In the fall of every year, much like migrating birds making their summer sojourn across the oceans and continents, the annual ritual of students winging their way across the world, seeking educational opportunities in foreign lands takes place. Indian students throng the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, France, Switzerland, Singapore and several others, seeking academic opportunities that are unavailable in their own countries.
The cross-cultural experience can be fraught with landmines, as the Kaavya Viswanathan episode in the US and episodes in Australia involving Indian students have illustrated. Students from India who wish to study in foreign countries need to understand and appreciate the differences in culture and academic systems, and attune themselves so that their educational and living experience is pleasant and enjoyable – both for themselves as well as for the host community in the foreign country. Broadly then, the areas where students should spend time and effort in understanding are academic, social and legal.
ACADEMIC
Plagiarism: The dictionary meaning of ‘plagiarism’ is `the use of another person’s intellectual property – words, ideas, plots – without acknowledging their ownership and attempting to pass them off as your own.’ This is one of the areas that is of prime concern to overseas educational systems and is often overlooked by Indian students. The Indian educational system does not place as much premium on originality as foreign ones. Students in India are expected to memorise vast quantities of text, and regurgitate the same in their exams. Analysis and application are notable by their absence. Thousands of students in India rely on cheap, quick-fix solutions offered by `exam guides’ which condense the curriculum into bytes that students can reproduce in the exams and score high marks. It is understandable, therefore, that sometimes students from India look for quick fixes after they go to foreign universities. Understandable, but not excusable.
Students should take the trouble to appreciate the educational system and values that are acceptable, and in fact, desirable in their host countries. The honour system prevalent in American educational systems, for instance, is something that international students wishing to study in the US, have to understand thoroughly.
Intellectual honesty is imperative in all advanced countries’ educational institutions. The unfortunate case of Kaavya Vishwanathan, the teenage author of ‘How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life’ comes to mind. With allegations about plagiarism flying thick and fast soon after publication of the book, the unfortunate Indian-American at Harvard University became famous for ‘How Kaavya Viswanathan got rich, got caught, and got ruined’. A cautionary tale on the aftermath of plagiarism, if ever there was one!
Class participation: Indian classrooms are notoriously overcrowded and individual attention is rare, except in exclusive private schools. Participation and class discussion is, therefore, unusual and occasional in most Indian classrooms. In developed countries, on the other hand, class participation and discussion is vital and valued, and marks are awarded for it.
Students must learn not to be afraid to ask questions pertaining to the subject. Questions and a curious mind are the hallmarks of an intelligent person, so students shed their inhibitions and not be afraid to ask ‘stupid questions.’
Seeking knowledge: One of the differences between the Indian educational system and the system prevalent in developed countries is that the latter have enabling systems – they teach students to seek knowledge on their own. While the Indian education system spoon-feeds students, developed countries teach students to find their own intellectual and academic nourishment.
Extra-curricular activities: Foreign institutions believe in a well-rounded educational experience, and campuses abroad offer a wide variety of opportunities for personal enrichment and enhancement, so students from India should make the time to explore and benefit from the opportunities outside of the classroom.
Friendly and informal faculty: Faculty members and officials at most educational institutions tend to be relatively more informal and relaxed than in India – in fact, several of them ask students to address them by name. Students should not construe this as licence to be familiar with faculty, or as an indication of laxity. When it comes to academics and rules, the same faculty will be extremely strict and stringent.
SOCIAL ETIQUETTE
Interaction with peers and social gatherings: The cultural divide between India and other countries translates into occasional awkward and embarrassing moments for students. They should learn to respect the private space of their peers and classmates – for example, while it is acceptable in India to ask a new acquaintance about exam scores, scholarship amounts, how much one’s parents earn and so on, such questions are considered inappropriate in Western countries until one knows the other person well. It is also in poor taste to speak in your native tongue to a smaller audience when you are in a mixed group, all of whom don’t understand your language. Speaking and laughing loudly or poking fun at other people is incorrect.
Students should also be careful with language – it is politically incorrect to refer to African American or African people as `negroes’ or people with the epicanthic eye fold as `Chinks’ and so on.
