Gobble Gobble

Now that you're full of turkey.....

Catch up on some outside (non-classroom) reading when you wake up from your nap. Reading lots of different kinds of things can really help you pick up vocabulary quickly. So pick up a magazine - news magazines are great for this - and catch up on current events.

Enjoy your holiday!

Don't use SATs to rank college quality? So so true.

The SATs were originally designed to predict a high school student's freshman year performance. However, when colleges started to compile and publish statistics on their students, parents and others began to associate SAT scores with the quality of the college.

I'll just say this: just because a college or university reports that its students have high SAT scores doesn't make the students brilliant or the school a place only for geniuses. It doesn't mean that the school is higher quality than a school reporting lower average SAT scores for its students. And most importantly, the school might not be the right school for you.

Source: "Don't use SATs to rank college quality"

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/17/hawkins.tests/index.html?iref=newssearch

Are you bilingual? Use it to your advantage!

A lot of my blog posts in October were based on which jobs are hot - not now, but in the future.

This blog is mostly about writing in English, but if you are bilingual (you speak, read, and write in more than one language), you have so many opportunities ahead of you! I can't stress enough how valuable this skill makes you to potential employers. Be sure to put it on your college applications and your resumes.

There are many industries in real need of bilingual people, especially Spanish speakers, such as:

• education
• law enforcement
• healthcare
• every industry!

for more information, read this article: http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/09/10/cb.industries.bilingual/index.html

Girls blinded for wanting an education

I was completely outraged when I heard about two girls in Afghanistan walking to school who were blinded by some men throwing acid. Well, so that the emphasis is correct, I should write it this way: some men in Afghanistan threw acid on two girls walking on their way to school. See, the passive voice is useful because it lessens the impact of the person who is doing the action - in this case, some Afghan men who don't want girls to be educated.

According to the CNN article, the men targeted the girls because they were wearing school uniforms and used water guns to spray them with battery acid, which has blinded their eyes and burned their skin, not to mention burned through their clothes. I mention this story because education is important for everyone and it's important not to take it for granted.

The Election's Finally Here!

I don't know 'bout you, but I'm completely exhausted by all the election ads and talking about the elections. I'm just tired. But - tomorrow is an important day, and if you won't be voting because you're too young, encourage someone else to go. If you're old enough and you're registered, then make sure to vote!