What You Need to Know About a Medical School Personal Statement Tutor

What You Need to Know About a Medical School Personal Statement TutorTaking a look at the benefits of having a medical school personal statement tutor, a student may wonder what it is exactly they need to look for in a tutor. Why should a student pay for a tutor if they can get by with doing the work on their own? And what exactly does a personal statement tutor do that a student should know?One of the most important things a student will get from a personal statement tutor is the ability to be able to effectively communicate information in a concise and clear manner. A lot of information can be difficult to decipher unless you have all the facts presented in one place so that it's easy to read and interpret.It's also important for a student to be able to clearly express the skills and abilities that are needed by them to succeed in their medical school experience. It helps to point out any characteristics that make you stand out from other students as this will help future employers to consider you to be a better choice than the rest.A personal statement tutor should also be able to guide a student through the process of writing a strong academic resume and the academic requirements that must be met in order to obtain their degree. In order to meet these standards, a student needs to be able to write effectively, as well as include pertinent information that would help a potential employer to understand why a student was chosen to go into this particular field.A medical school personal statement tutor should also be able to assist students in drafting up their personal statement of purpose and helping them think about the key goals that they hope to achieve during their time in medical school. This information should be important enough for them to be able to list these goals in detail to their prospective employers.In addition to all of these other aspects of the job, a medical school tutor should also be able to help a student understand some of the more tec hnical aspects of the training process. These include how to properly complete the training requirements and how to structure the learning materials that the student will be required to complete to get a higher grade on their test scores.As a final note, the most important aspects of a good tutor would be to not charge an excessive amount of money for their services and to demonstrate how they are qualified to help out students. If a student thinks that a medical school personal statement tutor is giving them the run around, then they should definitely try to find another tutor who will offer more valuable services.

3 Key Components of a Good MBA Application

3 Key Components of a Good MBA Application GMAT MBA Admissions Blog Applying to business school is an extremely competitive process. Top schools such as Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Wharton hold applicants to high standards, so putting together a good application is key. The three key components of a good MBA application are: a strong academic profile, work experience, and a compelling answer to why you are applying to MBA programs. A Strong Academic Profile Your academic profile is the first impression you will make on an admissions officer. A good GPA, strong GMAT or GRE, and competitive undergraduate institution, will put you in a good place. Your GPA is an indicator of how well you perform in a traditional academic setting, and admissions officers will look to this number as evidence of your ability to succeed in business school. If you have certain concerns with your GPA or transcript, such as a drop in grades one semester, or a slow start at the beginning of college, these are points you can address in an addendum. That being said, the addendum should be used to explain extenuating circumstances, such as a drop in grades one semester due to a death in the family, or something of that nature. Using this additional information section to explain these sorts of situationsâ€"without making excusesâ€"can be a good way to shed light on your GPA or transcript. The GMAT or GRE are thought of as indicators of how well you will succeed in your first year in business school. For students coming from non-business-related majors, the GMAT is a good opportunity to display your aptitude at quantitative skills, if you are lacking those in your academic background. Applying from a competitive, undergraduate school will also help your chances at top MBA programs, especially if you performed well at that school. That being said, your GPA, GMAT, and undergraduate school are simply the first means of evaluation. Once you meet a certain academic threshold for schools, it becomes a matter of standing out in comparison to applicants with similar qualifications. Good Work Experience Good work experience is a major point of evaluation for MBA schools. Unless you are applying directly out of undergrad through a program such as Harvard’s 2+2, you will need a strong resume. If you are coming from a more traditional finance or consulting background, then you should think about ways in which your work experience has differed from your peers. Have you led individual projects? Have you recently been promoted to a managerial role? Have you displayed leadership and initiative in your recent jobs? An upward, promotional trajectory is something top MBA programs look for on applicants’ resumes. Your letters or recommendation should speak to your leadership and initiative in the workplace. Make sure that your recommenders can draw on concrete examples of how you were a changemaker at your job, and how you will continue to impact the business world following your MBA degree. An Answer to: Why are you pursuing an MBA? Many students apply to business school to simply “get ahead.” Yet, admissions offices are looking to admit students who will use their MBA degree in impactful, meaningful ways. This means that as you write your business school essay, you should consider this question of why are you pursuing an MBA degree? You want to be able to tell a compelling, cohesive, and unique story through your application. Let’s say, for example, you have been working at an Investment Bank for the past few years and have been a leader in your specific division, but that your true passion is in sports technology. Maybe you played a Division I sport in college, and you have continued that interest by running in marathons or volunteering to coach a youth basketball team. Now, you need an MBA in order to transition your past leadership skills into this new field, in which you plan to start your own company. This is a compelling answer to “why I need an MBA.” It also brings work experience, academic interests, extracurricular activities, and future goals together in a cohesive way. As you work on your MBA applications, think about what makes you a unique applicant. Formulate your application around this persona. Your academic background may qualify you for top schools like HBS or GSB. But the story you tell about your work experience and your goals for the future may be the ultimate, deciding factor. About the Author: Hannah Smith is a Graduate Coach and admissions expert at InGenius Prep, an MBA admissions counseling company, with Former Admissions Officers from top business schools such as Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton.

