Job Search Made Easy (Even for Introverts) - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Job Search Made Easy (Even for Introverts) - Introvert Whisperer Job Search Made Easy (Even for Introverts) While launching a job search may not rank in difficulty with rocket science, it has become increasingly difficult and more complex. If you add on top of that some Introvert tendencies, like a reluctance to “put yourself out there,” you are starting to nudge the scales towards seriously tough. If you are on the brink of launching a job search or have started one, hit the pause button before doing anything else. There are some simple guidelines you can follow to ensure you get the results you want, without the standard Introvert cringe: 1. Don’t Cherry-Pick Job Search Advice There are volumes on job search advice. If you pay attention, you’ll notice there are themes or things that get repeated. This should be a huge indicator that you need to do this “thing.” Too often I see job seekers decide to skip what they are being told to do. This will have dire consequences. 2. Don’t Do Everything at Once You will get overwhelmed, especially if you are an Introvert. You have to figure out your keywords, branding, LinkedIn profile, Facebook, Twitter, resume, online job sites, the latest and greatest job search tool, finding recruiters, interview prep, salary study, body language, handshake, new wardrobe, company research, networking and attending business events. Long list? That’s just to name a few. The deal is, if you attempt to bite off too much at once, you’ll choke or die trying. (Like this thought? Tweet it!) Start by being abundantly clear on one or two  â€œjob types” you are pursuing. You’d be shocked at how very few job seekers have real clarity. Then, work on a targeted resume. 3. It’s All About Connecting I deliberately put this in the middle, as Introverts really like to avoid this one (it’s the cherry-picking I told you about in #1). Most likely, you won’t find a job via a posted job. I’m sure someone has landed a job this way, but no one I know has been hired solely by pursuing a posted job. That means you and your resume have to connect to a real, live person. You can do this primarily through referrals and introductions from the people you know. People hire people. The online job search comforts Introverts because they don’t have to connect to a person. It’s a false sense of comfort. Start out to build your confidence. Set up coffee with one person you know so you can let them know what you’re looking for and see if they can introduce you to someone in your targeted company. Rinse and repeat. You will build confidence by doing this one at a time. 4. Figure Out YOUR Competitive Advantage You must think you have something to offer or you wouldn’t be pursuing a job. Why you? What is the thing that will set you apart from everyone else? You have to get it first or no one else will. If you can figure out your competitive advantage, you can translate that into everything from your resume to your LinkedIn profile. We are all unique, even if we do the same job as a thousand other people. 5. Don’t Take Things Personally You will discover a complete lack of etiquette out there. People don’t return emails or phone calls, they fail to follow up after interviews and they expect you to drop things just because they are hiring. You must pick up the slack and make the phone calls until you get a real human and do superhuman rescheduling. It’s not because they don’t like you; it’s because hiring someone takes a huge bite out of their schedule, and business must go on. Oh well. As a fellow Introvert, your key to a flawless job search is to connect with people, which isn’t always easy. But if you take it slow and easy, trust most of what you read on the job search and know you are an asset, you’ll love the results. This post originally appeared on JobMob. Go to top Which of these tips could help your job search go more smoothly? Share your thoughts in the comments! Image: Flickr Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.   Grab yours by visiting: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleash your professional potential.

