Month: July 2022

5 Steps to Improve Your Scores in IELTS Essay Writing

Dilip Oak's Academy

IELTS candidates face a lot of problems while writing essays. Despite the ample amount of material available online, they find it difficult to score a good band in writing task 2. All the hacks and notes they have referred to fail when they confront the blank answer sheet. Has that ever happened to you? 

If yes, then you have come to the right place, as this blog will help you write essays by following 5 simple yet effective steps:

Step 1: Understand the Question

The answer lies in the question itself. This holds true for IELTS essays also. Read the task or question carefully, identify the keywords, and pay heed to all the points mentioned in the question. This will help you understand what is expected of you in the essay.

Step 2: Form an Opinion  

Your opinion matters! Once the task is crystal clear, the next step is to analyze the points mentioned in the prompt. To come up with more ideas, ask yourself several questions like who/when/what/why. This will help you generate more ideas for writing a power-packed essay. 

Step 3: Structure your Essay

Structure makes your essays easily readable. Using correct syntax and writing coherently improves clarity and comprehensibility. Therefore, ensure that you use correct grammar and arrange your points in a logical order. 

Step 4: Conclude Briefly

A well-rounded conclusion works like a charm. Reinforcing your points in a succinct manner gives a clear-cut idea to the reader by summing up everything you have elaborated in your essay. 

Step 5: Proofread Keenly

Proof reading can take you one band ahead. It is observed that students who score more than 7 bands on the IELTS essay proofread their essay and make changes where necessary. This is the master stroke that will separate you from the rest.

Ace the SAT Reading with these websites

Dilip Oak's Academy

Most SAT passages are manageable; the language is modern and direct. However, we also have to tackle passages with pretty complex – at times downright convoluted – framing. In addition to this, most international students don’t have the same exposure to American history and literature that students from the USA have. Now, if you’re ambitious and determined, you may do the most logical thing: start reading content that will help you with such reading passages. But where should you begin? When you search for SAT reading sources, you get super long lists, which, frankly speaking, are overwhelming as well as unrealistic. You don’t have the time to read everything. In fact, many students simply give up on such passages due to frustration. But despair not, for there is another way. We’ve curated a list of the top five sources (topic-specific) for improving your reading for the SAT.

Science

Let’s start with the easiest. SAT passages based on science are the simplest to process. So, if you’re just starting out on your reading journey, begin here.

Easy-to-understand science articles

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine

https://www.scientificamerican.com/

Humanities

Passages based on psychology, economics, socio-cultural phenomena, etc., are simple enough to read but sometimes the ideas may be unfamiliar or complex. You can gain confidence regarding these themes by reading from the following sources.

https://www.aldaily.com/ This website gives you free access to thousands of articles. It’s a great resource to practice reading advanced language.

https://www.nytimes.com/ This is a great source for modern opinion pieces on a wide range of topics.

History

History passages are usually the most challenging as the context is unfamiliar and usually the language is difficult as some passages are extracts from texts written around 200 years ago. The easiest solution to this problem is to watch the Crash Course series on YouTube. Not only will this give you a great overview of history but it will also help you improve your language in general.

History explained in an engaging way with SAT vocabulary  

Crash Course US History

Crash Course World History

Watch this space for more tips!

Coming up…

Which historical incidents are a must-know for SAT?

Sources you should read for SAT Literature passages.

Last-minute tips to master the Quant section on the GRE

Dilip Oak's Academy

Preparing for a competitive exam like GRE is always a daunting task. Nonetheless, summing up the preparation is also equally important to perform better on the exam. In this blog, we will share some of the tips with you on how to brush up on the Math section in the last week before your GRE. So, let’s get started!

Revise all the theory concepts well

Don’t forget that the GRE is more about conceptual clarity than heavy calculation. So, make sure that you have understood all the concepts well. In case you come across a point where some clarity is required, refer to your lecture notes and practice it again but don’t panic.

Check your error log

In the last week of preparation, instead of revising all the problems that you have solved, it is advisable to concentrate only on those questions that you have got incorrect while practicing. So, refer to your error log and revise only the difficult questions.

Solve only a limited number of questions

Don’t get exhausted by solving too many of the questions in the last week. Instead, select only a limited number of questions for practice.

Revise formulae sheet

Please remember that the required formulae should be on the tip of your tongue! Thus, revise all the formulae at least once daily without fail.

Revise tables daily

This is yet another important technique to give a boost to your Quant score on the GRE. In spite of the fact that the use of a calculator is permitted on GRE, it is better to do the calculations manually as much as possible. Thus, revise the tables at least twice a day.

If you ensure that these aspects are taken care of, you will feel more confident as you attempt the exam.

Wish you all the very best in your preparation!!

Application timeline for Spring 2023

Dilip Oak's Academy

Are you planning to go for MS in Spring 2023? 

The right time to apply for the spring semester is around June or mostly July, which means if you haven’t already started working on your applications, you need to start right now! 

We strongly recommend that you write the GRE and TOEFL before the 15th of July so you can submit all your online applications and courier the necessary documents before the 25th of July.

Of course, many universities accept applications even till the second week of August, but if you want admission to a good university, it is better to apply before July 2022. Submitting your application early will also help you to get your I-20 early and thus you will be able to apply for a visa by October or November, or at least in early December.

Therefore start preparing for GRE and TOEFL now and book your test date at the earliest.

At Dilip Oak’s Academy, we have begun enrollments for admission counseling for Spring 2023. Click here to enroll and get complete assistance in drafting your Statement of Purpose (SOP), transcripts, and recommendation letters, sending applications, university selection, visa documentation, and mock visa interview! 

For further details, contact us on 020-67444222 or email us at support@dilipoakacademy.com.