4 Most Challenging Questions on the New SAT

4 Most Challenging Questions on the New SAT The College Board is rolling out a redesigned SAT, slated to be given for the first time in March 2016. After a complete overhaul, the test is now designed to quiz students on the skills that are most valued by colleges. If you will be taking the new SAT, you may be wondering how the test is different, what you can expect, and how you can best prepare yourself to address these new questions. Heres a look at some of the most challenging questions on the new SAT: 1. Data interpretation questions in the SAT Reading test The SAT Reading test will no longer be a mix of questions on vocabulary and prose. On the new SAT, all of the questions are based on passages, you are not tested on obscure vocabulary, and some passages may require you to analyze graphs and data. In this sense, the new SAT Reading test doesnt just evaluate how you can interpret prose and fiction passages; you also will be tested on passages and data with a historical, scientific, and sociological focus. These new questions are meant to assess your readiness for data-based college courses. If you arent fully comfortable with your data interpretation skills, these questions may be particularly difficult for you. Plan ahead and start practicing these skills by reading essays or studies that are scientific, historical, and nonfiction in nature, and immerse yourself in data sets and graphs. Try using a prep book designed for the new SAT. 2. Advanced mathematical reasoning and trigonometry on the SAT Math section In the past, the SAT did not venture into math topics beyond the level of Geometry and Algebra I, but on the new SAT you can expect questions involving complex math, including trigonometry and new concepts in statistics and geometry. If youre taking the new SAT before youve reached these more advanced topics in class, find a math tutor or reach out to a teacher for help mastering these concepts before the test. In addition, make it a habit to practice these new concepts on your owncreatetrigonometry flashcards or take practice tests in advanced algebra. Maximize your score by becoming comfortable with every topic tested on the SAT Math testeven the hardest topics! 3. Questions on grammar and rhetorical skills in the SAT Writing and Language section You may already be familiar with the current SAT Writing test, which includes a mandatory essay and about 49 questions that test your command of grammar, style, and punctuation. The new SAT Writing and Language test will still test these concepts, but will also test your knowledge of the message, organization, and development of a passage at varying levels of difficulty. For this test, you should think of yourself as an editor, identifying and correcting factual errors, grammar missteps, and improving the text of various passages, charts, tables, and other infographics. Much like an editor, you will need to consider the tasks of the old test (grammar, style, and punctuation) as well as the passages effectiveness as a whole, making decisions about the cohesion and overarching structure of the passage. [RELATED: What is an Average SAT Score?] 4. The new, optional SAT Essay The old, mandatory SAT essay was a rushed endeavor for many students, who found that constructing and supporting a persuasive essay in 25 minutes was a tough task. The new SAT essay is optional, and it differs drastically from the past SAT essay. The new SAT Essay is 50 minutes long and asks test-takers to thoroughly analyze a short passage. Youre not expected to develop and defend an opinion; rather, youll have to analyze how the author of the passage constructs his or her argument using evidence from the passage. Although you may not be used to doing such heavy analysis on a standardized test, with practice your SAT Essay skillsand all of the other new skills required for success on the new SATcan improve. [RELATED: How is the New SAT Scored?]