Eating, dressing, drinking and gaming: Most Indians eat with their fingers – nothing wrong with that – but they have to adapt, and be adept at using cutlery when in foreign lands. Table etiquette is not usually part of our upbringing, and students sometimes overlook the importance of etiquette and consideration when eating with others. Making negative comments about the local food and eating habits is inappropriate.
Students should try and blend in with the rest of the community, including in appearance. Ethnic clothes and jewellery should be reserved for special occasions.
Students abroad, especially those who have gone for Bachelor-level programmes, should be wary of trying alcohol, since they can get addicted and their education can suffer as a consequence. Drugs are to be strictly avoided – whatever the age. Make it a policy to simply and firmly say `No.’ Instances of students getting addicted to online gaming, to the detriment of their education have surfaced. As with liquor, it is prudent not to start on diversions like online gaming at all.
Preconceived notions: Stereotypes abound in movies and TV shows. Don’t go by movie and TV stereotypes of different cultures – they are mostly poorly researched and should not be used to understand foreign cultures. Students should respect foreign cultures, however, different they may be from your own.
Relationships: Students should stay focused on their mission in going to a foreign country and should not get derailed by romantic involvements and infatuations. Another cultural difference is that young people in many foreign countries don’t marry the first person they get romantically attracted to – so even if they are `going steady,’ students should be realistic and try not let such entanglements ruin their focus.
LEGAL
Stay in legal status: Students are admitted to foreign countries on specified student visas, which come with conditions on how long they can reside in the host country. Students should be very careful with their legal status and make sure there is absolutely no violation of their status.
Work ONLY as permitted by your visa status: An overwhelming percentage of students going to foreign countries to study look to embellish their CVs and resumes with some amount of work experience in those countries. Students are permitted to work part-time on campus during term-time and full-time during vacation by some countries. Moreover, the work should be related to their field of study and should be properly authorised. Students should be careful to accept work only as per their status.
Apply for CPT/ OPT well in advance: Many foreign countries allow international students to undertake practical training immediately after graduation, and in some cases, during vacations too. Students should attend orientation programmes for foreign students and familiarise themselves with the procedures for employment, and apply in good time for authorisation.
High alert: Most foreign campuses are safe and are equipped to deal with eventualities, so students can be fairly relaxed. However, whenever students step outside their campuses, they should be on high alert and take all precautions to ensure their safety and well-being.
Your rights: It is natural for students in foreign lands to feel reticent about lodging complaints in cases of harassment, molestation, discrimination and other such offences. Students should take all necessary steps to report such offences and not ignore or downplay them. However, they should be able to differentiate between light-hearted, harmless fun and serious offences.
The Indian government has consular offices in most countries where students go for higher education. It is worth the effort to register with the foreign mission office and keep the phone numbers of the local Indian consular office handy. This website provides country-wise information: http://india.gov.in/overseas/indian_missions.php
This blog will give the readers a few interesting informations about the general and academic topics and also about few innovations made by the youngsters of our age.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
SoP
The Statement of Purpose (or SoP) is an important component of the admissions process for American Master’s or PhD programmes. Since Indian Bachelor’s degrees take three years’ to complete, (hence, 12+3 = 15 years of education), we recommend that you complete 16 years of formal education to be competitive and eligible to apply to most US institutions.
The SoP is also a fairly difficult piece of writing to do at short notice. On the whole, an effective SoP requires a mix of self-reflection, succinct writing and subtle marketing.
Here’s what you can do to make your SoP stand out:
Basic Purpose
Begin with the end in mind. Your first paragraph is the most important: writing and rewriting it will polish it well. Communicate the basic purpose for which you are applying for a Master’s or PhD degree. A sincere, succinct and original first sentence or two is ideal. Cover the key reasons why you want to go to a graduate programme within the first paragraph. Develop your core ‘USP’ (Unique Selling Proposition) and eliminate every word and phrase that does not communicate purpose. Delete, revise and rewrite it all over again until it is accurate yet effective.
Analyse what motivated you. Now, move on to the motivations behind your purpose. Graduate school can be an intense experience, and more so at the PhD level. Faculty members on admissions committees are interested in the ‘why’ behind your ‘what’.
