learnbybird

[learnbybird]

It is perfectly valid to be an unqualified academic. Learning should be open to all, not just those who fit in the box of formal higher education.

[learnbybird]

lets make a videogame how hard can it be

[learnbybird]

8.25.15 // Finally cleaned my desk! This is my study space for most of the school year. Really motivated now. Let’s get to work!

[learnbybird]

Do you have any references on how to write a cover letter? Thanks!

How to Write a Cover Letter

Tips and Advice for Writing a Cover Letter for a Job

Forbes: How To Write A Cover Letter

How to Write a Cover Letter That Will Get You an Interview

6 Secrets To Writing A Great Cover Letter

I would suggest using a template to help with the technical side of formatting. Keep the design simple, clean cut, and professional. You can find some good ones just by opening word, click on new, and typing cover letter in the box that says “search office.com for templates”.

Proofread thoroughly, but beware of over editing. Sometimes we look at something for too long and make so many changes that we miss simple typos and errors from moving things around too much. Avoid this by having someone else proofread for you.

[learnbybird]

How To Write A Cover Letter: The Basics

Think about this for a minute; do you know how to write a cover letter? In the whirling haze that is job-searching, it can often be easy to miss a vital step along the way - ending up careening into a career-less vortex. And no-one wants to end up in a vortex.

Many people spend hours lovingly crafting a perfect CV, forgetting that for many employers, a cover letter is actually far more important. While a CV perfectly documents what you’ve done - and well done you for doing it - a cover letter is all about what you will do and how  you will do it – a prospect that is far more exciting for entrepreneurial types.

Let’s get started: How to write a cover letter, the Enternships way:

1. Know the company (and in particular, their website)

Though it’s just about acceptable to have a blanket CV that fits basically any job, this is certainly not the case with your cover letter. Every company you apply to will have something different about them – and all it takes to discover what marks them out as different is a few minutes on their website. There, you’ll find the USP they’re trying to push, their tone and style of branding, their partners, associates and clients (if they have them). Using this information, you’ll be able to mirror their own tone and passions in your application – convincing them from the start that you’re someone who will fit in their team. 

2. Know their goals

At the end of the day, employers (and particularly those in smaller companies) want  to work with people who share their goals. There are two objectives you need to focus on in particular: the goal of the company at large (ie, the problem they are trying to solve) and the goal of the role you’re applying to. Though these goals will be inextricably linked, they will be different and need to be approached as such. Be sure to describe your enthusiasm and expertise relating to both when writing your cover letter.

3. Know what you want

Though your cover letter is a chance to talk about why you’re interested in the company (as opposed to what you’ve done in the past, which is what your CV is for), it’s also important that you underline the appeal of the job for you. Why does it excite you? How do you feel it will stretch you? What makes you think the job will be a good fit for you, and how can you prove it? It’s vital that you get across your passion for the opportunities the role will present, and both why and how you will attack them with vigour. 

2. Consider your opening paragraph

More than any other section of your cover letter, your opening gambit is your chance to punch your employers in the eyes with your brilliance. Many people mistake the opening few lines of your cover letter as a chance to ease into what they want to say, stating that they have “an interest in the role”, that they’re “applying for the position of”, that “they’ve seen the opportunity in” – all of this is nonsense. Your cover letter exists – stating its purpose is therefore redundant.

Instead, trying and find something original, surprising and insightful to say; something that will make the probably fairly glazed-eyed reader sit up and spill coffee all over their knees. State your favourite thing about the company. State your childhood dream. State the mistake you notice on their website and why you’ll be the one to fix it – say something real to you, something in keeping with the branding of the company and something they’ll remember. 

1. Edit, edit, edit.

As the old saying goes: how long is a piece of cover letter? Very tricky to say. So much depends on the role, your experience, and how much detail the company has asked for on the job description itself. But if we had to give you a limit (and everyone loves limits) we’d say a page of A4, font size 10/11. There are two reasons for this: 1) people get bored reading things, even FANTASICALLY AMAZING INSPIRING things like what your cover letter is obviously going to be. And 2) It will force you to be concise, clear and to the point. You’ll have to get rid of the things that don’t actually matter, and the sentences that don’t actually say anything specific. Be brutal with yourself. Print it out, cut it down, rework, reword, until it’s as close to perfection as you can physically stand it. 

Once you’ve worked out how to write a cover letter, your application will sparkle. Very best of luck to you.

By Natasha Hodgson

Community Manager at Enternships

[learnbybird]

i absolutely hate it when advice posts tell you to study all the time. i just read one that said, “if you sleep now, you’ll dream. if you study now, you’ll live your dream.” i mean, it could be metaphorical, but it’s actually a really unhealthy message. studying constantly is not healthy. you need to have a balanced life. you need to have a social life, you need to exercise, you need to sleep. how on earth can you be the best version of yourself if you only study? look after yourself. get at least 6 hours sleep a night. eat healthy food. go outside and see your friends. do things that you love. studying constantly, through the night and day, is not good for you at all. and it’s time that the studyblr community learned that.

[learnbybird]

It’s so hard to focus on one new language when there’s another four I can’t wait to start learning

[learnbybird]

Alkanes: Saturated Hydrocarbons

So you want to be an organic chemist? Well, learning about hydrocarbons such as alkanes is a good place to start…

Alkanes are a homologous series of hydrocarbons, meaning that each of the series differs by -CH2 and that the compounds contain carbon and hydrogen atoms only. Carbon atoms in alkanes have four bonds which is the maximum a carbon atom can have - this is why the molecule is described to be saturated. Saturated hydrocarbons have only single bonds between the carbon atoms.

The general formula of an alkane is CnH2n+2 where n is the number of carbons. For example, if n = 3, the hydrocarbon formula would be C3H8 or propane. Naming alkanes comes from the number of carbons in the chain structure.