An Introduction to Geopolitics

An Introduction to Geopolitics Understanding Geopolitics ChaptersWhat Geopolitics IsWhat Geopolitics Isn’tExamples of Geopolitical InitiativesThe Geopolitics of BrexitInternational Relations. Foreign policy. Statesmen and ambassadors. International Organisations. Global society.All of these are aspects of geopolitics but they don’t quite express the full concept of what, exactly, is meant by that term.Political scientist Rudolf Kjellén coined that expression early in the 20th Century, applying his notion to alliances during the 1st World War; by the end 2nd World War, everyone was discussing international relations theory.Still, geopolitics is not a word you hear in everyday conversation; at least not outside of political science circles.News sources seldom mention it but most outlets discuss geopolitical situations such as instability in the Middle East or unease over Russia in virtually every broadcast.These are only a couple of aspects of the discipline we call geopolitics; there are others.In fact, to thoroughly acquaint you with the principles of geopolitics, Superprof dissects the concept to give you a comprehensive look at what geopolitics is and isn’t, what factors come into play and where to look to see geopolitics in action.No man is an island â€" John DonneThis 17th Century poem, espousing the human need for interconnection, could be seen as the basis of geopolitics.  It expresses the idea that no single individual, his actions or thoughts, can be separate from greater society.As for individuals, so too for nations.Our interconnected world demands interaction between governments, whether they hold similar ideas or not. Out of this need arises a set of protocols predicated on a variety of factors, including:natural resources, including raw goods such as minerals, ores and rare earth metals, as well as coal and petroleumtopography: is the land in question easy to live on? Easy to access? Easy to defend? Is there ample water to sustain the population?Population and demography: how many people is that l and expected to sustain? What are those people’s religious and dietary requirements? Can they be met?Climate: which foods can grow in which regions? Does the climate pose a significant danger to life or food production?One aspect of geopolitics we hear quite a bit about is territory.Last year, the American president broke with decades of diplomatic effort to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel.The problem is that at least a portion of that city had previously been promised to the State of Palestine, to say nothing of the fact that Jerusalem holds special significance for all the three of the Abrahamic religions.You can read more about the implications of this declaration in our companion article covering the geopolitics of the Middle East.Conversely, an ongoing dispute over waterways is taking place in the South China Seas. Territorial waters is another pertinent feature of geopolitics as it encompasses everything from national security to trade and food supplies.Whereas it is easy to draw a border on land, it is much more difficult to mark off where a country’s waters end, which can sometimes lead to squabbles.Obviously, it would be difficult to circumnavigate those waters in an attempt to appease the nation that claims them, a factor that leads political bodies to the negotiation table.How much power one side or the other exerts over its neighbours and global affairs, and how that power is exerted falls under the header of geopolitics.Now that we know a bit about what geopolitics covers, let’s look at what it doesn’t.Did you know that there is a whole other article written about geopolitics in Asia?What Geopolitics Isn’tMoney makes the world go ‘round â€" John Kander and Fred Ebb, from CabaretThere are tons of quotes, such as the one above, about money but, interestingly enough, a country’s economy has little to do with its geopolitical status.A country’s economy depends on many factors, some of which also determine its geopolitical posit ion and its role in global governance. Human and natural resources top that list.If there is nothing to work with or, conversely, nobody to perform work, the economy will not grow â€" and that country will not be able to exert as much political power in the region.Social and political factors also weigh heavily on a country’s economy.Not allowing a segment of the population to work and forcing retirement at an age where one could still be productive undercuts the available pool of labour, a condition for which the economy suffers.The trading of goods is an important part of international relations so, if a country has few goods to trade or cannot afford to trade without tariffs, its geopolitical position would be weaker than nations who do have a strong economy.One more way that a country’s economy plays a role in geopolitics: being able to provide for her citizens.Venezuela’s currently destabilised economy is a dramatic example of collapse that drives people to flee to other countries.We examined the Venezuelan crisis in depth in our article on geopolitics in Latin America.Such a case would be a perfect set-up for a vicious cycle: people flee to a nation with a stronger economy, which they then contribute to by finding work and paying taxes, making that country’s economy even stronger.Countries with a strong economy have the ability to build military power which gives them more clout in transnational as well as international affairs.Still, because a country’s