Singing for Kids What You Need to Know About Voice Breaks

Singing for Kids What You Need to Know About Voice Breaks Suzy S. Do both boys and girls experience voice breaks and cracks as they learn to sing? Find out in this guest post by Ocala, CA teacher Angie Q. One common question I get asked by my students is: Do both girls and boy students go through a vocal change? The answer is yes. I have been teaching voice lessons to both boys and girls (of all ages) for more than 15 years. Heres how it breaks down: Boys Boy voices start to change during the first stages of puberty and can progress very slowly or quickly. You will most often notice your voice changing when speaking first before it challenges your singing. Your speaking voice will start to sound hoarse, and your singing voice will not be far behind. In some cases, youll notice voice breaks or cracks, which is a good sign your voice is starting to change. If the progress is slow, your singing challenge will be harder. If the progress is quick, your singing challenge will be easier. There are normally stages of voice change for boys if the progress is slow. Stage One is around 12 to 14, Stage Two is around 14 to 16, and then your voice could settle somewhat. Stage Three can happen as late as 21-23 unless your voice settles at Stage Two for your final change. What Can You Do? The best advice is to continue private vocal study all the way through your voice change. Songs will be limited and need to be transposed with your progress, but it can be disastrous for you if you stop private vocal study during your voice change. Your ear is greatly affected by the change and boys who stop private vocal study are more likely to stop singing due to this challenge, where boys who continue studying develop their ear to the new octaves and learn how to place the tone. You can study with either men or women teachers before your voice changes, but it is more beneficial for you to have a man teacher during and after the changes so he can sing in your octaves and show examples with his voice. Girls Girl voices also start to change during the first stages of puberty and almost always progress slower than boy voices. You may not notice your voice changing in your speaking voice like young boys, but if you are a singer you will always notice this challenge. There are not really stages of change with your speaking or singing voice, but your challenge as a singer will normally last until the age of 16 or 17. What Can You Do? The best advice is to continue private vocal study all the way through your voice change. It can be disastrous if you do not continue vocal study during your change. Keep in mind that you cannot belt as high as your singing voice starts to go through the change. It is beneficial for young girls (ages 8 to 12) to have a private teacher already teaching you how to use your chest voice, middle/bridge voice, and head voice instead of always just belting when youre young. Your head voice will be airy and unsupported at first, and that’s OK. Learning the proper tone placement and breath support can make all the difference. Additional Tips Nine times out of 10 you are going to feel your voice break before it actually cracks, and this is what causes you to close up or throw the tone backwards. Try your best to keep the throat open with a good balance of air when you feel this crack coming on and keep pushing the tone forward. Let it go ahead and crack during rehearsals for warm-ups and those challenging songs. The more you feel these voice breaks coming on, the more you can control them and place the tone where it needs to go.  Octave slides are great for this and take you all the way through each register of your voice as you get higher. In summary, both boys’ and girls’ voices go through changes and challenges, but it is only noticeable for boy speaking voices. Most girls only notice it if they are singers. Just keep singing and keep up your private vocal study as your voices are changing. Don’t stop! Angie Q. teaches singing, piano, music theory, and more in Ocala, CA. She received her  Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance and a Minor in Musical Theatre from the  University of Southern Mississippi. Learn more about Angie here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by  PSNH

Learn to Sing with Daily Vocal Exercises

Learn to Sing with Daily Vocal Exercises Daily Vocal Training Exercises to Improve your Singing Voice Chapters How Can Having Singing Lessons Help You Improve Your Vocal Technique? The Art of Singing: A Physical Activity Which Requires That You Look After Your Body Vocal Warmups: Key to Ensuring that You Sing Well Attack: Where the Singer Can Make a Difference Listen to Yourself in order to Get Better Do You Need to Relax Your Vocal Cords? Choose the Right Pieces to Work OnWho doesn’t want to be famous? Do you dream of being a famous singer or a Hollywood musical star?In the age of television and social media, it seems that almost anyone can become a star if they’ve got the talent and a beautiful singing voice.  Thanks to the internet, there are plenty of YouTubers who came from nothing and, with a bit of luck, became global superstars.  Think about how many of today’s pop singers make use of social media and YouTube.With TV shows like Britain’s Got Talent, The X Factor, and The Voice, there are so many famous singers now who were launched into the limelight following a nervy televised audition. However, there’s nothing more damaging than dreaming that you can become a famous singer by just wishing it and clicking your fingers.On the contrary, as the saying goes: God helps those who help themselves.  