How To Reduce Heart Attack Risk

How To Reduce Heart Attack Risk

If you are keen to minimize the risk of a heart attack, you should have regular blood-pressure check-ups, not smoke, keep your blood-fat levels (cholesterol and triglyceride) low, maintain your “ideal” weight and exercise regularly.

If you are at risk through one or more of the above, there is something you can do. Heart disease is preventable. Here are some suggestions:

To reduce blood pressure, keep to your desired weight. Choose low-fat foods and don’t use salt. To give up smoking, be positive, and you can give it up, as thousands of other people have. Most people decide to give it up and just stop.

  • Set a date for stopping and give yourself a time to work up to if necessary.
  • Get the support of your family, your friends and your doctor.
  • To reduce your chance of high blood fats, maintain normal body weight.
  • Limit your intake of all fats. This means less animal fat, full-cream dairy products, pastries and other foods made from animal fats.
  • Eat more fish, poultry and veal. Choose only leaner cuts of meat and trim off all visible fat before cooking.
  • Increase fiber-containing foods such as wholemeal bread, cereals, vegetables, legumes, lentils and fruit.

It is not yet understood why some people can eat more than others and still maintain normal weight. But one thing is clear, to lose weight you must eat fewer calories than you burn. This means you should choose foods containing fewer calories and increase your exercise activity.

  • Avoid eating too much fat and fried foods and drink plenty of water instead of cordials and soft drinks.
  • Use alcohol in moderation. Alcoholic beverages tend to be high in calories.
  • Exercise more and more while eating less and less.

If you haven’t exercised for years, are getting on in age or have several risk factors, check with your doctor before you enter an exercise program. But don’t be put off, there is an enjoyable, safe and beneficial level of activity for everyone.

To develop and maintain cardiorespiratory fitness, exercise should make you puff a little. The following guidelines are recommended:

  • Select an exercise you enjoy.
  • Don’t exercise soon after meals or drinking alcohol or in extremes of temperature or humidity.
  • Your exercise program should be gradual, beginning at a low level and increasing at your own pace.
  • It should be regular, including at least two or three sessions each week, preferably not on successive days.

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Maximize Your Workouts

It’s one thing to take up a workout; to maximize gains is a totally different matter, though, and it takes a tad more planning and effort. Your sweaty, fat-busting, muscle-toning routine will be far more efficient if you change it up slightly – and here are a few cues to help you get the most out of your gym time with minimal post-workout muscle soreness and fatigue in the mix.

1. Warm Up On the Go

Warm up on the go

Warm-ups are as important as the workout itself because they prepare your muscles for periods of high strain, but you can try saving yourself a bit of workout time by warming up on the way to the gym. You can bike, jog, or walk to the fitness center to engage major muscle groups and cut the waste of workout time: that way, you’ll be able to dive into the reps as soon as get to the gym. If the gym is far away from your home, get off the bus a few stops earlier or park at the far end of the lot and walk to the gym instead.

2. Save Cardio for Later

Most gym-goers do cardio before they proceed to their strength training routine – but this is not exactly the best way to structure your workout if you’re looking to max out its effects. A 2015 study has found that focusing on weight training first and saving cardio for later results in more reps, so it may be smart to put on lifting straps and hit the barbell first, and climb the treadmill or elliptical after your strength training is done – or even save cardio for recovery day.

3. Activate Rest Periods

Rest periods shouldn’t be skipped – but they shouldn’t be needlessly extended either. Limit rest intervals to 30-45 seconds and consider activating them by performing low-intensity moves such as core slider exercises that don’t strain the muscles or expend too much energy. Active rest will help increase workout effects, but don’t Hulk out with the rest reps as this will only reduce your overall workout performance.

4. Break It up into Intervals

Interval training is getting more popular by the day, and for a good reason. By mixing the gym routine and putting training intensity on shuffle, you’ll hack bulk building, boost your fitness and nudge your cardiovascular function in the right direction. For maximum workout effects, mix three-minute aerobic intervals with one- or two-minute explosive periods, and repeat the drill three to five times, with a minute-long rest in between sets.

