Some Texas Schools Reject State Merit Pay Program

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In May of 2006, the Texas Educator Excellence Grant Program was enacted by a special legislative session in Texas. Governor Rick Perry and several legislators sponsored the bill, which allocates state funds to underwrite merit pay plans in Texas schools across the state. It is the largest incentive pay program in the nation.

The program essentially implements a long-standing business concept into the Texas schools, treating teachers as individual professionals rather than an educational team. Proponents of the program believe that mediocrity becomes the standard, when excellence and mediocrity are equally rewarded.

The legislature allocated $100 million for teacher bonuses for this school year, and another $250 million for the next school year. The program targets Texas schools, which have a large population of low-income students but also have earned one of the two highest state performance ratings of exemplary or recognized. Classroom teacher bonuses are only for those who teach in core subject areas and are based on student standardized test scores.

Grants for the program were awarded to 1,161 Texas schools this year, 15 percent of all traditional and charter schools within the state. Though such a program is mostly untested in public schools, the Texas schools has made it voluntary for qualifying schools. Teachers are required to give input at each school and ultimate approval of the program.

More than 24 schools already have rejected the program and grant money, some returning up to $90,000 to the state. Linda Bridges of the Texas Federation of Teachers stated that the backers of the bill never consulted the teachers before developing and passing the program. Critics of the program do not believe it will achieve what the proponents suggest it will, and teacher resistance remains high.

One reason cited is the animosity that such a plan will cause in the Texas schools, pitting teacher against teacher in order to attain the bonuses. It would dissolve the team spirit prevalent at many Texas schools, where teachers and staff all work together for the success of the entire school. This “one big family” attitude is embraced by many educators. Under the state’s program, only core subject teachers are eligible for the bonuses, ignoring many teachers who add to a school’s total success.

Many Texas schools educators see the program as a disruption, distracting teachers from focusing on raising student test scores and improving their academic achievement. Instead, they would be focused on personal gain over the total success of the school.

Another drawback to the incentive pay program is the amount of paperwork required for a school to participate. Many Texas schools teachers would much rather spend that time working with their students.

Debbie Ratcliffe of the Texas schools said they expect at least 98 percent of the schools to accept the grant money and develop merit pay plans for their teachers.

Important Steps to Take When Choosing a Career

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Choosing a career is often times a difficult step for many individuals. Some people know the gist of what they would like to do but do not have a concrete plan in mind when it comes to selecting the desired career. For those who are searching for a new career, there are a few steps to take in order to ensure that they choose the perfect one.

Think About What You Enjoy Doing

The first step is to think about what you enjoy doing. For example, if numbers are your thing perhaps the role of an accountant or other type of finance-related position might be the perfect career for you. Determine what it is that you enjoy doing and see if there are any careers out there which allow you to take your favored activities and make a job position out of them.

Consider the Feasibility of Obtaining a Job in Your Desired Occupation

The next step is to consider whether or not you will be able to make an occupation out of your desired job role. Determine how feasible it is for you to obtain a certain type of job and then decide if you are better off looking at other job positions in which you will be more successful in obtaining. The feasibility factor is important as it will dictate whether you are able to get a certain job or not.

Determine If You Have the Required Education Level

It is important to keep in mind that certain jobs will require specific education levels. For example, in order to become a lawyer you must have a four-year college degree in addition to a three-year law degree. Therefore, if you are fresh out of high school and wish to become a lawyer you will have to obtain a good deal of schooling prior to doing so. When choosing a career, make sure that it is one which is readily accessible at the moment if you intend on starting work right away. If not, you may need to obtain some more education first prior to applying for a certain position.

Consider the Amount of Job Opportunities in Your Area

If you wish to stay in your local area when you obtain a specific job it is important to consider how prevalent jobs are in your chosen career field where you live. Some jobs will be few and far between whereas others will be voluminous in number. Look into this factor prior to settling on a specific career choice, especially if you are set on staying in the same area once you obtain the job.

Think About Long Term Goals

When selecting a career it is important to not only look at aspects regarding the near future but your long-term goals as well. When finding a new career path you should consider what you want your goals to be in the future with regard to this career and determine whether your long-term goals can be carried out in your desired career choice. This will help you in your endeavors with choosing a career.

