The Boss Can Make or Break Your Job - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / The Boss Can Make or Break Your Job - Introvert Whisperer The Boss Can Make or Break Your Job I had lunch with a friend and I was asking about her son who I had helped a bit with career coaching. She was saying he loved his job and especially had a great boss. She told me some of the things this boss had said and done. Clearly, this boss was a good leader. I want to share with you what I shared with my friend simply to give you something to think about in your own career. For as long as I have paid attention to this statistic (which is close to over 20 years) the number 1 contributor to a person’s job satisfaction is: The Boss. I think most people think it’s the money but money, strangely enough, shows up in #3 or #4 spot but the boss has been at the top spot all the time. If you think about it, it becomes easy to see. At some point, it almost makes no difference how much you get paid, if the boss is a miserable person, the money can’t make you happy. I think this factoid is important to you for 2 reasons: #1 â€" If you lead others, YOU are responsible for whether or not those people will like coming in to work. That alone should cause you to pay attention and try to be a good leader. Things like motivation and productivity are directly tied to this condition. Even if you want to feel no responsibility for how others feel, you need to pay attention to the fact that your team will perform better if they can work well with you. You will look much better to the executives if your team works great â€" isn’t that worth it? #2 â€" If you don’t like going to work, it’s the boss. While you know I’m a big advocate of taking responsibility for working well with the boss (and you are), you also must recognize the reality of the situation. You can’t change another person, nor can you expect for them to wake up and be different. Unless you think the boss is going to quickly move on from the current job, things aren’t going to improve anytime soon. Do you want to live like this? It’s a tough job being the boss. I know, I’ve done it for years. It’s also the best job if done right but it’s seriously easy to do wrong. That’s why there are so many books and classes devoted to leadership and management training. Moral of the story: If you are leading people or plan to lead people, pay attention to how you interact and lead â€" it will pay huge dividends. If you have a miserable boss, change how you interact with them or leave. Any change will have to be yours to make. Go to top Power-Influence-Office Politics: it comes down to your Strategic Relationships and understanding of how you build each one of these elements. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that outlines all of this and meaningful actions you can take today!  Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Piano Lessons In Edinburgh

Piano Lessons In Edinburgh Explore The World Of Music With A Piano Coach In Edinburgh ChaptersAre You A Beginner When It Comes To Piano Lessons? No Need To Worry!More Experienced Players Can Still Benefit From Piano LessonsHow Can I Find A Piano Tutor?Looking For Piano ClassesTake Advantage Of What Edinburgh Has To OfferWhen it comes to learning an instrument, the piano is one of the first that springs to mind.An incredibly versatile instrument, the piano works well when played in a variety of different styles, including:Classical music;Jazz;Pop; orElectronic.Whether you’re interested in the piano thanks to the theatrics of Elton John, or you were drawn to the instrument thanks to the classical greats such as Mozart, the piano can be immensely satisfying to play.If you’re looking at getting better at the piano, whether you’re a novice player or advanced, you might have wondered where you can study the piano in the UK?Thankfully, if you’re based in Scotland, it’s good to know that Glasgow isn’t the only place where you can learn to play the piano. Edinburgh is a wonderful city when it comes to improving your knowledge of music, including learning more about how to play the piano.This article looks at taking piano lessons in Edinburgh and considers the steps you might like to take when looking for a piano tutor.Piano lessons in Edinburgh can help you learn the basics of piano-playing, such as how to read sheet music (Image Source: Pixabay)Want to have a dedicated time for further piano practice; orLike to take advanced grade exams, such as Grade 8.There are lots of piano teachers out there that cater to those with advanced abilities. AllegranDo, for example, advertises classes for a wide range of abilities, including classes for young beginners, adult beginners, as well as intermediate and advanced piano players.In fact, if you want to study music at a higher level, there are places in Edinburgh where you can study music formally. Both The University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier University, for example, offer Music degrees.Violin; Trumpet;Bass and drums;Vocals; and, of coursePiano.So, if you’re looking to learn multiple instruments, Strollers can certainly help! Their tutors are full-time musicians, which should provide some peace of mind that you’re learning from someone who knows their stuff.Lessons at Strollers tend to either run for 30 minutes or an hour, with costs running to £20 for a half-hour lesson and £35 for an hour-long class. There aren’t any specific requirements when it comes to how often you should have lessons. So, if