Going to university is considered by many to be an essential stepping stone in the transition from school to adult life.
In addition to gaining valuable skills and qualifications for most young people, it offers the opportunity to live away from home in a safe, learning environment.
University is a great place to grow in confidence and learn skills in independence and self-reliance.
However, selecting the right university can be a difficult decision to make. With the enormous range of options available not to mention the cost involved, it is not surprising that many students feeling overwhelmed and anxious about which route to take.
A clear mind and focused plan are definitely required to sift through all the options.
Here are some of our top tips for choosing the best university:
Course content and learning styles
What kind of learner are you? Make sure the course reflects your preferred learning styles.
If you’re a practical learner and prefer coursework and modular exams as you go along, then go for a course that offers this approach rather than a more academic route that only has formal exams at the end.
Future career path
Do you have a future career all mapped out in your head? What will the course enable you to do afterward?
If you know what you want to do- that’s great- go for it. If, like most people, you are not sure yet, a more general route which allows you to specialize later on may be a wise decision.
Do your research
What do other students say about the university you are considering? This Russell Group university list has some useful statistics regarding student and employer satisfaction which you may find useful.
Look at starting salaries and jobs to see the opportunities available and how well-regarded people with your prospective qualifications are in the job market.
Attend the Open Days
Go to Open Days and use the time wisely to find out as much as you can about the course you’re interested in, student life, clubs and societies as well as accommodation.
Student life
Look at what other students say in order to get a measure of what life is like beyond the world of the glossy prospectus and open days.
If you know of anyone who has studied your course or gone to a university that you are considering then talk to them. Otherwise, look at online reviews.
Plan your finances
Make sure that you have a budget and plan in place for funding your higher education journey. If you need to get a job to help fund your journey, put a plan in place for finding work and make sure you can sustain this workload around your studies.
Saving money is something we could all probably be a bit better at. There are lots of things you can do that can help you not only make money but save money. Here are a few tips and ideas.
Sell things you no longer use or need
Many people have hundreds of pounds worth of unused belongings sitting right under their noses. Selling unwanted items not only makes you money but will help to declutter your home at the same time.
From old mobile phones to kids’ toys, there is money to be made. There are lots of online websites and apps you can use such as eBay, Shpock or Gumtree.
If you prefer something a bit more traditional that the whole family can get involved with, a car boot sale is a great idea and a fun day out. For old mobile phones and other devices, there are a host of technology dedicated websites who will purchase them.
All you have to do is enter the details and accept their monetary offer. Once you have sent them off the money will be in your account within a matter of days.
Check if your bills can be reduced
You can potentially save a fair bit of money by checking if your monthly bills can be reduced. One of the biggest outlays many of us encounter is our mortgage.
Switching products and/or lenders may save you thousands over the lifetime of your mortgage. Habito is the UK’s largest mortgage broker and there are a host of different mortgages compared by Habito online.
Find out what products may be available to you based on your circumstances.
When annual insurances are due, don’t automatically renew with your existing provider. You could save hundreds by switching. Shop around for the best deal.
Reduce your food bills
Changing where you shop can make an impact on your spending. Try an alternative supermarket the next time you do your weekly shop. If you are a brand shopper, try the supermarket’s own-brand products.
Many are made by the same manufacturers with different labeling. You might be surprised at how much you can save. Taking a packed lunch to work can make a big difference.
It’s estimated that most people spend an average of well over £1500 a year! Batch cooking and meal planning can reduce food bills dramatically. These can also reduce food waste and help you make healthier dietary choices.
Only buying what you need is essential if you want to save money. Whilst it may be tempting to put random things in your trolley whilst maneuvering the aisles, don’t! All those extra items can add up.
Get paid while you shop
Cashback sites are common these days and a great way to make a few extra pounds here and there. Topcashback and Quidco, to name but a few, work with thousands of online companies.
Just log in, search for the website you intend purchasing from and make money while you spend!
from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/investing/ideas-and-tips-on-how-to-make-and-save-money-quickly/
Turbulence is an issue that can cause problems when you’re traveling in different ways, even though it’s normal and affects flights everyday throughout the world. Turbulence can be mildly bumpy and maybe a little scary, or it can be highly dangerous and lead to serious in-flight injuries.
People often have questions about turbulence itself, such as what causes it, and they also wonder what actions they can take if they’re injured in-flight and who’s liable. Some people may even question if they can hire a personal injury lawyer if they receive injuries in-flight, and the following gives you a breakdown of some of the most important things you can know about turbulence.