economy is meant to satisfy the needs and desires of that nation’s people, it has no consideration in international politics.Today's Belt and Road initiatives is less about political economy than global leadership Image by Konevi from PixabayExamples of Geopolitical InitiativesThe simplest definition of geopolitics is political power linked to geographical location.To give you a good idea of how geopolitics affect countries’ foreign affairs, we put two well-publicised instances of world pol itics under the microscope.The rise of China as a world power led to global security concerns; whether they are well-founded remains to be seen.However, China’s Belt and Road initiative, a plan to connect that Asian superpower with three other continents by land and sea, serves to present China as an arbiter of world peace and security.The grand strategy behind these multiple infrastructure projects in Europe, Africa and Latin America is to promote trade while advancing China’s diplomacy across the globe.You can learn more about this ambitious project’s impact from our geopolitics in Africa article.The intended consequence of this international system is to reconfigure the global balance of power so that that Asian nation may claim a larger share than world powers had previously accorded it.With China well on its way to becoming a great power, the U.S. senses their global hegemony slipping away.Uneasy over the subtle shift of power, the Obama Administration announced it’s Pi vot to Asia plan, in which meagre peacekeeping forces kept in Asia would be augmented to full military contingents.This was done in an effort to contain China’s peaceful rise, all while protecting American allies Japan and the Philippines from a possible military threat from their much larger neighbour.International studies have concluded that the Pivot to Asia initiative did nothing to stop China’s rise as a global power.However, it did much to reinforce that nation’s grip on the South China Seas, even to the extent that China built military outposts on formerly deserted islands.Not all geopolitical initiatives have a catchy name.During the Cold War, containment was the strategy applied to the former Soviet Union to halt the spread of communism. After the fall of that regime, Russia painstakingly rebuilt its infrastructure and reasserted its century-long ties to the Middle East.Russia’s role as a conflict resolution orchestrator in Syria and Afghanistan has no snappy title, partly because Mr Putin prefers less scrutiny of his global politics.The other reason is that the Middle East is both strategically and economically important to Russia: it benefits that country to improve relations between themselves and those nations through which their pipelines run.Discover the many ways those pipelines impact geopolitics in Russia.What Brexit represents to those who are working or studying abroad is still an open geopolitical question Image by Stux from PixabayThe Geopolitics of BrexitFinally, we come close to home!As you might have learned from this article or from studying geopolitics around the world, virtually everything one people (think 'Jihadist') or government does sends ripples â€" if not outright shockwaves around the world.We need only to look at events following the Cold War for proof.The tension between competing powers (China and the U.S.), the use of force in the Middle East and emerging powers such as Russia, plying heretofore unseen soft power and economic clout in regions traditionally overlooked.All of this competition is taking place against a backdrop of rising nationalism.Over the last decade, shifts in power and international development have clashed against international security concerns, causing foreign relations to deteriorate... or, at least, cloak themselves in mistrust.Sometimes, it is just best to pull back, right? Take oneself out of the fray and reassess where priorities lie for that country and that population.Three years ago, our country put that question to its citizens: would our interests be better served remaining in the European Union or would we fare better without?Whether we like our Brexit hard or soft, leaving the European Union is already causing substantial geopolitical concerns.Those great powers, Germany and France, have a strong influence in Brussels; our most advantageous exit may depend on how favourably they see our role in international institutions and how generous they are in their t rade agreements.No man is an island; neither is any nation-state.Barring the fact that our country is indeed an island, we will nevertheless have to find our place in today’s world order once we are no longer a part of Europe.That is going to take a lot of studying global trends and rethinking our position. Which countries would work best with our international policy? Once separated from Europe, where would our rivalries lie?To understand our position better, we really need to delve deeply into the geopolitics of Europe.For further reading on the topics presented in this article, you may enjoy these pages:TopicWeb AddressBrexithttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/18/england-eu-referendum-brexit https://warsawinstitute.org/brexit-geopolitical-perspective/Pivot to Asiahttps://thegeopolitics.com/the-south-china-sea-disputes-and-the-pivot-to-asia/The Belt and Road Initiativehttps://thegeopolitics.com/geopolitical-and-economic-implications-of-the-belt-and-road-initiative /Geopolitical mapshttps://geopoliticalfutures.com/the-geopolitics-of-2017-in-4-maps/