you’d prefer to just have lessons every two weeks or more, you can do so at Strollers. Equally, more frequent, weekly lessons are available.Morningside School of MusicMorningside School of Music is another music school that offers lessons in a variety of different instruments, from guitar lessons to clarinet and bass lessons, to name a few.One instrument also taught by the school is the piano. A feature that prospective students might find appealing about the school is the fact that it is open seven days a week. So, if you want to have flexibility when it comes to when you’re going to have your lessons, hopefully, Morningside can accommodate you.In terms of pricing, a full hour lesson comes in at £47 per hour or £29 for a half-hour lesson. Discounts are available for students.Whether you'd like to learn to play the piano or the keyboard, you should be able to find a tutor who can help. (Image Source: Pixabay)Looking For Piano ClassesThere are lots of factors to take into account when looking for piano lessons in Edinburgh, such as cost, commitment, and location.For example, it’d be great to find a music school that offers piano lessons in a location that’s relatively easy for you to travel to, are as frequent as you like, and don’t break your budget.If you are struggling to find a school that can do all that, or if you’d like help with a specific aspect of the piano (for example, learning how to play classical music or jazz music on t he instrument) then you may like to consider private piano tuition.Tutoring websites, such as Superprof, have a range of tutors in your local area who are willing to help you improve your piano skills. Whether you’re just starting out in music, or just want to fine tune a few areas of your performance, a tutor can help you achieve your goals.Take Advantage Of What Edinburgh Has To OfferWithout a doubt, music lessons are a great way to improve your skills as a musician, from composition to performance.However, there’s more to learning the piano in Edinburgh than just going to piano classes.If you want to immerse yourself in the world of music alongside your piano lessons, there are lots of musical events in Edinburgh (and indeed, across Scotland more broadly) that you can sink your teeth into.For example, there is the:Edinburgh Jazz Blues Festival;Edinburgh International Festival; andEdinburgh Fringe Festival.So, whatever style of music you’re interested in, whether that’s C hopin, Liszt, or something a little more contemporary, you should be able to attend performances that inspire you to become a better piano player yourself.The Edinburgh International Festival, for example, has performances by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. So, if you’d like to see what the life of a professional musician can look like, performances such as these are great to attend.Of course, not all professional musicians dabble in chamber music, so if there’s another event that you would prefer to attend then go for it â€" the aim is to inspire your creativity and have fun!Find more piano classes in the UK:Piano classes in the UKPiano classes in LondonPiano classes in GlasgowPiano classes in BirminghamPiano classes in LeedsPiano classes in ManchesterPiano classes in BelfastPiano classes in Cardiff

Master Tricky Concepts With An Online Algebra Tutor

Master Tricky Concepts With An Online Algebra Tutor Grades are the most important and dreaded aspect of academics and maintaining a good grade throughout the year is indeed a tough job. With the competition being very tough and the bar being raised continually, students today indeed find it difficult to maintain good grades. They have to perform well in assignments, projects, homework, extra and co-curricular activities and when it comes to subjects like algebra, managing all of this with ease becomes a tough task indeed! Most students are intimidated by algebra and find it difficult to grasp the concepts in it and work on the problems assigned. Get An Online #Algebra Tutor To Help With Your Problem Areas http://t.co/2zKdRtm19l pic.twitter.com/AMTEmhzm3q â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) September 13, 2015 With today’s schools struggling to maintain a decent student teacher ratio, individual attention has become hard to come by in schools. Students thus turn towards tutors for help with their studies and Online Algebra Tutor  are ruling the roost in this area for the many advantages they offer. Thus, if a student is struggling to grasp the nuances of the subject, engaging the services of an online tutor is perhaps the best solution. Learn round the clock with Online Algebra Tutor Students can connect with an online algebra tutor from the comfort of their home at anytime! Round the clock support is available and they also get to learn from subject experts across the world. This serves to widen their horizons and give them better exposure. Read Also:  Get round the clock and expert math help online -at Tutor Pace There are forums and groups too that discuss problems and theories at length and students stand to get pretty good exposure from such avenues rather than mere classroom interactions. How To Sort And Solve Elapsed Time Story Problems http://t.co/j3zGC5Q6m8 #algebra #backtoschool #homeschool pic.twitter.com/dzdb9M73Rl â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) August 4, 2015 Employ technology to learn better When a student seeks  algebra assignment help or homework help online, they get to learn using the latest educational tools that are