Accounting Tutor is the best way to learn accountancy with TutorPace

Accounting Tutor is the best way to learn accountancy with TutorPace Knowledge is very important for everyone’s life. Literacy helps in building up lives in a more compact and a better way. With the help of knowledge things can change into better and in a progressive way. Today every child needs to go through the process of education as it has become one of the basic amenities of life after food, clothing and shelter. The requirement of this is such that parents are ready to invest a good lump sum of amount for the education purpose of a child. But after good and proper related things even the child fails to deliver his or her best. This upsets the parents and they end up beating or scolding the child which is of no help. For a good and proper education you need to have all the proper ways of lives including good school, better teachers and proper teaching. If all these factors are available with a child, it is for sure the child will be flourishing. Good school is available easily as everyday new schools are growing up and all the new school helps in providing the best services to their students. But still after so many facilities in the school, the child is unable to perform better. There may be some problems regarding it. It is for the parents to find out what the child is lacking. If parents are unable to track the problem then let me tell you that your child is facing the problem with properly understanding the concept that is taught at school and thus they need external assistance as well. Private tutors are a way through which students can get help. Private tutors can help the students to understand the subject properly and can also help them clear their doubts. But today no private tutor is willing to devote enough time on any single student and thus they have arrived in with the concept of coaching classes. In coaching classes things are smaller as compared to school classroom but the problem remains the same. If you have to get help for any tough subjects then what will you do? Such a tough subject is accountancy that requires a good teacher who can help the students to reach the depth of the subject. It is a part of commerce which is interesting as well as very tough. In general I have noticed that all the interesting subjects are tough, but I am unable to fetch any answer for it. Anyways, for accountancy you need to have a good grip over the subject from the very initial days so that you can carry on further with the subject in the long run. Online tutoring services can be useful If you are not getting satisfactory help from private tuitions, then you need to think about taking up another step that will help you in a better way. So, why don’t you go for online tutoring services? This is a entirely new way of learning that is said to effective as well as easy even. Every student can use it and can take help from it. The process is too easy and smooth that will attract the student’s attention in lot more ways with its features and benefits. The process of online tutoring is conducted through the help of internet. Having internet connectivity at your reach can help you to come across this great service with ease. The online tutoring process is much easier and accessible than any private tutoring as well. The whole process is conducted through internet via online chats, emails, tele conferencing and video conferencing as well. It saves a student’s time and energy that can be easily utilized in some other work as well. Now for the new arrivals let us discuss some of the benefits or features of online tutoring institute that will help you to know about the process in a better way. This way you can easily take help from it if required. Features of online tutoring The teachers who are present in the world of online tutoring are very much efficient with their specific subject. This is one of the best services as the teachers who are appointed in the world of online tutoring are very much efficient with the subject that they are teaching. The interview process is held in such a manner that helps the selection procedure of a teacher to be the best. Only qualified and appropriate teachers are appointed for teaching at any reputed online tutoring institute. Having a good teacher beside you can help you to acquire and learn more as compared to other situations when the teacher is not efficient enough with the subject. The efficient teachers first take a good look on the depth of the student with the subject. Once they have got an idea about it they start with their structured plan to teach the student. The online tutoring institutes have the service of providing their classes all round the clock and throughout the year. This is a service that neither school nor any private tutor will be able to provide. This helps the student with the relaxation that they can attend the classes anytime they want as per their wish and need. The place also is not at all an issue as the student can sit at any place and take up the classes, only computer and internet connection is required. The one on one service is also available with online tutoring institute. Have you heard about this? If not then read on. One on one tutoring service is having a single teacher to help you out and teach you throughout the session of the service. In this time no other student will be included in the class neither the teacher will be changed. This helps the student to learn better and also develop a self confidence in themselves. TutorPace can help you with all the possibilities of online tutoring services. Accounting Tutor is one of them.

