#One is a little kid's show about applying math and science practically and focuses on problem-solving

[knightmareaceblue]

Cyberweek 2024 Day Five: Crossover

Pfft, I've been on an AvA kick recently, so I guess it's not too surprising that I chose this. On one hand, this crossover works well in theory. The stick figures are all fast, kinetic learners and really good at demonstrating their earned skills and knowledge.

On the other hand, the sheer tonal dissonance is hilarious.

[ferbmanofactionfletcher]

Interview Process || The Flynn-Fletcher’s

Candace, Phineas, and Ferb sit down to interview Andrea on why she should get the chance to fill the roll she came to town for. 

[TW: bad parenting, past trauma related to bad parenting]

@oh-phineas @i-want-candy

FERB

A time and place had been agreed upon for the interview of Andrea Martin. (Their house, afternoon.) 

Ferb had no idea how to go about it and proceeded to spend the time leading up to it researching the interview process from the interviewer’s perspective. There were so many techniques, ranging from that of an employer looking to learn about a person that best suited a job to that of a screenwriter looking for research on a subject. He didn’t know which one to employ here since— well he didn’t know what exactly they were interviewing her for. What position was she wanting to take up?

A mother? She already had kids that she had a direct relationship to. And was he supposed to meet them? His half siblings? Or her husband? His step-father? What about—? 

And he mostly got overwhelmed when he thought about it as one question would branch off into an infinite tree diagram. Though to anyone looking at him, he still looked like Ferb always did. Neutral and steady. 

There were questions he had prepared but overall, didn’t know what to expect. But, that was the catch when it came to all people— he could never anticipate the outcome. 

He sat at the kitchen table with Phineas and Candace, opposite to Andrea, who looked to be happily sipping tea. His eyes shifted to the Flynn’s, unsure if he was supposed to say something first since— well she was only here because of him. But they were so much better at speaking. 

Andrea cleared her throat, leaning forward against the table top. “So! Where should we start?” 

PHINEAS

Phineas didn’t really do as much research. His idea of an “interview” was mostly based on podcasts about tech startups and his own extremely limited experience. But he wanted to give Andrea hard questions (and yes, this was partially a result of his own humiliation at his Chapter Three interview). Part of it was a power trip, sure, but the other part was his genuine desire to protect Ferb. If this lady really cared about him, she would have to fight to be a part of his life.

“I’ll start us off,” Phineas announced, glancing at Ferb and at Candace. He signed as he spoke and translated for Andrea-- he didn’t want Ferb to miss any of this. It was his decision, at the end of the day. Phineas fixed Andrea with an extremely serious expression. “How many pennies, stacked one on top of the other, would equal the height of the Empire State Building?”

CANDACE:

Candace didn’t see the point of this. In fact, she thought it was incredibly stupid. There was nothing that Andrea could say that would convince Candace that she was truly back. Parents that left always left. They weren’t parents. They were sperm and egg donors. Nothing more. If only she could make Ferb see that. 

Even if he did, she doubted that he would do the right thing and push Andrea away. He was too nice for that, too much of a pushover. 

Well, if Candace was forced to be his big sister, this was how she would do it. By protecting him from a woman he didn’t even remember. So, even though she thought this whole thing was stupid and pointless, she was going to be here. For every step of it. And she’d expose Andrea for being just as flighty as she was before. People like her didn’t change. She’d make sure that Ferb understood that when all this was said and done. 

She sat slightly slumped in her chair, arms crossed, glaring at Andrea. Phineas’ question wasn’t going to get them anywhere but at least it’d tell her if Andrea was willing to play along. Maybe Phineas would just wear her down by being obnoxious. That would be ideal, since at the very least, Candace knew Ferb would stick up for Phineas. 

Candace didn’t say anything. She just watched. 

FERB

Ferb didn’t really know where Phineas was going with that one. It seemed a little out of left field if they were supposed to be getting to know who she was. But he didn’t protest or shoot him a funny look, he trusted Phineas to know what he was doing— Ferb just blinked and turned to see what Ms. Martin would have to say while he worked it out for himself in his head. 

(The height of the Empire State building [1,454ft, which converted to 443,179.2 mm] divided by the thickness of an average American penny [1.52mm] = 291,565.2632 or, rounding up since you couldn’t very well slice the penny, 291,566 pennies.) 

At first Andrea could only stare, brow furrowed, at the question. She had prepared for numerous things to be asked of her. About her life, about why she had left, about why she hadn’t come back, about her other children, about her and Lawrence’s past relationship— but she had never expected she would have to do maths. 

“The Empire State Building.” She smiled as she repeated him. It had still been such a surprise that Lawrence of all people had found someone to marry in America. Then she hummed, lips pressed together trying to think how she was even supposed to begin.

After a moment she simply shrugged, figuring it wasn’t worth answering something so silly. Surely it was some sort of joke Phineas wanted in order to break the ice? Andrea laughed a little before providing her answer.  “I’m afraid I’ve no idea. I don’t even know how tall the Empire State Building is. I’m sorry.” She glanced between the three of them. “How many is it then?”

PHINEAS

Phineas smiled triumphantly, and scribbled down a few notes that didn’t actually mean anything but just to show Andrea he was taking notes. That he had opinions on that answer. He was going to turn it over to Candace for the next question, but Phineas couldn’t help it. He had to interject with his explanation.

“So, that question doesn’t actually have a correct answer-- well, it would, maybe, if I were interviewing you for an engineering job, but even then, there would probably be more efficient ways to test your math skills than a word problem about pennies and the Empire State Building. That was actually a test to see what kind of problem-solver you are. Whether you would even make an attempt, you know? And if you did, would you go at it from a mathematical perspective, or a more practical perspective? Or maybe you would have a question about the problem, like do the laws of physics apply here, and if not, could I stack the pennies length-wise instead of width-wise?” Phineas explained, a superior smile on his face as he signed the words. “So if you want to make another try, you can, but I think I got what I needed from that question.”

He glanced at Candace. “Did you want to go next?” 

CANDACE: Not that Candace would admit it out loud, but she was actually kind of impressed with Phineas’ logic about the question. She wondered what weirdo interview site he’d read that on. Probably the hiring for Google or something. It sounded like a question they would ask you if you wanted to work at Google. 

And she was unimpressed with Andrea’s answer. 

At least come up with something, yeah? Ask a question? Don’t just give up. It showed a weak sort of character, if you asked Candace. The kind of character that would run out on her son at first opportunity. And would do it again without a second thought. 

When Phineas passed the baton to her, Candace shrugged a little. “Sure, I guess.” 

Candace didn’t know what she wanted to ask. She hadn’t come into this wanting to ask anything. Only looking for the satisfaction of Andrea failing. But, now that the opportunity presented itself: yeah, Candace had a question.

“Why now? Why are you back now? You never said. And I don’t want some bullshit answer. There has got to be a real reason.” 

FERB

In all his research, Ferb hadn’t come across Phineas’ question, which made him wonder if his research had been thorough enough. Then again, that was why Candace and Phineas were here. To fill in the gaps that Ferb couldn’t. 

It also made him uncomfortable once he realized what Ms. Martin’s answer reflected about herself. He couldn’t even muster up the courage to glance her way, knowing the second hand embarrassment would eat him alive if he did. This only grew as he watched Candace’s words popped up along his phone screen. 

Andrea let out a little oh, falling back into her seat at the explanation. She folded her hands, one on top of the other, her confidence level having decreased significantly— and after only the first question.

As Phineas asked his sister if she wished to contribute Andrea picked her head back up, pressing a smile back to her features. Ah, now this she had been prepared for. Even if the way it was said was rather vulgar. That was fine. Even needed. 

“I know it seems a little out of the blue. Believe me, it was for me, too. But— like I had said, I just couldn’t stay away any longer. There was no more reasons I could come up with or excuses that I could push in front of me to blame. I was watching my other children and I— I don’t know but I finally came to my senses. I realized Ferb was going to be a young man soon enough and I knew I didn’t want to miss any more of his life than I already had.” She looked over to Ferb now but when his head remained down, eyes focused on his phone’s screen Andrea returned her attention back to Candace. “I don’t know quite what you mean by the real reason. If it’s finances you think I’m after, I’d obviously be in the wrong place. The house was never in my name, there’s no secret will or treasure said to be buried in the floorboards that’s somehow come to light or whatever else. The only thing here is my son. That’s it, plain and simple.” 

PHINEAS

Phineas liked to pride himself on being scientific and objective with these kinds of things. Logical. Sure, he was an emotional person and emotions often got in the way of good choices, but not with science. And that was what this kind of was, right? A science experiment?

Hypothesis: Andrea couldn’t possibly deserve Ferb.

Conclusion: ...Unclear.

It was getting harder for Phineas to separate his own baggage from this. Because, really, how many times had he imagined this exact scenario for himself? Fred showing up on the Flynns’ doorstep in Danville, begging for forgiveness, saying that he had made a mistake and that he didn’t want to miss another moment of his kids’ lives. Not so much recently, because Phineas had a new life and a new family and he barely thought about Fred anymore. But when he was in middle school? That had been a different time.

“What are you going to do to make it up?” Phineas interjected, his tone different now. Less smarmy, a little more genuine. A hint of a challenge in his tone, but a little bit of fear as well. Hopefully Candace wouldn’t catch on to what was going on here. “If you’re gonna walk out on your kid with no explanation, the least you can do is prove you’re sorry.”

FERB

“I’m not sure that there is any one thing I can do to make it up,” Andrea admitted with a small shrug. (Especially when the one she was even here for wouldn’t spare her a glance!) “Nor do I have any set plan in mind. That’s not really how you gain someone’s trust, is it? You can’t manufacture that. All I can do is make good on my word— which is that I’m here now and I will be for as long as I am welcomed. And even if it takes til the end of my life to repair the damage I have done and to form any sort of relationship with my son, then I’ll do it.” 

This all seemed rather dramatic to Ferb. 

Phineas’ and Candace’s body language read defensive while Ms. Martin was still one giant mystery, but she did seem tense. Immediately he wished he could call the whole thing off. Maybe he could fake an illness or something, say he got a text about some emergency— of course that wouldn’t work considering the only people who would contact him about that were all somewhere in the house.

He wasn’t so selfish to think that all of this was about him. The Flynn’s had lost a parent, one they had actually known personally, and he could guess this was poking at old, but still painful, wounds. But he was so selfish to think that none of this would be happening if it weren’t for him, and it was rather pointless to do so. 

CANDACE:

No, it wasn’t about Ferb. 

Not to Candace. She wasn’t mature enough to separate her own wound from Ferb’s. She projected her own feelings onto him, which was easy to do. He was quiet and reserved. She couldn’t read him, but she didn’t need to. She assumed she knew exactly how he was feeling, because it was how she felt:

Confused. Angry. Hurt. Her whole heart felt like a bruise. A lot of the time, it was easy to ignore Fred’s absence. It had been years and Candace didn’t need him anyway. She did just fine on her own. But, now that Andrea was here with her watery eyes and half-baked promises, Candace’s missing for her father had opened up like a black hole in her chest, sucking everything else into it. 

It made her feel more protective of Ferb than any previous time. He was so soft. Such a pushover. He’d let Andrea back into his life even though she didn’t earn it and then get hurt when she inevitably left again. Candace felt like she had to protect him from this, the way she hadn’t been able to protect Phineas from the heartbreak of their father walking away. 

“And what if he decides he doesn’t want a relationship? And that the damage you caused is irreversible?” 

PHINEAS

Phineas glanced at Candace sharply. That was… an intense thing to say. And even if Phineas had come into this interview determined to drive Andrea away, he was starting to wonder if maybe he had judged her too harshly. 

Because the truth was, Andrea was right. There wasn’t any one thing you could do to make something like this better. Phineas had never wanted Fred to come back with presents or stories or excuses. He just wanted a dad. Period. It didn’t matter, now, though, because he had Lawrence who was way better and would never disappear.

Sometimes he did wonder, though, what he would do. He and Ferb didn’t really talk about this stuff much.

“I mean, irreversible’s a strong word. Ferb isn’t damaged,” Phineas said quickly. “He’s, like, the most mature person I know. But I get what Candace is saying. It’s up to Ferb. I trust him.” He glanced at Ferb encouragingly. “Anything you wanna say, Ferb?”

FERB

Both Candace and Phineas were wrong. 

Ferb was damaged— but it had not been because his mother had left. It was of his own doing. This was why he felt no anger toward the woman sitting on the other side of the table. Of course, it had hurt to have learned why she did not want him. It always hurt. It had hurt every time he had tried to communicate with someone at school or at the park or— anywhere, really, and they would ignore him. When his teachers would talk to Ms. Thompson instead of him despite it being his words she was translating. When his father would have to take over every conversation on his behalf at restaurants, stores, and just about everywhere else. It was why he avoided it now. The world. He had learned to know better than to inconvenience it with himself. 

He watched Phineas’ question addressing him stare back at him from his phone and after a moment he lifted his head. It took him another to finally turn to find Ms. Martin’s eyes. 

“I don’t want to deny you the opportunity you’re asking for but— you have other children. I fail to see what I could give you that they can’t.” 

Andrea’s discomfort grew at the sound of her son’s voice. It was the first time hearing it. Even as a baby he had been rather quiet. She hadn’t expected it. Which was silly, considering, but still. It was off. Different. Made his lack of hearing all the more present to her. She tried not to let that show.

“Oh, darling, it isn’t about what you can give me! I’m supposed to be giving to you. And even if it were the other way around, you’re doing your part by just being you.” 

There was a pause as Ferb had to read this over. She shifted in her seat. (Again, it grew.) “You don’t know me, though.” 

“Right— that’s what I’m here to do!” 

Pause. (Growing, growing, growing.) 

“It won’t be worth it.” 

Andrea’s smile fell. She blinked, brow furrowing as her eyes went to the other two sitting in front of her to make sure she had heard that correctly. “I’m— I’m sorry?”

“Objectively speaking, it won’t be worth it. Getting to know me. You live in another city where you live with your family and go to work. If you wished to see me you would need to travel which would cost you money and time you would otherwise be able to save. People would expect you to learn sign, which also takes up more time from your life. If you only wished to communicate through technology it would be a written relationship since you can’t call me, which would only take up storage space and, again, time. Either way you would have to contact my father, which he does not seem pleased with. People usually do not respond well to not being liked so your interactions will tax the both of you. And— I’m not worth all of that. You gain nothing from knowing me besides extra hardships which will only result in regret or resentment. Both of which are not healthy.”  

CANDACE: Candace rolled her eyes at Phineas. She hadn’t meant that Ferb was like...broken or something, just emotionally damaged. Because having a shitty parent did that to you. Obviously. It broke your heart and your trust and made you feel like shit. It was damaging. End of story.

Listen to Ferb now! Clearly, he felt the same way.

It was hard to listen to because Candace had shit opinions of herself, but she had some redeeming qualities. And she would never admit to feeling them the way that Ferb did now. It was uncomfortable to say the least. It made Candace want to squirm.

So, she did what she usually did when she was uncomfortable: she turned it into something else. Anger. Anger at Andrea and any parent that thought just leaving a child was okay.

“See?” she said furiously. “That’s because of you. He thinks that way, because of you. He thinks he isn’t worth it because you left him. That’s fucked up and it isn’t something that is easily forgiven. You can sit here with smiles all you want, but what you did was horrible.” 

She looked at Ferb then and she’d been signing this whole time...well, doing her best anyway. She still wasn’t totally good at it and she was too pissed. But, what she said now, she said very carefully and very deliberately. 

“No one should make you feel like a transaction,” she told him, even if she had to spell out ‘transaction’ because she didn’t know the sign for it. “And it’s okay if you’re angry or upset. Just because she’s here, doesn’t mean you have to be polite.” 

God, she wished Ferb had more of a backbone and would just tear into this bitch.

PHINEAS

Phineas, in theory, agreed with pretty much everything Candace was saying. Relationships didn’t work like that, the way Ferb was describing it: they were about love and reciprocity, and genuine care for other people. That was the way Phineas saw it, anyway. Sure, it was nice that Ferb could help Phineas when the projects got too technical and complicated for Phineas to do on his own, but Phineas that wasn’t why Phineas cared about him. It was because they were brothers now, and that was what brothers did. That simple.

But Candace’s tone annoyed him. Why did she know better than Ferb? She always acted like she was so much older and wiser, meanwhile, she was barely a year older than Phineas. She was right, but did she have to be so bossy about it? And even if what she did was kind of fucked-up, if Ferb did eventually want to give Andrea a second chance, what made it Candace’s business?

Phineas didn’t realize it, but he was maybe projecting a little too.

He had a lot of things to say, but it wouldn’t be professional to say them out loud, not in front of Andrea. So Phineas did the thing that was probably ruder— he took out his phone and texted the group chat with Candace and Ferb.

@Ferb that’s bullshit and u know it anyone would be lucky to get the opportunity to be in ur family and like obviously ur worth it

@Candace that being said can you chill with the psychoanalysis me and ferb r capable of making our own decisions

Satisfied, Phineas set his phone down and signed to Candace and Ferb, Check your phone, before turning his attention back to Andrea. “I think what we’re actually trying to ask is what you can bring to Ferb’s life, not the other way around. Let’s focus on that. And based on that, Ferb can make his own decision about whether it’s worth it to him.” Phineas shot Candace a look. 

FERB

If Andrea hadn’t already folded under listening to Ferb talk, then she certainly would have upon Candace’s addition. She found she didn’t know what to say to any of that— and she thought she had prepared for the worst. 

Ferb pondered over Candace’s words and concluded that she wasn’t really talking about him. He didn’t think that way because of Ms. Martin, he had always thought that way. His brain had made it easier with its ability to recall everything it had ever come into contact with. He also hadn’t said that he was worthless, just that he wasn’t worth spending time with. That was a fact, proven by many, many, many failed attempts to prove the opposite. 