designed to help them learn better. Tutors employ innovative technology and visual aids that have been proven to have a better impact on students. Also, slow learners get to benefit from such sessions as there are specific tools that help them focus and learn the topic at hand with relative ease when compared to traditional classroom sessions. How to Solve #Algebra Word Problems in 5 Steps http://t.co/kg6CqctO6O #backtoschool #homeschooling pic.twitter.com/wApx3S0D5R â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) August 4, 2015 Learn from the best teachers @ pocket friendly rates Most Online Algebra Tutor charge economical rates for professional services. Given that the student doesn’t have to travel back and forth and can learn from anywhere round the clock, the rates offered more than affordable. These sessions are economical and the safety concerns of parents are addressed too as their wards can study from their rooms without having to travel anywhere. 8 #Videos That Prove #Math Is Awesome http://t.co/ctmhsmzZ7o pic.twitter.com/A3986sfavR â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) August 17, 2015 Get customised study sessions While this may not be possible in schools, it is most definitely possible with online tutors. Students can identify areas of difficulty and plan to spend more time on those topics or sometimes even learn only those from the tutors. Algebra homework help or assignment/project help alone can also be agenda of the session with the tutor. Thus, students if students wish to work only on problematic areas, they may do so and this level of flexibility is rare and can’t be found even in traditional coaching classes. With all the above advantages, it is no wonder that many students today are opting to learn complex topics and subjects from online tutors!

How Can I Develop My Public Speaking Skills

How Can I Develop My Public Speaking Skills Ways To Improve Public Speaking Skills ChaptersWhat Is Public Speaking And Why Do I Need This Skill?How To Get Better At Communicating VocallyAdditional Public Speaking Tips For Introverts TraceyPersonal development Teacher 4.93 (9) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (7) £55/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AntonellaPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors IsamPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (3) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors CarriePersonal development Teacher £24/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AndriyPersonal development Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MichelePersonal development Teacher 4.73 (7) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlloydPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (11) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhat Is Public Speaking And Why Do I Need This Skill?Public speaking is, in essence, any form of addressing a crowd or speaking in public .It could be reciting a poem in front of your classmates, making a new proposal in a meeting at work, or you could be inspiring a group of fellow activists on a subject you're passionate about. Regardless of why you're speaking publicly, the ultimate aim is to be persuasive and get your message across, whilst feeling comfortable speaking.This act of effective communication, speaking to an audience, requires quite a lot of preparation for some whereas, for others, it comes somewhat naturally. That said, different environments and audiences can play a big part in how you react under pressure so even the most confident speakers can crumble under extreme pressure when feeling speech anxiety!When public speaking, the information is intended to have a purpose, i.e. to educate, influence or entertain the listeners so it's important to speak with confidence.When it comes to your career, good leadership and conversational skills can make you stand out from the rest of your team, ensure that people listen to your points, help you to make sales and leads, and allow you to be more transparent, among many other reasons to work this skill.However, public speaking isn't all about looking out for yourself in terms of job security and promotion. Being able to speak confidently can, outside of the workplace, help you to adjust to social situations that once made you uncomfortable (such as mingling, making small talk with strangers, etc...), enable you to showcase your knowledge on a subject and allow you to learn more about your interests.Does the idea that you have to speak in public give you a fright and fill you with nervousness? Then keep reading for some tips on how to get rid of public speaking anxiety.How To Get Better At Communicating Vocally Learn from the best public speakers of our time. Photo on Visualhunt.comWant to master presentation skills? Then you first need to get to grips with the basics of oral communication.Here are some tips and tricks for getting better at speaking to the masses and diminish performance anxiety.Prepare Well To Diminish NervesBeing nervous is normal: pounding heart, sweaty palms, dry mouth, we've all experienced it. But nerves are also good, as they show that you care.The best way to overcome these feelings, however, is to be as prepared as you can be when giving a presentation. If you have re-read your notes a hundred times, then you have no need to feel worried about your speaking skills!Know Your AudienceGet to know who it is you are addressing because remember that delivering presentations is about them and not