Rather than chronological descriptions of what you did in the recent past, dive into your thought-process and share what you learned. Ensure that each paragraph contains one or two key ideas developed coherently and logically that thematically progress to the next.
Your Motivation
Link your motivation to apply for a Master’s or PhD to your experiences at work or doing research. What did you learn while working or doing further research that prompted you to desire further education? American universities value students who have a real-world perspective, so if you have some years of work experience, do not hesitate to show what you learned while working.
Your contacts, software and soft people-skills, all would have developed in some ways while at work or doing research. Discuss these in terms of your learning and motivations. Perhaps you realised that you could use a Master’s or PhD to meet your medium-term and long-term goals — so discuss what triggered it. Reflect. Critique yourself. Share what you learned and how each step catalysed the next. Share your story.
Good Fit
Demonstrate ‘fit’. After discussing your motivations behind why you did what you did, you need to wind up. Begin the transition to the end of the SoP by making a case for why you are a good ‘fit’ for the programme. Be as specific as you can be here. If you’re applying for a Master’s programme, discuss the laboratory or research groups that you would be able to contribute to; if you’re a PhD applicant, name the faculty members whose work and research intersects with yours.
Perhaps your skills complement that of a professor with whom you want to work. Perhaps there’s a library, a research centre or some industry-university programme you are very interested in and could use for your career. Perhaps your prior training fits well with more advanced parts of the course curriculum – whatever it is, demonstrate how your being admitted would add value to the graduate student community. Specificity of ‘fit’ can be demonstrated by identifying and closely studying what you need and what the university you are applying to, can offer – thereby offering a unique synergy that will result in a win-win situation.
The SoP is also a fairly difficult piece of writing to do at short notice. On the whole, an effective SoP requires a mix of self-reflection, succinct writing and subtle marketing.
Here’s what you can do to make your SoP stand out:
Basic Purpose
Begin with the end in mind. Your first paragraph is the most important: writing and rewriting it will polish it well. Communicate the basic purpose for which you are applying for a Master’s or PhD degree. A sincere, succinct and original first sentence or two is ideal. Cover the key reasons why you want to go to a graduate programme within the first paragraph. Develop your core ‘USP’ (Unique Selling Proposition) and eliminate every word and phrase that does not communicate purpose. Delete, revise and rewrite it all over again until it is accurate yet effective.
Analyse what motivated you. Now, move on to the motivations behind your purpose. Graduate school can be an intense experience, and more so at the PhD level. Faculty members on admissions committees are interested in the ‘why’ behind your ‘what’.
Rather than chronological descriptions of what you did in the recent past, dive into your thought-process and share what you learned. Ensure that each paragraph contains one or two key ideas developed coherently and logically that thematically progress to the next.
Your Motivation
Link your motivation to apply for a Master’s or PhD to your experiences at work or doing research. What did you learn while working or doing further research that prompted you to desire further education? American universities value students who have a real-world perspective, so if you have some years of work experience, do not hesitate to show what you learned while working.
Your contacts, software and soft people-skills, all would have developed in some ways while at work or doing research. Discuss these in terms of your learning and motivations. Perhaps you realised that you could use a Master’s or PhD to meet your medium-term and long-term goals — so discuss what triggered it. Reflect. Critique yourself. Share what you learned and how each step catalysed the next. Share your story.
Good Fit
Demonstrate ‘fit’. After discussing your motivations behind why you did what you did, you need to wind up. Begin the transition to the end of the SoP by making a case for why you are a good ‘fit’ for the programme. Be as specific as you can be here. If you’re applying for a Master’s programme, discuss the laboratory or research groups that you would be able to contribute to; if you’re a PhD applicant, name the faculty members whose work and research intersects with yours.
Perhaps your skills complement that of a professor with whom you want to work. Perhaps there’s a library, a research centre or some industry-university programme you are very interested in and could use for your career. Perhaps your prior training fits well with more advanced parts of the course curriculum – whatever it is, demonstrate how your being admitted would add value to the graduate student community. Specificity of ‘fit’ can be demonstrated by identifying and closely studying what you need and what the university you are applying to, can offer – thereby offering a unique synergy that will result in a win-win situation.