If you have clear goals, you’ll know exactly what you have to do to achieve each of these goals.While singing can be hugely enjoyable, it also requires that you put in a lot of work. However, how can you do this work on a daily basis? 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 Miria mSinging Teacher 5.00 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors How Can Having Singing Lessons Help You Improve Your Vocal Technique?In most sporting and artistic activities, there’s no big secret to success. In fact, there’s just self-sacrifice, hard work, and perseverance. The same can be said for learning how to sing.  There’s a time and place for everything and there’s a time for excelling and there’s a time for learning and practising.Luciano Pavarotti, who was largely self taught, is a huge exception to this rule owing to his exceptional character and outstanding talent.Did you know you can even teach children to sing before they're born? (Source: pixabay.com)Furthermore, there’s nothing to say that somebody being taught couldn’t achieve the same abilities or, more importantly for some, the same levels of fame.For mere mortals, singing well requires that they work largely on their vocal technique, improving their vocal range, and hitting the high notes. They should also spend a lot of time doing exercises.This is where a vocal coach can be really helpful in making you aware of your range and showing you the progress that you’re making.  If you don’t happen to live beside a music school, you can always work on your voice and vocal technique thanks to a private singing tutor who’ll come to your house to teach you.If you want to become a professional singer either in classical or contemporary music, there are also a number of other skills you’ll need to work on: public speaking, stage presence, self-confidence, acting, etc.  A private singing tutor can also put together a made-to-measure training programme for you!Improve your vocal skills with singing lessons online. The Art of Singing: A Physical Activity Which Requires That You Look After Your BodySinging requires that you be in excellent shape.  You might think that being healthy isn’t tantamount to being a good singer with examples like Maria Callas, Amy Winehouse, and a plethora of rockers.If you want to have a truly beautiful voice, you’ll need to pay attention to what you eat and drink. You’ll need to drink a lot of water and avoid dairy products whose acidity can cause problems for your throat.Additionally, you need to be in good physical shape in order to maintain your posture and keep your back straight when you sing. There are singing exercises that will help you alleviate tension in the larynx and vocal warm ups to ensure you don't damage your throat. By paying attention to these details, you’ll soon see that it can make your life as a singer much easier. Vocal Warmups: Key to Ensuring that You Sing WellOverworking yourself on a daily basis is a quick way to lose your voice and end up having to make an appointment with a doctor or speech pathologist.  This often happens to those who are trying to do too much in too little time and instead results in them doing even less than they were trying to do.  You can’t force yourself to sing . It’s singing, not shouting, after all!The first thing you can do to avoid compromising your voice is to warm up. Singing teachers highly recommend vocal warm up exercises for their students and while every singing teacher has their own favourites, they're an integral part of learning to sing.You can have a bit of fun with this, too. There are a few easy ways that everyone can do:Warm up your head: nod and shake your head as well as circular movements as you would do before sport.Imitate chewing: Force yourself to yawn in an outrageous way. Blow as if you were trying to cool down food.Breathe in and out deeply while crossing your arms over your chest.Work on warming up your mouth and vocal chords by making the “choo-choo” noises of a train. Start off quietly before increasing the volume.Start with a deep manly voice before attempting a softer feminine voice. You can then complement these exercises with your scales.There you go! You should be ready to start practising a few vo cal pieces. Breathing Can Make All the DifferenceIf you want to sing in key and get the most out of your vocal timbre, you have to correctly control your breathing.Whether you’re bass, baritone, tenor, alto, mezzo-soprano, or soprano, breath control is hugely important for your singing and vocal health. Your breath is more important that you'd first think. After all, the act of breathing is essential when it comes to singing. If you don’t breathe, you don’t make a sound.Whether you’re singing Verdi or a contemporary jazz piece, your voice teacher will recommend that you work on diaphragmatic breathing since the natural way we breathe doesn’t cut it when it’s time to sing. They'll also probably give you some breathing exercises and singing tips for when they're not there.This allows you to keep a reserve of air which, with the right posture, will help you to sing better without harming your voice. The more you're controlling your breathing, the less you'll be straining yo ur voice when you exhale.Vocal coaching can also help you find your vocal range. (Source: www.splitshire.com)Working on your abdominal muscles is at least a minimum requirement.  