Guide to Section 608 – EPA Exams For HVACR Technician Certification

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Following is a guide for those who are planning to take the Section 608 Technician Certification exams, mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, the reader will find useful data that comes directly from resources published online by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Anyone can access these resources and learn what kind of job market they might expect for heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers through 2016.

Below are some basics about Section 608 to give interested readers an idea of what this EPA ruling is all about. To find more details, visit the epa.gov website and conduct a search on “608.” Information can be located under link to “Brochures and Fact Sheets”.

  1. Those who handle ozone-depleting substances or refrigerants (chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) and their blends) must adhere to strict guidelines regarding the recovery and recycling of these substances, as spelled out in Section 608 of the Clean Air Act of 1990.
  2. Any individual who uses, recycles, recovers, sells or reclaims these substances must answer to these regulations. Anyone who handles refrigerant must first prove that they are compliant.
  3. A leak of fifty pounds or more in air conditioning or refrigeration equipment requires repair.
  4. Any items destined for the waste stream that contain refrigerants must be handles appropriately, with complete and safe disposal of any refrigerants as stated in the regulations.

Section 608 Certification type is categorized by appliance size:

  • I – small appliances (five pounds or less)
  • II – medium-, high-, very high-pressure appliances
  • III – low-pressure appliances
  • Universal certification covers all three levels

To prepare for EPA exams, candidates can use free or for-fee online guides. A good place to begin before making a purchase or subscribing to one or another preparation tool online is the epa.gov site, which is easily found through a search on “issues EPA certification test.” Once the candidate understands what will be expected, they can take advantage of websites that provide opportunities to pracitce the core and Type I sections of this test. However, it is critical to note that the test will change from year to year, staying updated with changes in technology and in the industry. Using a current guide can be confirmed through accessing the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute, the Refrigeration Service Engineer Society and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, all with websites that provide needed details about current exam requirements. This points to the value that some test-takes may find in purchasing a reliable test prep/exam guide, one that is both current and complete-covering all possible issues that may be tested on the exams.

HVACR Career Outlook

To find out what it means to be certified in HVACR, interested parties should look to the Bureau of Labor Statistics website bls.org. There they will find-as of the time this article was published-that the outlook for this type of career is promising. To optimize opportunities in this field, it is suggested at this and other resources that accredited tech schools and qualifying apprenticeships are part of or precede taking exams.

Technicians who specialize in HVACR should find many opportunities, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, through the year 2016. To see the most recent evaluation of job prospects, visit bls.org.

Environmental health is a crucial issue and will continue to be so indefinitely. This is good news for the planet and for this career field, since government incentives coupled with stricter regulations for commercial enterprises will practically guarantee that HVACR technicians will be kept busy removing old systems and installing energy-efficient systems that can make a significant dent in CO2 emissions and other issues. The same holds true for refrigerant regulations, which will continue to create jobs for technicians needed to upgrade systems to meet current environmental standards. In addition, population growth has not slowed nor does is show signs of abating. Thus, ever more climate-controlled spaces will be created to accommodate more people in homes, businesses and industries around the globe. In addition, system replacement rates have historically been every ten to fifteen years. This natural need to replace old systems will also contribute to high HVACR employment rates. Finally, because new systems will most likely include complex components and require hi-tech tools, do-it-yourself repairs will be minimized. Systems that malfunction or fail will require that an HVACR technician pay a call.

While burgeoning population growth and complicated heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems that limit do-it-yourself maintenance and repair are not necessarily a desired reality, they are thus far reliable factors for the next 5-10 years at least. This bodes well for anyone with a natural interest in things mechanical and technical, ensuring that any investment of time and money now in Section 608 certification will be well worth it years down the road.

Why Employee Training Programs?

