Don’t ruin your printing projects because of inferior ink

At toner24.co.uk, all of the ink and toner cartridges are high quality. There’s nothing worse than running off your latest project to find it ruined by inferior ink. Whether you end up with faded sections, or missing words, or unwanted ink blots, this can spoil your finished product. Nobody wants to send messy letters to their friends and relatives, nobody wants to see their children handing in messy homework assignments and you definitely don’t want streaked and faded family photos.

Buy the right ink and toner within no time

For the sake of taking just a few minutes to shop online at toner24.co.uk, all of this aggravation can be avoided. You’ll find a huge selection of excellent quality ink and toner cartridges. And just as important as being good quality, the inks and toners at toner24.co.uk are all excellent value. So not only will you find the ink or toner cartridge you’re looking for, you can save a small fortune at the same time.

High quality for low prices

In fact, the ink and toner cartridges at toner24.co.uk are such fantastic value, it’s definitely worth considering buying at least one spare cartridge to keep in stock. That way, you can feel totally confident that you’re ready for any major printing project, whether at home or in your office. So, why not visit toner24.co.uk and check out their extensive range of toner and ink cartridges? By finding the right toner or ink for your printer, you can save yourself from driving from store to store in your spare time. And it’s better than having to buy a new printer.

Photo: Jürgen Fälchle – Fotolia.com

The first two years have a more general education background and so they are more adapted for the personal orientation. A deepening professional study program starts with the beginning of the third year at the earliest. Sometimes it is only possible to do it in line with a master program.

American degrees

The bachelor degree is the common one in the US. It mostly consists of general studies, one major course and some electives. The bachelor program normally takes four years at which, like already mentioned, the first two years are more for general studies like history, mathematics and economics. The real professional part of the study program starts with the beginning of the third year. The bachelor degree can be achieved at universities and colleges. Higher degrees for further education like master or doctor can be only achieved at universities. Regarding the bachelor’s degree, there is no difference in quality between the college and the university one. The bachelor degree is the precondition for a master program. This master program takes another two years of studying.

How to make an application

It takes around 12-18 months of exact planning. Every university has its own deadline for making an application but usually it is 9 months before studying starts. The application has to be done directly at the specific university. The universities have their own selection procedures and with them they decide who they´ll take and who not. The standards can be very different between the individual universities. So it is a really hard challenge at top universities which only take 10-15 percent of all applications. Here a test-result can be essential of who will be accepted.

Finding the right college

With over 2000 universities it is not easy to pick the one which matches the individual requirements best. Search with the help of objective characteristics like the study programs which are offered and the costs. After that structure the search with reference to area, climate, size, sport possibilities,…e.g.

Conclusion

Studying in the US offers a lot of possibilities. Well prepared and organized while studying it will end up in a bachelor, master or doctor degree which is worldwide accepted and is important for being successful in raised businesses. Be sure about personal requirements, choose the right university and enjoy studying in the US.

Img. Robert Kneschke – Fotolia.com

More Details

The test design and development are carried through by an international consortium, ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research). It is their job to create a test framework, and then the single countries can fill in their individual contents. The first assessment took place in 2000 and has been repeated every three years. Analyzing the results takes about one year, that means the first results have been presented in 2001. The last PISA administration was conducted in 2009 with a focus on reading literacy. The next PISA assessment will be administered with a focus on mathematics skills in 2012.

Reactions in the US

These first results created a big debate in the US, because of the comparatively low scores the pupils achieved. The scholars in 30 countries did a better job than those in the US. It showed that not necessarily those countries got the best results that spent most money for education. It also showed that poverty and bad results are not linked to each other as one might guess. Some critics in the US even claimed the PISA study is not able to test the US system appropriately. They suggested that the US students should no longer take part in the study. But this would be a tough decision: At the moment the countries take part in the study represent 90 % of the world’s economic power. If the US did not take part in PISA any more it would mean taking a lone and isolated way.

Photo: lightpoet – Fotolia

Most universities in England are supported by the government but the undergraduates also have to pay fees. These tuition fees depend on several factors, for example on the country the undergraduate originally comes from. Many universities are very old, many of them were founded in the Middle Ages.