you.Find out as much as you can about the crowd so that you can choose your vocabulary wisely in your presentation to engage the audience, work out how much information you feed them and decide how to organise the speech (with kids, for example, you'll need to keep injecting fun activities in between chunks of detail if you want to keep them hooked throughout!).Go With The FlowWhile you should know your audience and should, therefore, have an idea of how they will respond to your speech, it's wise to try to feel their response and work with the feedback and vibes they give. If it means forgetting your cue cards and going off on a tangent because that is how the speech evolves, then go with the flow if you are confident to do so! Everyone hates it when politicians keep returning to the point they want to make instead of answering the question put to them... the greatest speeches keep your listeners on side.Let Your Personality Shine Through.Be yourself, during your speech, as otherwise, you will be too focused on trying to maintain your alter ego or persona. You will have better credibility if your personality shines through while you address the crowd and y our audience feels it can trust you. Be real, even if you don't like the sound of your own voice and you'll deliver a great presentation!Use Light Humour As An Ice-BreakerOne of the most common phobias in life is giving a presentation to an audience... how to overcome fear? Be funny!Making the odd joke here and there, especially at the beginning of a speech can be a great way to captivate the audience however steer clear of any dry humour as you don't want to wind up upsetting people. Using humour in most situations can break the ice. Photo credit: benzado on Visual Hunt / CC BY-SADon't Read Word For WordEven though you may have written down an excellent speech, don't read it word for word, that's a failure to grasp any presenting skills. Or, if you really have to because you struggle to retain a script, then make sure that you make eye contact with the crowd regularly. Otherwise, you won't be able to keep an eye on their reactions!Use Your Body LanguageThe way you hold yourself and the way you present yourself on stage can be just as important as how you deliver your speech vocally. Use hand gestures and, more importantly, use your face to get your message across more powerfully. You need presence if you want to influence your audience and thankfully adrenaline helps a lot with this.Start Well, End WellEnding a speech well is almost as important as to start it off on the right foot. What's more, people will usually remember the beginning and end more, since they are more likely to drift during the middle of your speech. Make sure you conclude with a strong summary and give them food for thought.Additional Public Speaking Tips For IntrovertsTry Out A PersonaContrary to what we said above, introverts might like to try pretending they are someone else, but not a different person entirely. Very nervous people might do well imagining that they are not the quiet person they are by nature and instead act as though they are full of confidence and self-esteem. Speaking is performing, after all.You might even discover a new, more extroverted side of yourself that you didn’t know was there before!Check Your AppearanceIntroverts are normally riddled with negative feelings - are they laughing at me, have I got spinach in my teeth, are my flies pulled up, etc... - so it is important to focus on your appearance before you take to the stage so that that is one thing you can tick off your list and be sure of. Maybe go to the toilets just before your speec h and start your checklist in front of the mirror to ensure you are well prepared:   Hair, tick! Teeth, tick! Shirt tucked in, tick!!!Remember also, your audience aren't going to judge you solely on your appearance so it's not the be all and end all. The most important thing is getting your message across with little speaking anxiety.Smile At Your AudienceEven if it is masking a whole bucket of feelings, starting your speech with a smile is proven to get more people on side. What's more, even if it is slightly forced, it is likely to make you feel happier and distract from your nerves. Seeing a few warm and friendly smiles back at you could also put you at ease as you begin. If you are a nervous person by nature, then you may need to work extra hard on your public speaking. Photo on Visualhunt.comLet Others Take Over If AppropriateI know, this is supposed to your time to shine, to take the limelight. But you didn't really want it anyway, did you? If you are clever, you could mask your fears by delivering a short and sweet speech and then encouraging participation and getting your audience to do a bit of the work for you, all the while keeping them engaged and managing to avoid speaking much yourself. Genius isn't it?!Take Some Time AfterwardsAfter your speech, you'll probably be buzzing that it's over but also worrying about if it went well. And all that nervous energy will probably linger! Public speaking, for anyone, can be quite draining, especially if you've spent a long time memorizing and working on your delivery skills beforehand to make sure you nailed what to say. Make sure that you don't arrange to do anything that means you are rushing about a fter the speech. Just get yourself home, with a nice cup of tea (or glass of wine, if you prefer!) and put your feet up!See here which online resources are available to those wanting to give great speeches.