Rock in Rio e a revolta dos rockeiros

Rock in Rio e a revolta dos rockeiros Na semana em que os ingressos para o Rock in Rio foram vendidos, tive uma grande discussão com um amigo. Estudamos juntos, fomos adolescentes e rebeldes juntos. Por isso, ele não entende de jeito algum que eu não tenho qualquer problema com o fato de que o Rock in Rio, apesar de ter a palavra rock no nome, não é um festival de música rock.A gente ouvia Legião, ele tinha uma bandinha de garagem de tributo ao GunsnRoses, o estilo era aquele rockeiro-adolescente-rebelde-sem-causa mesmo. Por causa disso, ele achou um ultraje que eu não me juntasse a ele na sua revolta contra o que organização do Rock in Rio estava fazendo.Sabe qual é o problema? A organização não está fazendo nada de novo, quem está se revoltando agora porque o Rock in Rio não é exclusivamente para rockeiros apenas mostra que não fez o dever de casa e não conhece a história do festival. O problema não foi o fato de eu achar isso, o problema foi partilhar essa minha forma de ver as coisas com ele. Co mo se diz por aí, deu ruim!Você pode até estar se revoltando neste momento, tal como ele se revoltou. Só não faz como ele, que ficou tão irritado que me mandou para a casa do Sr. Carvalho sem sequer ouvir o que eu tinha para dizer. Continua comigo mais um pouco.Qualquer pessoa que vá ao site do Rock in Rio vê lá, na seção sobre a história do festival, que eles dizem que conquistaram o mundo sempre com a intenção de levar todos os estilos de música para os mais variados públicos. Logo aí, se eles sempre tiveram essa intenção, era impossível que fosse um festival de rock, certo? Errado, para a maior parte das pessoas eles inventaram isso agora, para vender mais e ganhar dinheiro.Aí você lembra do que aconteceu em 2001, com o Carlinhos Brown levando garrafada, e percebe que não é de agora. Mesmo assim há quem vá cismar que foi uma invenção posterior à criação do festival. Nesse momento, se você ainda está seguindo a minha linha de raciocínio e ainda nà £o quer que eu vá falar com o Sr. Carvalho de novo, a gente vê outro detalhe. Tanto na primeira, como na segunda edição do Rock in Rio (1985 e 1991), houve uma artista que se destacou no cenário, que era quase que completamente dominado pelos rockeiros nacionais e internacionais. Sabe quem era? Era a Rita Lee da Caatinga, a Madonna do Agreste, a Tina Turner do Sertão, ela própria: Elba Ramalho! Agora você vê, desde a primeira edição eles misturam estilos. No início não era tanto como é hoje. Porém, nos anos 80 e 90 o rock praticamente dominava a música mundial! Se eles queriam ter sucesso com o festival, tinham que apostar no rock.  Sinceramente, acho que por isso veio o nome Rock in Rio. Porque o Rock ia chamar a juventude da época, porque a Cidade do Rock seria o lugar perfeito para que essa mesma juventude pudesse se sentir à vontade e porque rock em Inglês não é só música rock. Além de querer dizer pedra, além de se referir à música, em determinados co ntextos, quer dizer diversão, o que mais eles podiam querer?Passados quase 30 anos da primeira edição ainda tem gente que não aceita, não entende e se revolta. Vamos combinar? O Rock in Rrio não é um festival de rock por se chamar Rock in Rio, da mesma forma que Woodstock não era estoque de madeira por se chamar Woodstock.Resumindo e concluindo, peace out and rock on!