The most famous university in the United Kingdom: The Oxford University

Oxford is one of the oldest universities in the world. The exact founding year is not known but there are sources that prove that there has been teaching since 1096. It was one of the first universities which were attended by women. This was in 1878. The structure of Oxford University is quite complicated because it contains several colleges which are self-governed. Further sub-institutions are the Permanent Private Halls. Altogether over 20.000 students are enrolled at the University of Oxford which dominates the British university rankings. You can find more than thirty libraries in Oxford University, the biggest of which contains over 11 million books and is the second largest library in the United Kingdom. Many world famous people attended Oxford University, among them six kings, nearly 50 Nobel laureates and 25 Prime Ministers.

The biggest competitor of Oxford University: The Cambridge University

In the 13th century some students and teachers of Oxford University protested against their former University and founded a new one: Cambridge University. Today nearly 18.000 students attend the university including 6000 postgraduates. Since 1829 every year a traditional boat race takes place on the Thames, Oxford undergraduates compete against Cambridge undergraduates. Like Oxford Cambridge is divided into several autonomous colleges. Until the 1960ies applicants for a university place had to prove funded knowledge in Greek and Latin. These ancient languages were only taught at independent schools, so a very long time only members of the gentry could hope to study at Cambridge University.
Image: Douglas Freer – Fotolia

The Problem with surveys like these is that they only provide information about individual opinions. That is why school rankings usually base on examination results. Every year a list is published which shows the best British high schools in view of their A-Level results. Most of them are independent schools. Among the ten best high schools in the United Kingdom in 2010 are five girl schools, three boy schools and two mixed schools. Here are the three best high schools in the United Kingdom.

The third rank: Perse School for Girls

The Perse School for Girls is a very traditional and famous school in Cambridge. It was founded in 1881. About 750 pupils attend this school, they are between 3 and 18 years old. The girls are assigned to one of six houses which take part in different competitions during the year. The school offers to learn several foreign languages, for example German, Italian, Russian and French. There is a drama club which performs at least one play every year and sometimes musicals. Many Extracurricular activities are offered in sports, languages, arts and drama.

The second rank: Westminster School London

The Westminster School in London is one of the leading British independent schools. Many of their former students are accepted at Oxford and Cambridge. Around 750 pupils attend this school, both girls and boys. The famous school was founded in the 12th century; important persons like John Locke and Christopher Wren were educated at Westminster School. It is located in the former monastery of Westminster Abbey. Not everybody is allowed to attend this high-class school. Even if the parents can pay the fees, their children must have very good marks and test results. They are interviewed by some kind of jury before they get one of the coveted places.

The winner: The St Paul’s Girls’ School in London

The St Paul’s Girls’ School is located in central London. It was founded in 1904. At that moment, about 720 pupils aged between 11 and 18 years old attend this top high school. The girls do not need to wear a special school uniform. Beside the successful drama club, St Paul’s Girls’ School publishes a lot of newspapers and magazines. The school offers some scholarships for talented children ever year.

Picture: Christian Schwier – Fotolia.com

Elementary Schools

Every child in the US has to attend school between the ages of six and sixteen. Some children may start school by attending kindergarten from the age of four to five, but this is not compulsory. The amount of time that a child spends at the elementary (or primary) school depends on the school district. Some children attend elementary school for eight years, some for six years and some only for four years.

Secondary Schools

Secondary schools are high schools. They are divided into junior high school, middle high school, high school and senior high school, but not every child in the US has to attend all four different high schools. Again, it depends on the structural plan of the school district. The four different possibilities are:
-Plan 8-4, which means that the child attends elementary school for eight years and high school for four years.
-Plan 6-6 means the child attends elementary school and high school for six years each.
-Plan 4-4-4 means that the child attends elementary school for four years, middle school for four years and high school for four years.
-Plan 6-3-3 means the child attends elementary school for six years, junior high school for three years and senior high school for three years.