The Best Time of the Year to Visit Beijing

The Best Time of the Year to Visit Beijing When Should You Visit Beijing? ChaptersThe Weather in BeijingShould You Avoid Summer and Winter?Are Autumn and Spring the Best Times to Visit?Popular Dates in Beijing“The climate is what you expect; the weather is what you get.”If you’ve been looking at travel guides for information on travelling to Beijing for your next holidays, you’ll have probably seen that the best times to go are in spring or the month of September.Most people visit China between April and May and September and October.The environment is an important factor to consider when visiting Beijing as well as traditional Chinese events.So when should you visit the capital of China?In this article, we'll look at what the weather and climate are like in Beijing, whether you should go in winter and summer, and if autumn and spring are more agreeable.When China starts to warm up, the flowers start to bloom. (Source: Lastronaut)Autumn is officially between September and October but it could be as short as between a week and ten days.Autumn in the north of China is cold in the morning but mild during the day. It’s a great time to visit Beijing and other Chinese cities like Tianjin, Shanghai, Xi’an, Chengdu, and Guilin.  This season sees very little rainfall even though temperatures do start dropping as the days go on.Spring is the second-best time to visit Beijing since between April and May, the temperatures increase, the ice melts, and the flowers bloom. It’s also dry and the temperatures are around 20 °C.Spring is also the low season for tourists in China which means you can benefit from reduced prices. However, on days like Labour Day on May 1st, the prices can skyrocket as millions of tourists make their way to the capitalAre you looking for more information on the weather in China?Make sure you choose the right time to go!Find out more about budgeting for a trip to Beijing.Popular Dates in BeijingChina is the world's most populous country, with about 1.5 billion people.The Chinese New Year is really busy and pric es can triple or quadruple! (Source: Highline)It’s also difficult to find a cheap flight in the height of summer or the Chinese New Year.You don’t need to be an expert on China to know the best time to visit Beijing.  Avoid visiting Beijing during traditional holidays if you like peace and quiet, for example.It’s recommended that you avoid national holidays, the National Day of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese New Year, the Moon Festival, as well as the school holidays.Here’s a quick list of some of Beijing’s most popular events and festivals:Chinese New Year: 24-31 January 2020, 11-18 February 2021.National Day of the People's Republic of China: 1-7 October.Qingming Festival: 4-7 April.Labour Day: 1-4 May.Dragon Boat Festival: 7-9 June 2019, 25-27 June 2020.Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival): 13-15 September 2019.During these events, public transport is packed and the prices of everything increases.  Millions of students travel to see their families during the Chinese New Year and fill the airports, stations, and Chinese roads.  With so many people travelling at the same time, it’s effectively a migration.During the Chinese New Year, finding flights or train tickets is incredibly difficult. Hotel prices double or triple.  It’s really a week to avoid unless you’re set on seeing lions and dragons dancing in the street or the Lantern Festival on the last day of the festivities.The National Day of the People's Republic of China is on the 1st of October but the festivities last the whole week. There’s an increase in tourism so it’s not the ideal time to try and visit the city.Find out more about finding accommodation in Beijing.Mainland China is huge so keep in mind that even though this advice applies to Beijing, if you visit Xinjiang, the Yangtze River, Zedong, Tibet, Shaanxi, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hainan, or Hangzhou, you'll need to check the climates before your trip to China.Before you go to China, consider getting private tutorial s in Mandarin Chinese. On Superprof, there are three types of language tutorials available: face-to-face tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials.Face-to-face tutorials are bespoke lessons with one tutor and one student. As the only student in the class, this is the most cost-effective type of private tutorial. Your tutor can spend all their time focusing on you, rather than having their attention split between you and other students.Group tutorials are closer to traditional lessons at school with multiple students and a single teacher. This is usually the cheapest type of tutorial since the cost of the tutor's time will be shared amongst all the students in attendance. If you and your family or friends are planning a trip to China, you could all get Chinese lessons together from a tutor before you go.Online tutorials are similar with the main difference being that the private tutor isn't there with you in the room. Thanks to the internet and programmes such as Skype, you ca n learn Chinese from anywhere with a decent internet connection and from tutors from anywhere in the world. Your Chinese language tutor may even be in China!Each type has its pros and cons so it's up to you and your budget to decide which type of private tutorials you want.Learn Mandarin London now!