And he was upset that Ms. Martin was here, but he had taken to not showing his emotions out of self preservation. It wasn’t out of politeness, though, he did have those hardwired into him, too. 

His eyes flickered down to his phone as Phineas’ texts came through. Phineas was obviously biased, but Ferb appreciated the kindness nonetheless. 

This whole thing wasn’t out of a want for a mother or because he sought to gain anything from this— it just seemed like the fair thing to do. Ms. Martin had asked for a chance. Ferb did not want to deny her that, even if she had wronged him. It was the right thing to do. 

Andrea cleared her throat after Phineas addressed her, nodding. “Of course! Yes, you’re right. I completely agree. I don’t mind traveling at all and I’m certain Lawrence and I can be civil to one another, so, please, you’ve nothing to worry about as far as logistics go.” 

Ferb blinked and she was beginning to think that was a good thing rather than him responding. So far, he only replied with bad news. 

“As for what I can offer, it’s only what anyone else could— myself. And while I know my past record doesn’t reflect that being a very good thing, but I want to be here. I want to know him— you. Ferb. To whatever effect that may be! And not because I feel like it’s my obligation to do so.”  She smiled, trying to get away from all the discomfort of the past few minutes. “We can start with interests! What do you like?” 

Again, Ferb blinked, then shrugged, unsure of how to answer that. It was too broad of a question. What did she mean, what did he like? As in food? Colours? Coding method? Time of day? 

“Right.” She glanced to the Flynn’s. “You two know him better than I do. Is he in anything? Sports? Clubs?”

CANDACE:

Candace ignored her phone because she didn’t care what Phineas had to say. She was right. Everyone here knew it. Andrea didn’t deserve to come back into Ferb’s life. Admittedly, she didn’t know what would qualify as enough penitence to come back into Ferb’s life. She hadn’t ever thought about it. When Fred had left, that had been it. Candace had spent months, crying and waiting for him to come home. Calling his cell phone only to receive a dial tone. 

She had held out hope until her birthday, but when he didn’t show up. Or call. Or even send a card, Candace knew that he was gone and she’d cut him out of her heart then. Of course, it was messier than she liked to think when she look back now, but what was done was done. Every missed birthday, graduation, milestone had only hardened her heart against him. Fred was a sperm donor. Not a dad. If he showed back up she’d—

See, she didn’t know, because she never thought about it. 

Whatever Andrea was doing wasn’t it, though. 

“This is stupid,” Candace declared, pushing back from her chair. “You aren’t even talking to him, himself!” Her hands flew erratically as she tried to sign but was too pissed off to do so very well. 

“Whatever. I’m not dealing with this. If you want to “get to know” Ferb, fine, whatever. But count me out.” And with that, she stormed out of the kitchen, Agent P scrambling at her feet playfully. 

PHINEAS

Phineas was annoyed. At everyone. Candace was being unreasonable, Andrea was being awkward, and Ferb was… well, Phineas figured he probably shouldn’t get to decide how Ferb should feel about his estranged mom showing up, but he wished Ferb would say something. Even if Phineas thought Candace needed to calm down, he did agree that it rubbed him the wrong way that Andrea was talking about Ferb instead of to him. 

He watched Candace storm off and raised his eyebrows, shrugging apologetically. 

“Sorry about her,” Phineas said. He glanced at Ferb, trying to see where he was coming from. “But she does have a point. You can’t just talk about people right in front of them. Anyway, we’ll be asking the questions.”

He smiled and folded his hands, satisfied with his own assertive attitude. “Describe what you would do if Ferb got detention.” Ohhh yeah. This was a trick question. Ferb never got detention.

FERB

Goodness, Andrea thought, but forgave the girl as soon as she left. It wasn’t her fault. That came from upbringing, clearly. And Candace hadn’t really been the person Andrea had been here for anyway. 

“Oh, that’s alright. She’s fine, I understand.” She nodded to Phineas, folding her hands back over one another on top of the table. 

Ferb, on the other hand, felt all the more guilty. He shouldn’t have said anything. He should have just sat there. He shouldn’t have invited her back. He shouldn’t have come down stairs at all the day she showed up. He shouldn’t have—. Well. That list could consist of an infinite amount of answers, or just one that would make everything else moot. 

He didn’t look back at Phineas this time, too ashamed now to do anything but keep his eyes on his phone because surely Phineas would be angry with him, too. Yet he kept his anxieties from manifesting and despite the dread sitting in his stomach like a pit, he remained still and seated, even if he wanted to leave the table, too, to go find a hiding place that would last him for all eternity. 

Andrea didn’t really have to think that hard about this question since she did have experience with figuring out punishments for her own children when getting phone calls from their schools! What she hesitated on was the fact that it was a child who was asking the question. Surely he would deduct points if she answered like a parent should. Or maybe he was trying to see if she would sugar coat it for the sake of trying to appeal to them? 

Oh, she was just overthinking it. This was a child! “Well, depending on what he was in detention for, I would vary the consequences. He would have to apologize to whoever, if anyone, he had hurt, and then probably be grounded for some time, again, depending.” 

PHINEAS

Phineas smirked. “Trick question. Ferb doesn’t get detention. The one time he did was because he covered my ass. So… nice try, but incorrect,” he said, a tone of superiority in his voice as he signed. He winked at Ferb. 

Candace was gone and as much as Phineas wanted to milk this opportunity to be in charge, he figured there wasn’t much point in continuing to grill Andrea. Phineas didn’t hate her, after all. He was a little suspicious, but for the most part, she just seemed like a well-intentioned person who didn’t realize she was kind of in over her head. That was Phineas’s assessment anyway.

“Listen, I wouldn’t take Candace personally. She’s just… like that. I do agree that this is kind of out of nowhere, and I think you have a lot of making up for lost time to do, but the end of the day, it’s Ferb’s decision, not ours. Excuse us for a moment.”

He turned to Ferb and signed, Do you want to make a decision now, or sleep on it?

FERB

Andrea sat there a little shocked. He didn’t get detention? She blinked, jaw slack, as Phineas informed her. It wasn’t as if she had been expecting Ferb to be a troublemaker or anything, but never? On his own accord, anyway? Goodness. Even her other children had gotten punishments at school. A call home here or there for something. It was only natural. 

She only gave a weak nod and smile to match as Phineas tried to apologize for his sister. Again, Andrea really paid no mind to Candace. She wasn’t the one she was here for and nor did she seem particularly close to Ferb in the way the boy sitting next to him was. Andrea sat back, left to twiddle her thumbs as the two of them began to speak in a language she couldn’t even begin to make out. (Which was more from a lack of not trying than anything else.) 

Ferb thought over this question and could see no reason to prolong the inevitable. Ms. Martin had given her answers and she had still seemed like she wanted to know Ferb. For whatever reason. In his mind, it was only fair to give her a shot. She had apologized and said she would do more to make amends. There was really nothing else he could think to ask for. 

Also, this was perhaps a chance for him to make up for his own failings. All those years he had spent trying to actively gain people’s friendship only to be ignored. Now, he was met with someone who had ignored him for years who was wanting to do the opposite. That had never happened before.

Now, he signed, both hands at his ribcage, palms to the ceiling, bobbing up and down twice. He then turned to Ms. Martin and spoke aloud. “Okay. If this is what you want.”   

She nodded enthusiastically. “It is! Of course. Erm— oh here.” Andrea reached across the table to take Ferb’s phone, which caused a spike in his nerves since he 1. No longer knew what she was saying and 2. Well. She had his phone. After a few painful seconds of her tapping at it she pushed it back across to him. “I put my number in so you can call or— contact me whenever!” 

Ferb, having not gotten any of that, just nodded. Andrea smiled, eyes moving to Phineas. “And thank you so much! This was delightful, apart from— well. Anyway, I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other soon!”

[honeymoonjin]

A/N: It’s here!!! Like I said before, this fic will be a lot lighter and more humor-based than DOPE, so that you have some variety! 3k words.

LOST IN TRANSLATION ↳What do you do when you have no qualifications but want to see the world? You help teach English in a Korean primary school, apparently. ↳Principal!Jin, math teacher!Yoongi, PE teacher!Hoseok, English teacher!Namjoon, school nurse!Jimin, art teacher!Taehyung, and science teacher!Jungkook.

CHAPTER ONE ↳You arrive in Seoul and begin to meet the teachers you’ll be spending your whole year with.

You hover awkwardly in the arrivals foyer, consulting your phone again, reading the email you had been sent a week ago. According to the information given, there should’ve been someone there for you already, waiting to drive you to the school.

But no matter how often you glanced around, up on your tiptoes as you tried to scan the massive area of Incheon International Airport, you couldn’t see any signs with your name on them.

Oh shit, you thought, what if they’ve written my name in Hangeul? You sigh and begin another dutiful look-over, deeply focused on the countless signs with Korean characters on them, trying to recognise ones that would make up your first or last name.

You just about jump out of your skin when someone taps you on the shoulder out of nowhere.

“Are you Y/n, here for teaching?” He’s younger than you were expecting for a schoolteacher, although you remember the email stating he was in charge of physical education and the rec sports teams, so maybe it was better to have someone still pretty fit. And he definitely was fit. Although he was in a grass-stained polo shirt and basketball shorts, he had a contagious smile and kind eyes, and his dark, wavy hair was endearingly a little bit messy.

Clearly you were looking over him for a little too long, because he smiles sheepishly and pats down his shirt. “Sorry about the messy clothes. I came straight from practice.”

You frown, hoping your Korean will be at least coherent if not entirely correct. “But it is 8am.”

He gives you a wide beam and laughs a little as you get through the sentence one syllable at a time. “Yes, soccer practice is from 6am to 7:30 on a Monday morning.”

“Oh. The kids still play soccer when it is very early?”

He shrugs, beginning to lead you towards the carpark area. “Actually, we have 6am sport every day of the week. Soccer on Monday, basketball on Tuesday, swimming on Wednesday. You get the idea.”

“And you teach all sport teams?”

“Your Korean is fantastic, you know?” He chimes the final part in a cutely accented English, and you blush at the praise, shaking your head modestly. “I teach almost all of the sport teams. Technically the mathematics competition team is classified as a sports team, but Teacher Min does that. You’ll meet him later.”

You nod slowly as he talks, a little overwhelmed by how fast he’s speaking. You had studied the language for five years, but all of the other teacher’s assistants you had spoken to had said a thousand times how when you were finally confronted by a native speaker in that country, your mind went blank and you forgot every single word.

It was what you had been obsessively worrying about on the whole red-eye flight over, and you were lucky that some last minute studying had made you feel a little more confident in your abilities.

He comes to a stop beside a shabby Nissan, unlocking it and gesturing for you to get into the passenger side. It smells like sweat in there, and you can see a random assortment of various balls and other equipment stashed into the backseat and boot. “Sorry about the mess in the back,” he apologises, starting the car up and pulling away towards the exits.

“You don’t need to apologise, I’m very thankful you drive me from airport to school.” The matter is forgotten completely as the car breaches the exit and your eyes are filled with light. Several skyscrapers dot the horizon line in the near distance, and everything looks so advanced and modern. There’s a large amount of people milling around outside, and the traffic just around the airport is rather congested, but the man navigates it with ease. You sit in a comfortable silence for a good half an hour before directing your gaze back inside the car with a sudden thought. “Sorry, I don’t know your name now.”

“Oh, you forgot?”

“Ah, yes, I forgot.”

He glances over at you intermittingly, hands relaxed on the wheel as he winds through the streets of Seoul. “My name’s Hoseok. Well, Teacher Jung.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Y/n.” You purse your lips in the awkward silence that falls, trying to work out something grammatically correct to say. “Uh, the school is good? You like it?”

He hums his affirmation, and with a surprised blink you realize the car is already pulling up to a relatively small primary school, heading towards the staff parking. “You’ll love it here. The kids are great, and the staff are more like family.” He slides into a park in one clean swoop and stops the car. “Alright, out we go.”

You can’t see much of the school before you’re taken straight to the reception building, but it looks like there are only five or six classroom blocks out back, all lined up around a slightly bumpy and overgrown sports field. When you had applied to three different schools in South Korean, they were all smaller schools. You had decided you’d feel more comfortable with a rural primary school rather than a large one in the city. But you hadn’t connected the dots that a school away from the hustle and bustle of the city meant that funding wasn’t so high.

It probably worked out quite well for a school like this to get a teacher’s assistant. You had paid for your own flights, and they basically just provided you with a homestay for accommodation and a small weekly allowance for your work. Coming fresh out of a half-completed university degree, it was a nice break from student life for you, and a good opportunity for them to save a little money on staff.

One thing that immediately stuck out to you was the lack of receptionist in the reception office. Technically, it looked more like a waiting room with a few offices branching off. Hoseok bounced up to the door right across from the main entrance and rapped three times.

Principal Kim Seokjin, the plaque read, and the amount of time it took you to work that out by reading the characters, the door was falling inwards, and a warm voice called out, “Ah, Y/n, come in!”

You look up from the silver engraving and your mouth falls open. In the correspondence that had occurred between you and the principal, you had always imagined a grouchy but softhearted, slightly older gentleman. Okay, if you were honest with yourself, you just imagined Ji Seokjin from Running Man. If the shoe fits; but in this case it most certainly didn’t.

It felt like you had stumbled straight onto a cheesy k-drama set. He had honey blonde hair that swept over his much darker eyebrows, perfect bone structure and full, pouty lips that made you want to pass out just so he could perform mouth-to-mouth. “Uh…Yes, I’m Y/n. Nicetomeetyousir.”

He grins at your rushed introduction and invites you in to sit. His office is warmer than outside, and you automatically tune in to the principal’s brief conversation with Hoseok as you take off your coat and scarf.

“…those clothes. Didn’t you have time for a shower?”

“Why am I not hearing ‘Thank you, Hoseok, I’m so grateful, Hoseok’? I could’ve easily gotten Yoongi to go. She would’ve turned right back around and hopped on the next plane out of here.”

“Go back to class, Jung. Year 3 PE starts in eight minutes.”

“You’re most welcome for picking her up, sir. I appreciate the thanks.”

Principal Kim huffs and shuts the door gently behind him, making his way back to sit behind the large desk you were sitting across from. As your gaze follows him around the room, you notice a few frames nailed to the wall; a teaching certificate, a local management award, a photo of the school itself, and, larger than the rest, a professionally-shot picture of himself, with a white blouse and some round-framed glasses, lips slightly parted and staring dead-on into the camera.

You cough lightly as he turns to you with the exact same posture and expression. “How was your flight?”

“Good. I slept the flight.” Every time you say a sentence, you cringe internally when you know you’ve messed up, but he doesn’t really seem to react.

He breaks the gaze, reaches into a drawer and pulls out a stapled pile of pages, tossing it over to you to flick through. “There’s a map of the premises, though I imagine you’ll be able to find your way around soon enough, a copy of the official contract, and some general advice for living in Korea. Don’t worry too much about all that, since you’ll be living with a member of staff. He’ll take you to and from work each day and we’ve given him some extra funding for meals for you.”

You nod gratefully. “Thank you, sir. It is very helpful.”

A grin lights up his face as he leans back in his chair. “Now, that’s the boring stuff out of the way, are you ready for a tour?”

You blink, not understanding one of the words he used. “Tour?”

He gestures vaguely around himself. “I’ll show you the school, introduce you to our other teachers, that’s what tour means.”

“Oh, I see. Yes, let’s do it!”

One of the first things you learn about Kim Seokjin is that he walks pretty fast with those long legs of his, and you spent so much energy on half-jogging to keep up with him, that as he explained the history of the school, you couldn’t really focus on that too. You tried your best to make general sounds of surprise or agreement so that he thought you were listening, and hoped you weren’t missing anything too important.

It wasn’t until you finished following him around the school field that he comes to a halt outside the first classroom and you can finally zone in on what he’s saying. “…is the physical education classroom since it’s the closest to our equipment shed. Jung is teaching in there now, but you’ve already met him, so we won’t go in. You won’t really have to go over here much, but I thought I should mention that if you ever get here early, this is the only classroom that’s unlocked since it’s where the kids meet for early morning sport. There’s a bathroom in there too, so it’s a good place to stay warm until we officially open at 8am.”

You barely have to walk fifteen meters to be standing in front of the second building. Instead of staying outside on the concrete quad, he leads you up a short wooden ramp and into a small locker room. When he continues speaking, he’s dropped his voice to a stage whisper. “To the left, Class 2, that’s a basic room, we have most classes like Korean, English and Math in there.” He pops up to the small window on the door. “Ah, Min’s doing Year 5 math. Let’s go in.”

“Oh, we don’t have to…”

Your protests go unheard as he barges right in without knocking. “Can they do Pythagoras yet, Teacher Min?”

A low voice from inside the classroom calmly replies, “You can’t do Pythagoras yet, Seokjin.”

Principal Kim turns to you from half-in, half-out of the doorway, and tips his head over to get you to follow him inside.

The voice belongs to a man with dark hair and perfect skin. Like Principal Kim, he’s pretty young, and you’re beginning to regret not listening better to Kim’s speech, wondering if he had explained why all the teachers looked well under thirty so far. He’s lounging at the desk, one leg crossed leisurely over the other, eyebrows raised from behind his glossy bangs. His students, kids around 9 years old staring blankly at the three division questions written on the blackboard.

“You haven’t placed first in a regional beauty pageant, but you don’t see me complaining,” Kim bites back.

The teacher quirks his lips up a little in bemusement. “I wonder how long it’ll take you to realize that’s not a relevant achievement in the line of education.” His dark eyes flick over to you, and he raises his eyebrows further. “The new kid arrived?”