5. Plan the Failure Point

To amp workout efficiency and results, plan the failure point before it actually occurs, and don’t aim for it at every set. Training to failure promotes muscle building and it also increases strength but you should be reasonable and save the failure point for the last exercise set. To achieve the failure point, use super-slow moves with light resistance, and slow down the pace as the end of the final exercise set draws closer.

6. Don’t Forget to Stretch

Although you may think post-training stretches are a waste of time, stretching after the workout is essential to maximum bulk results because it helps prevent muscle soreness that can result in skipped gym sessions. Once your at-gym time is done, use a foam roller to get the blood flowing in your lateral, back, and lower body muscles, or try the stretch strap if you’re training without a partner. Whatever prop you opt for, make sure you don’t skip stretches before you go out of the gym – your muscles will be grateful for the extra effort.

7. Eat Your Way to Fitness

Healthy food with tomato in focus

Pre- and post-workout nutrition is as important as the structure of your training, as it allows your body to prepare for and replenish after intervals of high strain. The pre-workout meal should be centered on complex carbs and protein with as little fiber and fat as possible to prevent stomach problems during gym sessions. Likewise, your post-training snack should be rich in protein to keep muscle damage in check and accelerate bulk building.

Ready to hit the gym? Make sure to follow the tips listed above in your next exercise session, and peak performance and muscle gains will hit home much faster.

Compliments of Barcelona: TOP 5 Highly Original Souvenir Shops

Want anything highly original? Forget about the traditional boring mug, hat or T-shirt, decorated with the standard phrase I Love BCN. Try to go a little far from the center to open new horizons for souvenir shopping. You can buy original presents for your close people. Read in this article! Of course, people like buying souvenirs. Those small things always remind you about different places that you have already visited. You can meet souvenir shops in Barcelona on every street corner, mostly in the historical center.

The assortment is almost the same: T-shirts, mugs, plates, headwear, decorated with Spanish symbols and mosaics. What about huge Mexican hat? So, do you still want to find impressive souvenir from Barcelona? The city boasts with little shops, boutiques, big galleries, waiting for your visit. Looking for something interesting and remarkable, never miss these shops.

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Wawas Barcelona

This popular souvenir shop in Barcelona is situated close to the Museum of Picasso. This place was founded of two sisters, who loved souvenirs. They were interested in the culture of souvenirs. So, the shop attracts you with design clothes, jewelry, books and post cards. They all are unique in their style and originality. Do you want to feel real Barcelona? Welcome to Wawas. This place is rather different from the rest of other souvenir shops. You cannot find such typical souvenirs as clothes items, magnets and key chains. The shop sells original postcards with the Barcelona views. In short, this is a fresh alternative for all tourists, who are looking for special souvenirs from Barcelona, so-called made in Barcelona.

The place is not big, but light and well-organized: beautiful post cards with the city views, mugs, books, T-shirts, decorated with interesting elements, recipe books – you can find everything to your taste. There is also a special section devoted to arts, flamenco and lomography. The shop works from Monday till Saturday till the late evening.

Art Montfalcon

The shop is placed in the Gothic district. The logo of this shop is Picasso’s phrase: Nothing, which we can imagine is possible. The shop boasts with rich history. It was built as a little shop in 1903. The shop was rebuilt and renewed as an art gallery. There are many sections, devoted to tourism development. The area of this shop is about 1 000 square meters. The exhibit items are predicted to give you a piece of art. By the way, Art Montfalcon is placed in the building of a beautiful palace, built in neo classic style. The palace was built in the 19th century by Palau Castanyer.

Souvenirs de Madrid

You can find many interesting things in this shop. This is the shop number one that is really worthy to answer the question: Where can I buy souvenirs in Barcelona? The assortment is wide: bijouterie, wall clocks, toys, ceramics, bags, T-shirts, fashion accessories, pictures and original technological news. The most interesting souvenir is undestroyed city map and original sheets to write and draw on it.