20 English Idioms Related to Body Parts - Intermediate Level English

20 English Idioms Related to Body Parts - Intermediate Level English Today I thought we would learn some English idioms related to body parts and master those expressions that are used every day.Scroll down to watch a short video lesson about Break a Leg idiom meaning.Yesterday a student used an incorrect expression. I knew what he meant to say but it was not correct. He meant to say “she went on foot” (meaning she walked to a place) but instead he said “she went by her legs”. There is not much difference between your foot and your leg but it can make a big difference in whether people understand you or not. English Idioms Related to Body Parts Here are some other English idioms and expressions using parts of the body.SIT ON YOUR HANDSThis usually is used to describe how someone decides to do nothing or is not allowed to do anything.He wanted to contact the customer and explain what happened. His boss told him to sit on his hands  for a few days.TO LEND A HANDThe opposite meaning to sit on your hands! Here we use this when someone asks us for help or we offer help to others.The office was very busy and lots of people needed to be contacted. The manager offered to lend a hand  to get the work done more quickly.COST AN ARM AND A LEGWe use this phrase when we are surprises or staggered by the cost of something.He crashed his car on the way home. There was a lot of damage. It would cost him an arm and a leg  to get it repaired! English Idioms related to Body Parts - Infographic Enjoyed this infographic? Here’s what you can do next: English Idioms Related to Body Parts UP TO ONE’S NECKThis is used to represent a time when we have a lot to do or we are in a lot of trouble.I am up to my neck  in work this week could we possibly meet next week instead? He is  up to his neck  in bank debt as he borrowed a lot of money to buy that house.PAIN IN THE NECKA nuisance; an irritating, annoying person.I hope Mary doesnt bring her brother this time, he was a real pain in the neck the last time he was here.TO BE ALL FINGERS AND THUMBSto be very clumsyHe tried to put something in his pocket but couldnt manage because he was all fingers and thumbs.TO BE DOWN IN THE MOUTHto be depressedYoure looking down in the mouth today, Peter. Come on, cheer up! SKIN AND BONESto be very thinShe is all skin and bones, she needs to eat more.TO TURN A BLIND EYEnot to notice something deliberatelyShe saw them taking sweets from the shop but turned a blind eye.TO BITE ONES TONGUEto try really hard not to say what you really feelHe was solely responsible for this disaster, but I had to bite my tongue.TO GIVE SOMEONE A COLD SHOULDERto deliberately ignore someoneWhat have I done to her? She’s been giving me the cold shoulder all afternoon.TO HAVE ONES BACK TO THE WALLto be in a bad or dangerous situation from which there is no escapeHe  had his back to the wall, down 4 games to 5 and serving in the deciding set to stay in the match.  TO MAKE ONES BLOOD BOILwhen something makes someone very angryLittering makes my blood boil.TO HAVE A LUMP IN ONES THROATto feel very sad; to be on the verge of tearsI had a lump in my throat when I heard the news. Body Parts Idioms - Infographic Help others to find this. Share! A KNEES UPThis is very informal/slang and has a pleasant meaning. We use it to describe a good party or a sing-a-long with some friends when everyone lets their hair down and relaxes.We had a great knee’s up  over Christmas. Everyone was there and were in great spirits.CHANCE ONES ARMTry to do something although the chance of success may be slim, to take a risk, to try ones luck. This phrase first recorded in 1880s and back in the days it was mostly used as  a soldier’s term.Immediately after University I  chanced my arm  and opened up my first boutique.YOU SCRATCH MY BACK AND ILL SCRATCH YOURSYou offer to help someone on condition that this person will help you in return.Thanks for lending me your car, here are your keys. You scratch my back and Ill scratch yours, remember?GO BELLY UPWe usually use this phrase when were talking about a business or some project that was unsuccessful or went bankrupt.Some thought it was only a matter of time before the company  went belly up, but it somehow survived.THROW SOMEONE A BONETo praise someone or to reward someone in some way in order to make them feel good.In secondary school I had many teachers who threw me bone and let me pass a test.ALL EARSIf someone says Im all ears it means that they are ready and are very eager to listen to what you have to say.Sam was all ears when I began to talk about my holidays in Australia last year.There are many many more sayings and expressions in the English language which we will cover in the future. So if you have enjoyed this post and it helps you to learn more about English idioms then share it with a friend and check out our Skype English lessons prices. Break a Leg Meaning - Video Lesson And here is my video lesson about probably one of the strangest English idioms related to body parts BREAK A LEG. It is one of many cases when the real meaning of the idiom BREAK A LEG  is totally different from the individual words this idiom consists of. Watch my short video lesson and learn the history of BREAK A LEG  idiom and its real meaning.