3 Advantages of Hiring a Bilingual Candidate - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 3 Advantages of Hiring a Bilingual Candidate - Introvert Whisperer 3 Advantages of Hiring a Bilingual Candidate SELF-PROMOTION Let me emphasize that Self-Promotion doesn’t have to be obnoxious to be effective.  But, if you don’t Self-Promote you, who will?  If you ever want to get ahead, you have to learn how to Self-Promote. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that shows you simple, yet effective ways to Self-Promote. Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

How to Survive the College Application Process Part Two

How to Survive the College Application Process Part Two Now that youve done all the early college-application stuff finalizing your list of schools and creating an application-process checklist, all of which can be found in Part One of this series its time to move forward and set things in motion! Heres what to get done in these first few weeks of September: 1. Ask for letters of recommendation One very important component of a college application is letters of recommendation. Many colleges require at least two letters of recommendation from teachers who have previously taught you in academic subjects. Writing a letter of recommendation is no small task. Teachers put a great deal of thought into writing these letters for their students, which takes time. Therefore, its helpful to teachers who are often asked to write letters for several students if you ask them as early in the school year as possible if they are willing to write your letter. Always remember to thank your teachers, whether or not they agree to write you a letter! When choosing teachers to ask, start with the teachers you know best and in whose classes you performed the best. These teachers will likely be able to best vouch for your character and academic performance. If your teacher agrees, there are a few things you need to do. First, gather enough envelopes so that letters can be sent to each college on your list. Next, address and add stamps to these envelopes so theyre ready for your teacher to mail off to each of the colleges youre applying to once he or she finishes writing the letters. Be sure to give your teacher the official letter of recommendation form for each school, making sure the form mentions the deadline by which your teacher needs to send his or her letter. 2. Register for standardized tests If you still have standardized tests to take, its important to register for them as soon as possible to secure your spot. Double-check the standardized test requirements of each school to which youre applying, and then register if you need to. You can find dates for the SAT and ACT on their official websites. If you want to get a jump-start in preparing for these tests, you may wish to check out helpful study guides, practice tests, and other powerful resources, such as the free Varsity Tutors SAT Prep Book and ACT Prep Book. 3. Begin filling out your applications Early September is an appropriate time to begin filling out your applications. While you wont need to submit your applications for a few months, completing much of the basic forms on your applications early can help save you time later (when youll likely be getting busier with your academics and activities). The great thing about college applications is that you can fill them out online. That means you can work on them incrementally, saving your progress and coming back later to complete the rest. That said, its critical you save your work as you go along. Its not a good feeling to spend several hours working on an application only to open it up again the next day and find that work is gone! 4. Start searching for scholarships Like your college applications, many scholarships arent due until late fall. However, its never too early to start scoping out these opportunities. Pay a visit to your high schools guidance office and ask about what kind of scholarships may be available through your school. Then, look at scholarships offered by your prospective colleges, and also through outside organizations and businesses. (The Varsity Tutors College Scholarship Contest is a great one to enter as well!) Once youre past this stage of the application process, keep an eye out for Part Three of this series... Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

The 7 Basic Principles of Critical Reasoning - Private Tutoring