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Employee trainings are essential to enhance employees ‘capabilities and also make them feel comfortable at the workplace. Trainings help an individual to deliver his/her level best by acquiring additional set of skills and knowledge in their respective domains. Employee trainings encourage employees to think out of the box and find innovative solutions to their problems. Same skills and knowledge can’t be applied everywhere. Every problem can’t be dealt with in a similar way. Remember change is something which is inevitable. Technology becomes obsolete with time and it is essential for individuals to upgrade their existing knowledge and skills to stand apart from the rest and outshine fellow workers. It is essential for employees to brush on their existing knowledge and keep themselves abreast with the latest developments.

Employee training programs play an imperative role in extracting the best out of employees and enable them to put their best foot forward. Specific training programs help employees to learn new skills which he/she has not learnt before but would help him/her not only in current assignments but also future roles. Training programs help individuals to understand their worth and capabilities and where all they need improvement to survive the fierce competition.

An individual does not become a manager or a vice president of an organization in one day. There is no magic wand which will make you a part of the top management in a day. Not everyone can lead a team and not everyone can become a manager. You need to have some special skills and qualities which make you different from others. Additional skills and qualities come from training. Believe me, no one on this earth is born perfect, perfection comes through training. It is not necessary that an individual needs to know everything on the first day of his/her job. Do not feel embarrassed if you do not know a particular skill or are unable to perform a particular task. Remember, there is no end to learning. Training helps employees to keep pace with the changing times and makes them well-equipped to face unforeseen situations and adverse conditions. In layman’s language, training prepares you for future.

Employee trainings enable individuals to accept challenges with a smile. Everyone needs correct feedback, guidance and handholding at some point in his career. Trainings make an employee feel confident and allow him to handle additional responsibilities and even lead teams.

Trainings also reduce the organization’s cost involved in recruiting new talents. There is no need to hire new people if you train your existing workforce. Trainings make employees self dependent and also strengthen the relationship among employees and superiors. Individuals feel motivated as trainings provide them an opportunity to open up and discuss their problems on a common platform. You do not need to call training managers from outside every time. Superiors can train their team members along with their current responsibilities. Sit with your subordinates, suggest them new courses which would help them acquire new learnings, suggest ways of improvement and so on. Trainings play an essential role in honing employee’s skills and make him a mature professional. Suitably designed training programs give you an extra edge over your colleagues and help you excel professionally in very short span of time.

CITB SMSTS – Site Management Training Courses

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Construction is considered to be one of the most dangerous industries to work in. There are countless accidents, injuries and even deaths which occur when the site’s health and safety is poorly managed and unmonitored. It is important to undertake adequate training such as the Site Management Safety Training Scheme, or SMSTS. By ignoring the health and safety laws and regulations site managers, contractors and the owners of the construction firms face prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive.

Who Needs Training?

Anyone who is put in charge of a construction site needs to be made aware of their legal responsibilities and the laws as set out by the health and safety at work Act and the construction industry regulations. A course such as the Site Management Safety Training Scheme is perfect for anyone looking to take their career further in a supervisory role on site, or site managers. This course is also recommended for the owners of construction firms.

Know Your Legal Duties

Working on a construction site comes with all sorts of risks which need to be carefully worked around to ensure all workers and the public are not put in any danger. Site managers and people working in a supervisory role need to protect others and themselves both from a legal point of view and from a moral perspective.

Overview of the SMSTS Training

The SMSTS courses are tutor led training which educates and prepares workers in a supervisory role to create and maintain a safe site. During the five day course the candidates will learn their responsibilities as set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act. Some of the content will cover areas such as:

  • Scaffolding
  • Electricity
  • Demolition
  • Excavations
  • Risk Assessments and Method Statements
  • Site Set Up

The quality content and the skills which are taught to the candidates have made the SMSTS course to be one of the highest regarded training courses that are fully recognised within the industry. The SMSTS card can be used to show the manager or supervisor has an understanding of their legal duty and have the skills needed to maintain health and safety on site.

Protect Yourself, Your Fellow Workers and Develop Your Career

By putting the skills learnt by the SMSTS training you can ensure the site you are responsible for remains safe. Risk assessments and the close monitoring of work can help to avoid potentially deadly accidents from occurring on site. The holders of the SMSTS card will be able to show they have adequate training required for a supervisory role.