How to Increase Your Vocal Range

How to Increase Your Vocal Range Broaden Your Operatic Vocal Range with our Vocal Training Tips Chapters What is Tessitura? The Main Types of Tessitura Before You Start Your Singing Lessons... Exercises for Reaching those High NotesThe terms used by musicologists and music lovers can sometimes surprise and disorientate novices, especially when talking about voice types.  Even the vocabulary in both Italian and French can make opera feel unwelcoming for younger fans of modern music. However, there are a few ways to work on your singing voice in order to make yourself a better singer.Valour, power, volume, warmth, colour, clarity: there are so many terms to describe the different types of voices that choral singers and opera singers will be very familiar with them.  Today, we’re going to have a look at tessitura and range, some of the most important aspects of the human voice.With that in mind, let’s have a look at the answer to a question that most opera divas would probably ask: “Can I increase my vocal range and, if so, how?”  These are very important questions that ar e not just for operatic singing but also for modern music. TraceySinging Teacher 4.92 (13) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PortiaSinging Teacher 4.91 (11) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolaSinging Teacher 5.00 (11) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JazzSinging Teacher 5.00 (6) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PerrineSinging Teacher 5.00 (3) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TiemSinging Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TomSinging Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MiriamSinging Teacher 5.00 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors What is Tessitura?When talking about music and the sounds made by the human voice, instruments and singers can be classified in terms of the range of different frequencies they can produce.  Naturally, the human voice is somewhat limited and you could say that most of its abilities are innate: surgery can’t turn an aspiring singer in to Luciano Pavarotti with the click of their fingers, for example.Tessitura basically refers to the range in terms of notes and octaves that a voice produces naturally without too much effort.  Before you undertake any vocal training, you should study at least the basics of music theory as you would before you start playing a violin, oboe, french horn, accordion, bass clarinet, trumpet, guitar, trombone, or alto sax.Being able to read sheet music would be really useful for deciphering any given piece. This is something that would really help if you were playing Kaufmann in The Tales the of Hoffman.You can't improvise when it comes to learning music theory. You need to study and practise regularly. (Source: pixabay.com)As you probably know, human voices tend to change over the course of a person’s life. There are certain key moments, too. During puberty, for example, the voice breaks during and your range will become deeper. Additionally, women’s voices also change during menopau se.At the height of a signer’s career (often between 25 and 45 years of age), they’ll need to work tirelessly on their voice in order to break into the world of opera as well as  broadening their range in order to improve their chances of landing certain roles.The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute requires a total mastery of the upper ranges of the human voice and tenors get their chance to shine in Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore and Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. The Main Types of TessituraWhile there is some overlap, the voices of men and women are generally classified differently and are part of a scale from the lowest vocal ranges of men to the highest vocal ranges of men.  Within these ranges, there are also several subdivisions.From the lowest male ranges to the highest, the male vocal ranges are as follows:The bass range goes from E2 (the second E below middle C) to E4 (the E above middle C).The baritone range goes from A2 (the second A below middle C) to A4 (the A above middle C) like Marcello in La BohèmeThe tenor range goes from C3 (one octave below middle C) to C5 (one octave above middle C). A good example is Almaviva in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.The countertenor is usually the highest male vocal range and include Handel’s oratorios and in the baroque music of Purcell.Birds are very famous for having beautiful voices. (Source: Iva Castro)Each of these groups includes subdivisions and certain singers, such as Roberto Alagna, are able to be classified as several different ranges and can play a multitude of roles without ever struggling to hit every single note.Similarly, the female voice has three main roles defined by the range of notes they perform.The contralto range goes from F3 (the F below