Your Questions Answered Cengage Holds Video Press Conference

Your Questions Answered Cengage Holds Video Press Conference via Pexels.com According to a recent press release, now might be your chance. The CEO of Cengage, Michael Hansen, and Executive Vice President Sharon Loeb are holding a video press conference for college student reporters across our nation on  Tuesday, September 11th at 1:00 p.m.   With 9 out of 10 college students reporting that the financial stress of buying textbooks comes second to the financial stress of tuition. There are ways to get around paying full price like renting your books or buying them off upperclassmen. But as you progress through college, whos to say you dont want to keep the books from your classes in case you need them in the future? This can be especially handy for those students who plan to attend graduate school. Its time someone has to answer to why textbook prices are so high, and its time someone came up with a reasonable solution. If youre interested in more information, register  here  by September 10th. Never heard of Cengage? Familiarize yourself with what they stand for, including their initiative to create the first-ever digital subscription service for students. Cengage is also the largest US-based publisher of textbooks in the US.

Mobile Phones in Schools - Tutor Hunt Blog

Mobile Phones in Schools Mobile Phones in Schools Mobile Phones in SchoolsSchoolsMobile phones - the scourge of the school room. The dastardly object that every teacher is forever on the lookout for. Tell-tale signs of surreptitious usage are down turned eyes, observing an object below the desk. Pupils may be unresponsive, and even unaware of the teacher`s approach, oblivious until the nefarious object is snatched from their hands. Mobile phones can be a distraction for everyone, adults and children alike - in the classroom though, they are the adversary every teacher must battle with. It is an unfair fight from the outset - whatever their credentials or charismatic rapport with their class, what teacher can compete with all the movie actors, celebrities, or sports persons, ready to magically appear under the desk at the touch of a button? Of course they are more than just objects obstructing learning in the classroom - these are `smart` phones after all! Children also use these devices for cyberbullying. The amazing versatility of the devices mean they can be used by bullies to seek out victims, wherever they may be. Long gone are the days when the class tyrant would have to be proximal to his or her victims now the fist of this oppressor can reach out to its prey wherever they may be. Using social media the campaign of terror and humiliation can continue long after school has finished; and even if the targets are in the seeming safety of their homes, they can continue to be bullied, through mocking Facebook posts, or degrading Instagram photographs. What then is the solution? Should all phones simply be banned from school grounds? How indeed would this be possible? Would each child be required to hand in their phone at start of the day? Every home is full of old handsets, so a cunning child could easily present a device that is not theirs, while secretly retaining their own phone. Some schools have intimated that they may install devices that will block the 4g signal, which would effectively prevent mobile phones from making or receiving calls, as well as stopping them from accessing the internet except through local wifi networks. This may well sound like an easy solution to unwanted phone usage at school, but unfortunately a prior case has shown that it is in fact illegal to use these signal blockers, as Julia Polley, the head at Wensleydale School and Sixth Form College discovered when she installed one. Exasperated by students` consistent use of mobiles in class Ms Polley informed parents of the pupils about her plans to ins tall the phone jammer. She was soon told by both Ofcom and North Yorkshire County Council`s IT that she would be committing a criminal offence by installing the jamming equipment at the school. It is actually a criminal act under the Wireless Telegraphy Act to set up any kind of technical apparatus with the specific intention of disrupting radio communications. An Ofcom spokesperson said that:`We sympathise with schools` concerns about mobile phones in the classroom. Unfortunately signal blockers can harm other peoples` mobile reception, as well as interfering with the emergency services and air traffic control.` Confiscating mobile phones is also not a simple and straightforward option, as many now claim that possessing a phone is a fundamental human right, and taking someone`s phone would thus contravene this right. Despite this clear dictum many schools have the policy of confiscating phones from pupils who are caught using them in class, and holding onto them till the end of the school day; but with classrooms of maybe thirty pupils, it can be time consuming to stop a lesson, take a student`s phone from them, and two minutes later be compelled to repeat the procedure with another recalcitrant pupil. Across the pond things have been, until recently anyway, little different - New York has had a total ban of mobile phones in all of its schools for the past ten years. This ban, which affects 1.1 million students, was lifted in 2015. `Lifting the cell phone ban is about common sense, while ensuring student safety as well as high-level learning in our classrooms,` said Schools Chancellor Carmen Fari a. The last point is perhaps pertinent here - mobile phones don`t necessarily have to be a disruptive force in the classroom, distracting students and impeding education. Professor Paul Howard-Jones, a neurologist from Bristol University has said that technology, including mobile phones, has been `demonised,` and that banning phones in schools would be `moving in the wrong direction.` His research has suggested that computer games, and other forms of electronic interaction can actually accelerate pupils` learning.`We have to accept that technology is part of children`s lives. It isn`t abo ut restricting it but about how they should be using it in a healthy way. Video games are powerful things for engaging children. Still, computers need to be turned off in the evening because they could be affecting the sleep, but if they are using games to learn that can be a positive thing.` Technology can both help and hinder - this much is obvious. If used sagely and efficiently, the internet is a wonderful resource. It offers a wealth of knowledge and information - a mass of data that makes the largest library shrink to a one sided minuscule pamphlet in comparison. Mobile phones are a portal to this repository of learning - but if pupils are using them merely for browsing social media sites when they should be learning in the classroom, they will be missing out on their education; and unlike web pages, there is no `back` or `refresh` button they can press to revisit the lessons they have missed. 2 years ago0Add a Comment

