0

The Best Sports to Play to Qualify for a Sports Scholarship

If you’re a passionate athlete and want to play professionally, then getting a sports scholarship is the perfect first step. It can help take your athletics to the next level while giving you access to post-secondary education, which can help you in your other career goals as well. You eliminate the pressures of student debts as the scholarship will cover some or even all of your tuition. Plus, you will have the chance to play your sport competitively on a grander scale.

How easy will it be to get a scholarship?

If you’re serious about getting a sports scholarship, it’s important to note that it takes a lot of hard work. There are tons of competition for these scholarships, and only about 2% will qualify. Don’t let that deter you, however, because that’s still a substantial number of success stories. It’s good to know which sports scholarships are easiest to get to maximize your chance of success.

This information is heavily based on how many students are competing for scholarships in these particular sports. The lower the number of students, the higher your chances are. Both women’s and men’s sports have different statistics, so below, this is broken down for you.

The women’s sports that are easiest to get scholarships for

1. Ice Hockey

Many college hockey teams recruit players internationally. It’s likely if you make the cut, you’ll have others playing with you from abroad. That said, an ice hockey scholarship is the easiest one to get for women. Around 18% of high school hockey players will qualify for college teams, which is almost 1/5th. That is because not all high schools have ice hockey teams; therefore, you’ll have less competition. These are pretty high odds compared to most others. So, strap on those skates!

2. Lacrosse

Since lacrosse isn’t the most popular of sports, especially not in international countries. You likely won’t be competing with many overseas players when trying to get noticed by a college team. College lacrosse teams tend to look for recruits on the east coast, but don’t worry if you don’t live there. You’ll still have an almost 13% chance of making a lacrosse roster.

3. Soccer

Soccer is the most popular of the three sports, but there are many more college soccer programs located across the country. While you’ll have more competition, you’ll also have more options. For that reason, around 9% of high school players will make it onto college teams.

If you are interested in achieving a scholarship in soccer, then you should enlist the expertise of ASM Scholarships, to boost your odds of qualifying.

The men’s sports that are easiest to get scholarships for

1. Lacrosse

Similar to the women’s teams, the pool of lacrosse players is relatively small in comparison to the number of varsity teams. As lacrosse is only really popular in North America, you won’t need to worry about international competition hurting your odds of getting recruited. Around 13% of male high school lacrosse players will be selected for college teams.

2. Baseball

With the most varsity programs of potentially any others in the US, one popular option is baseball. There are almost 1700 opportunities throughout various divisions for high-school baseball players to play at the college level. While the pool of players is pretty substantial, the odds are still pretty good at around 11.5%.

3. Ice Hockey

Again, ice hockey makes the list, this time coming in third for men. You will face international competition for a college ice hockey team, but the pool is still considerably low, especially considering the number of ice hockey programs through the states. It’s also good to note that recruiters tend to focus around the New England, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin area. High school players have around a 10% chance of making it onto a college team.

It’s important to note that all scholarships have requirements. Though the scholarships have an athletic focus, you will still need to keep up academically to keep it.

0

4 Tips For Making Money Selling Used Clothing

Selling clothing can be a very promising industry. Whether you’re selling used items in a store or looking to do it online, it’s possible to carve out a successful business for yourself working in the second-hand business. People love saving money, and therefore buying consignment is something that will never go out of style.

In addition to being a great money saver, it’s also better for the environment to buy used. Even though you might be tempted to donate your clothes, selling them can be a better route if you’re looking to make some extra cash.

If you’re ready to get started selling used clothing, take a look at some of the best tips to get you started.

Know Your Ideal Customer

The basics of business will tell you that before you can hope to sell to anyone, you’ll need to know who your ideal customer is. The only way that you’re going to appeal to buyers is by knowing how to convince them that what you’re selling is worth it. Certain items of clothing will appeal more to groups of people than others. If you’re looking to sell your clothes on various sites, then know what works best on each.

For example, you may find that high-end labels work best in some places while vintage works better in others. Even though luxury brands may be able to sell for a higher price, you might not be able to find as many clients for that market, depending on the site.

Have Quality Merchandise

You’re not fooling anyone if you’re trying to sell clothing that is dirty or damaged. Stains or wrinkles will not build a positive reputation for yourself amongst buyers. Therefore make sure that you are selling things that you would pay the same for yourself. Sell merchandise that will make your customers happy. Never try to swindle anyone or be dishonest about what you’re selling. With so many online reviews nowadays, it’s only a matter of time until you start creating a negative name for yourself if you sell subpar merchandise.

Have Knowledgeable Staff

If you’re planning on selling in a brick and mortar store, then you should make sure that your staff represents you in a positive light. The best way to do this is to make sure that they are knowledgeable about your merchandise. There’s nothing more unprofessional than an employee who has no idea how to answer customers’ questions. Hire the right staff for your niche, who can assist your customers successfully.

Take Clear Photos

If you’re selling clothing online, you want to make sure that you’re posting high-quality professional-looking photographs. Blurry photos with bad lighting won’t help your sell clothing. Make sure to include various images of each product and be honest about any flaws.