You bow to him. “Hello, my name is Y/n, nice to meet you.”

Principal Kim smiles benevolently and turns to the kids, who have long since given up on the math questions and are watching the interaction with wide eyes. “Children, Y/n will be helping you with your English. Take good care of her.” He leans over to you. “Say a little something about yourself.”

If there’s one thing worse than being put on the spot for an icebreaker, it’s being put on the spot for an icebreaker in a foreign language. Your mind whirs on double-time as you desperately try to find something interesting to say. “I have not been to Korea before, it is very kind here but more winter than my home country.”

An unreadable smile plays on Teacher Min’s lips. “What a relief that it’s English you’ll be teaching.”

You blush violently as Kim scolds the Teacher and quickly hustles you out of the classroom, shutting the door behind him with a little more vigor than usual. “Sorry about Min. He’s the only math teacher we could find. You’ll get used to him.”

“It’s fine,” you breath out with an awkward laugh, “I know my Korean is not good. I want to learn better here.”

He pats you on the shoulder, then points behind you. “That there is our art classroom, I’ll introduce you to Teacher Kim.” You frown. “Different Kim. Actually, there are three Kims at the school including me, so we call the other two Art Kim and English Kim. Anyway, let’s go in.”

You’ve always been a little biased towards the arts; you would’ve gone to university to study art history and painting were it not for your parents insistence that education was a much better field, and so it gave you a certain kind of wonder to see the people that had pursued their dreams in the field, and the kind of life they led where their job was their passion.

Your first impression of the classroom was how chaotic it was compared to the one across the hall. Instead of four lines of chairs and tables, students were bunched into small groups dotted around the room. The room itself was lined with benches; some had sinks where old streaks of paint led down the drain, some had boxes of charcoal sticks and pastels, others held cardboard sculptures and mock-ups. A fond smile played on your face at the scene you were met with. Principal Kim had chosen not to noisily announce his presence, and you could see the teacher looking like a giant on the extra small and short children’s chairs, talking quietly but passionately to a student attempting to draw an old green bottle that sat in the middle of the table.

His voice was surprisingly deep, and his hair was much longer than most men you had seen, flopping over in the front and reaching near his shirt collar in the back. Like every art teacher you had ever met, he had an endearingly quirky fashion sense, wearing a patchy pink woolen robe over a dress shirt and pants. The other students at the table bunched up as best they could, listening intensely and looking at him like he was explaining all the secrets of the universe. You remembered that feeling of awe well.

He glanced up when the principal called out his name, and let a boxy smile overtake his face. He quickly excused himself from the table and stood up to his full height, approaching you two as the kids called out in disappointment behind him.

You notice that when Principal Kim introduces the two of you, Art Kim never once takes his eyes off of you, staring at your face with some intent curiosity. You smile at him awkwardly and give a short bow. “Nice to meet you, Teacher Kim. Art is my favorite school subject.”

His lips drop open slightly. “Oh, really? Why do you like art?”

You weren’t prepared for the extremely open-ended and opinionated question, and it takes you a moment of stumbling over your words to get any coherent thought out. “Well, I see…no, I think art is, uh, beautiful, because it is…um, it is like a conversation from artist to person looking. I’m sorry, that doesn’t make sen-”

“It makes perfect sense,” he cuts you off quickly. His chestnut hair glows under the harsh lights in the room and his eyes stare deeply into yours. “You’re completely right. Art isn’t just a picture, it’s meant to be given and experienced. The artist is sending a message to the viewer, of course, but art is nothing if the viewer doesn’t see it and give something back, even if it’s just an emotion or an analysis.”

You don’t understand most of the words he just said. “Yes, exactly.”

He smiles at you again, shyly this time. “It is very nice to meet you, Y/n. I look forward to seeing you around.”

Principal Kim looks back and forth between the two of you, blinking like he’s just as lost in the conversation as you are. “Thank you for your time, Teacher Kim, we will be moving on with the tour now.”

Art Kim bows quickly and gives you a cute little wave, then goes back to his students, pulling up a chair at a different table and immediately entering into a conversation about whether the young boy should make the sky orange and the sun blue instead of doing it the normal way.

Once you’ve left the building and stand outside in front of classroom 4, Principal Kim turns to you and tuts. “Ah, this tour is so boring! Math and drawing pictures. But don’t worry, next is the science blo-”

He’s cut off by a loud bang coming from inside, which is paired with a flash of white and kids squealing in excitement and delight. A thin wisp of smoke trails out of one of the half-open windows.

Principal Kim lets out an exhausted sigh. “Dammit, Jeon Jungkook.”

TAGLIST  Send me a message or an ask if you wish to be added, and you’ll be notified every time I post a new chapter of LiT.

[davidcoopermoore]

Survival Literacy

I'm not sure what I think students "need" at a minimum level of competency to be considered to be "done" with school -- and my use of scare quotes here should give you a sense of the turmoil that I've been feeling around some very foundational beliefs I've long held about school itself, its fundamental purpose and role in students' lives. I've been teaching in an alternative high school for four years, a daily teacher with a full course load, but in an environment that is about as "loose" within the traditional strucutral confines of a public school as you can get. Sometimes this looseness is good -- the students like it here; we don't have any fights; we love our kids and help them on their first postsecondary steps. Sometimes it's not so good -- things are very messy, and there are lots of little fires to put out, many of our own making, trying to do things a little differently and creating new problems as a result. But I've come to realize how insufficient the professional norms of reading instruction (these norms are different from research-based best practices; by professional norms I only mean "what do districts and administrators and classroom teachers expect to happen in the classroom") are for the majority of our students, all of whom have become disconnected with their previous high school. Some students come to us with high standardized scores in literacy and numeracy and seem to gain little from the direct instruction we might provide in reading and math, say. Some students come to us with borderline learning disabilities that have gone undiagnosed. Most come to us with severe gaps in their knowledge and skills according to the general scope and sequence of what they should have learned between fourth and ninth grade. You can see these gaps in their diagnostic scores, and in math these gaps even tell a story of educational turbulence and, sometimes, trauma -- students who have poor grasp of numbers and operations but can do passably well at certain types of algebraic thinking, say, usually because they had a terrible elementary experience but a few good math teachers in middle or early high school. Part of my job has been to take in all of this information in consultation with students and teachers and work with them on an individualized plan for making progress in their classes -- an ad hoc academic support position that is not technically special education but tries to implement some just-in-time learning needed to be successful in a class. So I've become more and more interested in how you actually teach people how to read, and how you might translate what seems to work for young learners to adult literacy. (I've been reading a lot of Tim Shanahan lately.) There is much less liteature on teaching adult literacy than I expected; much of it essentially takes strategies for younger learners and applies them to adults more or less unmodified, or expands the concept of literacy to areas that may or may not improve reading ability. Research on adult literacy seems to have a good sense of how many adults can't read, who they are, and some of the reasons why, but from what I've found so far there is a lot less convincing information on what the best practices are for intervention. I've started thinking about rudimentary literacy a little differently from how I imagined it when I took a media literacy approach -- i.e., a holistic sense of what literacy is, including multiple symbolic forms. Although I still love media literacy, I think there is something categorically different about print literacy, both in how it works -- at a basic cognitive level -- and in how we are expected to actually use it in the world. (Maybe I'll write my post about reading as photosynthesis later.) The metaphor I'm circling right now is survival skills. I had a conversation the other day with my wife about swimming. Our oldest son not only can't swim but has a water phobia. In other cultures, swimming is part of the environment, a survival skill that children can learn at very young ages. I've read that babies naturally know how to hold their breath if put into the water in a particular way. Even my own sister, who insisted her sons learn to swim early, had them in the pool at age 2, fairly regularly. (I've also read that actually swimming is probably more like reading developmentally, and that you should probably start formal swimming instruction closer to six years old. Hang with me; it's just a metaphor.) The extent to which reading is a skill for survival depends on more complex social context than swimming does. "If you're near water a lot you should know how to swim" doesn't quite translate. Instead what I'm thinking about is the purpose for teaching survival skills versus the purpose for teaching for enrichment and enlightenment. We focus so much on a love of reading in school, and also subsequently conflate love with motivation (a topic for another post that I won't go into now), that I think we miss defining which aspects of reading are actually necessary for one's life as a "survival skill," and which develop more naturally after those basic skills have been mastered. The problem with reading is twofold: (1) many but certainly not most children become expert readers before they've had a lot of instruction in reading, let alone targeted literacy intervention, so it seems like their love and their ability are linked and (2) the students who don't "take" to reading are then often engaged at the level of motivation and ease -- trying to make reading a pleasurable experience, by "leveling down" reading to where they're comfortable -- while also getting certain reading interventions that are uncomfortable and involve a lot of practice. A lot of literacy instruction focuses on instilling motivation and appreciation in students, for understandable reasons -- it seems like master readers should want to read, and we also know that master readers are motivated to read independently. We had a long and unproductive program at our school trying to implement sustained silent reading at our school, which failed for both site-specific reasons (we didn't do it with much fidelity, too many distractions, etc.) but also, I think, failed to take into account the fact that our students struggled to do more basic reading than we really liked to admit, even when in guided instruction they showed that they could read. They didn't like reading, and we didn't really have the school culture to instill that basic affection and motivation. But they also didn't have some of the precursory skills you would need to enjoy reading. But I'm not sure that the primary job of literacy instruction should actually be to instill an affection for reading any more than I think that the primary job of swimming instruction should be to instill affection in swimming. Without basic skills -- in swimming or reading -- it is literally impossible to develop affection in any meaningful way. You can't be motivated to read independently if you can't read any more than you can be motivated to "swim for pleasure" if you can't swim. Add to this what I see in my students -- they have specific blocks to reading that resemble my son's water phobia. So on top of whatever technical instruction they need to get to the basic level of literacy motivation, they also need a different sort of motivation, a motivation to overcome what I would call something like a fear of reading -- more accurately, a combination of distrust, deflation, and past negative experience. They are discouraged about reading. The logic that we tend to use in school is that if you get kids encouraged about reading, they will read more. But we also underestimate the level of reading mastery it requires to actually feel a basic level of encouragement, and then, crucially, for this encouragement to translate into actually reading well. My son feels encouraged when he puts his face in the water. But he can't swim. He needs to be able to put his face in the water for his comfort, but it may not be a skill that he needs to practice and focus on intently to learn how to swim. It may be a way of filibustering, a way of avoiding the thing he actually needs to be able to do. In fact, it is possible that part of him learning to swim will be to be put in an environment where that kind of incremental thinking based on his own comfort vanishes altogether. Survival literacy cuts both ways. We also don't need to expect our students to love to read, maybe ever. This is a profound and destabilizing idea in English education in two ways. First, it shifts a lot of the kind of content we teach in English classes. Fewer books and novels; more short and non-fiction pieces. This was a controversial component of the Common Core standards that I happen to think is on the mark when you are considering students who already are far behind in their literacy ability. That is, for my students, exploration of a novel might have some value, but lots of practice with short, relevant pieces -- journalism articles, reports, etc. -- will be more likely to help them with specific goals they have for reading. But the most destabilizing thing about a survival literacy mindset is that I'm not sure that the classroom is the best place for it to happen at all, and I'm also not sure that "classroom" is the right space to imagine successful literacy acquisition. I'm starting to think of literacy, as a functional process of decoding and low-level comprehension, as something that one has to acquire by hook or by crook, often alone and with deliberative practice. That it can happen in a classroom doesn't mean that it should. All of this goes away when you reach a baseline competency, but I think that we have the bar too low for what that baseline is and how much rigorous literacy instruction you need to be able to read independently and contribute within a culture of print literacy (i.e., read independently and then talk about it). Again, these are baseline competencies. I'm not suggesting that I believe that there is no role for reading in a classroom! But that for interventions and the basic development of that baseline competency, the classroom environment that fosters a love of literacy isn't the right way to think about what learners really need. This has been hard for me to digest, and I'm not anywhere near done in my thinking -- in fact I'm returning to grad school soon, I think, to devote myself more fully to literacy -- print literacy -- as a component of understanding the world.

[hajimailhinata]

hey hajime? homes been really stressful because im severely failing one of my classes in school and its already nearly the end of the first marking period, plus its senior year. outside of that i dont even have a job and i dont know how to start looking, and even then who would want to hire me. im sorry i dont mean to bother you with dumb problems i brought upon myself but. i know youll prob just say something like "but thats what im here for" so. please help me if you can, i need some guidance.

That is what I’m here for, and they’re not dumb problems! You didn’t bring them upon yourself, either. I bet you studied really hard and did your best in that one class, especially if people at home were bothering you about it. And how’re you supposed to job hunt if you don’t know how to start? Those are two very real issues, and I’d never put you down for them. I’m just sorry you’ve had to deal with them by yourself. I don’t know if I can be of any help, but I tried to think about the situation over the time I spent away.

First off, your class… Senior year is important, it’s true. From the way it sounds, you’re going to continue school, right? That’s why you’re worried about grades. But let me tell you, schools don’t worry about the first grade! What universities look at is improvement. Sure, GPA counts for something, but being able to show considerable improvement is just as important, especially with a rough patch on your records. So right now, don’t let that class get to you. It can’t be changed, so… what’s important is focusing on what you can do this next period. That probably won’t help your home situation, but keeping that in mind can help you bear it and maintain your sanity.

It’s not embarrassing to seek out tutoring if you need it. If you’re struggling with your class, pursue outside resources to help you improve for the next grading period. Getting that done is more important than agonizing over what’s already past. Are there textbooks you can read? Enrichment assignments? A tutoring program at all? If all else fails, talking to others in the class or even the teacher can go a long way. If I knew the class, I’d even see if I could find you something online. 

Videos can be helpful with math, and visual activities are good for sciences… For writing and stuff, practicing with other students offers perspectives helps you to broaden your way of thinking and work more flexibly. Try new methods. Just remember that you can still change this, and so long as you’re able to show progress, you’re still just as valid for getting into college as anybody else. Even with one bad mark, you can still write a good case for yourself to bypass the entrance bar anyway. Colleges are a business first and foremost, and they’re willing to work with you so long as they get their tuition payments. Don’t worry too much. Just continue to try hard, and don’t feel weird looking for help.

As for a job, well… I actually don’t know much about that sort of thing. I… never graduated. And I never will. I spent all my time studying with my parents paying all my fees, and now… I just kind of live here? I’ve never had a job. I do know a little, though. When you’re looking for jobs without a resume to back you up, it’s important not to be picky and not to overshoot. You can’t really get a good job without job experience and contacts to refer you, so that’s why landing an entrance position is the first career.

For most students, fast food and grocery stores are the norm. Stores in general, actually. Those are the kind of jobs you should look at; They’re less picky, even if the pay isn’t all that great starting out, and are known for letting in blank slates. The key to getting a job is to be stubborn, too- Apply anywhere and everywhere that’s a good start! Don’t be over ambitious, just focus on local businesses where other students are known to have been employed. Submit as many applications as you can! If you have volunteer work on record, you can ask the teacher who moderated those activities to speak for you as reference, too.

It’s kind of vague, I know, but… For a kid just starting out, that’s how everyone usually has to do it. Applying indiscriminately to every position within their range of travel. Sooner or later, persistence comes to fruition, especially with those low level jobs I was talking about. Keep your phone on hand for the calls, because missing them usually means they won’t call you back. Be ready for them, and dress well for interviews. Practice speaking, but know not to exaggerate too much. Tell the truth as sweetly as you can, avoiding things that sound too unpleasant.

Your first job probably won’t be the greatest, but you’ll need something to write down for your job history. It’s only one you have your starting point that other jobs will begin to look at you. You can worry about career-related jobs once you’re actually out of school, so don’t fuss too much in advance. There’s time for that later.

..Does that make sense? I’m not sure. But… Yeah, that’s my advice.

Listen. People will tell you this is a critical period to your life, but I’m saying it’s not. Early jobs, first term grades… Sure, they’re important to get a nice start on, but it’s not impossible to recover from if you’re late to the job market, or you slip up. You can make changes. You’ll figure something out. Graduating is hardly the start of your adult life, as much as people want you to believe. Even graduates are still struggling to figure things out, so don’t worry. You have time. And no matter what happens, it’s too early in your life for you to be totally ruined.

I believe in you, but I know that alone isn’t very comforting. So.. go forward with my best wishes. This is your future, after all. Nobody can ruin it. You can only keep molding it.

[graphicnerdity]

Fan Theory: The Magic School Bus & Harry Potter Exist in the Same Universe

The Magic School Bus and Harry Potter are beloved stories that chronicle the adventures of school children being put in harm’s way by irresponsible adults. But with magic! The similarities go far beyond that, though. There is a good deal of evidence to suggest that both schools – Walkerville Elementary and Hogwarts – exist in the same universe. 

Walkerville desperately fills a need for wizarding elementary school

Growing up magical isn’t easy. Kids have to learn a shit ton of spells before they can function in the wizarding world. If you enter the workforce and the only spell you’ve remembered is Alohomora, you’ll be stuck working the door at a hotel lobby the rest of your life. You’ll be a senior citizen’s dream, but practically useless when the Dark Lord shows up. 

Hogwarts has no choice but to build a curriculum that focuses exclusively on magic. Because the wizarding world is averaging a civil war every 14 years and your life may very well depend on the degree to which you can perform a defensive spell or spot a potentially disastrous potion. And yes, that leaves little room for math and science in the curriculum, as so many people like to point out. But who gives a shit? Everything you need to know about math and science is pretty much covered by grade five anyway. 

That is precisely why magical elementary school exists. That is how we ended up with schools like Walkerville Elementary. Here, prospective Ilvermorny students are given practical knowledge about the muggle world. They learn basic math, science, biology, astronomy, natural history, and for some reason, what the inside of Arnold’s asshole looks like. All of the things their wizarding school won’t have time for. Best of all, they’ll have a janitor nearby in case one of the students accidentally blows up a teacher or releases a python. 

