Students blog

It’s snack time! If you’re like me, you love to snack- whether I’m studying, watching tv, or relaxing with a book, I always have something to munch on. At school, that means I’ve usually found a bag of chips or a slice of pizza, but now that I'm home for the summer, I try to choose healthy options to nourish my mind and body. Here are three of my favorite go-to snacks for summer!

Frozen Fruit Bowls... The Cousin of The Açai Bowl

Ingredients and Equipment:

• 1 large frozen banana
• ½ cup of frozen blueberries and strawberries (or your favorite fruit combinations)
• ½ cup Milk
• ¾ cup yogurt
• Granola
• Nutribullet or blender

Directions: (10 minutes)

• Blend your frozen banana with a ½ cup of milk and add a ½ cup of yogurt.
• After about 30 seconds, or when your banana is almost fully blended, start to slowly add your frozen blueberries and strawberries until blended to your liking.
• Add the rest of your yogurt as you continue blending. You may have to add more milk depending on how thick you want your bowl to be. It can also help to put the bowl in the freezer for 1-2 minutes while you clean up!
• Once your fruits are blended, pour the mixture into a bowl, and sprinkle your granola on top.
• Add any other toppings you like and enjoy a healthy snack that will cool you down on a hot summer day!

Avocado Toast... But Add a Little Bit of Spice

Ingredients and equipment:

• 1 avocado
• 1 slice of whole grain bread (or a bread of your choice)
• 1/3 cup canned corn
• ½ tomato
• Salt
• Pepper flakes
• Toaster

Directions: (10 minutes)

• Mash up 1 avocado in a bowl until you reach a guacamole consistency.
• Put 1 slice of whole grain bread, or your favorite bread, into the toaster to toast while you dice your tomato into small pieces.
• Add your corn and tomato into your avocado bowl and mix it together. Depending on the size of your avocado, add as much or as little corn and tomato as you like!
• Once your bread is toasted, spread the avocado mix on the toast.
• Now for the spice... sprinkle some red pepper flakes and salt on the top for some extra flavor and enjoy!

Looking for something a little bit more filling? Scramble 2 eggs in a pan to put on top of your avocado toast!

Chickpea Chicken Nuggets... Where Vegetables Are Hidden in Plain Sight

Ingredients and equipment:

• 1 can of chickpeas
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup grated carrot
• ¼ cup minced onion
• ½ tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp paprika
• Sprinkle of black pepper
• 1 tsp olive or avocado oil + extra for cooking
• ½ cup oat flour
• Food processor
• Spatula and tablespoon

Directions: (20-25 minutes)

1. Prepare your vegetables by grating your carrots and mincing your onion. Make sure you wash your carrots first and drain out any remaining moisture with a towel!
2. Open and drain the can of chickpeas.
   Note: Ask yourself: do I have oat flour? If not, you can substitute uncooked oats that you use to make oatmeal. Just place your oats into your food processor until you have a ½ cup!
3. Next, add your carrots, onions, chickpeas, and the rest of your ingredients into your food processor. Pulse your food processor a couple of times until the ingredients are combined but be careful not to over mix.
4. Moving over to the stove, heat cooking oil in a pan over medium high heat. Once heated, grab a heaping tablespoon to portion the mixture into the pan. Sometimes I even use another spoon to help me form a nugget shape in the pan!
5. Cook each nugget for 3-5 minutes and flip using a spatula. You may have to flatten some of your nuggets before cooking for an additional 3-5 minutes on that side. When the outside of the nugget is slightly golden you know you’re done!
6. Depending on the size of your pan, you can cook more than 1 nugget at a time and leave all finished nuggets to cool or enjoy as you cook!
7. This recipe will yield a LOT of nuggets which you can keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days and reheat whenever you feel like a fun vegetarian snack. Personally, I like to dip my nuggets in tomato sauce or salsa for some extra flavor!
   

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

I have always felt like Daddy’s little girl, and I still feel the same now! My dad consistently supports my ambitions in and out of school, loves me unconditionally, helps me whenever I need it, and of course, he put up with the years of having a teenage daughter! My dad taught me how to be independent, strong, reliable, and trustworthy... and also passed down a pretty good sense of humor as well!

Spending time with my dad on Father’s Day is very important to me, but it can be hard to think of new and exciting things to do every year. Here are some activities I love to do with my dad that you can do with a fatherly figure in your life to celebrate today!