middle C) to F5 (the second F above middle C) and includes roles like Erda in Richard Wagner’s Das Rheingold.The mezzo-soprano range  goes from A3 (the A below middle C) to A5 (two octaves higher) like Carmen in Bizet’s work of the same name.The soprano range goes from C4 (middle C) and C6 (high C) and includes Brünnhilde in Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen. Before You Start Your Singing Lessons...If you want to succeed in music as either a classical or modern singer, you have to at least have a good voice.After that, you’ll have to study some music theory in order to have a deeper understanding of music just like an instrumentalist would and work out your voice type in terms of pitch, timbre, and the songs you're capable of singing.Your musical ear needs to be worked upon regularly as well as studying the main composers in terms of vocal music: Beethoven, Britten, Gluck, Gounod, Rameau, Vivaldi, etc.  There are also a number of radio stations and places you can go to if you enjoy religious music.With the right singing teacher, you never know where your performances will take you. (Source:  pixabay.com)You should also ensure that you can sing in key before you even consider trying to expand your range.   Additionally, you’ll also need to have good elocution and chest voice and have mastered vibrato and diaphragmatic breathing.  It’s important that you train yourself to sing without having to force yourself.Your abdominal muscles and nasal cavities can be just as important as your ears and throat when it comes to becoming an exceptional singer.  Additionally, you’ll need to have stage presence and be able to act as well as you can sing.That said, you’re not going to just burst out of a music workshop and start and start singing motets under the direction of a famous composer in the world’s most famous opera houses.  There’s a huge difference between singing your first light opera and performing the biggest roles on the best stages. Additionally, there’s also opéra bouffe. Learn to Sing the Low NotesAs with all art, you need to do things in order.  Before you start trying to learn to reach the high notes, you need to cover the basics. The low and middle notes. If you do n’t do this, it’ll be a disaster. All your hard work will be for nothing if you don’t do things in the right order.If you run before you can walk, you’ll end up with ugly and weak high notes and your voice will waver and you’ll struggle to improve. You need to start with the main notes of your range and only start to broaden your range once you’ve learned to masterfully perform these notes.Once you’ve managed that, you can more on to more complex exercises. A singing course or singing lessons could help a lot at this stage.Before you perform any music, you have to make sure you warm up your voice: make sure your throat and mouth are ready for singing so that you can perfectly operate them in order to sing in key and have the kinds vocal qualities that move people.You should drink a lot of water and avoid dairy products so that your body is completely ready to sing. Exercises for Reaching those High NotesA knowledge of keys, a metronome, and singing lessons are all real ly useful to make sure that when you’re singing, you’re singing correctly and not picking up any bad habits before you put on your big show.The amplitude of your voice comes from your throat which needs to remain low. You can do this by making sure it remains relaxed. Never move your jaw forwards as this amounts to exertion. Make sure than when you sing, you remain relaxed, composed, and in key!You should also work on deep breathing and your posture in order to reach some of those high notes successfully.You should also consider vocal warm up exercises for the vowels you’re going to sing. There are a number of singing exercises that you can use daily and your private tutor will probably suggest their favourites. The vocal cords need to be able to tense and relax without too much difficulty.You should consider vocalising. First start with a low note and go up in semitones. You can use a piano to help you do this.It’s also important to ensure that your vocal cords are comforta ble. The vibration of your vocal cords is at the heart of having a voice like your favourite singing stars.There’s a “lift” exercise you could consider which uses a rolled “r” to continuously go up a scale before going back down to the original note.  This vocal exercise can help you improve your voice without having to resort to going to see a speech-language pathologist.In any case, make sure that you do have a vocal professional with you so that your vocal cords are in their best condition and you won’t lose too much time working towards your goals.Find Singing classes across the UK with Superprof. Whether you're looking for  Singing lessons London, Singing lessons Manchester, Singing lessons Edinburgh  or online singing lessons you'll find them with us!