The 7 Basic Principles of Critical Reasoning BobbiM Jan 29, 2014 The 7 Basic Principles Of Critical Reasoning Here are the basic things that you need to succeed of CR questions:  1. Understand the structure of an argument. First, you must know how arguments are structures, so that you can know how to break them down into their core components. When we use the word argument, we dont mean a conversation where 2 people are shouting at each other. An argument in Critical Reasoning means any piece of text where an author puts forth a set of ideas and/or a point of view, and attempts to support it. Every GMAT argument is made up of two basic parts: • The conclusion (the point that the author is trying to make) • The evidence (the support that the author offers for the conclusion) Success on this section hinges on your ability to identify these parts of the argument. There is no general rule about where conclusion and evidence appear in the argument-the conclusion could be the first sentence, followed by the evidence, or it could be the last sentence, with the evidence preceding it. Consider the stimulus (in other words, a passage):  The Brookdale Public Library will require extensive physical rehabilitation to meet the new building codes passed by the town council. For one thing, the electrical system is in adequate, causing the lights to flicker sporadically. Furthermore, there are too few emergency exits, and even those are poorly marked and sometimes locker.  Suppose that the author of this argument was allowed only one sentence to convey her meaning. Do you think she would waste her time with the following statement? Would she walk away satisfied that her main point was communicated? The electrical system [at the Brookdale Public Library] is inadequate, causing the lights to flicker sporadically. Probably not. Given a single opportunity, she would have to state the first sentence to convey her real purpose:  The Brookdale Public Library will require extensive physical rehabilitation. That is the conclusion. If you pressed the author to state her reasons for making that statement, she would then cite the electrical and structural problems with the building. That is the evidence for her conclusion. But does that mean that an evidence statement like, The electrical system in inadequate cant be a conclusion? No, were just saying its not the conclusion for this particular argument. Every idea, every new statement, must be evaluated in the context of the stimulus in which it appears. For the statement above to serve as the conclusion, the stimulus would be: The electrical wiring at the Brookdale Public Library was installed over 40 years ago, and appears to be corroded in some places (evidence). An electrician, upon inspection of the system, found a few frayed wires as well as some blown fuses (evidence). Clearly, the electrical system at the Brookdale Public Library is inadequate (conclusion).  To succeed in Critical Reasoning, you have to be able to determine the precise function of every sentence in the stimulus. Use structural signals when attempting to isolate evidence and conclusion. Key words in the stimulus-such as because, for, since- usually indicate that evidence is about to follow, whereas therefore, hence, thus, and consequently usually signal a conclusion.  2. Preview the question. Before you read the stimulus, look over the question. This will give you some idea about what you need to look for as you read. It gives you a jump on the question. Suppose the question with the library argument above ask the following: The author supports her point about the need for rehabilitation at the Brookdale library by citing which of the following? If you were to preview this question stem before you read the stimulus, you would know what to look for in advance-namely, evidence, the support provided for the conclusion. Or if the question stem asked you to find an assumption on which the author is relying, you would know in advance that a crucial piece of the argument was missing, and you could think about that right off the bat. Previewing the stem allows you to set the tone of your attack, and thus saves you time in the long run. As youll soon see, this technique will come in especially handy when we discuss methods for the various question types.  3. Paraphrase the authors point. After you read the stimulus, paraphrase the authors main argument to yourself. That is, restate the authors ideas in your own words. Frequently, the authors in Critical Reasoning say pretty simple things in complex ways. So if you mentally translate the verbiage into a simpler form, the whole thing should be more manageable. In the library argument, for instance, you probably dont want to deal with the full complexity of the authors stated conclusion:  The Brookdale Public Library will require extensive physical rehabilitation to meet the new building codes just passed by the town council. Instead, you probably want to paraphrase a much simpler point: The library will need fixing-up to meet new codes. Often, by the time you begin reading through the answer choices you run the risk of losing sight of the gist of the stimulus. So restating the argument in your own words will not only help you get the authors point in the first place, it will also help you hold on ot it until youve found the correct answer. 