Friday, July 22, 2011
GRE propellers
In yet another significant move to better connect with test takers worldwide, the GRE® program has just launched its first-ever Facebook page. The page gives those considering graduate or business school an even greater opportunity to share advice, cheer on other prospective test takers and get clear information about the GRE® revised General Test.
“With more than 700,000 GRE tests taken each year around the world, it’s a very large and far-reaching community,” says Sharon Lawler-Sudell, brand director for the GRE Program at Educational Testing Service (ETS). “We thought it was important to engage with test takers in a way that they want to get information and communicate.”
The ‘I’m Taking the GRE revised General Test’ Facebook page is being introduced just in time for test takers who will be deciding if they have to take the current GRE® General Test to meet score reporting deadlines or if they can take the more test-taker friendly GRE revised General Test which launches around the world in August 2011.
To further help prospective test takers, the GRE Program has also recently introduced a new "takethegre.com" website. The site includes information about the GRE General Test and the GRE revised General Test, plus access to free, official GRE test preparation software and materials. Prospective test takers can sign up for free alerts and reminders about registration, test preparation, and more—right on the takethegre.com site. There are even options for test takers to customize the information they receive based on the location of the world where they plan to test or if they are planning to pursue a graduate or MBA degree. “We received a lot of feedback from prospective test takers when designing the site,” says Lawler-Sudell. “Our goal was to make the site informative and relevant to best meet their needs. We especially wanted the site to be an easy resource for those people looking for helpful information about the GRE revised General Test.”
The GRE revised General Test will be introduced worldwide in August 2011. ETS will offer a limited-time 50-percent discount on the test fee to all individuals who take the GRE revised General Test between August 1 and September 30, 2011. Test takers are encouraged to visit takethegre.com for full details.
“With more than 700,000 GRE tests taken each year around the world, it’s a very large and far-reaching community,” says Sharon Lawler-Sudell, brand director for the GRE Program at Educational Testing Service (ETS). “We thought it was important to engage with test takers in a way that they want to get information and communicate.”
The ‘I’m Taking the GRE revised General Test’ Facebook page is being introduced just in time for test takers who will be deciding if they have to take the current GRE® General Test to meet score reporting deadlines or if they can take the more test-taker friendly GRE revised General Test which launches around the world in August 2011.
To further help prospective test takers, the GRE Program has also recently introduced a new "takethegre.com" website. The site includes information about the GRE General Test and the GRE revised General Test, plus access to free, official GRE test preparation software and materials. Prospective test takers can sign up for free alerts and reminders about registration, test preparation, and more—right on the takethegre.com site. There are even options for test takers to customize the information they receive based on the location of the world where they plan to test or if they are planning to pursue a graduate or MBA degree. “We received a lot of feedback from prospective test takers when designing the site,” says Lawler-Sudell. “Our goal was to make the site informative and relevant to best meet their needs. We especially wanted the site to be an easy resource for those people looking for helpful information about the GRE revised General Test.”
The GRE revised General Test will be introduced worldwide in August 2011. ETS will offer a limited-time 50-percent discount on the test fee to all individuals who take the GRE revised General Test between August 1 and September 30, 2011. Test takers are encouraged to visit takethegre.com for full details.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Sift through the clutter
By natural order of things,the number of top colleges with restricted admissions is increasing to accommodate the bulging numbers in the shrinking bracket.
The trend is certainly worrisome.
The situation has thrown up a lot of Ideas,none of which seem to be acceptable to all and workable on the ground.
In order to get a hold of the pioneer's rope, we have to accept the new standing and Implore the healthy standing.
For a few ,who are unable to find their weakness and strength..actually begin a runaway slide.So to underpin these aberrations...we the team of KINJUNKTION would earn out the useful tips and the gesticulations of the extortionate people who have made it big in the GRE/TOEFL.......in the next post,so please do tune in next time...as we are framing the resource.
The trend is certainly worrisome.
The situation has thrown up a lot of Ideas,none of which seem to be acceptable to all and workable on the ground.
In order to get a hold of the pioneer's rope, we have to accept the new standing and Implore the healthy standing.