The card is valid for five years and can only be obtained by attending the full five days training and successfully passing the examination delivered at the end of the course. After five years a two day refresher course will need to be attended in order to retain the certification.

Nintendo Educational Games Should Work to Teach Cooperation to Children, Rather Than Competition

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One thing I see again and again in Nintendo educational games is that, with few exceptions, they are solitary affairs. And, when they include a multi-player mode, it’s inevitably of the competitive nature. Beat my score, top my level, etc. It’s understandable; video games and games in general usually involve a certain level of competition. Even in orange-slice soccer leagues who don’t keep score, there’s the personal level of getting a ball past an opponent, kicking or handling skill comparisons running in the kids’ minds. I get it, we’re a competitive culture.

But we’re talking about friends and siblings, here – why can’t we design our Nintendo learning games to teach cooperation, rather than competition?

This is going to require a bit of a sea-change in the industry, I’m guessing. We’re so used to setting the highest score and putting our initials up for all to see. Most of the video games out today, whether Nintendo educational game or 360 shooter, are competitive first, solo-campaign next, and co-op mode possibly as an afterthought. For those of us with two children, wouldn’t it be nice to see a game that teaches teamwork? Sharing? Couldn’t our educational games include modes that require players to work together to solve a puzzle, rather than see who can finish it the fastest?

We have a few examples in the Nintendo educational game world, but look at the mature video game titles! There is a definite trend in these games – most of which are violent, unfortunately – to offer the ability to invite a friend or sibling to take on the game’s challenges together. It’s great! Some actually require teamwork between two players in order to get the best gear or score the highest possible mark; in other words, they don’t require that you play with a friend to succeed in-game, but they offer plenty of incentive to do so.

More carrot, less stick.

It’s unfortunate that, for the most part, the library of Nintendo educational games is pretty scant when you’re searching for a game to help teach your young ones teamwork. It appears to be an oversight, rather than a calculated move on the developers’ parts.

There’s also a level of “flying solo” in our educational system. Tests are taken alone, no book, no hints, no help, and especially no looking over your fellow student’s shoulder. That’s fine – I understand – we want to find out what each student knows, hopefully with the goal of shoring up any weak spots in a child’s education. But the school-type setting is exactly what we ought to be avoiding in Nintendo educational games. We shouldn’t want to remind our gamers of school, of stress, of tests and exams and pop quizzes. Our goal, ultimately, should be to make learning fun.

I believe this effort would be helped by including cooperative modes in our Nintendo educational games. It probably won’t be easy, coming up with exercises and lessons that require cooperation. But it has to be possible, whether through a more rigid gameplay mechanic (think driver/navigator, researcher/writer, or hands/feet) or unique mini-games (drawing two halves of a picture from memory, alternating teacher and student roles, or simple collaborative playing to solve in-game puzzles).

I’m happy to watch my kid learn as he plays. I’d be even happier if he found encouragement and excitement in tackling a problem together with a friend. Nintendo’s been the leader in console innovation; let’s see them make some powerful strides in cooperation and collaboration for their next spate of Nintendo educational games.

Why Everyone Should Learn Spanish

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Since the first time you visit a Spanish-speaking country you will find the importance of learning the Spanish language. People usually have a vague idea of the main aspects of spanish-speaking countries, yet very few people have a clue about their language.

It is there where people feel the necessity to learn the language in order to overcome the main obstacles faced when travellling abroad.

For example, when you are ordering something in a restaurant or in  a shop you are usually overcharged. But if you can speak and understand their language you could avoid being overcharged by bargaining (which is a very common and expected practice in Latin America)

One more aspect is that when you are listening to some people talking you would like to understand what they say so that you could participate in the conversation. The problem is that your Spanish speaking abilities are almost zero. You cannot add anything to the conversation. No matter how long you spend trying to understand you may not be able to, and you will not learn anything from this conversation.

Just think about women trying to understand a group of men talking about rugby and their rules, or men trying to understand a group of women talking about their favorite makeup.

It can feel worse if you are besides a group of people talking a totally different language.

In addition, imagine getting lost in a Spanish-speaking country. How could you communicate with the natives? How could you reach your hotel or your group? That would be a real emergency!