You need to breathe using your diaphragm in order to maintain pressure.  Usually, like when you do when you’re running, you breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.In any case, it’s not necessary to inflate your lungs in an exaggerated manner.  If you keep the importance of your abdominal muscles in mind, you’ll be able to maintain a relaxed posture when you sing.  There are several exercises that can help you achieve this during your voice lessons. 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 Attack: Where the Singer Can Make a DifferenceThis is a technique that is closely related to having a good harmonic breathing. Regardless of your voice type, a good attack can make the difference between your everyday singer and the world’s very best.  This can help you to sing in key and hit every note right from the very first in the piece.A good volume and expressiveness from the moment you sing the first note would be an impressive feat, wouldn’t it?Whether in group lessons, music school, or in a private singing tutorial, you’ll need some advice to make sure you don’t hit any false notes. Good articulation and confidence are also essential and they’ll help you move your audience. Listen to Yourself in order to Get BetterOne of the consequences of the of the internet becoming commonplace is that you can also get digital singing lessons.Almost everyone can use the internet to get music lessons from a basic introduction to music theory to lessons on how to play the acoustic guitar, for example.  You can find private tutors that give private singing tutorials over Skype or you can hire a private tutor who can come to your house and help you to record your music in your home studio.Recording your voice is arguably one of the best ways to train. While arguably not one of the most efficient (as it takes twice the time). Do You Need to Relax Your Vocal Cords?We’ve already said that forcing yourself when you sing is a bad habit that should be avoided at all costs.  So how you can expect to do any serious work on your voice if you never exert yourself?There are a few principles that you’ll need to respect: it takes around 6 hours for your vocal cords to fully recover after an intensive session of s inging.  If you end up making yourself hoarse, you’ll need to rest for at least 3 days.Romantic songs are timeless. (Source: skitterphoto.com)There’s a special case in which your voice will require special attention, puberty.  In order to improve your singing during puberty, you’ll have to take your time and only work on your voice every other day at the most.You can also sing the odd aria when you’re in the shower since regular practice is key to becoming a better singer. After all, practice makes perfect. Choose the Right Pieces to Work OnHow can you learn to sing in key without traditional music theory education or getting help from a teacher or tutor?Musically speaking, it can be really difficult to choose the right songs to sing and practice with. We’re often unaware of our own abilities, choose songs that are too difficult to sing, and subsequently end up demoralising ourselves when we try to sing them and inevitably struggle with them or make very little progress.A private tutor is in the best position to help you. After all, they can put together their knowledge of music and their understanding of your voice in order to help you learn new pieces and work on your voice and techniques including your range, vibrato, etc.Start singing lessons today! Check all our tutors and singing lessons Manchester, in London, Brighton and more.In this case, two heads are better than one if you want to become a famous singer!

Exams Food for Thought

Exams Food for Thought With exams on the way and deadlines season in full swing, it can be easy to slip into unhealthy snacking habits. Research has shown that by encompassing these brain foods within your diet, you can really enhance your learning and brain power to get the most out of your studying, as well as boost your performance in exams. Here are some of our favourites: Walnuts If you want to improve your memory and boost your thinking power, walnuts are a good snack to start with. They have the highest level of omega-3 fatty acids in all nuts and protect the brain, enhancing the functioning of neurotransmitters, and consequently improving memory and cognitive skills. Blueberries During revision, to give your brain a boost have a snack on half a cup of blueberries. Blueberries are great for keeping your memory sharp, perfect for revision and going into exams. Flavonoids, antioxidant compounds in blueberries, play a key role in improving memory, learning and cognitive functions by interacting directly with aging neurons. Dark Chocolate We all need a treat sometimes, and having something to work for, makes revision much more productive. Why not swap those unhealthy treats and snacks for dark chocolate? It still tastes good, but has lots of health benefits also. The antioxidants in dark chocolate are beneficial for your whole body, as well as your brain. Green Tea Fancy a cuppa whilst your revising? Why not opt for green tea instead? Studies have shown that green tea extract increases the brain’s electrical connectivity which enhancing cognitive functions. Drinking two or three cups a day will really boost your brain power and engage you in your revision. Tomatoes Tomatoes can be used in a wide range of meals as well as a snack on their own. This fruit is packed with nutrition and an antioxidant named lycopene that protects the brain from toxins, enhancing memory and concentration. For more articles on good brian foods, why not visit the links below: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/10-foods-boost-your-brainpower https://www.wessexscene.co.uk/lifestyle/2018/01/22/10-ultimate-brain-foods-for-revision/ https://www.thestudentfoodproject.com/post/study-snacks-for-exam-revision