Soak Up the Outdoors

My dad and I love to be active! Soak up the sun by going for a walk, hike, or bike ride and explore a new place together. This is a great way to unplug and get some exercise! You could even check out a nearby town pool or take a trip to the beach if the weather is hot!

Play A Card Game or Board Game

Growing up, I played a lot of games with my dad and practiced some friendly competitions. You could usually find us with a pack of cards playing Aces or Uno or stretched out around a Ludo board. Pull out your dad’s favorite game and ask if he wants to play- you can even get the whole family involved!

Cook Dinner Together

Even though I’m not a master chef in the kitchen, I know that my dad loves to cook and enjoys teaching me. This Father’s Day, help dad cook dinner, and maybe, just because it’s his special day, you can volunteer to do the dishes after!

Watch A Movie

Pop the popcorn, grab some snacks, and put on your dad’s favorite movie! I always loved watching movies with my dad and just enjoying each other's company while we watched old James Bond films or Spiderman. Find something you and your dad will both love!

Regardless of what you choose to do with your dad this Father’s Day, he will simply love spending time with you so make sure you dedicate the day to him and remind him just how much he means to you! Happy Father’s Day!

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

Education is for life! After their undergraduate years, many college students want to earn a master or doctorate degree and graduate school applications can be extremely competitive, stressful, and overwhelming! Here are 5 tips from my experience applying to graduate school to help support you during your application!

1) Identify someone for a letter of recommendation EARLY!

Letters of recommendation are crucial for your application! Most programs will suggest you ask a professor, faculty member at your school, or supervisor who can speak to your academic, professional, and personal qualities (while family members may have many wonderful things to say about you, I recommend asking someone who is more impartial and can speak to your abilities). It is important to identify your recommender as early as possible so that you can thoroughly discuss a timeline with that person and get your application submitted on time!

2) Update your resume.

Some applications will require a resume (it can also be optional), but you should make sure your resume is up-to-date and relevant to your career goals! Remember that a professional resume is typically one page written in reverse chronological order. I often like to attach a cover page as well to provide more insight about my qualifications. Be sure to include employment positions, awards, or special projects you’ve completed during your undergraduate years... but your time babysitting in high school may not be as relevant anymore!

3) Tackling the Personal Statement.

Almost all applications will ask for a personal statement or a response to a few essay questions. Write what you want to say, not what you think your graduate program wants to hear. Authenticity is key! Tell your personal story and how that led you to choose your specific graduate program. Be creative, avoid cliches, and as I always like to remind myself, there is only one of me and I have a unique story to tell... and so do you!

4) Oh no, there’s an interview!

Don’t panic! While interviews can be nerve-wracking, this is an opportunity for a graduate program to learn more about who you are as a real person rather than just what they can see on paper. Prepare some responses to general interview questions, have that “tell me about yourself” response ready, and most importantly, take a deep breathe! Many graduate schools will want to know how you plan to contribute to their program, what your future ambitions are, if you have any research interests, etc. so don’t be afraid to brag about yourself!

5) Proof, proof, proof.

You’ve finished your application having spent hours filling out your personal information and responding to essay questions... don’t forget to proofread! After all that time and energy, be sure to double-check that the information you provided is correct, there are no typos, and you have completed each section in its entirety. I recommend reviewing your application after a good night's sleep with fresh eyes to ensure you catch any mistakes!

While graduate applications can be stressful, any anxieties are completely normal, and I hope these tips help to relieve some of those nerves! Good luck with your application!

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

There is nothing quite like a mother’s love! Mother’s Day is a time to thank all motherly figures for the unconditional love and support they show every day. Flowers are a very popular gift option, but what if there was a way that they could last forever? Ever since I was young, handmade gifts have been common in my family and are, especially for mothers, worth more than anything that can be bought in a store. Let me show you how I make paper flower bouquet of lavender that any mother is sure to cherish forever!

You will need:

• Paper in your mom’s favorite color! A shade of green will also be useful!
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Tape
• Toothpick

Follow the steps below and use the picture at the top of the blog to help you if needed!