The idea behind elementary wizarding school to give students a basic understanding of how things work, before teaching them how things change.

Ms. Frizzle’s class is small because it reflects the magical population

Figuring out the population of a fictional universe is a difficult undertaking. Fortunately, the Harry Potter fandom is full of people who laugh in the face of adversity. Here is one such hero’s essay about the population of the wizarding world that delves into greater detail:

http://www.fictionalley.org/authors/commendatore/HMHATAEOTPOWB01.html

Pretty impressive, right? By her own admission, J.K. Rowling isn’t great at math. Nevertheless, when she claims that 1000 students are attending Hogwarts at any one time, we have to take that as the gospel truth. Based on that statement, and after some crafty math by user commendatore over at www.fictionalley.org, we can postulate that approximately 0.0194% of Great Britain’s population is magical. Applying the same ratio to North America, we can put the wizarding population at around 100,000.

Thus, we end up with schools like Walkerville Elementary, where there aren’t enough students to fill out a classroom but enough to warrant one. That’s why Ms. Frizzle’s entire 3rd grade class contains just 8 students and the parking lot usually looks like a ghost town. And not the fun kind where Headless Hunts take place. 

Students are introduced to magic via practical lessons

At Walkerville Elementary, magic is used primarily as a teaching aid. Students aren’t thrown into the world of spell mastery just yet. Accidental magic, as we know, is common among underage wizards. So Ms. Frizzle surrounds her class with magic and slowly immerses them into this world that, at the age of 8, is still relatively new to them. 

Ilvermorny students don’t receive a wand until their first day of school, which is why Walkerville students are introduced to various forms of wandless magic. This is a common occurrence in America, where Native American witches and wizards have been practicing wandless magic for centuries: http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Native_Americans

We do see a few examples of students accidentally using magic to bewitch various items. In one episode, the students attempt to build a robot, despite having no knowledge of engineering whatsoever. Nevertheless, after stacking together some discarded items, Ralphie issues a verbal command (incantation is perhaps a better word for it) and the unplugged trash golem magically springs to life.

We see similar forms of magic in both worlds

In the wizarding world, time travel can be attained by using a Time Turner. You know, that handy bit of magical technology that allows students to learn two subjects at once while genocidal wizards roam free. Over at Walkerville Elementary, they’ve got a Time Turner too: The Bus. So what does Ms. Frizzle’s class do when they have the ability to go back in time? They go way the fuck back in time! Because obviously! 

The students are Transfigured on a regular basis, taking the form of bats, salmon, and bees, just to name a few. In the wizarding world, we see that wizards can transfigure themselves into horrifying human/animal hybrids in a similar manner. 

And speaking of transforming into animals, let’s not forget those Animagi. Hey Liz, those are very human gestures for something that is supposed to be just an average chameleon. No, that’s a woman who took the form of a chameleon then decided life was better when people just fed you all day and you didn’t have to speak with them. Or hey, maybe she’s a criminal who’s hiding out in a grade 3 classroom until things cool down a bit. Either way, great job on blowing your cover, Liz!

Another notable similarity between the two worlds is moving paintings of deceased witches and wizards. The ones in Walkerville don’t seem too keen to talk to kids. I don’t blame them.

We also see magically transforming fabrics. I’m not sure what spell this is, but Ms. Frizzle and Dumbledore use it purely to screw around with school children.

There is even a living skeleton in the classroom. I guess kids have to learn about necromancy at some point. You know, if the Inferi had top hats and polka dot bow ties, I don’t think they would’ve looked nearly as terrifying.

Enchanted vehicles are common in the wizarding world

The mechanical and the magical are often deeply intertwined in the wizarding world. The Hogwarts Express is able to traverse vast landscapes without being seen. Arthur Weasley’s invisible flying car and Sirius Black’s flying motorcycle serve to show, if nothing else, that wizards love enchanting the crap out of vehicles.

We even see the Potterverse’s version of the Magic School Bus: The Knight Bus. I could base my theory on this fact alone, and still feel pretty confident. It’s just a bigger, purpler version of the Friz’s ride that transports vagrants instead of students. The Knight Bus changes its appearance and dimensions in a way so similar to the Magic School Bus that it’s practically copyright infringement.

Come on, Ms. Frizzle is obviously a witch

Ms. Frizzle's primary talents involve commanding an enchanted bus and changing her clothing at will. If that was the extent of her magical ability, then the case could still be made that she is a decent witch. While the Bus is responsible for the majority of the show's magic, Ms. Fizzle is seen on numerous occasions performing obvious spellwork even when the Bus is absent. For example, here is Ms. Frizzle appearing out of nowhere in a way that looks very similar to the wizarding world's Apparating ability.

Here she is, gliding to safety after jumping out of a third-storey window to rescue a fallen student. She might not know what qualifies as child endangerment, but it looks like she knows how to conjure an Arresto Momentum spell.

Here’s The Frizz riding a tidal wave that she conjured out of nowhere using a powerful Aguamenti charm, because impressing a group of 8-year-olds is important to her. That water, in case you were wondering, disappeared immediately after her dramatic entrance was made.

You don’t have to look too hard to find connections between both magical worlds. I personally looked into it way too hard, but that’s so the rest of you can just sort of skim through and spot the similarities. Now that you’ve seen them it’s a pretty easy theory to subscribe to.

[themoneybuff-blog]

Why financial literacy fails (and what to do about it)

April is Financial Literacy Month in the United States. This is a pure and noble thing. I think it's great that there's one month each year devoted to promoting smart money habits. That said, it has become increasingly apparent over the years that most financial literacy programs fail. They don't work. And this isn't just me speaking anecdotally. In a 2014 paper from Management Science, three researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 201 prior studies regarding the efficacy of financial literacy. Their conclusion? Interventions to improve financial literacy explain only 0.1% of the variance in financial behaviors studied, with weaker effects in low-income samples. Like other education, financial education decays over time; even large interventions with many hours of instruction have negligible effects on behavior 20 months or more from the time of intervention. To put it in plain English, financial literacy education makes no discernible difference in behavior. People who take personal-finance classes manage their money no better (and no worse) than the general population. We're pumping tons of money and time into a fruitless endeavor. All of this push to promote financial literacy accomplishes nothing. Zero. Nada. Why is that?

It probably won't surprise you to learn that I have some strong opinions on this subject. Today, let's talk about why financial literacy fails (and what to do about it). Note: This afternoon (April 24th) at 4 p.m. Pacific (7 p.m. Eastern), I'll be part of a Facebook Live interview about this very subject. If you're free at that time, you should join us! Update: Here's the entire interview. Why Financial Literacy Fails Financial literacy fails because it almost universally addresses only one part of the problem: math and mechanics. FinLit (as it's sometimes called) focuses on facts and figures while largely ignoring behavior. This is insane. This is like promoting sex education that talks about penises and vaginas while never discussing what it's like to be madly in love with somebody, so in love that your brain stops working. For sex education to be effective, it has to deal with real-world circumstances and behavior. It has to teach about psychology and emotions, not just body parts. The same is true with financial literacy. In fact, the same is true with actual literacy. The National Assessment of Adult Literacy says that working literacy has two components. The operational piece of literacy focuses solely on knowledge. It involves word-level reading skills such as recognizing words.The conceptual piece of literacy focuses on everyday tasks: Literacy is the ability to use printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one's goals, and to develop one's knowledge and potential. The first part of literacy is about mechanics. The second part is about practical application. Modern financial literacy efforts spend nearly all of their time on the knowledge piece. I've reviewed maybe a dozen FinLit programs over the years. Most pay no more than lip service to behavior, to the conceptual piece of financial literacy. Let me give you an example from my own life. When I was in high school (w-a-y back in the mid-1980s), every senior in our district was required to pass a class in personal finance. It covered topics like compound interest, the Federal Reserve, how to write a check, and the dangers of credit cards. I took that class. I aced every test. And five years later, I had the beginnings of a debt habit. I'd mastered the knowledge but not he behavior. The behavior was never taught. From what I can tell, the kids from my high school grew up to be no different than the rest of Americans. We learned the basics of financial literacy, but it had no perceivable impact on the way we saved and spent and earned. We still made stupid mistakes. We still spent more than we earned. Why? Because facts and figurs are only one-half of financial literacy. (And I'd argue they aren't even the most important half.) The solution to financial literacy isn't to feed people more facts and figures. It isn't to teach them how bonds work or to explain the sheer awesomeness of a Roth IRA. If we want to boost financial literacy in the United States, what we really need to promote is behavioral education. Behavioral Finance Personal finance is simple. Fundamentally, you need to know only one thing: To build wealth, you must spend less than you earn. The end. That's it. We can all go home now. Everything else simply builds on this. Why, then, is it so hard for everyone to get ahead? For some people, the problem is systemic. There's no doubt that some people are trapped in a cycle of poverty, and they truly need outside help to overcome the obstacles they face. But for most of us, the issue is internal: The problem is us. In other words, I am the reason that I can't get ahead. And you are the reason that you can't get ahead. It's not a lack of knowledge about compounding and credit cards that holds us back, but a chain of bad behavior. The math and mechanics of personal finance are easy. It's the psychological side of money that's hard. One of the key tenets of this site is that money is more about mind than it is about math. That is, our financial success isn't determined by how smart we are with numbers, but how well we're able to control our emotions our wants and desires. There's actually a branch of economics called behavioral finance devoted exclusively to this phenomenon, exploring the interplay between economic theory and psychological reality. There's a new wave of folks who are exploring the gamification of personal finance; they're trying to turn money management into a game. More and more, experts are seeing that our economic decisions aren't based on logic, but on emotion and desire. It's time that financial literacy programs incorporated these new(-ish) approaches into their curriculum. For years, I struggled with money. I knew the math, but I still couldnt seem to defeat debt. It wasnt until I started applying psychology to the situation that I was able to make changes. For instance, I used the debt snowball to pay down my debt in an illogical yet psychologically satisfying way. It worked. And Ive learned that by having financial goals such as travel Im much more inclined to save than if I have no goals at all. Behavioral Literacy

To me, the answer to our country's crazed consumerism and poor financial skills has nothing to do with traditional financial literacy. (Okay, maybe it has a little to do with traditional financial literacy.) Instead, I see two fundamental problems that need to be addressed. First, we soak in a bath of the mass media. We're constantly exposed to a barrage of programming in which we're given subtle messages about what people do (or should) consume. We cannot help but be influenced by the power of marketing. (I've talked to many people who think they're immune to marketing. I just shake my head and think, You, my friend, are the most influenced of all.)Secondly, we don't think about our spending. We spend on impulse. Or we spend to subconsciously keep up with our family and friends to keep up with the Joneses. We spend to make ourselves feel better when we're down and blue. We spend to show off. We spend on things we think we want instead of the things we actually use and do. We spend because spending is a habit. Instead of teaching Americans about credit cards and rates of return, we need to be teaching them about behavioral finance. We need to be showing them how to break free from the marketing messages that are all around. We need to be showing them how to set (and achieve) personal goals, especially financial goals. We need to teach skills like conscious spending. There's a reason that my core message doesn't start with math and mechanics. It starts by asking people to think about their goals and purpose. This is the piece of financial education that's missing in our society. This is what financial literacy education ought to be teaching. Note: For a clear demonstration of how I'd approach financial literacy if I were to design a program, check out my Money Boss Manifesto. It's a free ebook that outlines the financial philosophy I've developed after nearly fifteen years of reading and writing about money. The Bottom Line Sometimes people wonder why we don't spend more time on the nitty gritty of money around here. Why we don't cover more topics like where to find the best credit cards or how to create a budget? It's because deep inside, I believe these things are secondary. I believe behavior is more important. Building a better budget isn't going to change your attitude toward saving and spending; but changing you attitude toward saving and spending could very well lead you to building a better budget. Ultimately, if we want Americans to be smarter with their money, we need to encourage them to consume less media to avoid advertising and we need to teach them to master the emotional side of personal finance. We need to show them how to change their behavior. We need to appeal to their self-interest. We need to help them find intrinsic motivation to save. Each of us needs to dig deep inside to find what it is that's important to us, what it is that brings us joy, and we need to prioritize that instead of all the other garbage. I'm not suggesting that we abandon traditional financial literacy completely. But I think a constant push for more financial education is a waste of time if it's only going to focus on mechanics, to stick to facts and figures. To truly be successful, financial education has to address the behavioral side of money because that is absolutely the biggest piece of the puzzle.

Author: J.D. Roth In 2006, J.D. founded Get Rich Slowly to document his quest to get out of debt. Over time, he learned how to save and how to invest. Today, he's managed to reach early retirement! He wants to help you master your money and your life. No scams. No gimmicks. Just smart money advice to help you reach your goals. https://www.getrichslowly.org/why-financial-literacy-fails-and-what-to-do-about-it/

[angeltriestoblog]

Your Comprehensive Guide to Surviving Grade 11

WARNING: The longest post I’ve ever made in the history of my blogging “career” is up ahead. Nevertheless, please read it so my efforts won’t be wasted.

In a nutshell, last school year was me trying to secure the Guinness World Record for the number of breakdowns on a bedroom floor. The amount of workload was unforgiving, the pressure to perform was crippling, the competition was inadvertently fierce and the standards set were higher than fun.'s friends in the Empire State. (Please get this reference.) Surprisingly, I survived and lived not only to tell the tale but to also help incoming Grade 11 students prepare for the year that is to come so they won't have to deal with the many risks of premature stress like I did! This is where this guide (with some unnecessary blabber on the side because will it really be an Angel Martinez post without it) comes in. Though it's a given that not everything that happened to me won't apply to you, I still hope you use these to better your experiences and emerge as a stronger and more productive person! Like me, I guess. In a way. 

To kick this off, let me just say that I know this notice might be coming in a little late, since enrollment for most schools (in the metro, at least) have already come to a close. Thus, by the time you've read this, you may have already chosen a strand of your own! The selection of some schools may be limited to the basics: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM) and Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) which are all pretty self-explanatory in terms of the topics of focus. But from what I know, others also offer Arts and Design and Sports for those who wish to devote their full attention to the talents they wish to hone and even a general academic strand for the benefit of those who remain undecided. I, for one, chose ABM: I didn’t feel like committing to a certain career yet and wanted to opt for the safest option among the choices.

The process of choosing which way to go is pretty intimidating at first especially once you figure out that the rest of your life may very well be at stake. But, it isn't that much of a pain once you reflect on your interests enough and see if those align with what you want to do and where you want to be in the future, if that’s not too forward looking for you! I know a couple of people who’ve had to compromise their true passions for the sake of pleasing their families. Whether it’s to continue a legacy that’s been passed down for several generations or fulfill a dream that belonged to someone else, some parents believe they have every reason in the world to demand their children’s future, even if it’s obviously against their will. Yes, I believe that it’s their responsibility to guide their kids through the process of figuring out what they want to be in such a fast-paced and ever-changing world where anyone can influence and be influenced for better or for worse. They must be able to provide the insight that only they possess after all the years they’ve spent collecting wisdom. They should help us plan out what’s gonna be on the blueprint of our lives, not finish it by themselves, present it and expect us to follow without any questions.

But as per usual, I digress. TL:DR choose the track you want, you don’t owe anything to anyone.

Generally, Grade 11 will be the hardest year on you. It doesn’t care if you came terribly unprepared, if you haven’t slept a wink in eons or if the people you live with barely even know who you are anymore. It’s unforgiving and relentless in the pursuit of giving you the biggest ordeal of your life. Based on my personal experience, I reckon it’s due to the fact that our teachers stand by their decision to treat us as young adults, seeing as we’d be in first year college anyway if the K-to-12 program wasn’t a thing. When we were children, everything we needed to know about a certain topic would be put on a silver platter and handed over to us, usually in the form of photocopied sheets of old handouts. All we’d have to do is memorize whatever was on them and eventually ace the tests that usually came in multiple choice or matching type form.

But now, we’re in charge of making our own notes, deciphering cryptic explanations for a certain lesson and most of all, making our own creative output based on what we could be often inaccurate interpretations. Grade 11 gave big importance to the performance task, much to the dismay of everybody. Whether individual or by group, it was always half our grade and due way before any of us were ready to face the task at hand. It also required coming up with original ideas, or solutions to the most common problems and it’s either bland when working alone or chaotic when with classmates, because everyone wants to be heard when we’re actually fighting for metaphorical spots.

I didn’t feel it much during the first semester though, because I had the best schedule on campus. Classes ended at 2:30PM for me so I had plenty of time at my disposal. I could hang out with friends, have a chat with my mom and procrastinate (responsibly) before proceeding with my work and still be able to go to sleep before the clock struck ten. My subjects weren’t terrible as well. Yeah, not all of them were anchored in the very foundation of my track but I was able to get grades far better than I would have expected, so it’s all good. Here’s a briefer on each:

General Math

A solid 8/10, which is a big deal considering the fact that Math has never been my strong suit. First quarter covers topics I barely understood when they were discussed to me in Grades 9 and 10, namely functions (linear, quadratic, polynomial, The Problematic Trio aka rational, exponential and piecewise) and equalities and inequalities. Second quarter focuses on business math, weirdly enough when there’s an entirely different subject for that, but the lessons don’t overlap. Annuities, stocks and bonds, and loans were explained plus a little bit of logic towards the end.

The key to Math is a heck lot of practice. Practice, practice, practice. Even when you know the answers, or more preferably when there’s no key given. Answer every problem in the book on a separate sheet of paper, make up your own, explain the procedure of solving to yourself, help a friend out and refresh your memory simultaneously. Do it when you get home, or when you have a free period at school or you have no idea what else to do seeing as that’s the only way you’ll develop the skills needed to become a human calculator.