Important subjects

The core curriculum in high school comprises science, mathematics, English, social science and physical education. Additionally, there is a wide range of elective subjects and other school activities, for instance, foreign languages, newspaper projects, computers, performing arts, painting, photography and many more. There are public and private high schools in the US. When the child attends a public high school, the fee is paid by the state. The fee for a private high school has to be paid by the parents.

Higher Education

There are vocational and technical colleges in the United States, which offer practical trainings and prepare for particular professions. Normally, the student has to attend these colleges for two years. Community colleges (sometimes also called junior colleges) grant certificates, diplomas and Associate’s degrees. Most of the time, community colleges are attended by students who live in the district, because they have to pay lower fees than pupils who do not live in the school district. The students attend community colleges for two years.Universities and liberal colleges offer a four-year degree, that means a Bachelor degree. The Bachelor degree is also called an undergraduate degree. Afterwards, it is possible to accomplish a Master’s degree. Normally, a Master’s degree takes one or two years, and the student has to write a thesis or an exam at the end. Furthermore, it is possible to get a Doctor’s Degree. That takes at least one or two more years of studying plus writing a dissertation and defending it.

Picture: Robert Kneschke – Fotolia

Choice of classes

High school does not have a “one fits all” curriculum. Each student chooses his or her classes out of the subjects offered at her or his particular school. The offered subjects can range from vocational studies like home economics or car mechanic classes all the way up to college level science classes. To receive a certificate of completion – the high school diploma – at the end of the four years of attendance, a student must show a certain amount of credits earned, partially from attending compulsory classes and partially from the individually chosen subjects. According to American ideology, each child born and living in the United States is supposed to be given the same chances for success and prospering in life. Unfortunately, nothing can be further from the truth – particularly when it comes to the area of education.

Taxes for education

High school, as well as the whole public education system, is funded to a big part out of property taxes paid by home owners and business owners in each individual school district. The taxes are figured by the value of the homes and businesses. A school located in a rural or poor inner city area therefore is receiving a lot less financial support than a school situated in an upper-class, well-to-do area. Less funding limits the opportunities for the students: A student in a well-funded school district can expect a wide variety of offered classes and plenty of extra-curricular activities, while a student in a poor district might be offered only the bare minimum on subjects. The funding also affects the quality of teaching: teachers with the best teaching credentials often apply to school districts which are able to pay better wages. Even available course materials are subject to financial funding (or lack thereof).

An alternative: private schools

Some students never even attend a regular high school, but alternative high schools or private high schools. As the education offered in most private (expensive) schools is of very high quality, some alternative schools (and some public high schools) are barely able even to teach the minimally required classes. As a consequence, a student receiving the high school diploma might already have earned enough college credits to cut a year of college – or otherwise might barely be able to read and write.

Pic.: CandyBox Images – Fotolia.com

The construction of the school system in the United Kingdom

When children celebrate their 5th birthday they are committed to attend a school. Before they reach that age they often attend a nursery school. These schools are similar to the German Kindergarten. Most of the children between two und five years attend a nursery school because parents think that these schools prepare their children for the demands at school. When they turn five years old children attend a Primary School, an Infant School or a First School and start to learn basic abilities like reading, writing und calculating. With about 15 years children usually have to pass the GCSE-Examination in order to get the General Certificate of Secondary Education. After that they can start an apprenticeship or attend a High School, a Technical College or another school that offers the so called Sixth Form and the possibility to reach a higher graduation level like A-Level or International Baccalaureate. Now the young adults can choose a university in order to get a bachelor’s or master’s degree. There are several famous universities in the United Kingdom like Cambridge and Oxford. Beside this, over 2500 independent or public schools exist in the United Kingdom and they are attended by over 600.000 children.

The curriculum in the United Kingdom

Core subjects of the British curriculum are Mathematics, English and Science. In addition to that, the most important subjects are Arts and Crafts, Geography, History, Foreign Languages, Communication and Information Technology, Music, Citizenship (including Politics and Sociology) and Physical Education. Nearly 90 Percent of the schools are specialized in some of the subjects and receive extra funding in order to develop a special school profile.
Pic.: auremar – Fotolia