Fair Dinkum, Down Under Travel English For Australia

Fair Dinkum, Down Under Travel English For Australia Australia is known for its coral reefs, rugby,  and famous actors like Nicole Kidman. However, it is also known for its difficult dialect of English which even native speakers can have trouble understanding.Heres a vocabulary guide to help you out if you are planning a trip to Australia for work or leisure.Food and drink If you plan on spending time in Australia you will have to know about vegemite.  This is a dark paste made of yeast extract that is put on bread. You will either love it or hate it!Food is called “tucker.”“Chook” means chicken.“Chips” means French fries.A sausage is often called a “snag.”Jello-o is called “jelly.”Candy is referred to as “lollies.”In Australia if you hear someone saying they are going to “Mackers” it means they are going to McDonalds.Dinner is often called “tea.”A convenience store or corner shop is called a “milk bar.”Tea is called a “cuppa” (from a cup of tea.)Alcohol is referred to as “grog.”Social G’da y means hello.“Arvo” means this afternoon. For example “I have to work this arvo.”“Barrack” means to support. For example “I barrack for the Melbourne team.”“Fair dinkum” means that someone or something is genuine.If someone calls you their mate, it means “friend.”“My shout” means that person is offering to pay.“Ooroo” means goodbye.Thanks is often shortened to “ta.”A “stickybeak” is an interfering person.A man is referred to as a “bloke.”An argument is called a “blue.”If someone complains regularly  they are called a “whinger.”An idiot is called a “hoon” or a “nong.”If someone is ill they are said to be “crook.”Cooee! Is often shouted in Australia to attract attention or to let someone know where one is standing.There is a related expression “within cooee” which means nearby. For example, my house is “within cooee” means “my house is nearby.”A hillbilly/redneck can be referred to as a “yobbo” or “boga n.”“No worries” means no problem.“Happy as Larry,” means that someone has no cause for complaint or is content.Random A didgeridoo is a long wind instrument native to Australia.“Oz” means Australia itself. It can also be referred to as Down Under.An Australian person is called an “Aussie.”Money is called “bickies.”A barbeque is often called a “barbie.”The rural area in Australia is called “the bush.”“Bush telegraph” means local gossip.Food to be found in the wild is called “bush tucker.”If something is hurt or sore it is referred to as “bung” for example, “a bung shoulder.”“Bung” is also used to mean to throw. For example, “bung a chicken into the oven.”Hard work is called “hard yakker” in Australia.A toilet or bathroom is often called a “dunny.”Football is called “footie.”A strange person is called a “dingbat.”“Daks” means underpants.You might hear someone call a cigarette a “durry.”A bathing costume migh t be called a “cozzie.”If someone is on the “dole” it means they are on welfare unemployment benefits.