Trigonometry help can make your pressure with the topic less

Trigonometry help can make your pressure with the topic less Every parent wants their child to have some of the best things in their life. They want to give their child all the facilities that are possible for them within their reach. They want to give the best to their child and so that in some cases they have to make many sacrifices as well. Good school and proper education is the main necessity of any of the child in the present generation. For good and proper education it is very necessary that one should go to a good teacher and also attend good school. School plays a very important role in our lives. Most of our teenage life goes in our school lives. School is such a place where we come in contact with various types of things in life. Even the subjects that we learn are started up with school. While we are in school we learn many subjects. All these subjects help in making the professional person who we are. It is good to have some of the best teachers in our lives that help in providing you with the best learning facility. School today cannot provide you with every kind of help that you need to have. Teachers are efficient but they do not have time for each student and thus student lacks to get the most help from schools. For that you need to have a good teacher apart from school teaching who will help you to deliver some of the best facts related with the subject. Private tutoring is the way through which you can learn better but it is not that best as per today’s demands. The teachers have become enough professional and so they do not make any interest to teach a student with utmost dedication. Thus due to this many students who are weak enough have to suffer a lot. People think that private tutoring can be an easy way but things have changed largely. Today everything is very professional. One of the best and easiest ways is through the online tutoring facility. This facility is new and thus very few people know about the entire concept. When you have installed yourself in any of the online tutoring institute then things change largely. The teachers apart from other facilities are very much of good and provide you with each and every detail related with the subject. Just for example think about mathematics. Mathematics is said to be one of the toughest subject and thus a good teacher is needed to understand the subject in a much better manner. It has many layers in which each topic holds some or the other kind of knowledge and this every topic needs to have good grip over it. One such topic in mathematics is trigonometry which is related sin, cos, tan and various other formulas through which every sum can be completed. Online tutoring can lead you to some of the best teachers who will help you to cope up with the subject in ease. It is better that you should know about the various benefits that online tutoring has. It has a long list of advantages that can make you go gaga over the entire concept. It is new, effective as well as unique. So, for now you can check the advantages that will help you to know about the topic more. Features of e-learning tutoring courses Every parent wants that their child should have a teacher who will guide them in a much better way. Online tutoring can provide you with every kind of facility that a parent can never imagine about. The teachers who are in these online institutes are very much hard working and efficient. The interview process is very tough and thus the teachers who crack the interview can be said to be the best as they have the potential to crack this tough interview and enter into the world of such online tutoring. They can understand the needs and queries of a student and can easily lead them towards success. A strategy is planned by the teacher for the student to make them learn in a better manner. The courses that the online tutoring institutes offer are very apt and thus every student can easily connect with it. Many subject is been taught with same care and same efficiency. Every teacher is well efficient with their particular subjects and so knows the subject well so that they can pass off that efficiency to their students as well. The online tutoring institutes do not have any time limitation. The students are free to attend the classes anytime and every time they want. There is no limitation on the time neither on any student. Every student as per their wish can attend the class and they can take up the classes till that time they want. It is a great facility for any student who remains busy the entire day with many types of work and this way they can get their time to learn in a better manner. The service of one-on-one service is always available. This service helps you to get an individual teacher for an individual student and this is one of the best and the most convenient way through which a weak student can grasp the chapter in a much better way. The students can take the help of the teacher whenever they want and thus it is the best way through which learning can be easy and better. Tutor Pace can be a good way for online tutoring Among the long list of various types of online tutoring institutes the best one can be said as Tutor Pace. It is a good institute with some of the best facilities. The reputation is also high and the teachers that are involved in this institute are much efficient as compared to many other online institutes that are available. Trigonometry help is a part of the big facilities or services that Tutor Pace provides.  