Huntington Learning Center Shares Common Academic Pitfalls of High School Students

Huntington Learning Center Shares Common “Academic Pitfalls” of High School Students High school is a different world when it comes to academicsand for many students, it can mark the beginning of academic problems or exacerbate issues that were minor in middle school. According to Eileen Huntington, co-founder of Huntington Learning Center, parents can help their teens avoid such academic pitfallsif they know the signs. High school is a time when parents need to pay very careful attention to what is going on with their teen in school because they will be more removed from the classroom than they ever have been, says Huntington. Communication with your teen and teachers is important, as is watching your teens grades and demeanor overall. Huntington shares five academic pitfalls that can plague students in high schooland tips on what to do if you notice your teen falling into any of them. Slacking off High school offers an abundance of opportunities to meet new people, get involved and have fun. For some students, that can have a negative impact on their motivation and/or commitment to their studies. If you notice your teen spending a disproportionate amount of time on his or her social life (vs. school) and poor grades come home early in the school year, talk about how to put a plan into place that will help your teen find a better balance. Apathy Some intelligent students get to high school and lose their sense of responsibility (especially without as much nudging from parents). Does your teen seem to lack self-discipline and independence when it comes to school work and studying? Does your teen rush through homework, often leaving it incomplete? Students who become lazy in high school need intervention immediately. With the help of your teens teachers, you can set goals and a study plan to achieve them (as well as a follow-up plan). With time and effort, your teen will begin to understand how his or her actions affect school achievement. Effort that doesnt yield results In high school, its normal to expect that your teen will spend more time on homework. However, if you observe that your teens hard work is not yielding positive results or that simple homework is taking more time than seems reasonable, you should investigate whether there are gaps in your teens skills causing him or her to struggle. Disorganization Up until high school, many students lean on the help of teachers and parents to stay organized and on top of everything. However, some teens who are otherwise capable students become overwhelmed by the volume of high school work. If your teen suddenly has difficulty keeping track of homework, maintaining a neat study space, or making the most of each study session, he or she may need help establishing effective study and organizational habits. Avoidance Avoidance of school work can take many forms, but the most obvious is procrastination. If your teen consistently puts off work until late at night or avoids planning ahead for big, important projects, theres no doubt that this will quickly become a major problem in high school. Pay attention to whether the issue is with all subjects or one in particular. High school definitely steps up the academic challenge. Huntington reminds parents to take note of how their teen handles the change. Most parents are intuitive enough to recognize when there is a problem with their children, but it isnt always easy to know exactly whats going on, she says. If you have a child in high school and you sense issues arising, call Huntington. No problem is too big to overcome, and we can help your teen get and stay on the right track.

What to Know About Making a Personal Website

What to Know About Making a Personal Website Photo Credit: weebly.com 1. Who should create a personal website? Considering only a small portion of our generation has personal websites,  you should make one. As a college student or recent college grad, having a personal website can be a real asset when applying to jobs or starting to plan your future. 2. What should you put on your personal website? The first thing that you should put on your personal website is a well-written bio or summary about you, your accomplishments, your goals, and why people should notice you. The second thing you should figure out is  what your message is.  