Last week I posted about the PERRLA Paper Planner. The Planner schedules your paper writing assignment and gives you steps to follow in order for you to get your research paper turned in on time.

A writing guide may also be beneficial to you. “A+ Research Paper Writing: Plain & Simple” has been written to enable students to write great research papers. The basic guidelines within will help any student complete their paper in a timely manner. If the straightforward hints and tips are followed the writing process will be trouble-free and seem effortless to any student no matter what their background.

Use the book and the planner together and you will be on your way to an A+ paper!!

DON’T BE OVERWHELMED!!

The final assignment of the school year has been given by your professor.  The excitement of the end of the school year is distracting you and you are having difficulty focusing on that last research paper. You may lose track of time if you do not have a plan in place. Have no fear – help is near.

PERRLA’s Paper Planner will assist you in generating a schedule for your paper writing assignment. Creating a schedule is a smart idea and will help improve your writing skills too. The Paper Planner will formulate an easy to use fourteen step schedule for you to follow.

The Research Paper Writing schedule will help you every step of the way!

Jelly beans are an Easter tradition found in Easter baskets around the country. Jelly beans are a small egg shaped candy – hard on the outside and gummy on the inside. Turkish Delight, an ancient candy confection, was the precursor to the bean because of its soft, jelly-like texture. The creation of jelly beans has changed little since the candy was first developed in the early 19^th century. Most jelly beans are sold as an assortment of different fruit flavors and have been the same for years. I love the black jelly beans, licorice flavor, and used to trade with my brothers for them at Easter time.

Jelly beans now come in all sorts of flavors. When Harry Potter came on the market the Jelly Belly Company created the odd flavors of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans which were one of the confections mentioned in the novels. A few of these, dirt, ear wax and vomit, were quite unique.  My boys loved to trick their friends into eating the ear wax beans.

Jelly Beans are no longer just for Easter. People eat them all the time. They are one of the most popular selling candies. There is even a National Jelly Bean Day – April 22^nd. Do you have a favorite bean?

The three sources I used for this article are listed below.

Cite a Magazine Article from Database in MLA format

Example:

Author, Alan. “Title of Article.” Magazine Name Complete Date: Page #s. Name of Database. Web.

Access Date.

Actual Magazine Article:

Hendrickson, Helen. “Eggs and jelly beans are Easter traditions.” Grit 13 April 2003: 6.

General OneFile. Web. 12 March 2013

Cite a Blog Post in MLA format

Example:

Author, Abby. “Title of blog post.” Name of Website. Publisher/Sponsor of Site, Publication Date.

Web. Access Date.

Actual Blog Post:

Bain, Zoe. “The history of jelly beans.” Delish. Hearst Communications Inc., 19 April 2012. Web. 12

March 2013.

Cite a Web Page in MLA format

Example:

“Title of the Article.” Name of Website. Publisher/Sponsor of Site, Publication Date. Web. Access

Date.

Actual Web Page:

“Happy National Jelly Bean Day!” Chiff.com. Chiff.com, n.d. Web. 12 March 2013.

Samuel Johnson single-handedly compiled A Dictionary of the English Language which was the most significant English dictionary from its publication in 1755 until the release of the Oxford English Dictionary in the late 1920s. After nine years of accumulating and writing the forty three thousand entries Johnson completed the tome. Johnson embraced the insertion of numerous definitions. The verb “to take” has over 100 definitions. Johnson was the first lexicographer to use illustrative quotations to aid in getting the meanings of words across to readers. For example the definition of the word “gorgon” is quite descriptive – “A monster with snaky hairs, of which the sight turned beholders to stone; any thing ugly or horrid.”

You can find Johnson’s dictionary online at this site. The site includes the history of his dictionary and other interesting facts about Samuel Johnson.

Summer is coming to a close. Those crisp fall days will arrive soon along with the colorful foliage. If you plan on going on a Sunday drive or a weekend trip to view the fall colors consider creating a song list appropriate for the ride.

If you are planning to hit the road for a drive, here are some recommended fall songs for your listening pleasure. I’ve selected a diverse collection of classic and contemporary tunes along with a few songs that simply seem fitting for a fall driving playlist. I’d love it if you shared your favorite fall music too.