Families Say Private Tuition Definitely Helps Improve Exam Grades

Families Say Private Tuition Definitely Helps Improve Exam Grades New research has shown that private tuition does seem to improve grades at GCSE and A-Level. The survey, conducted by First Tutors, asked families with children taking exams this year whether they felt private tuition had improved their estimated grades. Results showed that private tuition increased results by an average of one grade, e.g. from D to C, enough to make a potentially crucial difference to university choices. At both GCSE and A-Level, the biggest potential for grade improvement was shown to be at the lower end of the grade scale (grades U - D), where students improved an average of two grades. Starting early appears to matter, particularly to GCSE candidates where those receiving private tuition for between three and six months lifted their results by an average of one and a half grades, versus just under one grade for those receiving tuition for less than three months. But surprisingly, there was little correlation between hourly fees charged by tutors and grade impact. The average cost of tuition for GCSE and A-level among students surveyed was 22 per hour, with most families choosing one hour per week of private tutoring. Asked whether they felt the grade improvement could be attributed to private tuition, 80% of the 150 families surveyed said they believed tutoring had definitely improved their results. Additionally, 95% of families said they would recommend First Tutors as a way of finding a tutor. Commercial director, Anita Moss, commented, We are delighted to produce preliminary research into the extent to which private tuition improves exam results. However, it is also important to note that whilst getting the grade matters to our clients, improving understanding of a subject ranked almost equally as a key motivating factor in finding a tutor. First Tutors has over 10,000 tutors registered on the website, and tens of thousands of families use the service to locate local tutors every year. This preliminary survey indicates that there is deeper research potential for educationalists and First Tutors hopes this will encourage academic collaboration to explore the data further.

5 Resources to Organize as a High School Freshman

5 Resources to Organize as a High School Freshman Tips from an Irvine Back-to-School Tutor: 5 Resources to Organize as a High School Freshman Organization is one of the keys to being successful during the first year of high school. During middle school, students are organized by their classroom teacher and parent but, in high school, they will be expected to take on a more independent approach. A 9th-grade teacher will encourage students to ask questions if they are confused or need clarification as opposed to asking each student if they understand the assignment. Students will be expected to do more homework and study for more challenging exams during the 9th grade as well. Once students get off track, it can get very difficult to reorganize, and they may feel overwhelmed and behind for the remainder of the year. As a result, prevention is the best cure when it comes to high school level organization. 1. A Weekly Schedule It’s important for high school freshmen to take a look at their weekly schedule and make sure they have enough free time to complete all of their self-studies. They will have classes from around 7:30 in the morning to 2:30 in the afternoon and should expect to spend at least a couple hours at home completing assignments. Students are not yet old enough to work, but they may be participating in sports or other after school activities that take up a lot of their time. Students should also leave time to schedule in working with a tutor if they need help in a particular subject (READ: 4 Ways to Adjust to Back to School). 2. A Reasonable Number of Extracurricular Activities Elementary and middle school children often have a large number of extracurricular activities to keep them busy in the afternoon. After students start high school, they will need quite a bit of time to manage their homework assignments. As a result, its a good idea to set a reasonable number of extracurricular activities that still allow students time to work on the self study. Some sports leagues meet a couple of times a week while others meet every day after school. Students may be in art, music, and ballet classes in middle school but should pick their favorite as they adjust to their first year of high school. Each student is an individual, so its important they think about what works for them and their goals. 3. Reorganizing During Break Holiday breaks are a great time for students to sit down and reorganize. Backpacks and study desks can overflow with out-of-date assignments and crumpled up pieces of paper. It’s a good idea for students to sit down with their parents or with an Irvine private tutor during a break and make sure they have only what they need. Old assignments should not be thrown away but rather filed into a drawer where they can access it later if they need to study for the final exam. Basic reorganization a few times a year is essential to maintaining a successful high school career. 4. Academic Support Many students will need academic support during their first year of high school due to the increased amount of difficulty. Basic science is now chemistry and English, and language arts is now 18th-century poetry. These more complicated subtopics can be confusing and difficult to a new student. Thus, the organization often falls by the wayside and students need help both with their assignments and staying on top of things. 5. Breaking up Assignments Into Smaller Parts Another way students can stay organized is to break larger assignments into smaller parts. For instance, perhaps a research paper is due two weeks from today. That means it will probably take students a week and a half to two weeks to complete it. Its important to break up the assignment into smaller parts such as writing an outline tomorrow, conducting initial research on Saturday afternoon, and writing the final draft three days before the due date. Students who can organize the timeframe of their assignments are more likely to be successful because they will have extra time to fix mistakes when necessary (READ: 4 Reasons to Multitask While Studying). The best way to get back into the swing of school is with the help of a private Irvine Tutor from TutorNerds. Our tutors work with your busy schedule. Call us today for more information. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