Business Math

A more practical Math subject: every single topic discussed was something that could be applied in real life and useful to us when we have careers. The first few weeks consisted of our reviewing our favorites: fractions, decimal and percentage, and ratio and proportion, so it evidently started on a good note. It later on proceeds to buying and selling, computation for salaries and wages then the presentation and analysis of business data in table and graph form.

Though the lessons here are undeniably easier than our previous Math subject, it still wouldn’t hurt to practice, especially if everything isn’t clear to you from the get go. If your teacher is anything like mine and thrives on class participation, recite as often as you can whether it’s to give a recap of yesterday’s lesson or show the solution on the board. Her personal favorites in our class were those who made it a point to raise their hands as often as possible.

Physical Science

A mix of the deadliest sciences mixed in one subject. Physics and chemistry, folks. Just as appealing as it sounds. If you like both of them, you’ll breeze past this, no sweat. But if you’re like me and you stopped paying attention in science class after the teacher was done discussing the body system, you’ll have a lot of catching up to do. Subject matter included motion, energy, chemical reactions, force and energy. Don’t be too excited that there are only five, because these took two semesters to properly shove in our craniums.

There’s no downtime in this subject, you have to hustle every single day or else you’ll fall behind while the work just keeps piling up. Read up on everything and do not leave out even a single detail: know which causes what, and why well enough to the point that you can recite it in your sleep. Memorize the formulas and most importantly, invest in a double liner calculator! It’s a bit pricey but spending the amount required is far better than having to enter multiple parentheses to work your way around an equation.  

Earth and Life Science

Personally the superior science for me, considering that the topics were genuinely interesting and made me gain a better understanding of how the world works. We studied the origin and structure of the earth and beyond, earth processes, natural hazards, bioenergetics, perpetuation of life, evolution, organ systems and interaction and interdependence.

The only downside for some is that many terms will be introduced throughout the course of this subject, and you’ll obviously be required to memorize them all and at the very least, identify their definitions. Making flash cards for each lesson would definitely come in handy, even if takes a while and could very well cramp your hand but there’s this app called Quizlet which basically serves the same purpose and is easily accessible in any device you download it on.

Oral Communication

I think I was the only one in class who actually enjoyed what was going on for the most part of Oral Com, since I enjoy talking to a crowd and writing. If the mere mention of that phrase alone gives you shivers down to your spine, I guess you’ll have a lot of mental and emotional preparation to do. Normally, this subject would heavily rely on application of learnings through exercises and presentations but there was still a bit of (unnecessary) discussion here and there on topics like public communication skills and communicative strategies.

Expect a lot of speaking in front of the classroom! Tasks will range from impromptu (no time to think beforehand), extemporaneous (short preparation time upon receiving the question) and prepared speaking. Groupwork is also high in number: the teacher will give you a situation (e.g. you’ll be selling a product, your house is on fire and you need to call the fire department, ya know… the usual [?]) and you’ll need to propose your solution in the most eloquent and spontaneous way possible. Which means no reading aloud of lines scribbled on your hand with a G-Tec.

Organization and Management

Basically an introduction to the world of business and thus an essential subject for my strand. Points discussed were the nature of management, the firm and its environment, environmental scanning (PEST and SWOT analysis) and the functions of a manager in detail (planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling).

This subject was very detail-heavy so as much as I was willing to learn, I couldn’t avoid being overwhelmed by the number of things we were trying to run through in around sixteen weeks. It also didn’t help that we didn’t have a book to refer to and had literal stacks of photocopied handouts to lug around instead. But I guess by now, your school has a textbook to provide you with and if not, there are some published by Rex Bookstore available in big branches of National Bookstore like in Quezon Avenue. The best thing to do to survive this subject is to read so you can understand all the concepts. Everything discussed is important and the quizzes and quarterly tests you’ll take will require not only what you think it means, but also how you’ll use it IRL

Understanding Culture, Society and Politics

Potentially one of your favorite subjects, if you’re given the right teacher, since it focuses on the intricacies of our lives as human beings. From the study of humans past and present and the complexity of our cultures (anthropology), we head on to the analysis of government systems and activity (political science) and the nitty-gritty of our development and functions in human society (sociology).

I didn’t have a problem with this step the lessons were comprehensible enough to grasp my attention but just make sure that you exert effort to understand everything! Because even though a chunk of the activities also include matching type, true or false or fill in the blanks, essays are a mainstay. Usually, they’re not based on facts too but on your own personal opinion and the teacher will be able to tell if you don’t have a particular stand or you do yet you fail to back it up with actual evidence, so be sure to find a basis for everything you say.

Unfortunately, all fun and games were over when the second semester rolled in. Our privileges were taken back and our schedule was reverted back to the usual 4:20PM. Thanks to the fact that my busmates never went straight to the bus upon dismissal and liked roaming around the campus, leaving our conductor to search for them like she was in some sort of treasure hunt, I went home at 6:00PM every day. To make matters worse, this just so happened to be the season when the research papers started rolling in, one by one, all poised and ready to kill us ever so slowly. Let me give you another quick recap:

Pagbasa at Pagsuri

Definitely not the kind of “Pagbasa” I was expecting, if I’m being frank. I thought we were going to be reading and analyzing contemporary Filipino literature, which excited me since my knowledge in that genre was close to non-existent. Turns out, we would be looking at different kinds of texts (informative, persuasive, analytical, etc) then finding out how to write them afterwards. There’s a chance you might not experience this unless we go to the same school, but our teacher invented the ADIDS method in order to help us learn this more effectively through application. I forgot what it stands for, but basically all you do is discuss each facet of a very broad topic thoroughly in the form of a well thought out class presentation.

Meanwhile, the research paper takes up one whole semester. Not to sound boastful, but I had thought that I would be able to do this with ease because all I ever do with my life is write I mean I practically came out of my mother’s womb with a pen and paper in hand and I speak more Filipino than English these days seeing as  I spend a bigger portion of my day in school. But, the finished product is often bland and makes use of the same words over and over in a failed attempt to accurately describe what I want to put on paper. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, the topic also had to be narrowed down repeatedly to suit a particular audience, from a specific place within a specific time frame so we ended up doing a research on the effects of Jason Derulo’s songs on the opinions of Grade 11 students from our school in the academic year 2016-2017. Please don’t laugh at us.

You also don’t just write the entire paper, but also be briefed on its parts, their functions and determine what sets them apart from each other, and the specifications in making each of them. Which includes stuff as minuscule as the measurement of the margins, font sizes and types to use et cetera. It’s not that hard though because as you’re working on the paper, you familiarize yourself even more.

Komunikasyon at Pananaliksik

The easiest one I took the entire semester, and for obvious reasons, my favorite. Our teacher was brilliant in the sense that he was well-versed in the subject matter and got work done yet let us watch Train to Busan or Seklusyon on the TV if the schedule permitted. The topics weren’t mind-boggling either: we just covered the history of the Filipino language and communicative skills (which further cemented my belief that this was basically the counterpart of Oral Com). They may be confusing at first but the key is to notice sentence patterns! The number of activities given to us was reasonable and not particularly stress-inducing: just quizzes that were few and far-between, a groupwork and reaction paper for a performance task.

Fundamentals of Accounting

A lot of people are intimidated by the idea of studying Accounting, and I’m not surprised. It’s always described as something that relies on analysis and numbers, two things that we normally don’t excel in at school. But it’s actually nothing to fuss about as long as you do your reading, understand the basic guidelines, practice at home and have a qualified teacher who has the proper training and skill set. The first few chapters don’t even involve computation of any kind yet. You’ll just be acquainted with the very foundation of the subject: the branches of accounting, the users of accounting information, the forms of business organizations and types of businesses. Maybe the most important lessons that you could pick up are the accounting equation (assets = liabilities + equity), types of major accounts and the generally accepted principles because they serve as the rules to follow for making your accounting-related decisions.

Eventually, you’ll make it to business transactions and their analysis, where you’ll be taking a trip around the whole accounting cycle. You’ll have to fill out a journal, ledger and unadjusted trial balance then adjust that trial balance using the adjusting entries normally provided to create your income statement, balance sheet, closing entries and the end goal, the post-closing trial balance. Sounds like a lot of work, but it’s seriously not that difficult if you do your homework! It’s also best to invest in an actual journal and worksheet, instead of solving on sheets of yellow pad that can easily be misplaced.

Statistics and Probability

Stat was weird for me in the sense that our lessons were generally ambiguous unlike what their names insinuated and I seemed to understand everything while it was being discussed but the minute I got home to work on assignments, I found myself staring at a wall until a friend who actually knows what to do goes online on Messenger. Later on, I found out it was because I needed to practice on my own to be familiar with the procedure instead of trying to memorize all the steps when it depends on the type of problem. We covered random variables, probability distributions, normal distributions, sampling, estimation of parameters and hypothesis testing (which was actually quite fun).

If you’re not keeping up to speed with everyone else, please do work on it as early as possible. The lessons here are somewhat connected to each other so if you failed to catch the drift on one of them, it’ll create a chain reaction and by the last topic, you’ll have zero knowledge of how to solve anything. Ask help, preferably from your teacher because not only do they explain it most accurately but it helps them see your initiative to do better, which they take into consideration when computing for your final grade. Do not settle for the exercises found on the book. Make your own, if you’re in the mood to cramp your hand, or turn to websites like The Oxford Math Center for useful worksheets with answer keys.

Contemporary Art

The very bane of my existence. The perfect way to sum up this subject in six words. Art was never my strength, anyone who knows me is aware that I can’t draw to save my life, but it didn’t really have much of a dent on my report card since it happened to be a minor subject. But thanks to the implementation of the new curriculum, it is given a new sense of purpose as a core subject with a weight of O N E. We had dealt with the different periods of Philippine art extensively, the National Artists of the country and different contemporary art forms such as film and the oddly interesting performance art. (Trigger warning for some graphic content though, so do be careful when searching these up!)

Activities ranged from making presentations similar in format to those in Pagbasa at Pagsuri, creating manifestos for the Philippine youth in relation to their role in the art world, holding a class exhibit to display the work you’ve made and my favorite: going on a fieldwork to hunt for contemporary art in the city. All this will lead to the culminating activity: the creation of your very own output, where anything is possible and depends solely on the one calling the shots.

This art class is no longer focusing solely on the physical aspects of a certain work, but also on what it actually means and what its relevance to society actually is. So, a good tip would be to always look at the bigger picture when given something to analyze! It’s hard at first, I admit I didn’t have much to say during the first few meetings but as the floor is opened to more interpretation and intellectual discussion, you’ll get the hang of it and instinctively feel the need to join in.

** We are about to dive in a zone that is fittingly named The Deadly Trio. ** Actually, if these were stand-alone subjects, I’d be fine but the fact that there are three of them in one semester when they’re basically discussing the same things and giving the same ridiculous amount of take home work was enough to drive me up the wall.

Practical Research

As implied by the very name of this subject, the main focus would be the creation of a qualitative practical research paper throughout the entirety of the semester. Discussions here were very minimal, as the teacher thankfully wanted us to focus on getting as much work done in the classroom as possible. I slacked off moderately during her period instead of lessening what I’d have to do at home, and in the end I ultimately suffered. But anyway, topics discussed include the importance of qualitative research, finding a good topic and sources to build it up, reviewing different types of literature, understanding and collecting data and further analyzing it to later on be able to report our findings.

One another thing to look forward to (not in a good way) is the dreaded thesis defense, where your paper will be dissected and closely examined for any possible shortcomings and held against you in front of a panel. It doesn’t always have to be the bane of your existence: as long as you contributed to the making of the project, you’ll know enough that you won’t be humiliated the minute you open your mouth.

A tip to take into consideration is to choose the right groupmates. Unless teachers pre-determine who you end up working with for two straight quarters (in that case, you’ll just have to learn how to accept your fate, whether it is for better or for worse), as much as possible, go for those who are responsible and actually care about their grades. It’s never fun to work with people who send you a montage of copy-pasted statements from Wikipedia pages and pass it off as their “contribution”, go offline Messenger the minute you even think about asking for help and think that printing the paper is a valuable addition to the team.

Reading and Writing

Contrary to what I initially thought, this was not the counterpart of Pagbasa at Pagsuri in the English language and I was thankful in a way because God knows the pain that inflicted upon me. The first quarter starts off quite easy, with critical thinking, fundamental reading skills, selecting and organizing information and critical reading skills. It may sound like a mouthful, but most of these are stuff you’ve picked up long before, without the assistance of a teacher! Some people may find patterns of development a hard topic, but if you read books, I guess identifying them just comes natural to you.

The latter part of this subject is where the ugly stuff goes in. I personally felt deceived into thinking that it would be as simple as our first lessons: identifying and writing the thesis statement and topic statement then it suddenly escalates and turns into SO MUCH ACADEMIC WRITING. When I saw that we were going to be making book reports and article critiques, I shelled out some of my favorite fictional reads and Man Repeller stories of the month only to find out that we’d be reviewing serious, educational material with very specific and strict guidelines to follow to make it as formal and cohesive (and basically not fun) as possible. Research reports, project proposals and position papers will also be in the works at some point: they are very structured and usually have to revolve around topics that are related to your strand, so there is a chance you may find it boring.

English for Academic and Professional Purposes

When I saw I had this for a subject, I was actually glad at first since English has always been my forte. So I was anticipating a repeat tutorial on all parts of speech and the basics of the subject-verb agreement when in reality, all I got was a dupe of Reading and Writing. Which is why, I had no idea why we had to take up both of them during the same semester.

Besides all subjects that required the submission of a research paper as some sort of culmination, this was the most demanding in terms of written output. During the first quarter, it’s still permissible to chill as you’re only going through reading and writing different types of academic texts (does this sound familiar to any of you?) but as the next one rolls along, BOOM. Reaction paper. Reflection paper. (Yes, there is a difference.) Concept paper. ANOTHER position paper. Report.

Now, if you’re already thinking about how you’re going to make it through when your writing is as lifeless and flat as can be (e.g. It is a sunny day, I ate an apple, I need to pee), don’t sweat it. That is exactly what your EAPP teacher will be looking for anyway. Academic texts do not require flowery writing that went through EDSA traffic before getting to the point (which was obviously an inconvenience for me): nobody cares about your opinion unless they say so and even if they do, they’ll probably require a sentence limit.

 Well, that’s a wrap! I spent approximately twelve hours working on this post: one of which was spent on the Kitkat bench in Landmark trying to find a catchy way to start it off, and my eyes hurt and I may be suffering from carpal tunnel but all of that means nothing as long as I’ve been able to guide one hopeless soul out of the dark. I’ll be back with much lighter content very soon if I can factory reset my head and get it to work properly again.

 Stay in school, kids!

Angel

[mithoen]

A HATOFUL AU MASTERPOST

because who Doesn’t want more bird fuckery

legit all of these were collabs between myself and @sproson-ya wouldn’t ya know

,,,,it occurred to me while writing this that it is very Shuu-centric. Hm.

HATOFUL BOYFRIEND IS WHAT IT IS: GRIM, BLOODY, A HORRIBLY FEATHERY MESS

THE USUAL WARNINGS APPLY: MENTIONS OF BLOOD, DEATH, TRAUMA, KNIVES, SEX, FIRE, SICKNESS, SWEARING (most of that is on my part)

ALSO SPOILERS. SO MANY FUCKING SPOILERS, GUYS.

READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.

Redverse AU: Vincent and I’s brainchild. This is the big bad, the main boss, the ‘good god what have we done to these poor birdies’ verse. Shuu/Hitori focused with lots of fluffy Tohri/Kazuaki on the side. Also includes Ryouta/Sakuya and Yuuya/Hiyoko.

Nageki Fujishiro dies in a fire in a certain medical centre, his body completely destroyed. Left with no way to fulfil his dead mentor’s final wish, Souma Isa grows desperate and goes to the only person he can think of to manipulate and keep him looked after - Hitori Uzune. Through a combination of outright lies and using the quail’s mourning over his dead brother against him, Souma manages to convince the other to let him stay in the apartment Hitori had once shared with Nageki.

Joined by their next-door neighbours Kazuaki Nanaki (an old friend of Hitori’s who knew Nageki well) and Tohri Nishikikouji (working part-time at the same school Hitori was working at, as well as having history with Souma) the four are a strange quartet of not-quite friendship and awkward feelings, especially when Souma realises he might be falling in love with Hitori and visa-versa. This is not helped by Tohri and Kazuaki, who begin dating around the same time and even move in together.

Knowing that he cannot enter a relationship with Hitori with the knowledge that the cause of Nageki’s death was at Souma’s hands weighing on his shoulders - rather than the lies Hitori had been told depicting Souma’s innocence - Souma tells his housemate the whole truth.

Hitori does not take it well (which is to be expected) and kicks Souma out, leaving the partridge no choice but to swap rooms with Kazuaki next door. After a month of witnessing Souma sink into a deep depression and struggling with his own unrequited feelings for the partridge, Tohri makes the mistake of letting Souma convince him to have sex with the other. Two days later, Souma is gone.

3 years later and Hitori, Tohri and Kazuaki have moved closer to St. Pigeonations, where the three of them will be teaching together as Maths, Science and Japanese professors respectively. During their first week, they meet Shuu Iwamine - a familiar-faced chukar partridge, who’s medical work had become world-renowned in a very short amount of time. Though it’s obvious who he really is, Hitori is content to ignore it - and life carries on.

There’s more but I can’t be bothered to write it. Just trust me when I say everything ends up alright in the end - Hitori and Shuu get married, they adopt M&K + Ryouta; Kazoo and Tohri adopt their own kid (an OC). Things are okay. I’ll probably end up making a separate post for this AU at some point anyway.