• Step 1: Cut a 9 cm by 28 cm piece of green paper to make the stem of the lavender. I recommend green for a realistic outcome but be as creative as you like!
• Step 2: Take your toothpick and starting at the tip of the corner of the paper, tightly wrap the paper around the toothpick. Continue rolling until all the paper is rolled up. You can remove the toothpick as you are rolling or leave it inside your stem for extra support. Tape the corner to hold it in place.
• Step 3: Set aside the stem to start creating the lavender. Pick your choice of color for your lavender and cut an 8 cm by 28 cm piece of paper.
• Step 4: Fold the paper in half like a hotdog and crease the edge.
• Step 5: Hold your paper horizontally so that the folded side is facing you (the opening of your hotdog is away from you) and cut thin strips vertically along the crease. Do not cut all the way through! Leave about a ½ cm border at the top of the paper. At the end, it should look like a very long comb!
• Step 6: Once you are finished, open your paper like you are reading a book and flip it over. Tape the long, uncut edges together. This is why we left a border in step 3! At this point, our lavender will look like a series of small arches.
• Step 7: Take your stem from step 1-2 and starting at the end of your lavender, wind it around the tip of the stem so the arches are on the outside. You may need a small piece of tape to hold the lavender in place as you wind it.
• Step 8: Continue to twist the lavender around the stem, moving slightly further down with each rotation. The small arches should expand a little bit to create a lavender shape.
• Step 9: When you reach the end of your lavender, tape the end to hold it in place. Cut the end of your stem if it is too long and you’re all done!

Optional: Want to include some extra details? Add some leaves!

• Step 1: Cut a 5 cm by 7 cm piece of green paper.
• Step 2: Leaving about a ½ cm border, like in step 5, cut out a row of long, thin triangles.
• Step 3: With the ends of your triangles pointing up, roll the leaves around the bottom of the lavender where the bloom ends. You do not need to move down the stem, keep your rotations horizontal. Tape the ends to hold in place. Cut off any extra leaves if you do not want as many!
• Step 4: Bend the leaves with your fingers to curl them.

Repeat the above steps to create a full bouquet of lavender! Happy Mother’s Day!

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

In 2008, a small, wide-eyed child would enter her first Kindergarten classroom. She would fall in love with the sights, the smells, the people, and the atmosphere. Her teachers would inspire her to be just like them when she grew up. Over the years, she would learn about the joys of reading, writing, and mathematics and anxiously wait for each school year to start again. Each teacher would plant a seed in this child’s pre-elementary school mind that would grow for the rest of her school career.

That child was me.

Evolving Why

Deciding that I wanted to be a teacher was easy. I watched other kids bounce back and forth between a doctor or an astronaut or a lawyer, but my career choice has remained unchanged. However, the reason for my choice has evolved. At first, I thought teachers were just people who knew more than everyone else and had all the answers. As an adolescent, I wanted to be “smart” and share my knowledge with others. As I entered adulthood, I began to understand that, while teachers are incredibly intelligent, they are just regular people who want to make a difference. Not to mention, they are intelligent in a way that is far more valuable than what can be taught in textbooks. Teachers must have immense emotional, social, and situational intellect in order to work effectively with students. Now that I’m in college, I strive to be as well-rounded of a teacher as those I've been lucky enough to learn from when I was in grade school.

Evolving Who

Overall, I knew, one day, I would end up at the front of a classroom. Determining what age-group and subject I wanted to teach was not defined so early. As I moved through each grade, I always ended the year saying I wanted to teach the grade I had just finished instead of the previous grade. That came to a screeching halt when I reached high school. I enjoyed the challenge of high school subjects and liked the material that I was learning more than I ever had before. I then knew that I wanted to teach high school... but I still hadn’t picked a subject.

Evolving What

I loved reading while in elementary school. You could always find me somewhere flicking the pages of a book like I just couldn’t wait to get to the next chapter. Throughout middle school, I thought I had my mind made up that I would major in English in college. Easy. Done. But not quite, because when I got to high school, I fell in love with my math courses. It probably helped that I had some incredible teachers for Geometry, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus, but there was something addicting about finding that one right answer to a problem. I still enjoy reading and writing and loved my English courses too, but I knew that I didn’t have the same passion for it as mathematics.

So, career? Teaching. Age group? High school. Subject? Math. I felt like I had all my questions answered and I was excited for the future.

There are times where I doubt my abilities or wonder if I am good enough to be an educator, especially in a subject as difficult as math, but then I remember the unwavering confidence that my teachers had in this one child. If they believe I can do it, then so should I.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

Did you know Vector Space Axiom #5 states that for all x included in a vector field V, 1•x = x? Well, I didn’t either prior to using Pearson+ Flashcards. That is just one axiom out of eight that I had to memorize for my Linear Algebra Class. For me, memorization is hard. It takes me a lot of time, energy, and concentration to memorize even just a short list of definitions. I find that making flashcards is a great way to practice and make sure I’m ready for my next exam, and where better to turn to than Pearson+!