Graduation Not For The 20%

Graduation Not For The 20% For the past several years we as a nation have seen the lowest graduation rates in a decade. The interest of blame has been presented to the American public in the areas of unqualified teachers and even a technological society that pushes student’s attention from education. No matter the true cause, graduation rates are low. Legislation such as No Child Left Behind was created to help bolster the potential for students to graduate. That act had its first graduating class in 2005 and the nation reported just below 80%. In the few years after that great success, the national average fell below 75%. In the past few years teacher moral is at its lowest point and students are continuing to slip. With new statistics about education coming in each day, our educational system has become an increasing concern. Currently, the national average is eight out of every ten children will graduate from high school. Unfortunately schools have taken comfort with this rate and that number has been consistent for several years now. Schools believe that the closer to 80% they get, it’s a success. But what about those two out of ten that don’t make it? Where are they? I have spent many years looking at our local educational system and what we can do to improve it. The cold hard fact is that getting all students to succeed is difficult. Schools simply cannot afford to help those few that fall behind. Special programs and even special schools implement programs to try and close that 20% gap. I’m sure most of you have noticed lately that our states struggle with funding public schools. To me this means that those students that should be helped definitely won’t be helped with lack of funding. As with any call to action we must start small. This means dedicating time to some of those youth that the system may have forgotten about. I can honestly say that if someone were to dedicate one hour a week to help tutor or mentor a struggling youth that they would have a nearly perfect chance to succeed. Many times it takes listening to someone who is struggling for the student to figure out what path to be on. I have had the pleasure to work with youth that struggle in school for many years. What I have found more times than not is that they are simply confused about school or life or perhaps the future. Often these students are very smart and capable, but they have not had anyone ask to help. So to help continue to extinguish this problem we need to simply dedicate the time to ask “what can I do to help?”.