So, if you cannot express or communicate freely and fluently you will feel vulnerable.

These are the main reasons why you should consider learning conversational Spanish.  It will be very useful if you plan to go on vacations or if you have, or want to have, Spanish-speaking friends.
Where Should You Start To Learn Spanish?
Learning a language can be very callenging and time consuming. This can be, actually, one of the most difficult challenges you could set for yourself.

However, you can learn to speak conversational Spanish in a very confortable environment. People know that, and that is why learning a new language is one of the top New Year’s resolutions. It opens the doors to new experiences and activities.

You can meet new people or have a career advancement just by learning a new language. It is important, so you should do it. Other people have done it, so you can do it!

When you are ready to learn Spanish remember that there are different ways to do so. The best way to learn a new language is trying to recreate the natural way a person learns their mother tongue. So you should learn Spanish by practicing and speaking it very often. If you have discipline you will learn conversational Spanish in a very short amount of time.

Remember that a language can be a very powerful tool that will open new doors and opportunities for you, especially Spanish since the importance of the Spanish language is growing like crazy these days. These are the main reasons why you should learn Spanish.

Tips on Writing a Book Now

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Here’s a string of tips on writing a book. They’re brief, succinct and very useful. These tips on writing a book have been designed to get you up and writing your book as quickly as possible.

They’ll help you start writing, continue writing and finish writing your book. Your manuscript will be ready for the agent, or the publisher, or on its way to self publishing success.

Here are your tips on writing a book:

You can’t start writing your book and continue writing until the book has been written. It’s too big a job. It’s going to take you a few days. Probably a couple of weeks.

People take years to write their book because they go at the task sporadically. You’ve got to write every day. If you don’t, you find yourself having written nothing for months at a time.

Your book writing success or failure depends largely on the outlining process. Create an outstanding outline for your book and you’re writing task becomes easy. You should know exactly what happens on every page before you start writing your first word.

If you think you can write your book by being spontaneously creative as you write, you’re wrong. You’re welcome to try, just about every novice author does. But I’d bet money it won’t work for you. Create the exhaustive outline.

Your outline should consist of a series of questions: What does the library look like, how is she dressed, why does he feel so angry, what does she do when she reaches the house. It’s simply easier to write in response to a question than it is to write in response to a statement.

Spend a short time writing to answer each question. Just a few minutes. You don’t want this to become a protracted bunch of puff. You want real story.

Don’t stop until the book is finished. There’s a real tendency to stop and edit the work that you’ve just completed. After all, editing is a lot easier to do than the actual writing. So you can feel that you’re still working, but it won’t be as difficult. Don’t do it! Keep writing until the book is finished.

Give yourself a period for writing and stick to that amount of time come hell or high water. Even if it’s just 15 minutes a day. Initially you’re just going for the discipline. Eventually you’ll get the writing quality as well, but the discipline is most important factor for the completion of your work in the shortest amount of time possible.

Doing research for your book writing can be fun. But don’t do it until after the book is written. If you come to a point where you’ve got to get a piece of information that you don’t have in you head, just put down an asterisk and keep the flow of the book going. After the manuscript is finished, you can look back for all those asterisks and get just the information you need.

Tips on Writing a Book Now

Posted on by

Here’s a string of tips on writing a book. They’re brief, succinct and very useful. These tips on writing a book have been designed to get you up and writing your book as quickly as possible.

They’ll help you start writing, continue writing and finish writing your book. Your manuscript will be ready for the agent, or the publisher, or on its way to self publishing success.

Here are your tips on writing a book:

You can’t start writing your book and continue writing until the book has been written. It’s too big a job. It’s going to take you a few days. Probably a couple of weeks.

People take years to write their book because they go at the task sporadically. You’ve got to write every day. If you don’t, you find yourself having written nothing for months at a time.

Your book writing success or failure depends largely on the outlining process. Create an outstanding outline for your book and you’re writing task becomes easy. You should know exactly what happens on every page before you start writing your first word.

If you think you can write your book by being spontaneously creative as you write, you’re wrong. You’re welcome to try, just about every novice author does. But I’d bet money it won’t work for you. Create the exhaustive outline.