The proud of the shop is Inspira Barcelona section. This is the section, where the best masterpieces of the local designers are represented. All of them are recognized at international scale. According to the worlds of the shop owner, Art Montfalcon makes you feel fresh emotions, unforgettable experience to open the world of arts in the historical atmosphere. You should check it right now! The shop works from Monday till Friday from 10 a.m. till 9 p.m.

Barceloning

Barceloning is less popular. It is situated in the street of Mallorca, 332. The shop is full of interesting own-produced goods. There are also many goods of other producers, making the concept and style of the shop: Watchcelona clock, chocolate and candies from Xavier Mor, book guides of Triangle and other interesting elements.

OMG Barcelona Souvenir Shop

Meet the next stylish shop. It is full of little souvenirs that are made in Barcelona. You can buy clothes from Krizia Robustella, ceramics from Miriam Cernuda, children’s book by Anna Tilche, soft pillows from Cush, and jewelry from Alba Casares. The online shop is available. The shop works from Monday till Saturday from 11 a.m. till 9 p.m.

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Fantastik Souvenir Shop

The shop Fantastik is usually called extraordinary market. It is true. The main characteristics of this place are bright colors, eastern style. The shop offers to buy colorful souvenirs from Mexico, Japan, Senegal. You know, this shop is not for minimalistic clients. Everything is big and impressive: chairs, armchairs, posters, mugs, wooden things. This shop is unusual and insolent in something. There is nothing more exotic in Barcelona. If you are interested, find their website and look through the list of available goods. The shop works from Monday till Friday.

Food Souvenirs

Do you think that the best souvenir from Barcelona is nice hat? Think about local delicacies. Nevertheless, pay attention to the flight duration, transport, temperature conditions. It is time to learn the most popular food samples of Catalonia that you can bring home in a form of tasty and aromatic souvenir.

Local sausages: you should try fuet (it comes from a little cozy village close to the capital city. You can hire a car in Barcelona to be there at any time). Pay attention to chorizo – red sausage; tasty jamon serrano of high quality; sobrasada made of pork, salt and aromatic spices.

Crottin: it is not easy to take it home in your bag. Nevertheless, it is worth doing.

Sauces: The range of choice is wide and interesting: aioli garlic sauce; salsa brava – spicy sauce (it is perfect for potato); romesco sauce of tomatoes, garlic, almond, olive oil, eggplants, hot pepper. You can buy everything!

Sweets: try carquinyolis (almond cookies) or panellets (marzipans sweets).

Jamón Serrano

This is almost the end of the article-guide! Of course, you may choose something for your taste. Nevertheless, you must be ready to learn something useful for your Spanish trip. May be you are lucky to share the information about another interesting souvenir shop. It can be useful for tourists. All they want is buying worthy souvenirs with compliments of Barcelona.

7 Things Your Smartphones Have Replaced

Many appliances are affordable. Things like television, microwave, oven, washing machine, and the like can be bought at reasonable prices. You can have a complete set of them in the comfort of your homes.

However, less is more in today’s technology. This means that you do not need to have all of these items to get their value or services. For example, smartphones are no longer just a device you can use for call or text. It can now function as several things all at once. Some of the items it has already replaced include:

  1. Books

Some book lovers consider the art of reading a physical book as therapeutic and sacred. But there are others who enjoy having the ability to download eBooks straight to their mobile phones. This technology also allows them to bring as much books as they can wherever and whenever they please. Some people are even advocating the use of them because they save trees.

  1. Alarm clocks

Smartphones are the first thing people reach for upon waking up. It is only reasonable for them to replace the alarm clock lying at your bedside table. You can even adjust its settings and make the alarm your favorite song so you can have a wonderful day. Aside from that, they can also replace your clocks and watches. You don’t even need to manually adjust them because they automatically do when you connect to your network.

  1. Wallets

New innovations such as Android Pay and Apple Pay are making it possible for people to shop using their smartphones. They no longer have to carry a physical wallet for them to be able to pay for goods and services. E-currencies such as Bitcoin are being developed. The number of merchants who are accepting them is on the rise.