Forever Autumn – The Moody Blues, from the CD Lovely to See You

When the Leaves Come Falling Down – Van Morrison, from the CD The Best of Van Morrison, Vol. 3

Autumn Leaves – Nat King Cole, from the CD The Very Best of Nat King Cole

Country Road – James Taylor, from the CD Greatest Hits

Harvest Moon – Neil Young, from the CD Harvest Moon

October - U2, from the CD October

Maggie May – Rod Stewart, from the CD The Definitive Rod Stewart

Songs and albums can be cited within your papers by using the following format.

Name of Musician(s) or Group. Album Title.  Label Name, Release Year. Format Type.

Name of Musician(s) or Group. “Title of Song.” Album Title. Label Name, Release Year. Format Type.

Good News!

Just in time for the start of the new school year, I have put several of my blog posts relating to the writing of a research paper together in a PDF format. The basic guidelines within will help any student complete their paper in a timely manner. If the straightforward hints and tips are followed the writing process will be trouble-free and seem effortless to any student no matter what their background.

The PDF ” A+ Research Paper Writing: Plain & Simple” is located on the Style Basics page.

Heading off to college? Feel the stress of the big change already? Here are a few items which might make college a bit easier.

Blackout Curtains – available from Dormco.com – After pulling an all night study session the last thing you want is to be awakened by the sunlight pouring in through your windows. These curtains will block the sun and truly darken your room for easy sleeping.

Echo Smartpen – available from Livescribe – take the stress out of class lectures. The Echo Smartpen lets you record the lectures as you are taking notes. The lecture can quickly be replayed just by tapping the pen to your handwritten notes.

Grassy Charging Station – available from Organize.com – A unique all in one place way to keep your electronic gadgets charged. Hides messy cords and keeps all of your gadgets together.

Picture Window – available from Urban Outfitters – create a collage of photos with this long sleeve which has room for twenty-eight photos. Not much wall space will be used.

Runaway Alarm Clock – available from Sharper Image – Not only will it wake you up but it will bounce off your dresser to the floor, play your favorite songs, and zoom around the room until you turn it off. This alarm will get anyone up and out of bed.

Dr. Dre Headphones – available from Target – whether trying to tune out dormitory noise or showing other students on your floor a bit of consideration headphones are a must. There are many different types available but Dr. Dre headphones can’t be beat.

Do you have any great must haves for college?

BachelorsDegreeOnline.com is designed to help you find the online bachelor degree program that will best meet your career and academic needs. The site also has a blog to help you stay up to date with topics in education, student life, industry trends, and the job market

One of their most recent blog postings covers the topic of dorm living. There are some really good ideas for college students.

Have a bit of time on your hands? Or do you have the urge to procrastinate on your first project of the semester? If so, check out the Google Doodle archive.

Doodles are fun changes made to the Google logo to celebrate events, people, and holidays just to name a few. The first doodle was created in 1998 and they continue to enliven the Google home page today. There is actually of team of illustrators and engineers whose primary responsibility is to create new doodles. There is even a Google Shop available for you to purchase merchandise with your favorite Google doodle.

A handful of interactive doodles have been created in honor of the London Summer Olympics. By using the arrow keys on your keyboard you can run hurdles, play basketball, participate in a slalom canoe event, and challenge your friends to a soccer game. These interactive doodles are great fun. My favorite is the hurdle doodle – 20 seconds is my best time.

Parents can expect to pay from a few hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars on electronics, dorm-room decor, and the other eleventh-hour expenses of sending a child off to college for the first time. According to a 2005 survey by the National Retail Foundation, freshmen college students spend an average of $1200. This average cost has gone up since then.

Many of the major retailers – Target, J.C. Penney – have their own dorm essentials collections. They begin promoting the collections in early summer. Before purchasing anything, visit the university’s housing website and reread the college’s admission packet for dorm room rules in order to find out which accessories are acceptable and which are not accessible

Here are some suggestions for items that can help students survive college dorm life
1. A basic set of tools

2. Adhesive strips or hooks

3. Power strips & extension cords

4. Alarm clock with an I-pod port

5. Comfortable bedding (check with school for sizing)

6. Shower shoes & shower caddy

7. A fan

8. Over the door hooks

9. Mini refrigerator & microwave (if allowed)

10. Collapsible laundry basket

11. Under the bed storage container

Do you know of another survival tool?