REDVERSE OFFSHOOTS:

Saved AU - Instead of letting Nageki die in the fire, Souma saves his life. It’s basically Redverse except Nageki’s alive, so things turn out a Little differently but not by much. The same pairings apply except now with added Anghel/Nageki.

(OC FOCUSED) Reality TV Show AU: Red Edition - It’s the Reality TV Show AU, except it exists in Redverse instead of Canonverse. Scroll down for more.

Hanahaki Disease AU - Okay but what if people just fucking coughed up flowers, guys. What if the flowers represented unrequited love and were different types depending on who you were in love with. What if Redverse happened except This existed and so it’s easier to tell who’s in love with who, if you’re good at deciphering flowers. FLOWER SYMBOLISM, GUYS. This isn’t restricted to Redverse, it can be combined with other AUs.

Prankster AU: Imagine Happyverse. Now think about Shuu. Imagine Shuu as a not-necessarily-bad-guy who in reality only likes to prank people a lot. He still acts like a cockbag, but he Isn’t. That’s what this is. Ever wanted the St. Pigeonations faculty to have a prank war? Look no further. The kids are involved. Nobody is spared from a water-balloon to the face. This is a Pure Universe.

Soul Eater AU: Don’t even fucking look at me; just keep scrolling. This one needs it’s own post. All you need to know right now is Asshole!Ryuuji exists and he is one shitty motherfucker.

Roleswap AU - Hitori & Shuu Edition: Basically exactly what it sounds like - Hitori and Shuu swap roles, but they keep their individual personality traits and while some events do not change, others do. Pairings include Hitori/Ryuuji (onesided) and Shuu/Kazuaki.

Souma Isa is the eldest sibling to the Hatoful House orphans; his parents killed in an explosion that scarred him for life, partially paralysed him and left him colourblind. Hitori Uzune is the youngest member of the Hawk Party Life Science Research division (LiSciRe for short) and is a kindhearted, hardworking boy loved by all his elders. However, when Ryuuji Kawara dies, something in Hitori breaks and he vows to finish what his mentor started, haunted by a shadow in his heart - the shadow of Ryuuji. 

When the rest of the Hatoful House orphans are killed in a human terrorist attack, Souma and his one remaining sibling - Nageki Fujishiro - are forced to move away. But Nageki’s heath is failing and, in a desperate bid to keep his brother alive, Souma accepts one Hitori Uzune’s offer to fix Nageki. The boy kills himself in a fire and his spirit becomes bound to Souma, determined to make sure his brother does not fall down a dark path.

Despite his slowly failing sanity, Souma is spurred on by his dead brother and finds friendship in a depressed quail by the name of Kazuaki Nanaki. The two grow close over a short amount of time, desperate for the companionship.

However, Hitori needs a new identity - Souma is slowly hunting the quail down, determined to exact revenge for his brother and Hitori doesn’t fancy the idea of becoming Christmas dinner - and Souma’s (unwillingly) provided him with the perfect cover.

Souma spends only a weekend away from Kazuaki; but a weekend is all Hitori needs. When the partridge returns, his friend is nowhere to be found.

Changing his name for fear of his own life at Hitori’s hands, Souma Isa becomes Shuu Iwamine and takes a job as a maths professor at the foremost avian school in the world; St. Pigeonations Academy. There he meets Kazuaki Nanaki for a second time - but he is no longer the man Shuu remembers.

The real Kazuaki is dead.

(OC FOCUSED) Reality TV Show AU: You all know what a reality TV show is. A camera-crew follows you around and records basically everything that happens in your daily life. Imagine that, except it’s the lives of our favourite birdie boyfriends being recorded as they go about their school day. Takes place in canon.

Beniko Segura comes from a family of talented parrots and he is desperate to prove his own worth in the modern day world. Taking on the TV Industry headfirst, he decides to create his own show based around St. Pigeonations Academy; world famous for producing some of the best results from students this decade! 

Assisted by his exasperated but loyal cameraman, Jun Sasaki, the two make it their goal to follow the lives of the most interesting people in school - and, subsequently, get themselves caught up in the talons of a certain doctor when Beni starts poking his nose where it doesn’t belong.

THE OCS:

Beniko Segura - A flashy parrot man who’s made it his goal in life to be just as successful as the rest of his family; constantly overshadowed by his elder twin siblings. In reality, he’s a failure at everything he does and all his shows so far have been flops. Though he’d do better for himself if he slowed down a little and realised he doesn’t need to be the best for people to admire him (COUGHjunCOUGH), the man is unfortunately too thickheaded to see it. Overall a positive, upbeat bird who’d make friends more easily if he wasn’t so loud, abrasive and melodramatic.

Jun Sasaki - A nondescript, everyday generic pigeon who managed to get a job as a cameraman through lots of back-channels and favours in... Interesting places. Spends a lot of his spare time fighting in illegal underground boxing rings and is well known for his winning steak - though you wouldn’t guess it, looking at him. Small but well built, he’s the perfect man for his job and enjoys it a lot. Though he complains to others over being fed up of having to practically babysit his boss in reality he quite likes Beni, perhaps more than he should do considering their relationship is work-only. He’s polite, but fairly anti-social and very much a realist.

Soft Gore AU: Isn’t Sweet!Shuu just a great bird, guys? He’s so nice and definitely not a murderer- oh, wait, yeah he is; at least in this AU. Based around the idea of Shuu being outwardly kind and nice, but still being an asshole serial killer. Potentially worse than Canon!Shuu - he took out Tohri’s eye and made the other eat it, so. It’s called soft gore for a reason.

Ageswap AU: WE ALL ALREADY KNOW WHAT THIS ONE IS. MOVE ALONG.

Haunted AU: What if Hitori had died in the Hatoful House incident? What if Nageki had been discovered by Hawk Party agents and placed under Souma’s authority as a lab guinea pig? What if Hitori was a ghost, haunting his brother and watching over him? What if Souma discovered the Charon Virus, but he’d become too attached to Nageki to harness it properly? What if he took Nageki and went on the run with the boy, desperate to protect him? WHAT IF TOHRI WAS EVIL??

Threesome AU: Obviously the only logical thing to do when you hate your local school doctor is fuck his brains out - it releases stress, after all! Don’t worry, Nanaki and Yuuya make sure they take turns. At least they love each other, if not poor Shuu. He likes it rough, though.  A fun AU where everything is basically PwP - kink your hearts out. Blood and knives are, of course, welcome. Polyam Nanaki/Shuu/Yuuya is the focus here.

Domestic AU: Unless your thing is more plain old NanaIwa! I’m not complaining, I love me some good old Hate Husbands. There’s not much to say about this one aside from the fact that it’s post BBL - Nanaki and Shuu living together in uncomfortable cooperation while Shuu gets his legs back, treating each other cruelly and having hatesex all the while. The two do eventually end up falling in love after Shuu gets out of the wheelchair, however. Can potentially be combined with the Threesome AU for that polyam goodness.

Soulmate AU: THIS ONE ALSO NEEDS ITS OWN POST??? HONESTLY???? But to summarise, it’s a Happyverse-like AU where soulmates can feel each other’s emotions separate to their own (depending on the strength of the emotion can cause physical reactions between soulmates) - and the characters don’t necessarily need to be in a romantic relationship, either. Can be combined with other AU’s as well which tends to create interesting dynamics.

Evil Dads AU: Remember a few paragraphs ago where I mentioned ‘asshole!Ryuuji’? Imagine Happyverse, except now Ryuuji’s evil. And so is Tohri. And so is Shuu. And so is Ryouta. And they’re all one big happy evil family! Basically Ryouta’s being trained by his Dad and Co to be a Hawk Party agent, all the while living out his usual canon lifestyle - spending time with Hiyoko, crossdressing, making friends. Tohri/Shuu is a thing, but it isn’t the focus.

I’LL ADD MORE LATERRRRRRR

[foodoliplife]

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The secret is to find rid of the exponents, we should take radicals of both sides, and to remove radicals, we must raise each side of the equation to that power. As soon as your child grasps the idea of exponents, square roots and cube roots are going to be a great deal simpler to comprehend. This stuff are the vital elements of exponents square roots. There are a lot of simple exponent rules which make solving the problems on such exponents https://sunday.deals/2019/11/07/whos-talking-about-genetics-biology-and-why-you-should-be-concerned/ worksheets easier. There are, clearly, different strategies to acquire exponents.

Then you select the biggest factor that could be seen in each number. All we should do is carefully place the number values onto the Diagram. As numbers get larger it can be a little bit more troublesome to get the roots, therefore it is crucial to determine common factors of the number. In reality, a number is thought to be a square number only as long as it’s possible to arrange that range of points in a square. Use divisibility rules to determine if it is a factor of another number. Another his explanation number, known as the exponent, determines how often the base is multiplied by itself.

As you’re downloading them, you could also like to have a look at the Magic Hexagon Worksheet Generator elsewhere on this website. After you stop by the A version, you are going to be able to find any other versions which exist. Likewise if you use software, videos and web pages you might need to go right to the portion covering topics you will need to review. See one in addition to a URL to his site at the base of this page.

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If you take advantage of a prohibited calculator, you are going to be dismissed and your answer document isn’t going to be scored. Use this Google Search to locate what you require. In case you have time, return and check your answers. And don’t forget there are lots of strategies to reach exactly the same answers! It is also called the difference.

The target is for your kid to master algebra and remain engaged in math, not to push through the curriculum quickly just to have it royalessays.co.uk done. Now, we realize this won’t get the job done for every linear equation as it is difficult to have negative jelly beans, but it’s another teaching strategy that you may use for algebra. There is plenty of totally free math worksheets on the internet that are simple to print and hand out. Algebra is considerably more interesting when things are somewhat more real. Quadratic and greater degree polynomial algebra is utilized extensively within this course. Solve the math issues and use the answers to fill out the crossword puzzles.

See student placement to see whether you want to take the MPE. Just note there are other practice tests at this site. Logic and the formal proof procedure will be a big part of the program. White space can be helpful, though, for greater legibility whilst authoring. No outside calculators, websites or other assistance ought to be used so that you’re placed into the appropriate learning module.

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Here is the way you might accomplish that. It works well in case you have 625 56 because you can find out 50 from 625. I find it beneficial to begin visually. I think it’s going to be great!

Additionally, these books are suggested for reviewing these foundational topics to boost readiness for a very first quarter calculus training course. Students who earn the suitable score should enroll in a math course during this one-year time period. Generally, we’ve got the next property, which is occasionally referred to as the division property. No registration is necessary for the ALEKS assessment. Determine the quantity of time that has passed.

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It’s possible to even utilize it like a brain break. There are 2 strategies to consider division. Understanding how to calculate proportions is an fundamental part of our day-to-day lives!

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This is a bit weird, but it’s just something you’re going to want to remember. I would just like to know where everyone is so I can keep an eye on their progress. Learn the latest pictures of Mathaide here, and also you can get the picture here simply. Probably the best method to illustrate this is by way of a good example.

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The digital world here at Math Blaster is full of an assortment of cool math games for children. It is a simple and intriguing worksheet for kids. Games help your son or daughter take pleasure in the learning procedure. Most of us want our children to succeed in math. The kids are going to apply the fundamental operation abilities and locate the square root of each digit.

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When I’m done, the students should put their score at the peak of the sheet and circle it. The expression also indicates the length of this segment. It will help to have a chart for those roots which is precisely why we include the charts in the worksheets above. Use frames and arrows activities to develop logical thinking abilities.

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In the event the coefficients contain absolutely free identifiers, poly doesn’t replace these identifiers with their values. The poly function doesn’t require an expanded type of the expression f. When writing an expression containing radicals, it’s proper form to place the radical at the conclusion of the expression. Sometimes a single method is much better than another, and in some instances, the symmetric property of equality is also beneficial. There are several geometric terms!

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In this instance, each part does not need to be the identical size. This lets you tap into the potential offered by a personalized trade show exhibit without making the exact financial commitment. The kids are going to learn to compute the root of each given number within this worksheet. The key point to remember is that every piece has to be of the exact same size as every other piece.

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This is an internet calculator for exponents. Both of these printable exponent worksheets can aid a child visualize the words that we use to chat about the cube roots. It’s possible for you to find topics which range from counting to multiplication. The bases are the very same, hence the exponents are subtracted. You may even need to deal with negative fractional exponents. In exponents we’ll find out more about exponents and their uses.

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I understand some of you are scared to death at the idea of needing to take a math test of any type. There are 2 strategies to consider division. Fresh air is very good for everybody.

Those questions may be answered in this informative article. My students have found the simple detailed instructions, and the explanations on the way the formula works to be a fantastic help. It’s important to set up the norm I will read the answers exactly once. In case the answer is no, then 24 isn’t a multiple of 5. In this case, it is 5.

STEM projects are sometimes a good way for children to love math (and science). There are 8 those who like all 3 varieties of music. There are many approaches to differentiate a math lesson. Reciprocals arrive in pairs. There is an excellent number of games like pirates, crocodiles, memory challenges and a lot more. There are some unique websites I have found to be somewhat useful and somewhat cute!!

An all-inclusive course description can be found at the College Board web website. It’s possible to pay a visit to each URL to play them with your little one. Generally, we’ve got the next property, which is occasionally referred to as the division property. No registration is necessary for the ALEKS assessment. The genuine time and number of questions will fluctuate based on the student.

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When I’m done, the students should put their score at the peak of the sheet and circle it. In case you have any ideas or suggestions for different games involving exponents, be certain to get in touch with us. Nonetheless, we are aware that a parabola will always have one bend, and a line won’t ever have any. Simply take a look around and see what you could find for your grade level.

Completion of the very first assessment opens learning modules tailored to every student. I generally use a very easy spreadsheet for this goal. I absolutely adore this computer software! It focuses on a conceptual overview of differential calculus with a strong emphasis on the concept of the limit and how it relates to the development of differentiation and integration. Subject material for those examinations and sample questions are offered at the Educational Resource Center site.

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A square root is understood to be a number which when multiplied by itself gives a true non-negative number referred to as a square. The final step is to divide the loose jelly beans on a single side of the equation in the very same number of groups since there are bags. The worth of each digit depends upon its place or position. The key point to remember is that every piece has to be of the exact same size as every other piece.

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If you decide to allow non-perfect squares, the reply is typically an unending decimal that’s rounded to a specific number of digits. All we should do is carefully place the number values onto the Diagram. Specifically, an empty list leads to the zero polynomial. In reality, a number is thought to be a square number only as long as it’s possible to arrange that range of points in a square. All numbers which are not rational are deemed irrational. There’s no wonderful neat number that squares to 3, so can’t be simplified as a wonderful whole number.

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If you don’t pass the ELM, you’re expected to enroll in remedial math coursework your very first semester. Sometimes the generated worksheet isn’t precisely what you desire. There is plenty of totally free math worksheets on the internet that are simple to print and hand out. Algebra is considerably more interesting when things are somewhat more real. Add to locate the perimeters of polygons on such worksheets. Collaborate with different teachers to increase your math instruction abilities.

We can discover the number of men and women who like all 3 kinds of music, by heading to the centre of our diagram, where all 3 circles overlap. It is possible to also visit our subsequent web pages on various stuff in math. You will not locate it in your text, and your teachers and tutors won’t have a idea what you’re speaking about in the event you mention it to them. Also, in the majority of math books, the odd answers are observed in the rear of the book. Permit them to discover what works and experience setbacks on the way.

In addition, this domain permits you to use exclusive coefficient rings that can’t be represented by expressions. So a reversal of base formula can be helpful. Let’s move on to expressions which are a little more complex. These functions are supplied by this module. So that the entire value isn’t altered. F.O.I.L. Method A method utilized for multiplying binomials where the very first stipulations, the outside stipulations, the inside provisions, and then the very last terms are multiplied.

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The remaining part of the page covers some of the primary topics you’ll encounter in algebra units. As a consequence, HTML math utilizes the ISO entity names for symbols as opposed to the TeX names. Likewise if you use software, videos and web pages you might need to go right to the portion covering topics you will need to review. Choose an answer for each product.

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Put simply, to discover the cube root of 8, you need to locate the number that when multiplied by itself twice offers you 8. That huge square includes 9 small squares. The volume of any right, uniform shape is simple to compute, so it doesn’t have to be memorized. Identical in respect to size and shape.

See student placement to see whether you want to take the MPE. Just note there are other practice tests at this site. This Learning Framework can readily be modified dependent on your corequisite course’s implementation requirements. White space can be helpful, though, for greater legibility whilst authoring. On our site you will discover a number of completely free step-by-step math calculators.

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Exponential notation is a simpler approach to compose a number for a product of several things. The poly function doesn’t require an expanded type of the expression f. When writing an expression containing radicals, it’s proper form to place the radical at the conclusion of the expression. If this isn’t confusing enough, in addition, there are cases where 00 yields an undefined outcome. There are several geometric terms!

Here is the way you might accomplish that. It works well in case you have 625 56 because you can find out 50 from 625. I find it beneficial to begin visually. Congruent Exactly the exact same.

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This may be proved in the next way. It is possible to also visit our subsequent web pages on various stuff in math. You will not locate it in your text, and your teachers and tutors won’t have a idea what you’re speaking about in the event you mention it to them. If you don’t know the answer, you need to make an educated guess. Permit them to discover what works and experience setbacks on the way.

Additionally, these books are suggested for reviewing these foundational topics to boost readiness for a very first quarter calculus training course. Students who earn the suitable score should enroll in a math course during this one-year time period. For the other courses, please check the schedule below to observe whenever someone will be available to aid you. There are lots of places where you will find grade level appropriate math tasks. Determine the quantity of time that has passed.