  1. Camera

Developers are working hard on the built in cameras your smartphone has. Megapixel sensors found in them are getting better over time. Different lenses like the fisheye have been made available to fit your phone’s camera. This technology is starting to affect the sales of top-notch SLR equipment currently available in the market. People are starting to prefer them because they tend to be less bulky.

  1. Remote control

Today, many smartphones have IR blasters built into them. This innovation would allow your phone to work as a remote control to a lot of things such as Philips Hue lights, garage doors, air conditioners, thermostat, TV, car, and other items that have smart technology installed in them.

  1. Cable TV

There are a lot of affordable television. In Philippines mostly the people there are more into cable TV. But, there is no need for you to subscribe to a cable TV. This is because your smartphone (as well as other devices) can now be used to watch your favorite movies and TV shows with the help of streaming services like YouTube, Hulu, and Netflix.

  1. Music players

Stand-alone music players such as the Walkman, MP3 players, and even the iPods have been replaced by smartphones. Most people today prefer to listen to music straight from their phones through services like iTunes and Spotify.

The number of things your smartphone has replaced is likely to grow from the list you see above.

Which Social Media Platform is Right for Your Small Business?

It seems like virtually every business is on social media and they are right to do so. Millions of people access social media everyday through computers, phones, and tablets. Which is exactly why businesses are taking advantage of these free communication tools.  There are lots of social media platforms to choose from but what some business owners don’t realize is that they don’t have to be on all of them. Here’s some info to help you find which platform is right for you.

Facebook is by far the platform with the most users. Business owners use it to either increase their web presence or for direct advertising. People can link to their product pages or buy ad space directly from Facebook. However businesses tend to favor increasing their audience than making ads. Active users who frequently like and share content end up being more profitable in the end. Marketing was usually managed by third party marketing firms but people are starting to hire social media managers internally. Internal management tends to result in a more personable image since the person writing posts lives in the area and knows the demographic better.

For business owners Twitter and Facebook generally achieve similar goals: increasing presence and advertising. Sharing content and posting original Tweets is the best way to gain a following, but remember to get creative with your Tweets because you are limited to 140 characters. Twitter is a great tool to direct contact, you can Tweet directly at a business or person and usually get a response. You can even Tweet at your favorite celebrity and get a response. These two platforms are also used as a form of public relations since they are a direct connection to customers. Businesses can refute negative feedback with public or personal responses.

Many businesses are utilizing Google Plus because of its growing user base and access to other tools, making it a quick and effective for communication. The platform is accessed through Gmail which creates many different ways to share ideas between different people. A favorite from Google Plus is the hangout platforms that allow people to instantly message each other. Plus it includes a calendar that is used to schedule events and reminders, which can be used to create projects that are then assigned to specific people. On the employer side the main benefit is streamlining company communication.

Another social media platform that most businesses are using, or at the very least their Human Resources department is using, is LinkedIn. The platform connects businesses with people working in that field. Employees and employers can establish a connection and communicate with each other about potential job opportunities. LinkedIn is used alongside a strong email marketing campaign to recruit new hires when needed. It is a simple and effective tool to vet new hires because LinkedIn profiles are basically online resumes. LinkedIn is not as popular as Facebook so you won’t be able to find nearly as many people but it is increasing in popularity and this particular social media platform looks like it is here to stay.

How You Can Take Care of Yourself from Within

A list of drugstores can be found in the Philippines. They offer a range of medicines that can aid you in whatever sickness your body may be experiencing. But taking drugs should not always be the solution you should be opting for when you are feeling unwell.

Learn other ways of how you can care for yourself. Here are simple things you can do to remain healthy.

Slowly Wake Up

Waking up in the morning should feel like a blessing, not a curse. Give yourself time to breathe and relax in the morning by avoiding work commitments like answering emails after waking up.

Soothe your mind by showering or having a hearty breakfast before you respond to any work related tasks. Give yourself at least 30 minutes to slowly wake up every morning.