6 Ways to Set Sail for Advanced Language Learning Without Leaving Home

6 Ways to Set Sail for Advanced Language Learning Without Leaving Home 6 Ways to Set Sail for Advanced Language Learning Without Leaving Home Learning a new language is a wild adventure. Youre introduced to new music, new movies, new people  and new cultures!The beginner stage is a particularly heady part of the love affair.Progress is quick, and the rewards are pretty high.There are tons of courses for beginners online, myriad blog posts and reams of books detailing how to get started.Everything about the new language is fresh  and exciting.But what about the intermediate or advanced learners out there? Wheres the support for them?Things are somewhat easier at a higher level, true.While you once stared at target language text with confusion, you now see lucid, beautiful writing! While you used to watch TV shows or listen to podcasts wondering how any human could  utter  such sounds, let alone make sense of them, you now  understand  a surprising amount of whats being said.Along with these successes, however, you cant help but notice that there are still texts out of your reach, and theyre not all exactly high literature e ither. You understand a lot of the spoken language, but you dont get  all  of the jokes, and some movies still fly right over your head.People who know youve been learning a language for a while may wonder why youre not fluent yet. Why you cant translate any phrase someone throws at you on command.It seems like its been weeks, nay,  months, since youve seen any improvement!Whats worse is that many people insist that  living in the country  is necessary to achieve real proficiency in a language.And if youre like me, you dont  quite have the resources for such an endeavor. So is that it for you? Will you ever make progress again?Of course you will! If youre somewhere roundabout the high-intermediate to advanced levels, and youre not sure what to do next, then this post is for you.There are plenty of ways to keep progressing without leaving your house, no matter how much of a challenge you need! 6 Ways to Set Sail for Advanced Language Learning Without Leaving Home1. Deliberately fil l holes in your vocabulary.  Learning vocabulary through media is greatâ€"its carried by context, and its easy to remember. However, you dont have to learn that way only. Sometimes word lists can be great. You can even engineer your reading to fill gaps in vocabulary!While this tip is a little textbook-y, its great for learners who already have a good handle on their target language. Competence in a language only drives further competenceâ€"youll understand and remember individual words better as you progress.This is active learning right here. Think hard about your vocabulary-based weaknesses. Can you talk easily about your job? About your favorite animal? Your hobbies? Can you teach someone to play your favorite sport in your target language? No? Then fix it!For example, scroll down to check out the baby-themed part of this Around the House vocab list  on MedicalSpanish.com.It includes the Spanish equivalents of words like crib, stroller and diaper. You probably knew these words w hen you were four (for good reason), but they dont tend to pop up in your run-of-the-mill language course or immersion environment.  A specific word list like this one is your solution if you suddenly need to talk about  babies!Most major languages have tons of vocab lists online. And its important to realize that even if they seem basic, theyre not necessarily just for beginners. There are lists out there with every household object you can think of (can you say clothespin in your target language?), obscure animals, gaming vocab, etc.One way to find these kinds of lists is to simply Google [topic] word list [target language], if youre learning a popular language.If youre interested in learning the vocabulary youre missing  without having to deliberately seek it out, you can always try  FluentU, an online immersion platform that keeps track of all the language you know.  FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them in to personalized language learning lessons.You can also read Wikipedia articles on whatever subject you like, and look up the terminology you dont know. Its reading, its fun and itll make you into one fantastic conversationalist!2.  Start working your target language into your daily life.Whats the number one benefit of traveling or living abroad? It gives you an environment in which your target language is all around you all the time. You cant ignore it or easily retreat into an English (or whatever your native language is) bubble. If you can embrace that kind of intense environment, your linguistic skills will improve and  fast.But that doesnt mean that traveling abroad is the only way to boost your level. You can easily imitate this in your own home!Move beyond deliberately setting aside time for textbook study, reading or even target language TV. Youre past the beginner stage, so nows the time to mix these things in with your other everyday activities.  Make the language a part of you.  Shape your life so that it mirrors the lives of the most advanced speakers of your chosen language on the planet (native speakers!).Start browsing the Internet in your target language. Look up websites and online communities that talk about your favorite hobbies, your field of study or your work. TV, movies, video gamesâ€"whatever native resources you likeâ€"are doubly important now. Mix them in with the other things you watchâ€"watch target language TV or movies not just specifically while thinking about improvement, but  for fun, just to relax. Change your OS language or your phone settings, if you havent already. Own the language like youve never done before!However, if youre one of those good souls whos been hitting the native resources from the get-go, or even if youre not, trying  upping your concentration level every now and then. Really try to understand everything. See a word you dont know? Dont ignore it, look it up! Write it down or  enter it in your SRS.More input is crucial for advanced learning. Aim for resources outside your comfort zone every now and then, and focus on the parts you dont know.Which leads to3. Get intensive and extensive with your novel reading.In the spirit of focusing on what you  dont know, novels will improve intermediate and advanced language abilities in a very specific  way: They will hand you that elusive, obscure, specialized vocabulary on a silver platter.This is the stuff of fluency! Of eloquence!  