Useful Tips To Pass Your IELTS Test

Singaporeans who are applying for a job overseas or are keen on taking on an opportunity to study in United Kingdom or Australia will have to pass the IELTS exam. IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. It is one of the top examinations used to measure one’s English language proficiency. To be considered competent in the English language, the applicant must earn a score of 6 or above in each component.

The International English Language Testing System or IELTS is an international standardized examination that measures one’s English language proficiency, especially for non-native English speakers. Its results are accepted by numerous organizations and institutions worldwide. Institutions include universities, immigration departments, government agencies, and so on. Kick-start your career by taking this test.

While you are in the Circuit Breaker period, you may use the luxury of time to study for your IELTS exam. Here are some practical tips that you may start with.

#1: PRACTICE READING EFFICIENTLY

The reading assessment component typically lasts for 60 minutes. The more you read, the faster you become. To reach this point, you must practice diligently. Moreover, you must not forget the comprehension aspect of reading. Reading fast does not mean that you will be able to digest everything you read. Start with a small chunk of material at a given amount of time. Then, shorten that time-frame.

Allot time for both academic reading and leisure reading. You do not need to focus on IELTS review notes entirely. You may opt to read materials that are heavy by day and light by night. Do not overwork your brain.

#2: READ THE SUBTITLES

Practice reading fast and efficiently by activating the subtitles of the Korean dramas or the movies that you watch. According to a 2010 research entitled “The Cognitive Effectiveness of Subtitle Processing”, subtitles can enhance a child’s reading and literacy skills. Read the subtitles on Netflix as you binge watch. You get to indulge in your favorite pastime too!

#3: LEARN TO SKIM AND SCAN

Skimming is the manner of quickly moving your eyes over the material. This will give you a general overview of the entire content. Scanning, on the other hand, lets you go over a specific material to locate data. This will enable you to scan for the answers in an essay. Both reading techniques will help you save time.

#4: SPOT PARALLEL PHRASES

Many IELTS questions will assess your ability to match similar phrases or parallel phrases. These phrases have the same meaning, but are worded differently. A phrase such as “love to cook” and “cooking is my hobby” are parallel phrases.

#5: GROUND YOUR EXPECTATIONS

Gain confidence by knowing what to expect. This way, you will be able to take the exam without getting caught by surprise. For instance, you will have to take the oral component too whereby you have to speak out loud. Learn the exam’s format by searching free resources online or by purchasing practice materials from the bookstore.

#6: MANAGE YOUR TIME

Take practice tests before your IELTS exam. You need to pace yourself. To mimic the nature of the exam, you must be strict when it comes to the instructions and the time. Allow yourself to finish the reading practice tests in an hour, as officially stated.

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During the examination, you may skip the difficult questions first and move on to the easy ones. Tackle the gaps before proceeding to the next component or the next part of the exam. Good luck!

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9 Things You Will Learn From The Google Digital Garage

The increasing demands of Digital Marketing in corporations, agencies, and small businesses paved way for the creation of digital marketing professionals. There is an increase interest in this field, which is fueled by competition. If you want to claim a coveted spot in the Digital Marketing scene, this Google Course is for you.

Simply go to learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage to create an account. Apart from that, here are some things you may want to know.

#1: GOOGLE DIGITAL GARAGE IS FREE

The best thing about Google Digital Garage is its non-profit nature. Everything from the courses down to the tests and certificates are FREE. Brush up your digital skills to grow your career, business, or self-esteem by setting up a learning account. Anyone can benefit from this, regardless of their educational background and skill level.

#2: GOOGLE DIGITAL GARAGE IS FOR EVERYONE

The Digital Garage has a user-friendly interface whereby the learner will go through hours of lecture and self-administered tests on his or her own pace. You can easily watch the video tutorials with subtitles and transcript. You may want to take it in a span of a week or two. No one will pressure you. An expert may refresh his or her learning, while a novice will expand his or her knowledge with this.

#3: YOU CAN SKIP PARTS YOUR WELL-VERSED IN

If you are well-versed in a particular topic, you may skip the tutorial videos and go directly to the short multiple choice test. You need to complete each lesson by completing the test perfectly. Otherwise, you will have to watch all the tutorial videos again. If you are confident enough, give it a shot!

#4: YOUR MOBILE DEVICES ARE POWERFUL

Whether you admit it or not, one of the first things that you do on a daily basis is to check your phone for notifications. More people are inclined to using their mobile devices on a daily basis. That being said, you need to turn your website or page into a mobile-friendly space. Check whether your website or page is mobile-friendly through the Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool. This tool shall take you a minute or less to assess whether your website or page is good to go. Go to search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly to find out more.

#5: YOU CAN TAKE MORE THAN ONE MODULE AT A TIME

Because Circuit Break entails that we are the masters of our own schedule, you may take as many modules as you want. You can begin with some topics you like and move on to another module. It is up to you to finish the first module when you are ready. A progress indicator on your course landing page will help you track your progress.

#6: THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEO AND SEM

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing. The former focuses on organic results. While, the latter encompasses both organic results and paid tactics. SEM involves paid advertisements in order to be displayed in a page. Both processes aim to increase the visibility of a brand in search engines.

#7: KEYWORDS ARE IMPORTANT

Keywords are the words and phrases that people type in search engines such as Google. The goal is to ensure that your page’s keywords are relevant to what people are searching for. This increases the chances of them stumbling across your content. You may use tools such as Google’s Keyword Planner or Bing’s Keyword Research Tool.

#8: YOU CAN GET ALERTED WHEN YOUR WEBSITE IS SEARCHED

Google Alerts is a notification service powered by Google. Alerts sends emails to the user when it finds new results that match the user’s search term. For instance, I dedicated a notification to the term “Miss Psychobabble” to track when people are searching for my Psychology blog. I receive emails from Google whenever readers are searching through newspaper articles, web pages, podcasts, or other scientific research that match my term.