Meditation and Yoga

There are a lot of health benefits when it comes to meditation. It helps you de-stress and relieve your mind from all the worries you may possibly think of. Yoga is another thing that you can do to make sure your mind and body can become healthy and active.

Try to incorporate these two while you are slowly waking up so you could gain a positive and energetic mind set for the rest of the day.

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Exercise

Exercise is one sure way you can release endorphins or happy hormones in your body. It is also an activity that helps you de-clutter your mind. It also burns out the extra fat found in your body, making sure you remain fit and healthy.

Keep a Journal

Having a journal can be very beneficial to people with busy schedules. It lets you write down a schedule you can follow for the day, which helps you remember important items like a meeting with your boss.

It also provides you an outlet where you can write about your feelings and emotions about a certain event in both your professional or personal life.

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Eat

Food, just like exercise, is an essential part of having healthy minds and bodies. However, make sure instil yourself with a proper and well-balanced diet from day in and day out. Remember all the lessons about “Go, Grow, and Glow” and the food pyramid you have learned in school.

Read

Books are the food your brain needs to function well. Feed your mind with different information from the various books you can find in your local library or even on the internet.

Encourage yourself to read different genres particularly fantasy. This is because it stimulates the right part of your brain, which is responsible for creative thoughts.

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Connect

Talking to your friends and family will help you feel more grounded. If you live alone, try to reach out with a family member or a close friend. Ultimately, having a human connection can help you feel better if you are having a hard day.

Play

Have you ever heard of the phrase, “work hard, play hard?” It simply means that you should have a work-life balance, wherein you can be happy in both your personal as well as your professional life. You should never commit your life to merely working hard; you also have to give importance to your life outside your career.

Sleep

Sleep is a significant part of your daily life. You should never disregard it for it has many scientific benefits. It not only improves your overall health, but also your decision-making skills. Sleep is the best thing you can do to detoxify your mind.

 

 

Things to keep in mind before buying your first home

Everyone dreams of possessing their own home. Many people put in extra efforts to reach a point where they become financially stable enough to finally purchase and build their own dream house. After all, the ideal life of an average man will be incomplete without a perfect house. Although, buying a house in general is a nerve wrecking experience, it becomes more grueling when you are purchasing a home for the first time.

Buying your first home is indeed an unforgettable experience. Where you are super excited, you are also nervous and scared. Where you have ideas flowing, making a decision as small as choosing the color of your curtains takes ages. Also, you are afraid of making wrong choices and fear any financial loss. Well, it is natural to be scared and many people do in fact end up making wrong decisions while buying their first home, if you do your research right you can avoid these mistakes. Here are some crucial things that first time home buyers should keep in mind before making their first big purchase:

Managing finances smartly

When you are heading towards buying your house you obviously have reserves, but how you manage the reserves and manage your budget makes a very crucial role. Many people end up spending too much on one or two aspects that leaves very little for other important stuff. Let’s say you have a limited cash reserve the major bulk of which you spend on down payment and mortgage insurance, in the end you would either compromise on the interior of the house or turn to the emergency fund (another important thing that we’ll discuss below). Always go for houses with mortgages that are 3-4 times your annual income.

Keeping emergency funds

No matter how much money you have in your reserve always, always have an emergency fund. It’s human nature that the more you have the more lavishly you will spend. And, even if you spend wisely, buying a house is full of unexpected turns and twists and you would be surprised at how many unplanned things you’d be spending your money on. Therefore, while budgeting for your house always keep an emergency fund along with your cash reserve. However, keep in mind that it is an emergency fund, so use it only in emergency situations. Otherwise, follow the above rule and manage your finances smartly.

Choosing the right mortgage

Choosing the right mortgage involves many factors. First of all it is essential that you choose reliable and efficient mortgage lenders. Secondly, before paying more for the mortgage consider what your long term goals are. If you plan to stay in this house for a very long time, then it is suggested that you go for a fixed rate mortgage in which your interest remains same during the course of your loan duration. If, however, you plan to move before the fixed time, go for adjustable rate mortgage in which your interest rises or falls based on the market rates. Choosing the duration of your mortgage loan is also important: many gurus believe that you must choose a 30 year plan over the 15 year plan as it provides more of a financial flexibility. If you can afford and want to get rid of mortgage payments quickly, then you may choose a shorter plan.