Its hard to express yourself if you lack the specific words that express  precisely what you mean. Imagine yourself always having the right word, right at the tip of your tongue. Imagine being able to communicate  exactly what you mean,  exactly  when you need to.Novels will give you all this and more.But come on, why novels specifically? Wont Internet surfing, nonfiction scanning, technical manual browsing or shampoo bottle reading get you there just the same?Not quite. Novels differ from nonfiction in that fiction authors tend to employ a broader and richer vocabulary, all to your benefit. Its poetic! Theyre not just trying to convey information, theyre trying to do it artfully.Really pay attention to the long, descriptive passages in your novel of choice.  Sections like this tend to be more difficult and tend to use less common vocabulary. If youre already into target language novels, you might have skimmed these bits before between easier parts with more action and dialogue, but really concentrating on these passages will serve you well at this stage in your learning.Nevertheless, dialogue is also great for picking up conversational nuances and slang you might have missed in your listening or textbook work.But what should you read?What to readI find that, at the intermediate and advanced levels, middle-grade novels (aimed at children ages 8 through 12-ish) and young adult fiction (aimed at the 12 through 18 crowd) are particularly useful for making progress. The stories tend to be short and engaging without being bogged down with too much flowery language.Try to find your own favorite childhood novels in translation, or look for book bloggers and vloggers and get recommendations from them. (Google or YouTube search favorite books in your target language.)How to readSo besides keeping up with those descriptive passages, how can you incorporate novel reading into your routine with an eye on the advanced level?Try balancing these two methods:Extensive reading: This is reading for pleasure! The goal here is  breadth. You want to be reading lots of novels, skipping what you dont know. You have my permission to ignore unknown vocabulary words and weird grammar constructions! Youll end up picking up a lot of these through context, anyways. Extensive reading is great for intermediate and advanced learners, because a lot more comprehensible literature is available to you. You can pick up things in your favorite genres and just relax and have a good time. You wont understand ev erything just yet, but extensive reading gets you there!Intensive reading:  This is just the opposite of extensive reading. The goal here is  depth. This fits in with  the aforementioned idea of really focusing on what you dont know. Look up words on each page and make note of them or enter them into your SRS. Make mentalâ€"or physicalâ€"note of grammar patterns you havent seen before. This gets tiring, however, so Id recommend limiting this to 2-3 pages or 10-20 minutes at a time. After that, go back to extensive reading for fun!4. Add output to your input!Output (speaking and writing) is often the benchmark of whether we know a language. While this might be a  little  unfair (comprehension is worth a heck of a lot), output is what a lot of us are after.During the beginning stages of language learning, it can be beneficial to stick with input (listening and reading), while you build up your skills. Then, when you feel somewhat confident, you can bounce over to talking and writing!I f you use this kind of input-based method, you can comfortably start speaking and writing practice at the mid-intermediate stage, around when you start to understand sizeable chunks of clearly-spoken media (think news, radio shows, things like that).You can certainly wait longer if you want. Input is still hugely beneficial for speech and writing, even if you wait to speak. And if youre the outgoing type, make sure you still include input even when youre focusing on output!However, what this all comes down to is that practicing output at the intermediate and advanced levels can really make your target language feel natural to you, and youll soon be able to speak and write without stumbling. The main thing to keep in mind when practicing output is that its important to get corrected!Here are a few resources for practicing writing:Lang-8:  Lang-8 allows you to write journal entries in your target language, and native speakers correct you. The turnaround is quick: Native speakers will generally get back to you within the day, sometimes within hours. Because were talking advanced level here, try to use Lang-8 and similar resources on a scheduled basis, say, a journal entry every day or every other day. Additionally, make sure to push yourself. If you just talk about your daily life in every entry, youll be using the same vocabulary over and over. Pushing beyond intermediate and advanced stages means getting a little creative: Try writing book and movie reviews, political opinions, tutorials for sports or games, religious manifestos, you name it!Conversation Exchange:  This site allows you to contact native speakers for Skype calls, live meetups, or pen pal exchanges. While it gives all of these options, I find its best for seeking out pen palsâ€"a lot of people on the site are willing to exchange emails every now and then. This is great because, like Lang-8, it forces you to write drawn-out letters rather than quick texts or chat, and youll get corrections! Again, push yourself out of your comfort zone and talk about a variety of subjects (though political opinions or religious manifestos might not be as appropriate when writing directly to another person).Google searches:  If youre just writing on your own and youre not sure about a particular phrase, try typing it into the Google search barâ€"if it autocompletes, youre probably right! If youre  still not sure, search the phrase in quotes to see if native speakers commonly use it.WordReference forums:  Finally, while many of you might already be familiar with the online multilingual dictionary WordReference,  you may not have taken advantage of the sites extensive forums.  