Top 10 Career Mistakes Introverts Commit - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Top 10 Career Mistakes Introverts Commit - Introvert Whisperer Top 10 Career Mistakes Introverts Commit The climb up the corporate ladder is never easy.   As introverts, people might see you at a disadvantage; but they are undoubtedly wrong. Introverts are known for being great listeners, focused, observant, and committed, which are all great qualities that executives must possess. If you are an introvert with career plans, here are the top ten mistakes that you should avoid so you wont trip on your way up. 1. Isolating Yourself Some people thrive on social interaction compared to others. Too much isolation is not healthy, and most jobs require associating with people. Even introverts need face to face time every once in a while, so try calling a friend, or having lunch out. If having a companion is too much for you, having a stroll at the park or doing groceries can be a great help instead of locking yourself in your room. But it would be better if you talk even with one single person: little efforts to connect can go a long way. 2. Exhibiting Terrible Body Language Introverts can get stressed and anxious when encountering unfamiliar situations, but you can try being a master of disguise. Look at how you usually exhibit yourself with others. You can try the following modifications to your body language. Avoiding crossing your arms Not fidgeting Nodding at the right times Having a relaxed posture Leaning in towards the sleeping someone 3. Exhibiting A Lack of Confidence Introverts are confident people, but sometimes, being around extroverts can dial down that feeling. If you are not feeling confident, you can fake it till you make it. Pro tip: maintain eye contact with the person you are speaking with. You can even wear prescription contacts to make your vision sharper, better, and any color that you would like. Other confidence tips are: Practice smiling Study some power poses Have a strong handshake Dress to impress 4. Not Asking for Help Introverts lean toward working alone. Some are even more staunchly independent compared to the others. If you are one of those stubborn introverts, it might be quite hard for you to admit that there is something you cannot do alone. Here is how you can start: just ask for help. Its as simple as that. Talk to your coworkers or your direct supervisor if there is something that you cannot do. This will avoid trouble with making costly errors or going beyond the deadline. 5. Letting Your Mouth Run Away with You Small talk is inevitable, and you have to master the art of it. The problem with introverts is that they either have their lips glued or they babble the nerves away. It is a common problem that people chatter when they feel awkward or nervous, but remember, it is like running down a hill, once you begin, slowing down is near impossible. To avoid that, try talking slower when you are making small talk. Remember your pauses and breathing in and out clearly. If you have some trouble and you think you are rambling, observe the reaction of people around you and take your cues from there. 6. Confusing Your Introversion with Fear No one can escape having to do things that we do not like. Thats just how life works. But if you see yourself not being able to do things like returning a call, attending a party, or joining a conversation every single time, what you might have is fear and not just introversion. If you see this fear interfering with your life and you always regret things that you havent done, maybe you should try talking with a therapist to figure out your psyche and create plans to help you. 7. Always Expecting Others to Begin the Conversation Even though statistically, extroverts outnumber introverts, there are millions of people like you, that are scared of opening up conversations as well. Not all extroverts are also stereotypically bubbly, social, and talkative people like you think. Remember, there is a difference between talking in front of other people and having to talk to just one. If you are in a gathering, most likely somebody else is feeling as awkward as you, so be brave, for once, and rescue them from boredom. 8. Not Standing Up for Yourself As introverts, people tend to exhibit tendencies to let more dominating people push you or other people around. In dealing with confrontation and conflict, most introverts keep quiet and just ignore. Bullying, discrimination, and power-tripping happen in the corporate jungle so you have to make sure that you can handle it. A simple statement of I disagree would be more than enough to stand up for yourself. 9. Failing to Recognize Personal Accomplishments Are you shy about being proud of your victories? Many introverts tend to dislike bragging and get scared about seeming too full of themselves. In the workplace, you should be proud of all your accomplishments. In climbing up the corporate ladder, you should know how to market your skills to show people that you can face the challenges once you get promoted to a higher role. 10. Getting Lost Inside Your Head Being alone gives people the time to introspect and get to know themselves better. On the darker side, though, it can give you too much time to overthink and overanalyze things. Even when surrounded by people, some introverts can still zone out and get lost inside their minds. What should you do? Make a conscious effort to be present when you are with people or when they are things that you need to do. BONUS TIP: Take the Time to Recharge All introverts can get drained by social situations, but you have to socialize every once in a while. What you can do is to schedule an alone time before or after a social event. This will assure your self-preservation and protect you from imploding and getting stressed out. Introverts Can Do It, Too. Introverts have the power to excel in the corporate world, as much as extroverts and ambiverts can. Every individual has their own strengths and weaknesses, and this makes the journey more exciting. As introverts, a key to achieving your career goals is acknowledging your points to improve and starting from there.     Author Bio: Lydia Lee Lydia Lee is a fashion blogger. She works at a Tech company and writes as a freelancer for several fashion magazines both local and international. She has a pet terrier named Fugui.