Turbulence is a rough patch of air. It can be caused by many factors such as storms, the jet stream, wind, and being near a mountain range when you’re in the air.
For the most part, turbulence is harmless, although it might create anxiety.
Pilots often know when they’re going to hit turbulence, and as a result, if they anticipate you’re going to encounter it during a flight, they’ll activate the fasten seatbelt sign. Some of the ways a pilot may be alerted about impending turbulence include weather reports, the cockpit radar, and reports from other pilots who are flying in the same area.
There is something called clear air turbulence that’s different.
Clear air turbulence occurs on a beautiful day when there’s not a cloud in the sky, and it can be most dangerous. Clear air turbulence occurs when the visibility is impeccable so it’s not detected on the radar.
As a result, a plane can hit it without warning, and that can lead to in-flight injuries.
Some scientists believe clear air turbulence is going to increase in prevalence and more commonly affect flights in the coming years.
Pilots view turbulence as a convenience problem, but not a safety issue.
If a pilot changes altitude to find smoother air, they’re not doing it because they think the plane is going to crash, but instead to make everyone else more comfortable.
If you’re someone who feels less anxious when you know what to expect, you can check out the turbulence expectations before a flight, although as you might expect, that’s still not going to show you the potential for clear air turbulence.
According to the FAA, in 2019 only nine passengers were seriously injured in turbulence and eight crew members for a total of 17. That was a significant drop from 2016 when 29 passengers and 13 crew were injured. That doesn’t include relatively mild injuries, however.
How Does Turbulence Affect the Plane?
No matter how much it feels like it, turbulence isn’t going to rip the wing off a plane or anything like that. You may also feel like your plane is dropping quickly during turbulence, but it’s really not moving much at all.
Planes are designed to withstand the effects of turbulence far beyond what you’re going to experience on a flight.
In-Flight Safety
Even though turbulence isn’t likely to crash or destroy a plane, that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous inside the plane.
The FAA has guidance for how passengers can stay safe during turbulence.
The most important thing you can do is keep your seatbelt on anytime you’re seated, and make sure your children do the same.
If your child is under two, you should use an approved child safety seat as well.
Make sure you follow the instructions of flight attendants at take-off and throughout your flight, because much of what they’re telling you is for your safety, including if you are to hit turbulence.
One of the most common reasons for injuries during turbulence is because luggage falls from overhead bins. It’s estimated that around 4,500 airline passengers are injured each year from this.
Rolling food carts can cause mild injuries as well, and sometimes turbulence can cause falls if you’re up and about when it hits.
In-Flight Turbulence and Legal Considerations
If you’ve experienced injuries from in-flight turbulence, you may wonder if there are legal options available to you, and the answer is sometimes.
The actions of the crew play a major role in whether or not you might have grounds for a legal claim.
For example, if your claim is based on negligence, you have to show the crew’s carelessness led to an injury.
An example of in-flight negligence might include an employee who leaves something in the aisle, or not having latched an overhead bin properly. The airline may be found negligent if they don’t provide adequate training to crew members as well.
Airlines are subject to the requirements of a common carrier, which means they have a higher duty of care since they transport the public and charge a fee for doing so. Airlines are required to operate with a high level of vigilance to protect passengers.
If you were to be injured because of turbulence but you were walking around the cabin after the fasten seatbelt sign was turned on, you’re probably not going to have a claim. On the other hand, if no instruction was given and you were injured, you may have a claim for those injuries.
If you are injured on an international flight, it may actually be easier to get compensation because there is a treaty called the Montreal Convention. Claims that arise under this treaty allow passengers to receive compensation if they’re injured on an international flight, and they don’t have to show much to prove it.
If you do receive an injury in-flight, you should first submit a complaint to the airline within 60 days, because federal law requires this. You can also report it to the FAA, and if you were seriously injured and you think it’s the fault of the airline, you might consider contacting a personal injury lawyer to figure out what to do next.
from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/transportation/what-should-you-know-about-turbulence-and-in-flight-injuries/
No matter what type of craft project you’re pursuing, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with leftover materials. You’ll buy slightly more than you need, or you’ll employ a method of cutting or trimming that leaves you with a small amount of practically useless excess.
You’ll be tempted to throw these materials away, but in most cases, you can use these scraps for additional creative projects. We’ll explore some ideas in this guide.
The Benefits of Using Leftovers
Why would you go out of your way to make use of these leftovers?