4 Ways to Network as a Shy Student

4 Ways to Network as a Shy Student Image via Pixabay 1. Reach out to professors: One of the easiest ways to start networking as a student is to get to know your professors. I know it sounds kind of intimidating but I promise you that the very reason professors are there is because of you! Reach out to each of your professors whether via email or in person to set up an appointment at the start of the semester. Appointments by nature sound off-putting but these are just a chance for professors to get to know you better and for you to get to know them better! As well as simply knowing professors on a personal basis, building a connection with them can bring you all sorts of opportunities like internships, independent research gigs, and even full-time jobs! 2. Don’t Apologize: It’s a natural instinct to want to say “sorry” when approaching or reaching out to someone. Though you may think it’s the most respectful thing to do, it shows the person you’re trying to network with that you’re not confident and most likely lacking professionalism, Meridith Levinson  of CIO.com notes. When approaching someone to build a connection, say something along the lines of “Hello! I don’t mean to take up much of your time, but…” This not only shows that you are considering of their time, but it also shows that you are confident and strong in your communication skills. If you absolutely feel the urge to say that five letter word, just mutter it to yourself after you’re done talking to the person so they don’t hear it! Image via Pixabay 3. Find Common Interests: What better way to build connections than to find common interests with others? Josh Steimle of Entrepreneur.com states, “when reaching out to someone, always do your research to learn a few things about them, find an interest you have in common, and ask them about it to break the ice. If you struggle to find a common interest, become interested in something they have experience with by researching it and coming up with some questions on the topic.” You can find people with common interests through university social media pages on Facebook or Twitter, or by simply exploring different organizations and clubs around campus! Doing so will not only help you to meet new people, but it will also expose you to new areas on campus that you may not have known! 4. Be Humble and Always Listen: When meeting someone new, especially someone you plan to either collaborate with or network with in the future, you want to always be humble (and that goes for all walks of life as well). No one likes or appreciates when someone constantly gloats and brags about their accomplishments and accolades, it comes off as arrogant and conceited, making you unlikable. Just remember that it’s OK to be confident, but never arrogant. Also, when networking, take time to listen to what the person has to say about their job, their accomplishments, etc. It will show that you care about what they have to say! Networking as an introverted person is not the easiest task. There’s no denying the fact that it can be hard to put yourself out there and be vulnerable to others. However, through slow and easy steps, you will find that it will be way less painful and overwhelming than you thought! As always, good luck!