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When multiplying two exponents with the exact base, the outcome is just like a term with base and an new exponent created with the addition of the 2 exponents in the conditions of the issue. Therefore, the fractional notation is truly preferred in higher mathematics, even though the root symbol is still used occasionally, particularly for square roots. The following are a few rules of exponents. You must think about whenever the negative number is insidethe exponent and once it’s not. They have a few rules that we can use for simplifying expressions.

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I understand some of you are scared to death at the idea of needing to take a math test of any type. You may choose to keep these two in mind, for the reason that they are generally utilized. It is irrelevant which convention is adopted, provided that everyone follows it.

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We now just need to work out Dogs Only. This rule is known as the Power of Power Rule. Inside this math word search game try to recognize the words in the proper column.

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If you don’t pass the ELM, you’re expected to enroll in remedial math coursework your very first semester. In case you end up struggling with SAT Math, know that you always have the option to reach out for aid! There is plenty of totally free math worksheets on the internet that are simple to print and hand out. Or maybe you might attempt to generalize the mathematics you’ve just learned and apply it to a broader selection of problems, or connect it with different mathematics with which you’re already familiar. Add to locate the perimeters of polygons on such worksheets. Substitute a math task rather than a worksheet.

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If you would like to discover the GCF or HCF of a couple numbers, you first find all the potential factors of each number. Coefficient A number which is put before a variable. Exponential notation makes it simpler to compose a number for a factor repeatedly. It is also known as power notation.

What a wonderful step-by-step explanations. I’ve used this strategy previously and have observed much success. In the event the answer is no, then 2 isn’t a factor of 25. We would begin by estimating the answer.

What Are Math Exponents – the Conspiracy

The digital world here at Math Blaster is full of an assortment of cool math games for children. This is where you are able to really see if students grasp the idea. It’s always enjoyable to make something in math class that you would usually do in kindergarten!! Most of us want our children to succeed in math. The kids are going to apply the fundamental operation abilities and locate the square root of each digit.

Drawing angles is easy-peasy once you own a protractor, but it is also feasible to draw angles without one. The outcomes of this Pretest may provide you an overall idea of your true placement effects. It will help to have a chart for those roots which is precisely why we include the charts in the worksheets above. Use frames and arrows activities to develop logical thinking abilities.

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[collegeapphelp-com]

19 College Application Tips

hey I'm Ethan Sawyer the college essay guy and in this video I'm going to share with you a ton of practical college application tips including how do you even know what goes into your application I'm gonna share with you two brainstorming exercises that are really effective I'm gonna save you a ton of time I'll also help you figure out how do you even figure out which schools to apply to also why should you not waste time talking about bad grades in your personal statement then I'll share five things that you should definitely put in your application if they are true for you and finally I'll give you some interview tips because I used to interview from my alma mater Northwestern a hashtag go cats let's do it first you'll save a ton of time if you use these two brainstorming exercises the first one is called the everything I want colleges to know about me exercise and it's just like it sounds so you basically take a blank sheet of paper and you basically fill it with everything you want the college to know about you maybe you were like a legit ping-pong champion when you were you know in ninth grade or something or maybe it's like theater is my life put everything you can think of on your everything I want colleges to know about me list go to your local coffee shop spend some time with your friends your family like thirty minutes just filling that paper you can draw write anything you like the second one's the twenty one details and this exercise is a little bit lighter it's not as college focused but it's really poking in like the nooks and crannies of the things you're interested in like weird facts about yourself I always drive with two feet like not a lot of people know this about me and I don't know it's like a random thing the second thing would be I traveled around a bunch as a kid I went to like ten different countries by the time I was four so build a paper with all of these 21 details don't overthink these just spend like half an hour filling the paper with everything you can think of okay once you get to 21 you're gonna start to get in some interesting stuff the first five or six might be kind of boring keep going keep going keep going you might be surprised at how these could lead to either personal statement or supplemental essay topics number two use college express comm to start developing your college list why should you use college express comm because I got a friend his name Steven Antonov he wrote a book called the college finder he's not just my friend he's somebody like I super look up to and he wrote this book that basically has lists of different schools so in this book you can find things like colleges most like Hogwarts or like schools that are great for engineering and he took all these lists and he put them in College Express comm or at least he allowed them to and don't worry he told said that I can tell you that all these lists are searchable and free so if you're like you know a B student and you're trying to find like a hidden gem type in hidden gems for B students okay if you prefer books with actual paper I totally recommend the college finder if not you can find them all online and if you checked out course avec on out course ah that's gonna help you figure out what you're looking for in a particular school it's free and it takes less than ten minutes all right here are three questions to ask when it comes to deciding if you want to apply early decision aka Edie which is a binding decision or Regular Decision aka Rd which is a non-binding decision number one if you got in would you definitely definitely attend this school no matter what related to that number two can you definitely afford to attend this school because if you get in your parents are gonna get a bill for the tuition and if they can afford that it's like man number three will Eadie actually help your admission chances there's a lot of debate about whether applying early helps or not the answer is it depends on the school and get this there's an Excel spreadsheet that actually has all of the early decision and all of the Regular Decision acceptance rates like next to each other and what percentage of students were accepted early and Regular Decision it's another great tool when it comes to trying to make this decision next how do you use that additional information section which is basically that blank space on your common app that's like what else do you want to say now you don't have to use this section but if you choose to use it here are some things you could put in there first you could expand a little bit on one of the activities in your activities list that you didn't get a chance to explain in your activities list description so let's say for example your second activity is let's say Model United Nations and you've spent a ton of time doing it you're the one who founded the chapter your school for example and you've won a bunch of awards that didn't fit into your awards section you could expand on that very briefly in bullet points in your additional information section you can also explain their significant health issues like for example if you had to take a quarter off or maybe you had to take a couple weeks off and that affected your grades you can just put like a quick description in your additional info section also if you've got grades that were like that might raise a red flag you can explain those there finally if you switch schools you can just explain that briefly in like one to two sentences and your additional info you don't need to put that or any of these other things in your personal statement unless these things like really weave in in a really clear way to the story that you're already now having said all that I want to be careful that what you're hearing from this is not okay now just put like a ton of random stuff in your additional info section please do not do that in fact here's some things that you shouldn't put in your additional info section anything that shows that you're like obsessed with grades like maybe you got a B+ in chemistry and you're like huh is they gonna like judge me cuz I got a beep no just just leave it out finally you don't need to put a resume that's basically like a copy and paste version of your activities list your activities list is there for a reason it's your brag sheet it's gonna show them all the things you've done be confident and do a great job there and if you haven't then maybe work on your activities list but don't just put the same information twice here are five things you should definitely include if they're true for you number one if you come from a single-parent household a low-income family or a family where that income whatever the income is has a lot of folks depending on it also if the language that's normally spoken in your home is other than English or if you are the first generation in your family to attend college work this into your application or your essays somewhere now if you can work these into your personal statement if it feels relevant to your main story great if you feels relevant to a supplemental essay great otherwise just make sure these end up in your applications somewhere next recommendation letters here are my recommendations first of all you're gonna need somebody who teaches a core subject at least one person so that's English math science something like that next you're gonna want to find somebody who is taught you recently so that's within the last year or two you don't want to go back to middle school and be like hey coach I need you for this one third you're gonna want to find somebody who knows you well and likes you when it comes to asking somebody for a recommendation letter ask them this question would you feel comfortable writing me a strong recommendation letter because asking it in that way gives the person an out if they need it for lgbtq+ students check out campus pride calm or you'll find a ton of resources from like a scholarship database to an individual action plan for queer college seekers check it out it's such a great resource all right let's talk interviews so first of all you're gonna figure out how much the college actually cares about the interview because some schools care a lot and some schools less oh how do you figure this out google the name of the school plus the words common data set scroll down to section c7 and that you'll get us list of factors if the college considers important and they'll have a check box around interview if they care a lot then definite prep for your interview if they don't care so much maybe you don't need an interview next how do you prepare prepare something that's called a message box which is basically three things that you know you want to talk about no matter what question you're asked so say you're asked the question like what are you reading right now you might be like hmm I'm reading this book called mountains but don't go hmm you might say for example like mountains beyond mountains and they might Billy say okay tell me about it just like yeah what's interesting about this book is that it's having me like rethink health care and in fact it's having me rethink this this trip that I took a sophomore year where we went overseas and we lived in Puerto Rico for a while and you see what I'm doing I wanted to talk about the Puerto Rico thing and I'm finding the connection of the book or maybe it's like what'd you have for breakfast this morning and you might you get what I'm saying here next write a why US essay now these those essays that colleges basically are asking you why do you want to attend our school why do you write this obviously so when they ask you so why are you interested in our school you're gonna have all these reasons like bullet point in your mind because you spent some time researching and thinking about it next make sure you come up with like a really good question or maybe two or three questions for your interviewer so when they ask you hey what questions do you have for me you're not gonna be like I was at my Yale interview for grad school when they're like hey what questions you have and I'm like not pretty good feeling feeling great they're like thank you so much next having great questions especially like a personal question that's not too personal that's something like so what's something that you wish you'd done at school or what's an opportunity you feel like you missed out on and not so personal like hey what drugs did you do like we were like hey what's something that you really deeply regret in your life so not that personal but personal enough that you're able to like establish a human connection with this person across from you just for a second imagine that this person is not an interviewer they're just someone of another human being who's sitting across from you and just get curious about their lives and their experiences it's a great way to establish a connection and potentially have them leave that situation for they like oh that's a pretty cool kid okay so some schools track this thing called demonstrated interest and other schools don't demonstrated interest is basically the school keeping track of like how much you've been interested in them and they track things everything from like did you open their emails to did you click on something in the email - did you then spend some time on the website or have you attended the school like you know then on the college visit or have you attended a college fair and met one of the reps they're tracking this in a lot of different ways but don't freak out not every school is tracking this and not every school uses demonstrated interest when it comes to deciding who they accept how do you figure it out again google the name of the school plus common data set and then scroll down to section c7 and look for where it says level of students interest if it says that it's important then they do track demonstrated interest if not not so much and by the way the Ivy's totally don't track it in order the University of California schools so don't even worry about it with them okay so did you know you can ask for more money I did and I got more money here's what happens when you get in you'll get this financial aid award letter and if the number at the bottom which is to say how much money that you need to pay in order to go there is like not gonna work out for you which is to say like you're not gonna be able to afford it and that's cool you can write a financial aid appeal letter but here's a tip don't write a letter that starts with so just want to let you all know that like school down the road gave me like twelve thousand more so because why I just feel like that's that's gonna just I don't know create weirdness instead start your letter off with thanking them say I'm so excited to go to your school second be really direct with what kind of letter this is it's a financial aid letter and you're you're requesting more money then in really respectful really straightforward terms request more money then tell them why you're a great fit for the school give a little bit of like why us stuff give them the math even if you gave it already in your FAFSA or your original application so they can see why based on this much money that your family makes and this gap you're just not gonna be able to do it without more help include any follow up details like a couple sentences of like how hard you've been working or any like highlights of what's happened since you applied and then close the letter and thank them again in the link below you'll find an example if you're shooting a video for your application here are a couple tips number one use jump cuts which is basically this it's me talking about one thing and then cutting to something else it's the style that most YouTube vloggers use second get a cheap mic you can get one for like ten bucks and make sure that that's plugged into your camera why cuz if you improve the sound your video quality goes up I got mine right here third you can totally shoot a video on your phone it's great it's fine you don't need to get a fancy camera and fancy sound finally when you feel like your application is done do a value scan a value scan is basically putting your personal statement your activities list additional information section and then all of your supplemental essays on one Google Doc and then go through and in the comments like actually note which value is coming through really clearly in your application this is a great way to know if your application is doing its job or not and what is the job of your college application to demonstrate that you will make valuable contributions on the college campus and beyond that's what I got thanks for watching if you've got any questions just type them in the comments below or if you've got like a rad tip that you want to share you can do that as well what else Oh hit me up with a quick like if you liked this video and you could subscribe if you want more videos and then oh go to college essay guide com and I've got lots and lots more tips there see you soon

https://youtu.be/pUc0C19jtuE

[bobjlower]

My trading book recommendations

Updated: August 19, 2019 – a complete update of all my favorite trading books and non-trading related books.

 This is not going to be another must-read trading book list where the same old trading books are mentioned for the 1000th time.

Although I do include some of the classics, you will also find a lot of new and non-trading related books in my list. In my opinion, you need to read a diverse mix of different books and different genres to get exposed to as many different ideas as possible. And sometimes, you will get the best ideas from a book you almost didn’t pick up.

All it takes is 1 idea or 1 sentence to completely change the trajectory of your life. So please, for your own sake, stay open-minded and pick up some books you’d normally avoid.

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin

 The Trading Classics

Pit Bull: Lessons from Wall Street’s Champion Day Trader [personal favorite]

Marty Schwartz is a legend and his results speak for themselves. This book isn’t just a very entertaining read, but Marty Schwartz’ personal story is also a very inspiring one from the average Joe to a multi-million dollar trader.

   Trading in the Zone: Master the Market with Confidence, Discipline and a Winning Attitude

Is Trading in the Zone the best trading book out there? At least for beginners this probably holds true. But even if you are not new to trading and haven’t read this book yet, go and read it! At some point every trader acknowledges that trading successfully isn’t only about a trading method, but about a trader’s mindset and psychology. This is the point when you’ll want to have this book.

  Hedge Fund Market Wizards: How Winning Traders Win

I haven’t met a single trader who doesn’t like the Market Wizard Series. Some of the best and most popular traders and hedge fund managers share their stories and explain what it takes to become a profitable trader, and what helped them. Since the books are available as an audio version and written in an interview style, they are ideal to listen to wherever you go.

Also recommended by this author: By Jack D. Schwager: Market Wizards: Interviews with Top Traders and The New Market Wizards: Conversations with America’s Top Traders

A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing [a personal favorite]

Burton Malkiel talks about bubbles, behavioral finance, herd mentality and everything that happens in the head of traders and investors. This book points out what drives prices and how traders see and think about the markets. The concepts and ideas in this book are often in complete contrast to what you usually hear on TV or read in financial books. At the same time, you will have a lot of aha-moments when Malkiel shares his thoughts on financial topics and trading.

  Come Into My Trading Room: A Complete Guide to Trading

Alexander Elder, another legendary name in the world of trading, explains what it takes to become a professional trader. He focuses on a trader’s mindset, money and risk management and developing your own trading strategy. He points out how important discipline as a trader is and what separates the average from the successful trader. Although the points about technical analysis won’t be particularly helpful to all traders, his view on psychology and the trader’s mindset will help everyone to understand the impacts of psychology better.

   More About Trading

Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk

This book walks you through the history of probabilities, math and risk management. From the first time, people started engaging in games of chance such as rolling dice, to the modern world of risk management and modeling. If you are looking to learn something new and are a bit of a math and statistics geek, this book is a must.

  Gambling Wizards: Conversations with the World’s Greatest Gamblers

Professional gambling and trading have many similarities, especially when it comes to mindset, psychology and discipline. This book is the gambling equivalent to the Market Wizards series in trading. From the best poker players,  blackjack and backgammon player, to sports bettors and multi-millionaire horse racing legends, this book offers some fascinating insights into the world of professional gambling.

  The Black Swan: Second Edition: The Impact of the Highly Improbable: With a new section: “On Robustness and Fragility” (Incerto)

Nicholas Taleb’s book talks about the very rare, but highly impactful events that shock financial markets and the whole world in general. He talks about the impossibility to prepare for such events and the implication that arises from it. This is a thought-provoking book which offers unique insights and provides a different view on the world and highly recommended for traders since we deal with the unknown every day.

  Books That Will Challenge The Way You Think About Life

The Alchemist [personal favorite]

I am convinced that The Alchemist should be included in every recommended reading-list, regardless of the topic. It fair to say that this book is probably the most inspiring novel ever written. The book shows the story of a shepherd who sets out to follow his heart and pursue his dreams despite uncertainty and lack of resources. If you don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow – and you never will – but still follow the voice in your heart, something extraordinary is waiting for you.

 The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

This is a super fun read, packed with LOADS of practical tips on how to improve your life. However, it is not the standard self help book and it encoirages you to think differently and question many of the conventional tips and the general approach to life. Highly recommended!

I also highly recommend his newer book:  Everything Is F*cked

  The Last Lecture

Randy Pausch was a computer science professor who has been diagnosed with cancer. In his ‘last lecture’ he talked about how to live life and how to overcome obstacles. This book isn’t about dying, but about living. If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

  The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destiny

This novel is completely different from all the books on this list, but it’s a personal favorite and a world-wide bestseller as well. Robin Sharma shares the story of a successful lawyer who, after a heart attack, quit his job, sold all of his possessions and set out to find a secret tribe of monks deep in the Himalaya. The monks taught him their secrets about life, how they view the world and showed him how to use the mind in a whole new way. Robin Sharma’s writing style is very vivid and he shares many practical tips that you can apply to your own daily life.

 Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!

When it comes to personal finance, Rich Dad, Poor Dad is probably the #1 book in the world. Robert Kiyosaki’s book contains so many valuable lessons about how to take your finances to the next level, why passive income is so important and what you can do to live independently, that it should be taught in school.

  The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

Timothy Ferris is a legend in the area of online entrepreneurs and investors. He not only has a blog that is worth subscribing to, but his book is also a must-read if you plan to escape the usual 9-5 job routine and pursue the dream of doing what you love. In his book. Tim Ferris gives a lot of real life examples and provides many actual tips on how to earn money online and what it takes to live independently and freely by doing what you want.

  Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

Although the title claims that this book is for startups, it’s much more than just this. Peter Thiel is probably among the smartest people you’ll ever hear about. Not only is he the founder of Paypal and Palantir, but he’s also an angel investor and visionary. In his new book, he talks about society and what he believes is wrong about how we see our world and shape our future. He challenges a variety of common-sense beliefs and provides a whole different view on the world we live in. If you like to think differently, this book is undoubtedly for you.