For a few ,who are unable to find their weakness and strength..actually begin a runaway slide.So to underpin these aberrations...we the team of KINJUNKTION would earn out the useful tips and the gesticulations of the extortionate people who have made it big in the GRE/TOEFL.......in the next post,so please do tune in next time...as we are framing the resource.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
FINAL STAGES OF PREPARATION FOR GRE
At the fag end of preparation, GRE exam taker must solve and practice a number of papers. It does not matter as to which kind of paper you practice. Be it a CBT (Computer Based Test ) or Paper based Test or the paper is in PDF form (Soft Copy). As long as one practices the papers according to both previous and current pattern, one can be confident of putting a good performance in the main GRE exam.
Apart from this one can also go for attempting for the online mock test available at a number of websites. Even ETS provides the practice test, apart from this few other websites also provide the practice tests and the links to the practice test are given below.
> Princeton Review
> GRE GUIDE
> TestPrepPractice
Apart from these professionals, KIN also provides you with set of GRE papers and tool kits from KIN database.You can download your GRE papers and GRE Study kit from the below link.
The GRE papers are presented to you as "GRE -BIG BOOK OF PAPERS ". And the you can also download the GRE Study kit here.The downloads offered to you are completely free.So start preparing more exam oriented by taking more mock papers. All The Best!! Any questions. Please shoot across to us. We will try to help you out.
Apart from this one can also go for attempting for the online mock test available at a number of websites. Even ETS provides the practice test, apart from this few other websites also provide the practice tests and the links to the practice test are given below.
> Princeton Review
> GRE GUIDE
> TestPrepPractice
Apart from these professionals, KIN also provides you with set of GRE papers and tool kits from KIN database.You can download your GRE papers and GRE Study kit from the below link.
The GRE papers are presented to you as "GRE -BIG BOOK OF PAPERS ". And the you can also download the GRE Study kit here.The downloads offered to you are completely free.So start preparing more exam oriented by taking more mock papers. All The Best!! Any questions. Please shoot across to us. We will try to help you out.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Start Your Preparation For GRE / GMAT by downloading your copy of GRE BIG BOOK
As GRE requires you know a lot of words.Here is a tool that provides you a huge number words. The name of the ebook or the book is "GRE BIG BOOK". Most of your seniors would recommend this and KIN recommends this material to guide GRE takers to success.
You can download your copy of GRE big book here .So then download it and start your GRE preparations.
All The Best!
You can download your copy of GRE big book here .So then download it and start your GRE preparations.
All The Best!
KNOW YOUR ENGLISH TO SPEAK WELL AND WRITE WELL!!
Here is another article selected from the daily journal "THE HINDU" from its supplementary issue "EDUCATION PLUS", INDIA.
And this post will tell you the reason, why English language is required and what are the benefits .
This Article here is a great indication that, Especially GRE and GMAT takers and others too must be good at English. So then Speak English,Talk English,Walk English and this is the code required to stand out in a community. All the best!
And this post will tell you the reason, why English language is required and what are the benefits .
The success of Most technologists in the last one decade is attributed to the fruitful mix of their strong knowledge in the core technology and English language skills. At the same time, thousands are losing opportunities due to the lack of those same English language skills.
There is a perception that engineering college students are technically strong but poor in English language skills. Several studies by NASSCOM, INDIA and similar organisations have repeatedly emphasised this fact. Interestingly, it is not just the vernacular medium students who suffer from lack of language skills but also English medium students. Where does the problem lie?
Losing touch
Experts say that in corporate colleges are focussing on optional subjects and neglecting the languages for the sake of ranks in the entrance examinations to professional colleges. Students rue that they lose touch with the fundamental language and later struggle when they get into higher education.
Some analysis has shown that students getting into government and minority colleges have proper grip over the language but not those getting into corporate colleges. The most unfortunate are the students who did their schooling and intermediate education in corporate colleges.
“After studying in a corporate college, I lost touch with English, particularly writing skills, and I could realise its effect in the engineering course where we have to write project reports and other assignments,” says M. Rajiv, a student of MGIT.
“The gap of two years is making them forget what they studied till tenth standard. Lot of students don't have enough English language exposure at Intermediate. Sentence structuring is very poor and they can't even write assignments properly,” says Madhusudhan Nair, Principal, K.G.Reddy College of Engineering and Technology.