Efficient Active Learning

With Pearson+ flashcards, I can engage in active recall. Active recall is essential for long-term retention, and flashcards make for efficient, targeted learning for busy college students! There are numerous ways to practice with these digital flashcards including selecting from multiple-choice options, typing in an answer, or the traditional “flip” to view the answer. The options vary each time you practice a set to guarantee you master your vocabulary! You can even have some fun and play a matching game!

Self-Paced Learning

Everyone learns at a different pace – no need to fear timers or alarm bells! I love that I can take my time with each flashcard and think about my answer before checking if I’m correct. Since flashcards allow for instant feedback, I can focus on the material I find most challenging and review it until I reach a point of mastery, creating a more personalized learning experience. And don’t worry, you can always add, delete, or edit your flashcards with exact about of information as you see fit!

Portability

The best feature of all is that no matter where I go, I can take my flashcards with me! Rather than having to carry around different sets for all my classes, everything is now in one place and just a click away. Whether I’m sitting on the bus on my way to class or looking for a way to pass the time between classes, I can conveniently access my flashcards on my computer, tablet, or phone.

Check out this helpful video on Pearson+ flashcards and make your studying easier by taking your flashcards to the next level with Pearson+!

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

Is it February already? I’ve always found it super fun to set some New Year's resolutions for myself in January... but they can be so difficult to maintain once the month is up! And I’m not alone; about 50% of people will give up on their resolutions by the end of January, so, now that it’s February, how are you doing with your resolutions? Whether you’ve restarted a couple of times or have been going strong since the ball drop, here are some tips to get your momentum back and keep your resolutions going all year long!

1) Reflect on your progress so far.

Take some time to reflect on how close you are to reaching your goal or how many goals you’ve accomplished already! Take pride in the progress you’ve made so far. This can be a great motivator to continue working hard for the rest of the year!

2) Set new goals.

Setting new goals can also be a great way to inspire yourself. If you achieved your goal in January, think of a new challenge. If you did not reach your goal, that’s okay! You can always reevaluate your resolution throughout the year to accommodate your current lifestyle and availability.

3) Reward yourself!

It is so important to be kind to yourself and reward your achievements. Maybe you get to go to your favorite restaurant, order your favorite drink at Starbucks, or buy those jeans you’ve been eyeing for weeks. Whether your reward is big or small, make it something meaningful to you that will help you stay on track.

4) Get a friend or family member involved.

It’s always so much more fun to accomplish a goal with someone else! Get someone close to you to join you in your resolution, so you can hold each other accountable and track your progress together. If you’re super competitive, get a whole group involved and see who can stick to the resolution the longest!

5) Make your resolutions fun!

The best advice I can give is to make your resolution something you will enjoy doing. Maybe you want to get more exercise in 2024, but you dread going to the gym. Instead, choose a place nearby to explore, grab your headphones, and go for a walk or run outdoors! Or maybe you want to maintain a better diet, but raw veggies aren’t your thing. Look up some recipes for healthier versions of your favorite dishes. There are so many ways to make your resolutions more fun!

Overall, resolutions can be hard to keep. But give yourself some grace and try one of these tips if you are feeling down on yourself this new year. You might be surprised by how much of a difference a small change can make!

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

Students do so much academic reading for their classes that the joy of a good book is often forgotten! After reading hundreds of textbook pages during my first year in college, I’m sad to say that I, like many of my friends, lost my connection to one of my favorite pastimes: pleasure reading. Reading is a fantastic way to reduce stress, explore an author’s creative world, and exercise the mind without even realizing it! So, let’s reignite a passion for reading with 5 book recommendations from a variety of genres... happy reading!

Who doesn’t love a twist on a good fairy tale? Check out Cinder by Marie Lu.

Jump into a world where humans and androids attempt to coexist, a plague ravages the Earth, and those with special gifts live on the moon. Cinder, a well-known mechanic from New Beijing of the Eastern Commonwealth, spends her days trying to escape her stepmother and stepsisters who can be awfully wicked. In a whirlwind of ballgowns, royalty, and secrets, Cinder becomes the center of a cosmic war, and she may just be the key to saving humanity. Follow Cinder’s story in The Lunar Chronicles series, preceding Scarlet, Cress, and Winter, where she must distinguish friend from foe in order to find her happily ever after.