What do you want someone looking at your site to take away? Whos your target audience? What are you trying to say? These questions are important to consider when youre writing your bio and thinking about making a personal website. If you dont have a message or purpose to your website, your audience will be able to tell and your making a personal website is pretty much pointless. Thirdly, you want to decide on the logistics. What do you want your  personal website  to look like? What will your content say? What site should you use? Youll want to be sure your website has no typos, that your page isnt too crowded, and that your overall design and content are mature and project the right message. Lastly, you should include links to or samples of your work whether its photography, writing, videography, or something else, include pictures of you doing what you love and what youre good at and the pictures should be somewhat professional, not just a bunch of selfies. Photo Credit: Think Stock 3. Why should you have a personal website? There are several reasons why  making your own website  is important. Firstly, it sets you apart from your competition since most people dont have a website, your having one makes you stand out. Secondly, it will make it easier to contact you as your site will include links to your social media accounts and other means of communication that work best for you, all in one place. Thirdly, having a personal website shows youre serious about networking and getting a job, plus it shows initiative, creativity, and that youre technologically savvy. Lastly, your personal website is a great place to publish your creative works in one place, like an online portfolio. 4. How can I build a personal website for free? There are lots of free sites you can use to build your own personal website. Tumblr is easy to use and allows you to pick your theme, plus its completely free though it does include advertisements. Also, if youre part of the Tumblr community, having a Tumblr website means you can easily share or comment on other users postings. Weebly is another good site to use to design your own personal website as it allows you more customization options than Tumblr and no ads. Its easy to use and the basic service is free. WordPress is a great platform to use when building your personal website as it offers a more advanced set of blogging options, plus over 200 themes to choose from or the ability to customize your design. WordPress is free for basic use, with fees for extra features. If youre really serious about building your personal website,  you may want to look into other more customizable and advanced options, especially if youre more tech-savvy. If youre super knowledgable about coding and such, you may even choose to build your personal website from the ground up independently. Once youve built your site and added your content, links, and pictures to it, get a second opinion, like a friend or family member to look at your personal website, and ask them for feedback. Theres no better time for you to create your website than summer, when youve got plenty of free time to explore your site options, write up your content, and start posting. Your personal website is only clicks away!

ACT Vocabulary What Do You Really Need To Know

ACT Vocabulary What Do You Really Need To Know If, for you, being tested on vocabulary means answering the exact definition of a word, then you may not necessarily be familiar with how the ACT chooses to test vocabulary. The ACT knows its fairly straightforward to memorize words and their meanings, so they decide to take it a step further by  testing whether or not you understand how the word is being used and in what specific context. I am a professional in the ACT preparation field and a question we tend to hear from students beginning their test prep journey is how, exactly, the ACT tests vocabulary and what students can do in terms of preparation to succeed in this area. I am going to explain how the ACT tests your understanding of words based on context and how you can prepare yourself to do well! What The ACT Vocabulary Tests You On Context What does being tested on context mean for vocabulary? Being able to understand the context of a word involves analyzing the words around the underlined word and coming to a conclusion of how the words being used. You need to look at the word being questioned and how it relates to the surrounding text. Let’s look at a couple examples where you must use context clues to understand the meaning of a word, should you not know their specific meaning beforehand: I get extremely squeamish when Im in a hospital. I count the minutes until I can go home. You’ll find that the word squeamish actually has two meanings. And you’d need to look at the context to know which meaning is being used. Have a look at the Merriam Webster’s definition: Squeamish: 1.  a. easily nauseated 1. b. affected with nausea 2.a. excessively fastidious or scrupulous in conduct or belief 2.b. easily offended or disgusted You’ll quickly notice that the word squeamish in this context doesn’t refer to nausea caused by a hospital but rather an excessive feeling towards being in hospitals, fitting more under 2 A’s definition of squeamish. Let’s try out another new word that has only one basic meaning: Sarah is very morose and quiet today. She says when the weather is cloudy, she gets gloomy. Let’s have a look at the Merriam Webster’s definition: Morose: having a sullen and gloomy disposition marked by or expressive of gloom Based on context clues in the two sentences, we can assume that the definition of morose reflects a similar meaning to gloomy, which is how she feels when the weather is cloudy. Moderately Difficult Vocabulary It’s likely you already know what most of the top words tested on the ACT already mean. Take a look some of the top ACT vocab words and you’ll be relieved that you already know what most of them mean. The verbs anticipate, determine, and engage rank in the top 20 for ACT vocabulary and you can likely put any of these words in a sentence without even studying! So if the ACT vocabulary is not that difficult, what makes the questions