“Students of English medium background have some understanding of grammar and verbal skills but they lack effective reading skills. This not only affects their communication skills but also affects their grasping the knowledge,” says M. Srinivas Rao, Associate Professor.
Neglected areas
“The government board has designed the syllabus to be taught in one year but in corporate colleges they are teaching it only for 15 days. They are neglecting the phonetics and communication skill programme which is very important in higher studies. Students are ignorant about the language and they are reluctant to learn too,” says Lakshmi Mantha, Assistant Professor, Osmania University College of Engineering.
Teachers opine that some serious thought should go into reviving the importance of English at the Intermediate level or else students will stand to lose out. They remind that good language skills are must for writing project reports, facing interviews or participating in group discussions – the three key factors in the job sector. Moreover, admission in a good university abroad depends on the GRE and GMAT score and not just final year marks. This Article here is a great indication that, Especially GRE and GMAT takers and others too must be good at English. So then Speak English,Talk English,Walk English and this is the code required to stand out in a community. All the best!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Tools, You Can Use For The Preparation of GRE, SAT, TOEFL, And GMAT
By preparing for these Exams, you can develop your English vocabulary to a great extent.
Thus by development of your vocabulary skills in-turn helps in cracking these exams. So to equip yourselves for these exams, you should use good tools such as vocabulary builder. If you had talked to your seniors who have appeared for one these exam, you would be knowing that, at least 500-1000 words are to be learnt for sure. For that you require tools such as vocabulary builders or things like that.
KIN research database recommends you, for development of vocabulary, the following things:
> Vocabulary Booster by Gene McKenna
> Million Dollar Vocabulary personal learning Course by Dr. J. Michael Bennet
> Barron's GRE words
> Barron's 550 words
> English Vocabulary 5000 Ivy League words
> Word Master by Denis Waitley
These are available in both print, i.e. PDF format and also in the form of audio book / audio format.
It is advisable to buy the audio book and also download the PDF's of the tools, because it's best to hear them and observe at the same time in the PDF, so as to make the learning more efficient. Learning it by listening to the audio and simultaneously observing merely at the PDF will:
> Improve your concentration.
> You get to know the spellings
> You get to know as to how and where to use it
> Less Hard work and more Smart work is specialty of this method, as you tend learn those words without your conscience.
> You also get to know the pronunciations
By using these tools regularly you will get a command over the language of English and thus helping in clearing these exams with a very good score. At the end of training in Vocabulary using these you would have gained a Command over English language which not only will be helpful in your Exams to come but also in future to come and you will know what words will appropriate to use and also how.
So get started and All the Best!!!
Thus by development of your vocabulary skills in-turn helps in cracking these exams. So to equip yourselves for these exams, you should use good tools such as vocabulary builder. If you had talked to your seniors who have appeared for one these exam, you would be knowing that, at least 500-1000 words are to be learnt for sure. For that you require tools such as vocabulary builders or things like that.
KIN research database recommends you, for development of vocabulary, the following things:
> Vocabulary Booster by Gene McKenna
> Million Dollar Vocabulary personal learning Course by Dr. J. Michael Bennet
> Barron's GRE words
> Barron's 550 words
> English Vocabulary 5000 Ivy League words
> Word Master by Denis Waitley
These are available in both print, i.e. PDF format and also in the form of audio book / audio format.
It is advisable to buy the audio book and also download the PDF's of the tools, because it's best to hear them and observe at the same time in the PDF, so as to make the learning more efficient. Learning it by listening to the audio and simultaneously observing merely at the PDF will:
> Improve your concentration.
> You get to know the spellings
> You get to know as to how and where to use it
> Less Hard work and more Smart work is specialty of this method, as you tend learn those words without your conscience.
> You also get to know the pronunciations
By using these tools regularly you will get a command over the language of English and thus helping in clearing these exams with a very good score. At the end of training in Vocabulary using these you would have gained a Command over English language which not only will be helpful in your Exams to come but also in future to come and you will know what words will appropriate to use and also how.
So get started and All the Best!!!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
GRE-Cramming WORDS
Learn over 500 high frequency words and crack the GRE exam effortlessly !