Are you a science fiction enthusiast? Pick up The Martian by Andy Weir.

If you think Mother Nature is merciless on Earth, try living on Mars. When botanist-astronaut Mark Watney is accidentally left behind on his crew's Hermes mission, it appears he may be the first person to walk on the Red Planet as well as die there. Over 128 million miles from home, running low on food and water, and lacking a way to communicate with Earth, Watney must use all his astronomical knowledge in order to survive. Can he overcome the planetary elements, or will he stay lost in space forever?

Maybe you’re looking for an inspiring, true story? Educated by Tara Westover is perfect for you.

Tara Westover’s memoir was named one of the top ten best books of the year in 2018 by the New York Times. Westover recounts her experience growing up as a daughter of Mormon survivalists. Living in the mountains of Idaho, she was almost completely isolated from modern society. She was seventeen when she first stepped into a classroom and after watching one of her brothers get into college, she knew she wanted a different life for herself. Traveling thousands of miles away from the safety of the mountain, even making it to some of the most prestigious universities, her educational journey opened her eyes to the wonders of the world around her. Take the trip with Westover as she acquires knowledge from all corners of the globe, battling superstition, lack of self-confidence, while wondering if she’s drifted just slightly too far from the mountains.

Unsure of what the world could look like in a couple hundred years? Consider this future in Legend by Marie Lu.

The western United States is a region of the past, rebuilt and now known as the Republic. Growing up in two very different worlds, child prodigy, June Iparis, and the government’s most wanted criminal, Day Wing, meet under extreme circumstances: the murder of June’s brother where Day is the prime suspect. June is on a mission to avenge her brother while Day is determined to help his impoverished family survive. As the chase continues, the truth begins to unfold and sends blame circulating through the Republic until it becomes clear there are a lifetime of secrets kept behind closed doors. Detangle the dystopia in The Legend Series trilogy to find out the real reason for the unpredictable partnership between rags and riches.

Feeling like a detective? Investigate the supernatural in Gone by Michael Grant.

Gone. Without a trace. Internet, television, social media all disappear, along with everyone 15 years and older. High school is hard enough without an entire town becoming a fishbowl. An impenetrable barrier has left the remaining teens trapped with no way to call for help. But danger lurks in the shadows. Emotions are running high, food is becoming scarce, animals are mutating, and some kids themselves are discovering they have strange abilities. Deadly abilities. The struggle for control shakes the town and battle lines are drawn. If you’re young, enjoy your stay in the fishbowl while it lasts because on your 15th birthday you will vanish as well, just like the adults. And you don’t come back. Are all the teens doomed to an early death or does safety lie beyond the barrier?

Summer is a time when many college students are able to slow down and get some much-needed relaxation. Reading for pleasure is a great way to do just that. No matter what book you choose, take some time this summer to re-discover reading for fun and enjoyment!

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

Kindergarten was where I first developed the idea of becoming a teacher. Other kids imagined themselves as astronauts or doctors or firefighters, but I found joy in the classroom with chalkboards and colored pencils. I’m sure my parents thought it was just a phase, but for the next 14 years I did not budge!

I’m very grateful for the educators in my past who supported my career choice and gave me the confidence to pursue it. An extra special thank you is dedicated to all the teachers and professors around the world who remain devoted to helping and guiding their students year after year, even during the challenges of pandemic learning.

Personally, my third-grade teacher, Mrs. Emanuelle, (pictured with me in the thumbnail image) has remained one of my biggest inspirations throughout my academic life. Walking into her classroom on the first day of school, I didn’t know how much more she would teach me beyond vocabulary and spelling. She was enthusiastic, tenderhearted, and creative, forming a relationship with each student so that they felt comfortable and safe in her classroom. For us, well, we both loved dogs! And maybe a love for man’s best friend wasn’t going to help prepare me for 4th grade or standardized testing, but my 8-year-old self was so excited to have something in common with a “grown up” that I was eager to learn from her.

Now as a college student, I often think back to my time as her student and how she, among many of my other teachers, served as a role model for what a good educator should be. Patient, understanding, adaptable, caring, and inspiring.

I’m sure almost every student has a special teacher in their past who motivated them to pursue their dreams and never give up. Take some time this week or any time of the year to show your appreciation for your favorite educators!

“True teachers use themselves as bridges over which their students to cross. Then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to make bridges of their own.” – Nikos Kazantzakis

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!