Your outline should consist of a series of questions: What does the library look like, how is she dressed, why does he feel so angry, what does she do when she reaches the house. It’s simply easier to write in response to a question than it is to write in response to a statement.

Spend a short time writing to answer each question. Just a few minutes. You don’t want this to become a protracted bunch of puff. You want real story.

Don’t stop until the book is finished. There’s a real tendency to stop and edit the work that you’ve just completed. After all, editing is a lot easier to do than the actual writing. So you can feel that you’re still working, but it won’t be as difficult. Don’t do it! Keep writing until the book is finished.

Give yourself a period for writing and stick to that amount of time come hell or high water. Even if it’s just 15 minutes a day. Initially you’re just going for the discipline. Eventually you’ll get the writing quality as well, but the discipline is most important factor for the completion of your work in the shortest amount of time possible.

Doing research for your book writing can be fun. But don’t do it until after the book is written. If you come to a point where you’ve got to get a piece of information that you don’t have in you head, just put down an asterisk and keep the flow of the book going. After the manuscript is finished, you can look back for all those asterisks and get just the information you need.

The 3 Challenges Most Students Face Making The Transition From High School To College

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Every month, I receive emails and questions from parents and students alike as to what type of changes and differences should they expect making a transition from high school to college. I always begin by making it clear that many changes can be expected when making the transition from high school to college, yet, I believe there are three specific things students can focus and prepare themselves for that can potentially ease the transition somewhat. So, what are these essential skills that are important to develop if you want to increase your chances of making into your sophomore year and with competitive grade point average.

1. Time Management. I know, it’s one of those skills which we all believe we have under control, mainly because we really don’t and are not as disciplined enough to take a closer look at the things we spend as time on. For students in grade school, since kindergarten, scheduled school days are primarily fixed and structured based on a portion of time during the day that remains the same. Students experience this for some 12 years and then within a 90 day span from the end of their senior year to the first day of college classes they must make a drastic change to a schedule that is more flexible and unpredictable. This can be challenging for students as they will have to decide what time the will take their courses and how those courses will align with other obligations. A student taking a course at 9:00am in the morning and having a class gap until 1:00pm in the may be challenged in what to effectively and efficiently do with that time.

2. Academic Workload. Man first year students are surprised their first semester at the amount of reading and the length of the research papers they must write in college. Let me be clear, students in high schools complete substantially more assignments than college students, it is the type of workload that will change. The greatest demand will be reading and preparing for class. This is a challenge because many students report not having to complete any substantial reading for classes in high school and being able to study for the test 15 prior to class and perform well simply based on memorization. The difference in college is that you will have homework every day even if none is officially assigned, you still have required readings which must be done. As mentioned in many high schools very little reading is required outside of class, some college students find themselves reading 2-3 chapters each night. A good model to follow is that for every 1 hour of class, you should be spending 3 hours outside of class studying and preparing yourself.

3. Personal Responsibility. Personal responsibility means an understanding by students that the buck stops with them and they are ultimately responsible for what happens in their lives. During the years we’re young, it’s easy to place blame on parents, teachers, or siblings in order to psychologically make ourselves feel better about our own fault. Yet, the truth of the matter, both failures and successes should be accredited to the person individually. In college, personal responsibility is a wake up call, as no one will be there to make sure you make it to your 8:00am class when you would rather sleep in. Your professor may not remind you to complete and turn in your research paper on time. You will not be able to blame you brother or sister for you missing pre-registration and not being able to get the courses you need.

In closing, making the transition from high school to college can and will be for many students, the most challenging experience they have faced in their lives. Students should take the time to plan out their schedules from week to week and month to month. This will allow students to celebrate the success they are experiencing and begin to develop good habits. Students should use any time gaps efficiently in the form of studying and preparing for upcoming classes or reviewing notes from previous class. And finally, students should place a sign on their mirror in their room or bathroom, which reads “the buck stops here” so they will see it as a frequent reminder. With a keen understanding and awareness of the most significant challenges first year students face, addressing these issues may allow students the time to prepare and develop the skills noted above to help ease their transition.