer reading and learning, be sure to connect with Think Tutors. Our industry leading team is well equipped to create bespoke programmes that will help you or your child to flourish this summer and beyond.

Categories
University Admissions

Top Tips for Effective Reading at a University Level

Targeted Reading

Knowing what you are reading is sometimes as important as knowing what you’ve read. That’s because not all reading requires the same methods and approach. How you read a novel for leisure should be different from how you read journal articles for an essay. Knowing the difference can save you hours of unnecessary effort.

 

At university you’ll need to become adept at surveying or skim reading (and ideally speed reading too), which is useful for developing an overall impression and overview of a work, identifying essential/core information, and finding several specific points. This technique is then repeated across multiple sources (ranging from entire books to chapters and journal articles).

 

Once you have formed a broad overview of the relevant material it’s important to engage in more deliberate reading and finer analysis of relevant passages and chapters, which can involve cross-checking information, defining concepts, understanding terminology, comparing viewpoints, and taking notes. This type of reading is generally slower than skimming or survey reading.

Reading Goals

Before you commence with your reading, determine what it is you are reading for. Consider asking yourself what it is that you hope to ascertain: is it specific information, something to quote, or an overall understanding of your topic? If it’s just a quote, for instance, you can scan more quickly, but gaining understanding requires a more moderate pace.

 

Develop an agenda or a wish list that helps you identify what you are reading for, which will help your brain to filter out non-essential information. This will improve your overall reading efficiency.

 

It can also be helpful to keep track of how much you’ve already gleaned (such as keeping a running tally or developing a bank of research quotes) and deciding ahead of time how much research you may need. Perhaps thirty quotes or ten pages of notes is sufficient. Developing a sense of how much reading is enough (at least in preliminary form) is important, because a common mistake in writing essays is to dedicate too much time to reading and research and not enough to composition. Sometimes it is much easier and faster to come back to research in order to satisfy a specific need rather than try to cover everything all at once at the beginning. Be sure to record the bibliographical details for each item you read, along with page numbers for notes and quotes, which will save you time at the end when you write your essay.

Select The Right Sources

Use reading lists wisely and selectively. The first thing to do is to divide your reading into primary, secondary, and tertiary or specialised categories. Primary material usually comes in book-length or chapter form and is useful for building your general knowledge and confidence with a topic. Begin with core texts, textbooks, general introductions (like Oxford’s Very Short Introduction series) and anything designated essential on a reading list. It is often prudent to read the introduction and conclusion to any academic material before reading it from back to front (this often applies to individual chapters as well), because it is common practice to assert and reassert important information in these places. Primary reading should normally require 40-50% of your allotted reading and researching.

 

Secondary reading often represents 30-40% of your time and usually represents a deeper focus on specific themes or topics that you identified in your primary reading. These will usually be found in journals and articles, and specific chapters or passages in books. Likewise, your tertiary or specialised reading should be left until last, representing about 20-30% of your efforts. This is where you want to scour the index and footnotes/endnotes of books, review relevant abstracts, and look for finer details that add specific value to your essay.

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Taken together, these three tips should help improve your reading and research skills. Don’t forget to get in touch with Think Tutors to discuss how we can further hone these and other skills.

Categories
GCSE A-Level and IB

Top Tips for Exam Week

Address Knowledge Gaps

Uncertainty increases student stress and anxiety, which is why it can be helpful to divide your revision in two: focussing less on what you already know, and more on what you know you don’t know. That is, it’s important to address the knowledge gaps you have for any subject before proceeding onto writing mocks/past papers. This will put you in the best position for being able to knowledgably answer a wider array of questions.

Create a Realistic Revision Schedule

The human brain’s capacity for storing information is amazing, but it can only do so much! It’s necessary to work with rather than against your normal capabilities. If you can only focus for an hour at a time, don’t try to do three hours in one go. Create a realistic revision schedule which seeks to minimize distractions rather than maximize studying (not that maximization is not important, but there’s no point scheduling in five hours of non-stop revision and failing to do that. It’s much better to do four one-hour blocks with fifteen-minute breaks in between).

Personalise Your Revision Style

As with revision schedules, the main goal is to minimize distractions while studying, thus improving the quality of the time you spend revising, which is not necessarily the same as increasing the quantity of the time spent in revision. As such, you need to work in a manner that fits you best. For some, that’s alone and in silence, for others listening to music or perhaps with a friend. Whatever helps you to maximize your focus is best, just make sure to avoid distractions (so turn off your notifications, close your browser, and wait until your break to check your messages).

Write Things Out

One of the best ways to master material is to begin by writing it out in your own handwriting. This is more effective than typing it because it requires more intentional and specific mental processes. This will help you to internalise information and can likewise prime the pump for memorizing quotes, equations, and more.

It’s Never too Late to Ask

If there is something that you do not understand remedy it by asking a friend, parent, teacher, or even googling it. Hoping that something you don’t understand simply won’t come up on your exam is not the best way to prepare.

Utilise Past Papers

Reviewing past exam papers will help you to become familiar with both the style, layout, and approach of the exam. Just as importantly, research the mark schemes available for past papers, as these are just as helpful in briefing you on what is expected and how best to succeed.

Short Breaks are Important

Exam revision is neither a sprint nor a marathon. It’s a campaign. For every unit of studying you do, it’s important to have a short break so you can regain your focus and deploy your energies once more. If you’re working in hour long blocks, we recommend a ten-minute break in between sessions. Once you’ve completed two or three of these sessions, reward yourself with a twenty-minute break. The important thing is not to exhaust yourself or your mind in the first few hours of revision.

 

When you take a break, we recommend moving about and leaving the room. This will not only provide you with a bit of fresh energy but will help to maintain the study atmosphere that you have created in your revision space.

Don’t Forget to Eat, Sleep, and Exercise

The more you study the more your body will need the benefits of healthy eating, sleeping, and exercising. Don’t sacrifice these vital activities on the altar of studying. Instead, work them into your revision schedule, making sure that you maintain healthy habits, as these are not merely important in themselves, but are essential for scoring high marks on any exam.

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Our team of industry leading tutors are expertly equipped to help maximize your potential. We can work with you on both a long- and short-term basis providing assistance, coaching, and revision guidance with a view to ensuring your academic success.