#9: CAN GOOGLE CERTIFICATE HELP YOU GET THE JOB

As I said, the completion of a module entails you to get a certificate. I, for one, finished my Digital Marketing course of 107 lessons and several multiple choice tests. A Google certificate can help you land the job by increasing your skills. It is attractive to see Google in one’s C.V.

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It can help you flourish in a field if you learn all the courses properly. Work on yourself by expanding the knowledge and applying it in the future. Learn the best ways to sell resume or brand – digitally at least.

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Expenses You Must Never Swipe On Your Credit Card

I have to admit! Credit cards are convenient, especially at this time. However, swiping your plastic card often costs you more money than other payment options. Regular charges from interest rates and annual fees are coupled by hidden surcharges. The latter are transaction-based fees that can add up!

You must maximize your savings and use your debit card as much as possible. On that note, here are the expenses that you must avoid charging into your credit cards.

#1: EDUCATION EXPENSES

Most schools and universities accept credit cards as a form of payment nowadays. Some even offer attractive interest rates. Just because it is available does not mean you have to use it. During my time, a diploma course in a private institution costs S$10,000 a year. Imagine paying a 3.5% interest per month? This will accumulate to about 51.11% interest in an annum. This is too much, if you ask me.

#2: GAMBLING EXPENSES

Gambling addiction is inside the Psychological manual of Psychologists and therapists. Gambling is there for a reason! It poses an uncontrollable damage on one’s finances and relationships. If you are thinking of using your credit card to cover your gambling-related costs, you are in deep trouble. Go home!

Contemplate on the monthly interest rates you will have to pay on the top of hidden fees. The interest rate will shoot up continuously until you pay your balance in full amount.

#3: MEDICAL EXPENSES

Many experts agree that you must use your Government medical allowance, non-retirement savings, and available cash to pay for medical expenses. If the COVID-19 situation is tough for you, you may get a low-cost loan option too. Medical expenses can immediately put you in a mountain of debt. You cannot simply turn to your credit card to pay for your entire hospital bill!

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As you take in all the above information, it is important to know how to avoid surcharges. Follow these tips.

a. Use a debit card to pay for your retail expense as it directly deducts from your bank account. Another electronic service that rarely incurs fees is NETS.
b. Book your flights using travel points. Use your travel points or air miles when you book for a flight overseas.
c. Use vouchers when institutions do not accept credit card points or rewards.
d. Link your credit card to PayPal. PayPal allows you to link your bank accounts in one place. This way, you will be able to pay the merchant free of extra fees.
e. Search for other businesses that offer zero interest rates on credit card transactions.

May these tips help you shop around!

Sources: 1 & 2

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Creating A Budget During Extraordinary Times

With non-essential establishments on closure and the economic crisis we are under, how can you employ a system to arrange your cash-flow better? The answer is strict BUDGETING.

A budget estimates your revenue and expenses over a period of time. By listing your sources of income beside your monthly expenditures, you will get an idea on where your money goes. This way, you can make smart financial choices and prioritize your obligations to reach your financial goals.

Creating a budget for the first time is like learning how to ride a bike. At first you are scared to ride the bike without training wheels. Eventually, you will be able to ride a bike on your own without qualms. Although you know cycling is healthy for you, you cannot just ride and go! You must learn about the basics of coordination and road safety. Creating a budget during a pandemic involves steps too. Here are the vital steps to create a working budget:

1. COLLECT YOUR DATA

Gather all the previous salary invoices, credit card statements, utility bills, bank statements, and receipts. Estimate how much you make and spend each month by using these necessary resources. Take note of the changes in the expenses due to the Circuit Breaker (CB) period and allow yourself to incorporate Government allowances too.

Start your budget by calculating your revenue since the CB. Add all your sources of income both from your part-time and full-time jobs (if any). Use your minimum monthly wage as a basis for your budget.

2. SET YOUR GOALS

Set S.M.A.R.T. goals and examine how you will be able to achieve each one. This acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. I want to highlight that you must not make unrealistic and unattainable goals at this time. After satisfying S-R goals, you must budget according to your time-frame. List all your financial goals and divide them into short-term and long-term goals.

For goals to be specific and measurable, you must quantify what you want. For example, your goal is to increase the number of clients that will view your website. You may allot money to Facebook promotion or to hire a freelancer that will create your web design. I suggest that you focus on Marketing as it is more feasible given the limited physical movements that you can make during CB.

3. IDENTIFY YOUR FIXED EXPENSES

For many of us, lessors have postponed the payment of the April rent. You can only imagine the increase in your utility bills as you are mainly staying at home. These essential expenditures are called fixed expenses. Come May, you are looking at a wider range of fixed expenses.

Fixed expenses include rent, utility bill, and insurance. As they are stable each month, allocate a portion of your income to this category first.

4. ALLOT MONEY FOR EMERGENCIES

There should always be a budget for savings, especially for your emergency fund. Savings are your gateway to long-term financial goals and your safeguard against unforeseen events such as COVID-19. Set aside at a certain percentage of your revenue each month to help build a nice nest for your future. I personally recommend at least 10% but you have to give a percentage that you can maintain for the months to come.

5. USE A CLEAR SYSTEM

Help yourself navigate through the waves of budgeting by keeping a money journal or by downloading a digital budgeting tool. Supplement your budget with a calculator that enables you to know your cash-flow. It is called the Budget Calculator.

Then, download free apps that enable you to track your spending. Some of these apps are Mint and Spendee.

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No one knows how long this pandemic will last. Hence, you must be frugal with your expenses and eliminate unnecessary luxuries. Moreover, you may look for other ways to expand your income!

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