There are several benefits:
Cost efficiency. If you’re selling your work for a profit, you’ll need to think critically about cost efficiency. If you’re buying all your own materials (and not, say, finding or receiving them), every piece of material you throw away represents lost money. Reusing these materials for projects that you can sell in the future is a way to capitalize on your existing investment.
Environmental impact. It’s also reasonable to consider the environmental impact of your work. If you’re constantly disposing of extra wood, plastic, and other materials, you’re indirectly contributing to the waste problem in this country. Upcycling those materials can make your operation more environmentally friendly—and you can market your products as “green” as well.
Creative stimulation. Working with scrap materials forces you to think outside the box. If you tend to make the same types of projects over and over, you’ll appreciate the break. You may also use this as an opportunity to get more familiar with your core materials, and brainstorm other projects you can tackle in the future.
Originality. Not all artists make good use of their scrap materials. This is a good chance to differentiate yourself, and offer products that are distinct from the ones being sold by your competitors.
Now let’s take a look at some of the types of materials that are well-suited for scrap projects.
Leather
If you work with leather regularly, you’ll often be left with scrap leather after you cut the main piece from your base. You can use them for a variety of smaller projects, like:
Leather totes. While you’ll need a sufficient quantity of leather for a high-quality leather tote worth selling, you can make a small tote from your leftovers you can use for personal transportation.
Planter labels. If you have planters around the house, a scrap of leather can function as a classy way to label them. It doesn’t take much work, but it can instantly step up your décor.
Pulls and handles. Throughout the house, you’ll have opportunities for pulls and handles. For example, you might add leather straps to your cabinets or to existing trays, making them easier to transport.
Coasters. Coasters are a good project for scraps since they don’t have to be very large. Consider etching or stamping them to improve their appearance.
Switch covers. Switch and outlet covers are practically necessary, but they tend to be dull. A bit of leather can instantly make them more charming.
Napkin rings. If you have just a small scrap of leather, you can turn it into a napkin ring.
Wood
Wood is another material that frequently needs to be cut down. When you have smaller pieces of wood that aren’t big enough for a core project, you can try using them in projects like these:
Cutting boards. It’s possible to make a cutting board from almost any type of wood, and you won’t need much to do it.
Keyring holders. Are you or your spouse constantly losing your keys? Make a keyring holder from your leftover wood.
Coasters. Like leather, wood is highly conducive to coaster making.
Whittling projects. If you have small amounts of a soft wood, you could consider taking up whittling. It’s an art that’s easy to pick up but hard to master.
Small boxes. You could also create small wooden boxes, for decorative or functional purposes.
Fabric
Fabric is softer and easier to cut than wood or leather, so it’s a bit more versatile. These are just a few of the projects you can make with your scraps:
Coin purses. A small bit of fabric is all you’ll need to make a coin purse.
Patchwork pillowcases. You can also take scraps of multiple fabrics to make a patchwork pillow case or even a full quilt.
Phone cases. Fabric won’t protect your phone from being dropped, but it can look stylish.
Cat toys. Fill a flap of fabric with cat nip and add a tail or string, and you’ll have a fully functional cat toy.
Lanyards. Though basic, lanyards can be useful—and they still sell at craft shows.
These ideas are just the beginning. There’s practically no limit to what you can do with your leftover scrap materials, especially if you combine those materials together. Experiment and look for inspiration from other artists; you might be surprised what you can come up with on the fly.
from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/house-and-home/how-to-use-scrap-materials-for-leftover-craft-projects/
Of course we need a place where we can store all the necessary data. In this article we’re going to talk about Google BigQuery, a cloud storage service that perfectly handle such task.
Besides keeping data in one place, you can also use BigQuery for analyzing the collected data with SQL queries. And in order to do everything properly and accurately, you need to structure your data correctly. How to do that? Read in our article.
Datasets: What they are and how to create one
You need to adjoin a dataset in BigQuery whenever you create a project in GCP.
What is a dataset? It’s a top-level container which basically keep your data organized in plenty of tables and views. You also get control access to data with it.
So now go ahead and open your project in GCP and go to the BigQuery tab. There you need to choose “Create Dataset.” Indicate the title for the dataset and the shelf of a table.
If you want tables with data to be deleted automatically, specify when exactly. If there’s no such need, just leave the default Perpetual option.