Here are the first three alkanes. Each one differs by -CH2.

Shorter chain alkanes are gases at room temperature, medium ones are liquids and the longer chain alkanes are waxy solids.

Alkanes have these physical properties:

1. They are non-polar due to the tiny difference in electronegativity between the carbon and hydrogen atoms.

2. Only Van der Waals intermolecular forces exist between alkane molecules. The strength of these increase as relative molecular mass increases therefore so does the melting/boiling point.

3. Branched chain alkanes have lower melting and boiling points than straight chain isomers with the same number of carbons. Since atoms are further apart due to a smaller surface area in contact with each other, the strength of the VDWs is decreased.

4. Alkanes are insoluble in water but can dissolve in non-polar liquids like hexane and cyclopentane. Mixtures are separated by fractional distillation or a separating funnel.

The fractional distillation of crude oil, cracking and the combustion equations of the alkanes will be in the next post.

SUMMARY

Alkanes are a homologous series of hydrocarbons. Carbon atoms in alkanes have four bonds which is the maximum a carbon atom can have - this is why the molecule is described to be saturated. Saturated hydrocarbons have only single bonds between the carbon atoms.

The general formula of an alkane is CnH2n+2 where n is the number of carbons.

Shorter chain alkanes are gases at room temperature, medium ones are liquids and the longer chain alkanes are waxy solids.

They are non-polar.

Only Van der Waals intermolecular forces exist between alkane molecules. The strength of these increase as relative molecular mass increases therefore so does the melting/boiling point.

Branched chain alkanes have lower melting and boiling points than straight chain isomers with the same number of carbons.

Alkanes are insoluble in water but can dissolve in non-polar liquids like hexane. Mixtures are separated by fractional distillation or a separating funnel.

[learnbybird]

Languages Masterpost

For a while, I’ve had a google doc that has been full of links to posts that are full of study tips, language tips, vocabulary etc, so I decided to finally organize them and condense them into masterposts so that I can share them online! Hopefully, I’ll update them periodically making them a more useful resource, and I hope that this has helped someone! 

General Tips:

how to learn a new language fast

practicing your target language

fluency: part 1, part 2 and part 3

language learning made easy

things to remember

French:

quotes about life: 1 and 2

quotes about love

idioms

baking vocab

travel vocab

summer vocab

adverbs

space vocab

common french verbs 

adjectives

french masterpost

Spanish: 

essay phrases

mystery vocab

aesthetics

writing

eyes

Russian: 

flower vocab

crash course in the alphabet

feelings

books in russian

tips for learning russian

internet vocab

basics

[learnbybird]

A lot of self learning, is unlearning. Unlearning prejudices, unlearning preconceptions, unlearning things that have been drilled into us our whole lives.

Something I hear a lot of people say when I talk about my self learning journeys is "Oh but I can't do that" and "My brain doesn't work that way".

It's not true.

It may be difficult, stressful, inaccessible, but it is not impossible.

Implying that learning can only be done by certain people, people with 'gifts', 'talent', 'natural skill', completely invalidates anyone with disabilities, people coming from different socio-economic backgrounds, people of colour, women and gender diverse individuals. Its not just a self deprecating statement. It's a, mostly unintended, sweeping generalisation about the dispersion of an arbitrary concept of intelligence and ability.

So when I hear people say "I'm not talented", my response is often "Either am I, does that mean I should stop trying?".

I have a lot more feelings about the bullshit idea of intelligence and talent but I will save it for when I'm more focused.

[learnbybird]

[learnbybird]

Dyscalculia Learning Resources

The following resources are completely free. None of them have hidden fees, trial periods or premium content. This list will be updated over time. Feel free to message me if you think a resource should be added.

Dyscalculia specific resources:

- The Number Catcher (Web game): While the game may seem overly colourful and ‘kiddy’ it’s useful for all age levels who have mathematical difficulties. It actually gets pretty difficult if you’re someone who has a lot of trouble focusing as well. Great for basic addition and subtraction with clear audio instructions and visual aids. Designed by dyscalculia specialists.

- ModMath (IOS app): A completely free calculation app. It has an optional pro version which is purely a donation version. It adds no extra content, which is why it’s still included here. It markets itself not only towards Dyscalculic individuals, but autistic people, people with ADHD, Dyspraxia and other disabilities. It lets you work through mathematical equations by tapping and dragging onto a virtual graph paper. It was designed by parents of a child with Dyslexia and Dysgraphia. Unfortunately it is currently only available on Apple IOS devices and there’s not a clear statement that they plan to release an Android version. (which sucks for me because this looks awesome.)

Remedial maths resources:

- Udacity: College Algebra (By SJSU): Even though you can pay to take the timed class (which you get college credit for) I am still including this because it’s an invaluable resource and you do not have to pay a cent if you don’t want to. I’ve taken a few different courses from sites like Udacity and Udemy and while they do push their paid courses (they’re a business), there is a lot of free content, in comparison to a service that only offers a trial, or a premium subscription with only a few free features.

- Khan Academy: Free tutorials in Maths, Science & Engineering, Arts & Humanities, Economics and Finance, Computing and also US-based Test Prep. It’s a great site, it helped me really get a handle on primary maths and the guy who teaches the maths lessons is really good at what he does. 

Study tools:

- FxSolver: A tool that solves science and engineering equations. It has an awesome database of equations, so if you’re like me and are hopeless with remembering equations, they’re easily accessible and you can add them to the solver right from the database.

- vCalc: A wiki database of mathematical equations, not limited to academics. They have categories for education, construction, hobbies, science & engineering and even for industries like agriculture & automotive. They have some social features, like linking to facebook, twitter, pinterest and instagram and being able to share and talk about content.