The forums are a fantastic resource because native speakers and learners alike discuss the nuances of all kinds of vocabulary. This is a boon for the intermediate-advanced learner whos moved beyond your standard bilingual or monolingual dictionary!For speaking practice, try:Finding an exchange partner on  italki,  The Mix xer  or any other language exchange site:  italki is a hugely popular site thats geared towards learners who want to practice their languages over Skype (though it has features similar to Lang-8, too). On italki, you can also hire an online tutor if you so choose. The Mixxer is similar, but a little less active. As many of you will know, a Skype language exchange will likely involve speaking one language for a set amount of time, and then switching to practicing the other. So, how do you tailor this to the advanced level? Look for a serious partner on these sites whos willing to brutally correct you and talk about a variety of subjects!Find an online tutor. For a relatively low price per lesson, you can also find a professional tutor. Verbling is a site that makes the whole process of searching for an online language tutor super easy and comfortable. Once youve found a tutor, make it clear that youre there for conversational skills, and a well-trained tutor will be able to help you expand those. Theyll help you target your weaknesses and get you away from talking about the safe subjects you might have a habit of clinging to.5. Forget long-term goals: Set mid-term and mini goals.When youre a beginner, its easy to absorb whats around youâ€"thatll be a lot of the common vocabulary and common grammar, and other basic conversational stuff.When youre at the high-intermediate or advanced stage, you know that there are still linguistic bits youre missing, but doing the same old things that worked as a beginner doesnt necessarily cut it anymore.Sometimes you can get bored. Youve been at the language for a while now, and it might be frustrating for you that youre not further along.Goals are key hereâ€"they can vary widely, from learner to learner, but they help maintain your progress.To make sure you stay on track, set mid-term goals. Your long-term goal is probably fluency in the language, and youre still working towards that. But mid-term goals keep you on track from week to week and month to month.These can include things like:To be able to comfortably have casual conversations within two months.To be able to talk about my work at job interview level within ___ months.To be able to understand classical literature in my language within ___ weeks.Specific goals are bestâ€"you know what reaching the goal should look like, so youll know with certainty when you’re there!Set mini goals tooâ€"these can be things you do on a daily basis. Try to tailor them to your long-term goals, and theyll help you along the way. For example:Skype conversations once a week.Lang-8 journal entry three times a week.6. Relax and accept learning plateaus.Learning plateaus are common amongst learners in the intermediate stage and beyond. You were used to making huge strides as a beginner, but now it may seem like its been a long time since youve made significant progress.The good news is that these plateaus are not caused by your inability to learn a language.  Your stri des might seem smaller, but youre making as much progress and more! In fact, if you harness the power of the intermediate and advanced stages, you can get better at your target language a lot faster. The key to this, as already mentioned, is exposure to native resourcesâ€"once you understand a little, that understanding builds on itself.Personally, Ive found that at the intermediate level, learning starts manifesting as sudden, almost inexplicable jumps in ability.  The fact of the matter is that youve been improving all along, but you only notice the improvement when its dramatic.So dont worry too much about seeing progress from day to day. Just carry on with your reading and listening and watching and talking, and be comforted by the idea that youre surely still on track and youre making progress. And some day soon, youll surprise yourself with fluency!There you have it: Everything you need to know to move up to and beyond an advanced level, all without spending thousands on trave l!Travel is not a necessity for reaching proficiency in a languageâ€"not by a long shot.And getting fluent in a language before you travel can come with some sweet benefits.When you do eventually go, youll be able to talk, read signs and generally relax in the language.Itll make your progress that much more rewarding! And One More ThingIf youre digging these at-home learning strategies, youll love using FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse Screen.FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hov er your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.Interactive transcript for Carlos Baute song.You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs learn mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the iTunes store  or Google Play store.