Adding a table for upload data
Having a dataset you now can add a table that will get the data. It consists of rows which in turn consist of columns–fields. You can create a table in different ways:
Create an empty table and set up a data schema for it by yourself
Create a table using the result of a previously calculated SQL query
1. Pick the dataset to which you want to add the table, then — Create Table.
2. Choose the Empty Table in the Source field, then select Table in the native format of the target object and name it in Latin characters.
3. Specify the table schema: two necessary (column name and data type) and two optional (column mode and description). To properly work with the data, please, pay attention with all these fields.
With an unfilled table in BigQuery, you need to set the schema manually:
Either click the “Add field” button or enter the table schema as a JSON array using the Edit as a text switch.
Please note: BigQuery can automatically change the name of a column to make it compatible with its own SQL syntax when loading Google files. That’s why tables should be named using English.
Making modifications to the table schema
Just as we’ve mentioned above the BigQuery might change something automatically in the tables information. But no need to panic. You can make changes to tables by your hands.
Using a SQL query as an example, we’ve added one below–select all the columns in the table and retitle the table. In this case, you can overwrite the existing table or create a new one:
from `project_name.dataset_name.owoxbi_sessions_20190314`
And using another SQL query, you can make changes to the organization of your data. Go ahead and choose all data from a table and convert the corresponding column to a different data type. And here’s another example:
#standardSQL
Select
CAST (order_id asSTRING) as order_id,
CAST (date asTIMESTAMP) as date
from `project_name.dataset_name.owoxbi_sessions_20190314`
To all the possible changes mentioned above the column, mode change can be also added as described in the help documentation.
Use the SELECT * EXCEPT query to remove a column (or columns), then write the query results to the old table or create a new one. One more example of such a query:
#standardSQL
Select
* EXCEPT (order_id)
from `project_name.dataset_name.owoxbi_sessions_20190314`
There are also several ways to export and import your data. Let’s look through the first option — via the Google BigQuery interface
Importing data
Open your dataset
Click Create Table, and select the data source: Cloud Storage, your computer, Google Drive, or Cloud Bigtable
Specify the path to the file, its format, and the name of the table
Click Create Table
Ta-da, a table will appear in your dataset.
Exporting data
Create a report through the system interface:
Open the desired table with data
Click Export.
You’ll see two variants: see and save the report in Google Data Studio or download data to Google Cloud Storage by specifing where to save the data and in what format.
Export and import data using an add-on from OWOX BI
And this is a second option for exporting and importing data — using the free OWOX BI BigQuery Reports add-on. With it you can transfer data practically in the blink of an eye from Google BigQuery to Google Sheets and vice versa without any CSV files.
Let’s imagine such situation. You want to transfer offline data to BigQuery for a ROPO report. You can do this by simply following the instruction:
Set up add-on in your browser
Open your data file in Google Sheets
Choose OWOX BI BigQuery Reports → Upload data to BigQuery in the tab Add-ons
Select the necessary project and dataset in BigQuery and give a title to the table
Pick the fields whose values you want to load.
Start the Upload
If you want to export data from BigQuery to Google Sheets follow these steps:
Open Google Sheets.
Pick OWOX BI BigQuery Reports → Add a new report in the menu
Enter your project in Google BigQuery
Select Add new query and insert your SQL query to upload data or to pull and calculate the necessary data.
Retitle with a convenient name
Click the Save & Run button.
Sometimes we need to get the updated accurate report on a daily/weekly basis, right? For this you can schedule such automatic updates:
Choose OWOX BI BigQuery Reports → Schedule report in the Google Sheets menu.
Why spend time doing inefficient tasks that can be automated?
There’s no reason to at all! With a quick microservices tutorial, you can make your employees all the more efficient by enabling them to automate many of the mundane tasks and operations they have to complete as software engineers.
In addition, microservices will enable them to develop better software using less time and resources.
If any of these sound like attractive benefits to you, then read on.
1. More Efficient Software Functionality
The first benefit that microservices will provide to your employees is by enabling them to build more efficient software functionality. The way microservices work is by developing individual, single-function modules that accomplish a very specific task within the software.
Instead of encompassing multiple different functionalities in one module, each microservice is highly specific to its task. The natural result of this is more lightweight modules that run faster and more efficiently.
2. Build Quicker
Because microservices only contain a single feature, they are much quicker to build. No longer do your engineers have to think about all the different complexities in developing a massive multi-function module.
They’ll instead be able to iterate much quicker. And because of how lightweight each module is, debugging also becomes far simpler.