Cramming a mountain of wordlists in a very short time is what almost everyone remembers of preparing for GRE. But at Vocabmagik they want to change that experience for you. They present to you a list of 580 dedicated high frequency words for GRE preparation. And it isn’t time-consuming at all – only 25 hours to learn 580 words…Believe it, learning words was never this easy!
After going through the 580 words here , be rest assured you’d be able to also make up your own associations to get cracking on the rest of the 3000 words too … So get cracking !!
Course Features
The GRE High Frequency Wordlist
The GRE packages consists specially selected 580 words, prepared basis the past 10 years pattern of GRE exam. These are the words, that have most often appeared in the exam, and is thus a great starting point for your GRE preparation. The list of words here has been carefully chosen to ensure that you are able to handle bulk of the verbal ability questions by spending only about 20-25 hours.
Memory Aids supported by Animated Cartoons
You know why the concept of diagrams emerged? Because people realized that visualizing things made it easier to recall. So They thought why not do the same for vocabulary? Hence, they created a series of animated cartoons that tell you a story, and it’s the story that remains with you, helping you learn not only the definition of the word but also its usage! Link word and a specially thought of association help make the retention simpler and stronger.
Do you know what BAUBLE means? It means a trinket.. BAUBLE and BULL are similar sounding words.. See the BULL wearing a BAUBLE here in the picture So the next time you see the word bauble… just visualize the BULL wearing a BAUBLE
All about the word!
When they say they are here to make your life simpler, we mean it. One show-it-all page takes care of all your needs ranging from the definition, synonyms, antonyms, usage, other related forms, etymology, confusables and some interesting facts about words. All you have to do is look at it and enjoy while you learn!
Continuous Assessment
“Practice makes a man perfect”! Thought since we are talking about cartoons and having fun we’ll let you go so easy? Definitely not! The idea is to ensure learning, and for gauging your performance nothing better than daily tests! Beyond our pre-scheduled tests, there would be unlimited tests with questions on synonyms, antonyms and sentence completion from our databank of over 3500 questions!!
Detailed Performance Analysis
They generate test reports to help you understand your strengths and weaknesses. Based on these reports further course of action will be suggested for each session. Whether you have mastered it… Or you need to review it.. Or repeat it!! They don’t call themselves support system for nothing!
Revision Notes
For students preparing for competitive exams, every minute is precious and we know that. So, we make sure that you get to do your studying as and when you feel like. Sitting in a bus? Want to go outside get some fresh air? Feel like visiting your favorite coffee shop? Never mind, get the printable version of their notes and study on the go!
Cramming a mountain of wordlists in a very short time is what almost everyone remembers of preparing for GRE. But at Vocabmagik they want to change that experience for you. They present to you a list of 580 dedicated high frequency words for GRE preparation. And it isn’t time-consuming at all – only 25 hours to learn 580 words…Believe it, learning words was never this easy!
After going through the 580 words here , be rest assured you’d be able to also make up your own associations to get cracking on the rest of the 3000 words too … So get cracking !!
Course Features
The GRE High Frequency Wordlist
The GRE packages consists specially selected 580 words, prepared basis the past 10 years pattern of GRE exam. These are the words, that have most often appeared in the exam, and is thus a great starting point for your GRE preparation. The list of words here has been carefully chosen to ensure that you are able to handle bulk of the verbal ability questions by spending only about 20-25 hours.
Memory Aids supported by Animated Cartoons
You know why the concept of diagrams emerged? Because people realized that visualizing things made it easier to recall. So They thought why not do the same for vocabulary? Hence, they created a series of animated cartoons that tell you a story, and it’s the story that remains with you, helping you learn not only the definition of the word but also its usage! Link word and a specially thought of association help make the retention simpler and stronger.
Do you know what BAUBLE means? It means a trinket.. BAUBLE and BULL are similar sounding words.. See the BULL wearing a BAUBLE here in the picture So the next time you see the word bauble… just visualize the BULL wearing a BAUBLE
All about the word!
When they say they are here to make your life simpler, we mean it. One show-it-all page takes care of all your needs ranging from the definition, synonyms, antonyms, usage, other related forms, etymology, confusables and some interesting facts about words. All you have to do is look at it and enjoy while you learn!