Things you need vs. things you want

When you are buying your home for the first time, everything seems appealing. Let’s say you are buying Spring Hill apartments from spring hill rentals. Even the unnecessary, nice-to-have things, seem to be a necessity. However, many of the choices that first time buyers make turn out to be a liability. So first make a clear distinction between things that you like and the things that you must have. If a certain design of windows suits your aesthetics while holds little significance in other areas, then don’t waste your money on it. Remember, that long after you have built your house, you will constantly need money for home maintenance and it is not always easy to cut money out of your monthly allowance for that.

Purchasing your first home is an experience no one forgets. It is full of mind bending decisions. You may make great decisions and you may also make some mistakes. If you are a little cautious and tread lightly, you will end up making way more smart choices than wrong ones.

The best amusement parks in Europe

Amusement parks in Europe

If you love adventure and a little different escape from everyday life, the ideal destinations for you are colorful, cheerful and always noisy amusement parks.

We suggest to you the five best amusement parks in Europe which won’t delight just the younger tourists. The adults will surely experience unforgettable moments full of adrenaline rush, uncertainty, and also they can test their courage and fear of heights.

DISNEYLAND, Paris, France: For the majority, this theme park is a synonymous for the amusement park. There you can get into the world of your favorite Disney fairy tales and cartoon characters, hang out and take photos with them. Europe Disneyland is made of two theme parks, Disneyland park and Walt Disney Studios park.  The symbol of Disneyland is a replica of castle from the animated film Sleeping Beauty, and you can also walk and explore the labyrinth of Alice in Wonderland. An adventurous journey through the Disney studio will reveal many secrets, including those how famous cartoon heroes are created. For the fearless, there is a super high (60m) roller coaster “Twilight Zone Tower of Terror” there are also lower ones for less brave tourists. What you should know is that you will need more than one day to visit the whole park, so plan and organize an accommodation in one of the nearby hotels. Maybe, the whole vacation in the land of dreams, why not…

For adults ticket price is 60 euros and for children older than 3 years 50 euros.

LEGOLAND, Germany, England, and Denmark: During 70-ies of the last century, the world has gone crazy about Lego bricks. Different characters and entire worlds are made of these bricks which are much more than toys. There are serious collectors, as well as the entire theme parks. The oldest Legoland park was created in Denmark in the small town of Billund, and then started opening in other countries. If you are a Lego fan, here you can see valuable creations and real artistic wonders made by the hundreds of thousands of bricks, such as the Cathedral of St. Peter from London or Trafalgar Square model. Legoland in Germany is open from mid-March until the first week of November and offers interesting activities for all ages: you can ride a dragon, caterpillar, horses, enjoy perfect replicas of stadiums, cities and airports.

Ticket costs around 34 euros and little less for children.

PARK ASTERIX, Paily, France: This theme park is around 32 km from Paris and it is dedicated to cute cartoon character Apterix. Take a look into the world of Gals, Romans and Vikings. In the park there are 6 thematic worlds and about 36 different attractions. Try how the magic potion works on you, be a member of the mission that spies Gale, take a ride on, according to many, the most beautiful wooden roller coasters in the world. Test your courage on the big eight which will turn you upside down up to 7 times. Park is constantly expanding and upgrading, so if you already visited the park, there are probably some novelties that you have not seen. There are several restaurants and snack bars within the Park Asterix, insuring that you will not be hungry.

Daily ticket for adults costs 39 euros and 29 euros for children.

GARDLAND, Castelnuovo del Garda, Italy: one of the most popular parks which is full of various content, located on banks of Lake Garda. Park has about 56 different attractions for all ages and 3 huge toboggans which names already promises a wild ride – Blue Tornado, Magic Mountain, Mammut. Fun and entertainment are guaranteed to everyone because the park is divided into three parts: the realm of fantasy, adventure and adrenaline adventures for researchers. Garland does not operate during the winter months.