3. Make Your Business More Professional
Nowadays, the nature of microservices has made it spread like wildfire across the industry. Thus, microservice usage has become standard in many software applications. In order for your business to keep up with the curve, it has no choice but to start include microservice architecture in its software.
By incorporating technology from big name brands like Monolith or Amazon Web Services API Gateway, your employees will be able to make your business seem more professional in the industry.
4. More Time Back in Their Day
Because of how much more efficient your engineers will be when they take the microservices tutorial, they will have a significant amount of time put back into their day.
The benefits of this are obvious. Not only will they have extra time to devote to building better quality software pieces that they were already working on, but now you can task them with interesting, one-off projects. This will build their skills, yes. But it will also enable you as the team lead to extract more productivity from your employees and accomplish more. That’s a sure recipe for helping your team step up the ladder.
5. Build Testing Skills
Last but not least, leveraging the power of a Microservice Architecture Webinar enables your engineers to build up their testing skills. Because microservices require testing of each individual module, your engineers will be no stranger to copious amounts of testing. Practice makes perfect, so pretty soon their testing skills be as close to perfect as you can get!
Leverage a Microservices Tutorial Today
The benefits are clear — leverage a microservices tutorial today to help your employees grow both their careers and your business.
For more business advice, be sure to check out the rest of the articles on the website.
from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/uncategorized/5-reasons-a-microservices-tutorial-can-help-any-employee/
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the future and is slowly becoming mainstream in almost every industry. Many eLearning companies have also integrated with this exciting technology – making their platforms and courses more efficient and user-friendly.
Every learner has different capabilities and backgrounds, making it necessary to provide them with personalized learning. Technologies like AI and ML are working in an exciting way to transform the eLearning sphere. Let us first get a brief of what AI is:
What is AI?
In simple words, AI is the capability of machines to mimic specific human actions such as speaking, picking up objects, jumping, and more.
The connection between AI and eLearning?
eLearning can be benefitted significantly by the use of AI. The best LMS software providers realized this and incorporated AI in their learning tools, making eLearning available and accessible to all, designing fun and personalized learning experience, increasing the speed of course delivery, and identifying gaps in courses.
Here’s how AI will transform the eLearning industry:
AI Mentors – As mentioned earlier, AI can mimic human actions; one such example is mentoring and guiding learners. They will be able to assist learners 24/7 by providing them with the required information through their mobiles and laptops.
Marketing Of eLearning Courses – AI will play a crucial role in targeted marketing of courses. The systems will learn from the data and identify the right audience of potential buyers. eLearning companies can then approach the selected group of learners and create courses according to their needs. It is a fact that conversion rates of highly targeted marketing campaigns are much higher than generic marketing campaigns.
An Automated Grading System – A smart AI can quickly assess the assignments and test papers of learners, giving the instructors more time to concentrate on the course. This advantage can be used to identify gaps in the course, work on the feedback, and to create engaging content.
Identify Gaps – AI will be able to identify gaps in your eLearning course and suggest changes accordingly. It will also be able to recommend additional courses to the learners to fill their learning gaps.
Make Online Learning Platforms Smarter – Deep Learning, a subset of AI can help systems improve by learning from data. If this is incorporated into online learning platforms like Quora, the system can quickly identify spam messages, analyze the content quality, and act as an automated moderator.
Personalized Learning – Do you remember how YouTube shows results that match your interest? This is an elementary level of personalization. AI in eLearning can completely personalize the learning experience, displaying only relevant parts that the learner needs to pay attention to and ignore the others (as they will waste the learner’s time).
Cost Saving – AI is a process to automate all the possible processes, thus saving costs. The money saved can be used in creating better marketing campaigns, increase the efficiency of the LMS tools, hire better staff, and more.
Transformation of Online Teaching – Virtual training was transformed entirely when video conferencing tools like Skype were released. They connected the whole world through a virtual platform to facilitate better knowledge sharing. Another shift came when smart classrooms came into existence, and now, one class can be connected to another classroom across the world.
AI and similar technologies are the next big thing in the eLearning industry – with several capabilities to transform the eLearning industry again. The advancements that we see are just the beginning of a new era.
Conclusion
The use of AI in eLearning and other domains is still in its initial phase, and there is still a lot more to come. The benefits that AI offers are very promising to the eLearning industry, and there are complete chances of it disrupting the whole education industry soon.
from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/technology/8-ways-in-which-ai-will-transform-the-elearning-industry/