Continuous Assessment
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Monday, July 4, 2011
For The Want Of Higher Order Skills
Engineering students are neither creative nor good at problem solving and hence fail to get jobs in the competitive global market. Curriculum should be designed in such a way that students learn complex issues quickly
The deciding moment will arrive for every student to make his/her career path. Students should be careful in their choice of college. The quality of teaching staff, lab facilities and other infrastructure vary from college to college and have a bearing on the process of learning and acquiring skills.
A recent research revealed that engineering graduates in the country are falling short of professional, core employability and communication skills. Engineers with such skills are in short supply in IT and infrastructure, power and water, and many other sectors.
The survey conducted by the World Bank — “Employability and Skill Set of Newly Graduated Engineers in India” (2011) — stated a majority of employers in India are not satisfied with the skills of newly hired engineering graduates. Only 64 per cent of employers said they are “somewhat satisfied” with the current engineering graduates. Abut 3.9 per cent of employers rate the skills as “not at all satisfied” while 16.1 per cent are “not very satisfied.”
The higher education system has responded to the increased demand for engineers by massively expanding production of engineers. For example, Karnataka alone provides admissions to 70,000 students in 184 engineering colleges. But the system has not addressed the issue of imparting quality education and the kinds of skills demanded by employers in the global market.
Comparison
The survey report, authored by Andreas Blom and Hiroshi Saeki, found that engineering graduates were not good at problem solving, creativity, use of modern tools, system designing to needs, application of mathematics, science and engineering knowledge and customer service. They lacked knowledge of contemporary issues too. The survey said that “Indian employers are less satisfied with their engineers compared to U.S. employers.” There has been an average decline in the quality of students, said the Bank which surveyed employers in 20 sectors, including IT, power and infrastructure.
Must-learn skills
Half of the respondents were large companies with over 500 employees, with 40 per cent from North India, 27 per cent from the West and 19 per cent from the South. Interestingly, where the employers found the fresh engineering graduates most lacking in is critical thinking and problem solving.
Besides professional skills, the employers look for (a) core employability skills, which cover generic attitudinal and affective skills such as reliability and team work; and (b) communication skills. Employability and communications skills are often referred to as soft skills. Engineers who are in high demand possess these sets.
Employers are likely to perceive soft skills as more important than professional skills. However, engineering graduates with limited and weak professional skills are undesirable for employers.
The report said memorising textbooks for examinations is not a skill appreciated by the employers.
Many experts ask if the Indian engineering education system trains students to memorise science and engineering knowledge, without adequately emphasising the applicability, analysis and out-of-the-box thinking that employers look for.
Engineering firms look for more analytical and creative engineers to compete for value-added IT orders in the global market.
Institutions need to focus on learning rather than memorisation and mere understanding.
The report said the curricula should be designed in a way where students learn complex and practical issues within a limited time.
Collaboration
Employers ask for different professional skills depending upon the economic sectors they are involved in, the firm size and the region. Colleges have to prepare their graduates to meet the demand for skills from different sectors and hence have to increase their interaction with various kinds of employers.
Colleges should customise programme outcomes to meet the specific demand. Further, extra-curriculum activities such as internships and involvement of institutions with community would also help students to deepen the understanding of demanded skills and respond well to the market.
The employers think that graduates are relatively strong in lower-order thinking skills such as knowledge and understanding, use of basic and advanced computers, and applying knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering, but fall short when it comes to the more complex tasks such as application of appropriate tools to solve a problem, and analysis and interpretation.
Another area, considered most important by employers, and where a large gap was found is ‘soft skills' — integrity, teamwork, reliability and willingness to learn.
However, most employers were very satisfied with the English communication skills of the new graduates. “The survey found that colleges are doing very well meeting the demand for English skills, since the graduates are rated in English.”
The reasons for demanding higher-order thinking skills are likely to be a result of increased international and national competition, the focus on increased quality products and innovation.
As skills acquired at school and at the workplace become obsolete more quickly in the globalisation era, higher-order thinking skills and an ability to learn new and more complex skills are indispensible to respond to accelerating technological change.
Courtesy: THE HINDU.
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