hard? The ACT will check that you understand which specific meaning is being used for the word. Idioms Although idioms are not necessarily vocabulary words, the ACT will still test whether or not you understand the meaning of a  popular idiom. Idioms can be difficult for ESL students because they don’t necessarily fall under any specific grammar rule, but rather are learned through exposure speaking with natives. There are many resources out there to review idioms, but if learning all these idioms has you you stressed, just keep in mind that very few questions will be idiom-specific, so it may not be worth worth a great deal of your time to perfect this skill if you can immediately improve in other areas instead. How To Practice The best method of practice for the ACT vocabulary is to begin taking ACT Reading and Science practice tests and build up your skills in looking for contextual clues in the passages. As mentioned, once you know the meaning of the vocabulary words, the biggest advantage you have on test day is to be able to know how the word is being used in the sentence! Kristine Thorndyke works for Quesbook, your go-to for free ACT practice and study resources. Not good enough for you? Well, we also offer ACT scholarships that you’re eligible for simply by studying and taking the ACT. ACT Vocabulary What Do You Really Need To Know If, for you, being tested on vocabulary means answering the exact definition of a word, then you may not necessarily be familiar with how the ACT chooses to test vocabulary. The ACT knows its fairly straightforward to memorize words and their meanings, so they decide to take it a step further by  testing whether or not you understand how the word is being used and in what specific context. I am a professional in the ACT preparation field and a question we tend to hear from students beginning their test prep journey is how, exactly, the ACT tests vocabulary and what students can do in terms of preparation to succeed in this area. I am going to explain how the ACT tests your understanding of words based on context and how you can prepare yourself to do well! What The ACT Vocabulary Tests You On Context What does being tested on context mean for vocabulary? Being able to understand the context of a word involves analyzing the words around the underlined word and coming to a conclusion of how the words being used. You need to look at the word being questioned and how it relates to the surrounding text. Let’s look at a couple examples where you must use context clues to understand the meaning of a word, should you not know their specific meaning beforehand: I get extremely squeamish when Im in a hospital. I count the minutes until I can go home. You’ll find that the word squeamish actually has two meanings. And you’d need to look at the context to know which meaning is being used. Have a look at the Merriam Webster’s definition: Squeamish: 1.  a. easily nauseated 1. b. affected with nausea 2.a. excessively fastidious or scrupulous in conduct or belief 2.b. easily offended or disgusted You’ll quickly notice that the word squeamish in this context doesn’t refer to nausea caused by a hospital but rather an excessive feeling towards being in hospitals, fitting more under 2 A’s definition of squeamish. Let’s try out another new word that has only one basic meaning: Sarah is very morose and quiet today. She says when the weather is cloudy, she gets gloomy. Let’s have a look at the Merriam Webster’s definition: Morose: having a sullen and gloomy disposition marked by or expressive of gloom Based on context clues in the two sentences, we can assume that the definition of morose reflects a similar meaning to gloomy, which is how she feels when the weather is cloudy. Moderately Difficult Vocabulary It’s likely you already know what most of the top words tested on the ACT already mean. Take a look some of the top ACT vocab words and you’ll be relieved that you already know what most of them mean. The verbs anticipate, determine, and engage rank in the top 20 for ACT vocabulary and you can likely put any of these words in a sentence without even studying! So if the ACT vocabulary is not that difficult, what makes the questions hard? The ACT will check that you understand which specific meaning is being used for the word. Idioms Although idioms are not necessarily vocabulary words, the ACT will still test whether or not you understand the meaning of a  popular idiom. Idioms can be difficult for ESL students because they don’t necessarily fall under any specific grammar rule, but rather are learned through exposure speaking with natives. There are many resources out there to review idioms, but if learning all these idioms has you you stressed, just keep in mind that very few questions will be idiom-specific, so it may not be worth worth a great deal of your time to perfect this skill if you can immediately improve in other areas instead. How To Practice The best method of practice for the ACT vocabulary is to begin taking ACT Reading and Science practice tests and build up your skills in looking for contextual clues in the passages. As mentioned, once you know the meaning of the vocabulary words, the biggest advantage you have on test day is to be able to know how the word is being used in the sentence! Kristine Thorndyke works for Quesbook, your go-to for free ACT practice and study resources. Not good enough for you? Well, we also offer ACT scholarships that you’re eligible for simply by studying and taking the ACT.