4. Judge the arguments persuasiveness. You must read actively, not passively, like you might on the GMAT. Active readers are always thinking critically, forming reactions as they go along. They question whether the authors argument seems valid or dubious. Especially when you are asked to find flaws in the authors reasoning, its imperative to read with a critical eye. How persuasive is the argument about the library, lets ask? Well, its pretty strong, because the evidence certainly seems to indicate that certain aspects of the librarys structure need repair. But without more evidence about what the new building codes are like, we cant say for sure that the conclusion of this argument is valid. So this is a strong argument but not an airtight one. Since part of what youre called on to do here is to evaluate arguments, dont let yourself fall into the bad habits of the passive reader-reading solely for the purpose of getting through the stimulus. Those who read this way invariably find themselves having to read the stimuli twice or even three times. Then theyre caught short on time. Read the stimuli right the first time-with a critical eye and an active mind. 5. Answer the question being asked. One of the most disheartening experiences in Critical Reasoning is to understand the authors argument full but then supply an answer to a question that wasnt asked. If youre asked for an inference supported by the argument, selecting the choice that paraphrases the authors conclusion will earn you no points. Neither will selecting a choice that looks vaguely like a summary of the authors evidence if youre asked for an assumption. The classic example of this error occurs on Strengthen/Weaken questions. When youre asked to strengthen or weaken an argument, you can be sure that there will be one, tow, even three answer choices that do the opposite of whats asked. Choosing such a wrong choice is less a matter of failing to understand the argument than of failing to remember the task at hand. The question stem will always ask for something very specific. Its your job to follow the test makes line of reasoning to the credited response. Also, be on the lookout for reversers, words such as not and except. These little words are easy to miss, but they change entirely the kind of statement youre looking for among the choices.  6. Try to prephrase an answer. This principle, which is really an extension of the last one, is crucial. You must try to approach the answer choices with at least a faint idea of what the answer should look like. That is, prephrase the answer in your own mind before looking at the choices. This isnt to say you should ponder the question for minutes-its still a multiple-choice test, so the right answer is on the screen. Just get in the habit of framing an answer in your head. Once you have prephrased, scan the choices. Sure, the correct choice on the exam will be worded differently and will be more fleshed out than your vague idea. But if it matches your thought, youll know it in a second. And youll find that theres no more satisfying feeling in Critical Reasoning than prephrasing correctly, and then finding the correct answer quickly and confidently. Continuing with the library situation, suppose you were asked: The authors argument depends on which of the following assumptions about the new building codes? Having thought about the stimulus argument, you might immediately come up with an answer-here that the argument is based on the assumption that the new codes apply to existing buildings as well as to new buildings under construction. After all, the library will have to be rehabilitated to meet the new codes, according to the author. Clearly, the assumption is that the codes apply to existing buildings. And thats the kind of statement you would look for among the choices. Dont be discouraged if you cant always prephrase an answer. Some questions just wont have an answer that jumps out at you. But if used correctly, prephrasing works on many questions. It will really boost your confidence and increase your speed on the section when you can come up with a glimmer of what the right answer should look like, and then have it jump right off the page at you. 7. Keep the scope of the argument in mind. When youre at the point of selecting one of the answer choices, focus on the scope of the argument. Most of the wrong choices on the section are wrong because they are outside the scope. In other words, the wrong answer choices contain elements that dont match the authors ideas or that go beyond the context of the stimulus. Some answer choices are too narrow, too broad, or have nothing to do with the authors points. Others are too extreme to match the arguments scope-theyre usually signaled by such words as all, always, never, none, and so on. For arguments that are moderate in tone, correct answers are more qualified and contain such words as usually, sometimes, probably. To illustrate the scope principle, lets look again at the question mentioned above: The authors argument depends on which of the following assumptions about the new building codes? Lets say one of the choices read as follows: The new building codes are far too stringent. Knowing the scope of the argument would help you to eliminate this choice very quickly. You know that this argument is just a claim about what the new codes will require: that the library be rehabilitated. Its not an argument about whether the requirements of the new codes are good, are justifiable, ore ridiculously strict. That kind of value judgment is outside the scope of this argument. Recognizing scope problems is a great way to eliminate dozens of wrong answers quickly.