Both for adults and children, ticket price is 30 euros.

MYSTERY PARK, Interlaken, Switzerland: If you are fans of otherworldly phenomena, worlds and aliens, this is the right place for you. This unusual park was designed by Erich von Daniken, the controversial artist and writer, known for his mysterious theories about aliens. Mystery park consists of 7 parts and each is dedicated to the world’s great mysteries, like Stonehenge, discovering Mars lines in Peru, flights into space, or tunnels under the Sahara. You can also experience driving submarine simulation in depths of the ocean. Park is often target of criticism because it is presented as an educational center based on unverified facts and evidence. Ti is expected to get out of this park, if not stunned, then inspired, because you will not take any concrete answers with you. Everything will remain a complete mystery.

The adults can enjoy in this different reality for 40 and children for 22 euros per day.

Allow yourself to experience some kind of different holiday and fill the albums with the most unusual images. With family, friends, partners, in the amusement parks entertainment will not fail … If you travel without children, the inner child that each of us has, will surely enjoy.

Some Simple Suggestions About Inequality and Education

For a “progressive society”, we sure have a knack for leaving people behind. Experts across the board agree that education and public school systems both play roles in inequality. Humans are naturally altruistic, but it’s easy to form habits of selfish thinking in a wealthy, consumerist society such as our own. Sometimes we lose sight about how our privileges may perpetuate the struggles of those less fortunate who, for the record, do not always choose their situations. If educational differences help to create inequality, then I have some suggestions for our teachers, administrators, and the like to help even the playing field, hopefully without dumbing down the process.

  1. Computers
    Some families, believe it or not, don’t have home computers now days. Some have only one, but it isn’t enough for the whole family to use as much as they need. As fantastic as it is that children are taught at a young age how to type and use various programs in a school’s computer lab, computer mandatory work outside of class becomes a problem when students don’t have access to a computer.Again, not that education should be slowed down – but there needs to be more ways for students to use a computer if they don’t have one. Maybe schools should be striking deals with local libraries and the like for free computer use (some make you pay). If they have the budget, providing laptops for in class use may be ideal, which I’ve also seen done before. How late are the school libraries or computer labs open? Maybe try offering less computer work, and if not that, more time to get it done.
  2. School Trips
    A lot of schools do this already, but when field trips or class staycations take place (AKA a class trip to DC), there will always be students who struggle to afford it. Putting the full burden on a fourteen year old to raise the money with no help from the school that is putting a heavy class emphasis on the trip is a bit crazy.Obviously, these kinds of trips can never be totally mandatory. But if you as a teacher think it’s very important your students go, then don’t let kids fend for themselves in these situations – help struggling students fundrasise. Set up opportunities for other students to help out as well- car washes, bake sales, etc. Working together and opening doors for everyone to contribute may actually build a community mindset that considers people as a whole and not just on an individual level.
  3. Tutors
    Of course, tutoring has evolved with the technology age as well, but again, it’s generally something people have to be able to afford in order to benefit from. However make no mistake – free or affordable good tutoring in schools is essential for students who need it. At the least, it needs to be more available for those in less fortunate families, and there has to be a middle ground between Special Education and normal paced Education when someone is struggling. The problem I fear about some of these special training programs is that they slow students down rather than helping them move forward. That is, they inadvertently teach people to give up on themselves because they’re naturally not good enough. That’s not okay, and while I 100% support and see the need for special education, there has to be a more concentrated effort than there is currently to keep people in a normal-paced curriculum who are capable.

Now as you’ll notice, a lot of things come down to availability of resources. I don’t know a ton about school budgets and money, and I’m sure not a teacher. But I have seen educational inequality and there has to be something done to fix that. Expecting students in public schools to have access to resources they may not won’t fix any problems. If we could only get people the same resources as their neighbors, we would be able to give them a fighting chance, and then it would be up to them. They could live in a fair system, and that’s necessary if we truly do, as Americans, believe that “all humans were created equal.”