 The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)

When traders just starting out, everything is fun and exciting. But once trading becomes hard, frustrating and boring, you notice that it takes more than you originally thought. Research shows that the majority of traders only trade for a few months. Seth Godin’s book The Dip describes this phenomenon and explains why pushing through the hard times is so important to the success of any profession and skill.

   Biographies

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

This biography is a fascinating story about risk, following your passion, building a business, having a vision and overcoming setbacks. This book has easily become my #1 most favorite biography.

I listened to it as an audiobook on Audible and I could not turn it off.

  Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story

Prior to reading Shoe Dog, Total Recall was my favorite biography. Arnold’s book does indeed read like a movie script and there is so much more to him than just bodybuilding and being a movie star.

His will, motivation and his work ethic are unparalleled. After reading this book, you will be ready to take on the world.

  Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds

First I didn’t want to read his book because I felt that I already knew it all after listening to various podcasts. But man was I wrong.

His life story is truly remarkable and his will is from another world. If you are struggling to find motivation, this book will show you what is possible.

   Spirutal books

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself

This book has been hugely successful and I have read it numerous times within just a few months. There is so much wisdom packed into this book that it will just keep blowing your mind time and again.

This book is so important for traders because it also tackles the issues of dealing with the inner voice in our heads, how to manage it and how to put it into perspective.

  The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life’s Perfection

This is Singer’s (the man who wrote the previously mentioned book The Untethered Soul) biography. His life story is astonishing and it resonated with me in particular because he is not the classic spiritual guru. He built a billion Dollar tech company and was very sucesful in his life.

He surrendered to life and just went with the flow. There is so many lessons in this book you will be able to apply to your own life as well.

  Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue, Book 1

I am not relegious what so ever but I picked up this book after it was recommended to me and I did not expect the impact it would have on me. Although the book is weird at times, the messages in the book are just so well expressed. The first and second book are my personal favorites.

This book series has completely changed the way I look at the world, how I view religion, society and so many other things. If you are open-minded, this book will probably do the samr for you as well.

  The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

You probably will have to read this multiple times to fully understand all aspects but there are so many gold nuggets hidden in this book, that you will have plenty of aha moments while reading it.

Tolle talks about much more than just living in the present moment.

   Becoming Supernatural: How Common People are Doing the Uncommon

This book is quite strange at times, a little confusing and the ideas that are presented are very different. However, since the ideas of this book are so groundbreaking and potentially life changing, I expected it to be different. You can’t expect to have a mindset shift if you keep reading the same old things you already know about.

Give it a try and I am sure you will see the value.

   I am always looking for non-conventional and different books. If you have a suggestion for a book that is completely overlooked by most, please share it in the comments.

The post My trading book recommendations appeared first on Tradeciety Trading Academy.

My trading book recommendations published first on your-t1-blog-url

[andrewdburton]

Why Financial Literacy Fails (and What to Do About It)

April is Financial Literacy Month in the United States. This is a pure and noble thing. I think it's great that there's one month each year devoted to promoting smart money habits. That said, it has become increasingly apparent over the years that most financial literacy programs fail. They don't work. And this isn't just me speaking anecdotally.

In a 2014 paper from Management Science, three researchers conducted a “meta-analysis” of 201 prior studies regarding the efficacy of financial literacy. Their conclusion?

Interventions to improve financial literacy explain only 0.1% of the variance in financial behaviors studied, with weaker effects in low-income samples. Like other education, financial education decays over time; even large interventions with many hours of instruction have negligible effects on behavior 20 months or more from the time of intervention.

To put it in plain English, financial literacy education makes no discernible difference in behavior. People who take personal-finance classes manage their money no better (and no worse) than the general population.

We're pumping tons of money and time into a fruitless endeavor. All of this push to promote financial literacy accomplishes nothing. Zero. Nada.

Why is that?

It probably won't surprise you to learn that I have some strong opinions on this subject. Today, let's talk about why financial literacy fails (and what to do about it).

Note: This afternoon (April 24th) at 4 p.m. Pacific (7 p.m. Eastern), I'll be part of a Facebook Live interview about this very subject. If you're free at that time, you should join us!

Why Financial Literacy Fails

Financial literacy fails because it almost universally addresses only one part of the problem: math and mechanics. FinLit (as it's sometimes called) focuses on facts and figures while largely ignoring behavior.

This is insane.

This is like promoting sex education that talks about penises and vaginas while never discussing what it's like to be madly in love with somebody, so in love that your brain stops working. For sex education to be effective, it has to deal with real-world circumstances and behavior. It has to teach about psychology and emotions, not just body parts.

The same is true with financial literacy.

In fact, the same is true with actual literacy. The National Assessment of Adult Literacy says that working literacy has two components.

The operational piece of literacy focuses solely on knowledge. It involves word-level reading skills such as recognizing words.

The conceptual piece of literacy focuses on everyday tasks: “Literacy is the ability to use printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one's goals, and to develop one's knowledge and potential.”

The first part of literacy is about mechanics. The second part is about practical application.

Modern financial literacy efforts spend nearly all of their time on the knowledge piece. I've reviewed maybe a dozen FinLit programs over the years. Most pay no more than lip service to behavior, to the conceptual piece of financial literacy.

Let me give you an example from my own life.

When I was in high school (w-a-y back in the mid-1980s), every senior in our district was required to pass a class in personal finance. It covered topics like compound interest, the Federal Reserve, how to write a check, and the dangers of credit cards.

I took that class. I aced every test. And five years later, I had the beginnings of a debt habit. I'd mastered the knowledge but not he behavior. The behavior was never taught.

From what I can tell, the kids from my high school grew up to be no different than the rest of Americans. We learned the basics of financial literacy, but it had no perceivable impact on the way we saved and spent and earned. We still made stupid mistakes. We still spent more than we earned. Why? Because facts and figurs are only one-half of financial literacy. (And I'd argue they aren't even the most important half.)

The solution to financial literacy isn't to feed people more facts and figures. It isn't to teach them how bonds work or to explain the sheer awesomeness of a Roth IRA. If we want to boost financial literacy in the United States, what we really need to promote is behavioral education.

Behavioral Finance

Personal finance is simple. Fundamentally, you need to know only one thing: To build wealth, you must spend less than you earn. The end. That's it. We can all go home now. Everything else simply builds on this.

Why, then, is it so hard for everyone to get ahead?

For some people, the problem is systemic. There's no doubt that some people are trapped in a cycle of poverty, and they truly need outside help to overcome the obstacles they face.

But for most of us, the issue is internal: The problem is us. In other words, I am the reason that I can't get ahead. And you are the reason that you can't get ahead. It's not a lack of knowledge about compounding and credit cards that holds us back, but a chain of bad behavior.

The math and mechanics of personal finance are easy. It's the psychological side of money that's hard.

One of the key tenets of this site is that money is more about mind than it is about math. That is, our financial success isn't determined by how smart we are with numbers, but how well we're able to control our emotions — our wants and desires.

There's actually a branch of economics called behavioral finance devoted exclusively to this phenomenon, exploring the interplay between economic theory and psychological reality. There's a new wave of folks who are exploring the gamification of personal finance; they're trying to turn money management into a game. More and more, experts are seeing that our economic decisions aren't based on logic, but on emotion and desire.

It's time that financial literacy programs incorporated these new(-ish) approaches into their curriculum.

For years, I struggled with money. I knew the math, but I still couldn’t seem to defeat debt. It wasn’t until I started applying psychology to the situation that I was able to make changes. For instance, I used the debt snowball to pay down my debt in an illogical yet psychologically satisfying way. It worked. And I’ve learned that by having financial goals — such as travel — I’m much more inclined to save than if I have no goals at all.

Behavioral Literacy

To me, the answer to our country's crazed consumerism and poor financial skills has nothing to do with traditional financial literacy. (Okay, maybe it has a little to do with traditional financial literacy.) Instead, I see two fundamental problems that need to be addressed.

First, we soak in a bath of the mass media. We're constantly exposed to a barrage of programming in which we're given subtle messages about what people do (or should) consume. We cannot help but be influenced by the power of marketing. (I've talked to many people who think they're immune to marketing. I just shake my head and think, “You, my friend, are the most influenced of all.”)

Secondly, we don't think about our spending. We spend on impulse. Or we spend to subconsciously keep up with our family and friends — to keep up with the Joneses. We spend to make ourselves feel better when we're down and blue. We spend to show off. We spend on things we think we want instead of the things we actually use and do. We spend because spending is a habit.

Instead of teaching Americans about credit cards and rates of return, we need to be teaching them about behavioral finance. We need to be showing them how to break free from the marketing messages that are all around. We need to be showing them how to set (and achieve) personal goals, especially financial goals. We need to teach skills like conscious spending.

There's a reason that my core message doesn't start with math and mechanics. It starts by asking people to think about their goals and purpose. This is the piece of financial education that's missing in our society. This is what financial literacy education ought to be teaching.

Note: For a clear demonstration of how I'd approach financial literacy if I were to design a program, check out my Money Boss Manifesto. It's a free ebook that outlines the financial philosophy I've developed after nearly fifteen years of reading and writing about money.

The Bottom Line

Sometimes people wonder why we don't spend more time on the nitty gritty of money around here. Why we don't cover more topics like where to find the best credit cards or how to create a budget?

It's because deep inside, I believe these things are secondary. I believe behavior is more important. Building a better budget isn't going to change your attitude toward saving and spending; but changing you attitude toward saving and spending could very well lead you to building a better budget.

Ultimately, if we want Americans to be smarter with their money, we need to encourage them to consume less media — to avoid advertising — and we need to teach them to master the emotional side of personal finance. We need to show them how to change their behavior. We need to appeal to their self-interest. We need to help them find intrinsic motivation to save.

Each of us needs to dig deep inside to find what it is that's important to us, what it is that brings us joy, and we need to prioritize that instead of all the other garbage.

I'm not suggesting that we abandon traditional financial literacy completely. But I think a constant push for more financial education is a waste of time if it's only going to focus on mechanics, to stick to facts and figures. To truly be successful, financial education has to address the behavioral side of money because that is absolutely the biggest piece of the puzzle.

Reminder: This afternoon (April 24th) at 4 p.m. Pacific (7 p.m. Eastern), I'll be part of a Facebook Live interview about this very subject. If you're free at that time, you should join us!

The post Why Financial Literacy Fails (and What to Do About It) appeared first on Get Rich Slowly.

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Heading the Hub

Decades after he left Arkansas, Pine Bluff native Christopher Jones has returned with the perfect resume to lead the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub.

Christopher Jones always planned to come home. More than 20 years and five degrees later, after spending time at NASA, getting mentored by former U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernie Moniz and working as a dean at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jones, 41, is back in Arkansas and heading up the nonprofit Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub.

Founded in 2013 and based in downtown North Little Rock, the Hub is a place for people to learn and create things and start businesses. Members, who pay monthly fees, have access to fully equipped carpentry and metal shops and a range of other tools, including 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC routers, garment printers, an etching press, screen printing stations and all sorts of computers (there's a day rate, too). Thousands of schoolchildren have come through the space since it opened. Last year, the Hub merged with Winrock International, the Little Rock-based development nonprofit.

"Winrock is about creating economic advantages for the most economically disadvantaged people around the world. ... We believe that same mission applies right in our backyard," Winrock CEO Rodney Ferguson said of the Hub's role within the broader scope of Winrock. "I think we found someone [in Jones] who has a deep passion for community development, skills development, the maker space and for addressing economic disparity. I think it's a wonderful next step forward for the Hub."

Jones' resume suggests he will be up for the challenge. He has bachelor of science degrees in physics and math from Morehouse College in Atlanta, master of science degrees from M.I.T. in nuclear engineering and technology and policy, and a Ph.D. in urban studies and planning from M.I.T. He spent about a decade working as an assistant dean at the M.I.T. graduate school. He taught high school. He led a neighborhood nonprofit in Boston. He said serving as executive director for the Hub, a position he landed in March, checks a lot of boxes for him. He's been lucky to build upon experience every time he's taken a new job, he said. "In this case: executive director, engineer, raising money, community connections." Even better for Jones, who grew up in Pine Bluff? "I get to do that at home."

Jones and his wife, Dr. Jerrilyn Jones, and their three young daughters moved to Little Rock last summer after Dr. Jones got a job as an emergency room doctor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science and a faculty position in the school's Department of Emergency Medicine. Fifteen years earlier, when they were dating seriously, Jones had floated the idea of returning to Arkansas to his wife, who grew up in Alabama but, like Jones, left after high school — to Howard University in Washington, D.C., and then Harvard Medical School.

She didn't flinch.

Jones has fond memories of growing up in Pine Bluff. He did a summer science program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, an internship at the National Center for Toxicological Research and participated in a residential program at UAMS one summer. But like a lot of smart kids, he wanted to see and do beyond home. More specifically, he wanted to go to space. After he graduated from Watson Chapel High School, NASA helped that goal along when, based on his college application, the space agency provided him a full scholarship to Morehouse. Amid double majoring and serving as student body president his senior year — which put him on the college's board of trustees, alongside the likes of alumnus Spike Lee — he got to work at NASA centers around the country. His mentor at NASA, former astronaut Franklin Chang Diaz, encouraged Jones to follow his path to M.I.T. for a graduate degree in nuclear engineering.

As he got into that study, Jones got more interested in energy systems and the policy implications of technology, so he added a second master's in technology and policy. Ernest Moniz, the M.I.T. nuclear physicist who would serve as President Obama's secretary of energy from 2013 to 2017, was his adviser.

The technology and policy graduate program was established to address a troubling divide, Jones said: "Too many people in policy had no clue the implications [their policies had] on technology and science. And too many people in science and technology didn't open themselves up to the policy implication of what they were developing."

After grad school, Jones spent a year teaching ninth-grade algebra at a high school, where about 90 percent of the kids were African and Latino and most were eligible for free and reduced lunch. Teaching "pulls on you physically, mentally and emotionally — it's just a huge investment." But Jones said "the experience was outstanding" and he loved being able to be a role model to students who could see "a teacher that looked like them." He's still in touch with a handful of the students he taught.

From there, Jones returned to M.I.T. to get a Ph.D. in urban studies and planning and to serve as assistant dean in the graduate school, focusing on diversity. In the 10 years he worked at M.I.T., graduate applications from underrepresented minorities rose from 300 to 1,300 and enrollment doubled from 7 to 14 percent. Phil Thompson, now deputy mayor of New York, was Jones' Ph.D. adviser. Thompson and the department put a lot of emphasis on "how do you take what you know and go out and make a difference and do something?" Jones said.

Jones got the chance to put that into practice when he was tapped to head the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, a community-based nonprofit in Boston founded in 1984 to reclaim a neighborhood blighted by divestment and arson. Thirty years later, thanks to the DSNI, the neighborhood had "several hundred units of permanently affordable housing, community school, urban gardens," Jones said. Jones was hired to administer a $6 million Promise Neighborhood grant from the U.S. Department. of Education. He worked to find partners to match that amount.

From there, Jones joined BCT Partners as senior consultant, where he worked on several multimillion-dollar federal projects.

***

The Hub will soon embark on a strategic planning session to determine what its future mission, vision and values should be, Jones said. He has some ideas of the challenges the nonprofit faces.

"The innovation ecosystem in Arkansas is still very young, but I think it's old enough now that the players are ready to come together. There's not a long history of partnering in this space, and so, when you're new to partnering, there are always bumps and bruises that are par for the course. But to me, it's exciting."

Since the Hub opened, other groups with similar missions have started up, including the Conductor in Conway, the Little Rock Technology Park, the Venture Center and Startup Junkie in Northwest Arkansas. A number of business accelerator and incubator programs also have sprung up across the state, including a health care accelerator at the Hub sponsored by Baptist Health. All those players and experiences will figure into the Hub's future vision, Jones said.

Jones expects the Hub's reach to extend beyond Central Arkansas. "I think we'll find hubs popping up across the state and find ways to network all those hubs," he said.

North Little Rock investor and Hub founder John Gaudin based the nonprofit on several programs around the country, including the Cambridge, Mass., Innovation Center, which Jones was familiar with from his time at M.I.T. "He gets the idea, with his urban planning background, of developing and attracting talent through technology and inclusion," Gaudin said of Jones.

"Whether it's racial diversity or economic diversity or gender diversity, there's a role for the Hub to play," Jones said. "This is not to the exclusion of folks who are already here. No matter who you are and what your background is, I want you to feel welcome. It's not lost on me that I'm an African-American man with an engineering background, so I'd be remiss not to bring others into the fold. It's not lost on me that I'm the father of three girls, so I'd be remiss to not bring more gender diversity — though that's already happening."

Some of the issue is a matter of branding, Jones said. "I think there's an untold story of women and minorities in tech," he said. He noted that his college roommate, Paul Judge, finished Morehouse in three years, got his doctoral degree by the time he was 26, had started his third company by the time he was 30 and is now "leading the charge in tech in Atlanta." Another of his college friends runs the startup accelerator CO.LAB in Chattanooga, Tenn. He knows the people behind Black Girls Code.

"The challenge is really showing the next generation of youth that this is a space they can really be involved in," Jones said. He cited the recent Marvel superhero movie "Black Panther," where the hero rules an African country that is far more technologically advanced than the rest of the world, as a positive step toward changing perceptions.

The biggest challenge for the Hub? Jones compares it to his time in the administration of M.I.T.:

"At M.I.T., people know it. It's a really strong brand. Great folks. The challenge there was choosing. There were many directions to go. Here the challenge is choosing. What do you do today? What do you want to be doing in five years? Because there are so many good options."

Heading the Hub