Podcast #2 Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

Podcast #2 Fixed vs. Growth Mindset Academic Performance Explained Podcast In the second episode of our new podcast, MyGuru founder Mark Skoskiewicz shares some of Carol Dweck’s research about how mindset affects performance. He explains the difference between two mindsets about intelligence â€" the fixed mindset and the growth mindset â€" and how these different viewpoints can affect academic performance. Key Insights from Podcast #2 1. There are two common ways people think about intelligence. The first mindset is the “fixed” mindset. People with this mindset believe that your level of intelligence is mostly a result of your genes. They believe that everyone is born with an innate set of talents that they need to learn to work with. The other common mindset is the “growth” mindset. People with the growth mindset believe it is possible for them to become good at anything. They strongly believe in the power of learning, understanding their mistakes and improving over time. 2. Mindset matters more than you think People with the fixed mindset tend to shy away from things they believe they aren’t good at. They try to focus on things they are good at and avoid the rest. For instance, if someone with a fixed mindset believes that he or she is bad at math, that person may avoid taking challenging math classes. In contrast, people with the growth mindset are more likely to take risks and try things they don’t know how to do, because they see this as a learning opportunity. Because of this, people with the growth mindset are more likely to improve over time in areas they were initially weak in. As a parent, you can cultivate a growth mindset in your kids by praising them for effort instead of intelligence. Promote the idea that they can improve and grow by putting in effort, and they will reap the benefits of the growth mindset.

Studying Strategies to Help Students with Learning Differences

Studying Strategies to Help Students with Learning Differences Whether or not students have diagnosed learning differences, every student has a unique learning process. Here at AJ Tutoring, we work to leverage student’s strengths and create individualized learning plans to best meet their needs. Some students may have a 504 or an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) to help meet their needs at school, but there are also studying tips and tricks to improve learning at home. We want to offer parents some suggestions to unlock the hidden potential of their child’s abilities. As always, its important to maintain a Growth Mindset.Students with learning differences (LD) are just as capable as everyone else. In fact, learning differences also carry significant strengths. For example, people with LD often have a greater capacity for empathy; people with ADHD are excellent creative problem solvers; people with dyslexia excel at spatial reasoning, and so on.After navigating an education system that wasn’t designed to work with their strengths, kids w ith LD frequently internalize their struggles in school. This can lead to anxiety and depression, which further exacerbate the problem. Therefore, it is crucial to build a student’s confidence and their motivation to succeed. Specific, immediate, and positive reinforcement for a students effort is key. Remind your student that they have unique strengths, and it is normal to sometimes need help adjusting your learning techniques.Some learning differences that AJ Tutoring frequently encounters are ADHD/ADD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia. Whether or not your child has one of these, if they fidget, have trouble concentrating, reading, or writing, there are things you can do to help!Here are several at-home accommodations that could benefit every student. Again, each learner is unique, and sometimes it takes testing several strategies to find out what works best for him or her. If your student has a significant impairment, it may be useful to see a educational psychologist for further testing and to help create an individualized plan for them. Here is a list of AJ Tutoring-recommended psychologists.Trouble ConcentratingAlways study in the same area, so that you associate that space with productivity.If you are losing motivation, change up the space you choose can also help.Take 5 minute “brain breaks” every 25 minutes you study. These can be shorter, longer, or more or less frequent based on your  student’s needs.Play “beat the clock” and set a timer and assign a specific task this simulates the adrenaline and motivation that are tied to procrastinating.For homework that requires a computer, turn off the Wifi or using a website blocker such as “Stay Focused” to inhibit distracting websites.If possible, work while it is still light out and in a place with natural light.Trouble Sitting Still, or FidgetingUtilize stress balls, silly putty, fidget cubes, or other things that you can do with your hands while you study.Stand up and walk around wh ile you study.Chew gum.Use special pens and doodle while listening.Trouble with Writing: Handwriting Use special pencil grips to increase dexterity.Use a tablet/ computer when possible.Use a smartpen.Trouble with Writing: Written Expression of Ideas Allow and encourage the student to come up with their own abbreviations for note-taking.Use a speech to text program for writing papers (i.e Dragon).Trouble with ReadingUse a bookmark to follow along on a page.Use a text reader.Some textbooks are available as audiobooks.Have instructions read aloud and talk through the problem verbally.Use a text magnifier for small text.Check for understanding after a student reads instructions to themselves.General Learning TipsMake sure that you get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet, and are not hungry when you study.Study at the same time each day, and schedule when you are going to complete assignments.Add structure whenever possible, such as to-do lists, schedules, and specific and measurable goals .Study in a clean space with minimal distractions and all necessary tools at hand.It is crucial, especially with students with learning differences, to provide as much positive reinforcement as possible to help build their confidence in their ability to succeed. Here at AJ Tutoring we weave these study skills and confidence-building strategies into all of our work with students. Our tutors provide much more than content expertise; they help their students have a positive educational experience, increase their motivation and build lifelong habits.

Short Sightedness - Tutor Hunt Blog

Short Sightedness Further education increases the risk of short sightedness Further education increases the risk of short sightednessUniversitiesA study conducted by the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences at Cardiff University, and recently published in the British Medical Journal, makes an astonishing claim. The longer you spend in education the greater chance you have of developing myopia. Put in simple terms, this means that the more time you spend at school or university, the greater the chances are that you will need to wear glasses. Professor Jez Guggenheim, who was involved in the study, was quite frank about the link between schooling and short sightedness: `Our study provides strong evidence that length of time spent in education is a causal risk factor for myopia.` `Policymakers should be aware that the educational practices used to teach children and to promote personal and economic health may have the unintended consequence of causing increasing levels of myopia and later visual disability as a result.` Since there is a known link between severe myopia and loss of sight, the result of the study allows this astonishing statement to be made: the more time you spend in education, the more likely you are to go blind. The study also predicts the rate of ocular deterioration, and actually says that if a student has 20/20 vision at the age of 16, by the time they graduate from university they might well need glasses to legally drive. Ask people what they think an intelligent person looks like, and they will probably describe a range of physical characteristics. Tall, thin, perhaps wild unruly hair might be amongst the characteristics cited - but most people will say the person wears glasses. The bespectacled boffin is a of course a cliche - one that features prominently in movies. Woody Allen, the intelligent, neurosis ridden character, can hardly be imagined without his thick black spectacles. Dr. Egon Spengler, the smart one out of the four ghostbusters, is another glasses wearer; and of course superman has to do little more than put on his spectacles to become the nerdy, anodyne Clark Kent. The cliche continues into the world of cartoons: Velma from Scooby Doo - is the only character in the show wearing glasses, and the only character, so it seemed to me as a child, possessing a modicum of sense. Professor Frink and Professor Farnsworth, from the Simpsons and Futurama respectively, sport eyeglasses so thick as to be completely opaque. Millhouse, another Simpsons character, and the archetype nerd, wears glasses throughout the show; and Chuckie, the timid brainiac from Rugrats wears spectacles from infancy. It`s certain a hackneyed cliche that glasses wearers are more intelligent than those with perfect vision, but the Cardiff study suggests that myopia can be caused by long hours spent staring at text on screens, and scrutinising textbooks. With the growing prevalence of phones and tablets in people`s lives, surely today our eyesight is under greater strain than ever. It is estimated that by 2050 as much as half the world`s population, around 5 billion people, will be short sighted, compared to 1.4 billion people today; and about 10% of them will suffer from severe myopia, a condition that can lead to blindness. Though many might doubt the link between education and eyesight problems, one only has to look at countries like South Korea, China and Singapore - places that have an intense teaching schedule, including longer school hours, and evening study classes - where about 90% of students leave school at 18 with glasses. At the end of primary school as many as half of children in these countries suffer from myopia, compared to just 10% of British school children. The authors of the study were not too forthcoming in offering solutions to this problem. Other than saying children should be spending more time outdoors, they didn`t offer any practical methods of dealing with their rather dire predictions. Outdoor lessons may sound like a lot of fun - children out in the fresh air, surrounded by nature - but it really would be a logistical nightmare. As an ex teacher myself, I can testify to the necessity of having a class surrounded by four walls. Goodness knows how many children would be wandering off into the undergrowth during a taxing maths or English lesson. The study was certainly an extensive one, involving nearly 68,000 men and women who were registered with the UK Biobank programme. Drawing on a wealth of information, such genetic markers linked to myopia, and the amount of time subjects had been in education, the study concluded that more time spent in education leads to a `rising prevalence of myopia.` I have read through the study, and confess that it is a little too technical for me. I do wonder how anyone can ascertain a `genetic predisposition to higher levels of education,` but I must bow brighter minds than my own. Perhaps the study will have ophthalmologists around the country rubbing their hands in glee, but we certainly should not let it be used as a tool to detract from the importance of education. 20 months ago0Add a Comment