0

Use The Latest Technologies To Build An Engaging Web Presence

Business today requires a visible web presence. The dependence upon the internet is such that you would swear it makes the world turn. Your business website is your online store location, so be sure to make it good.

Make it easy for web users to locate information regarding your business, and simultaneously make it easier to run your business by creating a web presence that makes a mark on users. Take some time to read through a few tips for building an engaging web presence, and get started today.

Relevance is important

When you design content to fuel your online presence, you need to keep it relevant. If you want web users who need your services to be able to find your business online, then you’ll need to create content that is relevant to your industry of operation.

Use Google’s keyword tools to decide upon the most suitable keywords and phrases to include within the text and metadata of your content. When your keywords are hot, your place in the SERPs (search engine results pages) will improve.

High-quality images and videos

When you design web content, it helps to mix media. People will spend more time exploring your content if they have pictures, videos, and sound to engage their interests.

Your business website will be well served by adding a page with informational resources. This Atomicorp page has podcasts, webinars, videos, and more for passing users to investigate.

Social media is high traffic

If you’re looking to gain exposure, social media is a great way to spread the word about your business. Make your own social media profiles for your business, and maintain your pages like you work to main your business website.

Add social media sharing icons to your content as well. Your business website, your blog posts, and even an email newsletter are all great places to plant social media sharing icons.

Mobile optimization is critical

Mobile optimization is critical to the efficiency of your digital content. Most online users are using a mobile device to access the web. Without mobile optimization, you risk alienating a great number of users from exploring your content.

Reach out through email

Email is a great addition to your web presence. Use your business website and your social media pages to offer numerous opportunities for web users to opt-in on your email mailing list.

Send out helpful information, special deals, and even a regular newsletter to your email rolodex to nurture an ongoing rapport with people. You can also use email to send out invoices and confirmations. Overall, email is a great connection to explore for any size business.

 

0

How to Plan for a Successful Bathroom Renovation

Bathrooms are one of the most important rooms in any home, second only to a kitchen. Other rooms like bedrooms or living rooms can easily be changed around and redecorated as you feel fit. But bathrooms and kitchens? Those require high-budget renovations to completely transform, which is why you need to be careful when designing and planning your bathroom renovation.

For some, this might just mean updating to modern fixtures. For others, it will need to be more strategic. If your knee hurts now and you have the first hint of arthritis, then you don’t want a step-in tub. You want a wet room so that you can easily enjoy spa-like facilities throughout your life.

Your bathroom needs to look great and function perfectly, so follow this guide to help you plan.

Save Ideas over Time

First things first, you need inspiration! Go through home design magazines, Pinterest, Instagram, and other social media pages and blogs to find and collect inspiration. At the start, don’t worry about choosing designs that look similar. Go wild! Collect and store all the ideas you want either digitally or in a scrapbook.

As time goes on you should see a pattern in the designs you choose, and be able to pick out the elements you really want in your bathroom. Mix and match and come up with the perfect design.

Prioritize Need Over Aesthetic

Before you get your heart entirely set on what you have saved, you will also want to research the functional options that bathrooms can offer. Those with poor mobility, for example, will want to add either a wet room or a walk-in tub instead of more traditional options. Those in wheelchairs will also need the entrance widened and accessibility features added. Prioritize these types of needs, and then choose the design options that work with them.

Create a Custom Bathroom Design with Professionals

Having all the ideas in the world and a rough sketch of what you want is great, but you will always want to have a professional like Beautiful Bathrooms of Letchworth to take your vision and create a workable plan. They are experts in knowing what can and cannot work, and more importantly, how to make it work with your space. Only once a professional helps finalize your design can you finally say you have your dream bathroom.

Budgeting and Financing

By designing your bathroom with a specialist, you will have a workable design and a cost estimation. Save the down deposit if they offer financing, or find a short-term loan option that works best for you. You wouldn’t want to pay for a renovation and then run out of all your savings, so make sure you have a buffer to live comfortably on.

Bathrooms need more care and attention than many give them credit for. They are so much more than a place for a toilet, shower, and sink. They are places you can go to relax and unwind. They are private spaces that you deserve to be comfortable in. As one of the most-used rooms in your home, they deserve to be properly planned and budgeted for, so follow these steps and see your dream bathroom come to life.

 

0

Five Financial Tips for Young People in 2020

In an ever-more complex world, and with so much to think about every day, finances can only take up a certain amount of bandwidth in our conscious minds. True, our personal financial situation can be incredibly important, granting us freedoms to travel, work, play and socialize whenever we want, but overall, we tend to avoid thinking for long periods about our cash flow. This article aims to change that, by introducing five incredibly important tips to help you think through and manage your finances as a young person in modern-day America.

Use Apps

The benefits of being a young person in the modern era are huge – and one of the biggest benefits is that young people have grown up with digital technologies, smartphones and apps, that they’re incredibly comfortable using them daily. Make use of this advantage by finding the best money management apps on the market to use with your bank accounts to understand your spending.

Neo-Banks

You may be aware of the ten or twenty biggest banks across America, but you may be less aware of the new, smaller banks – often completely digital, with no physical branches – that are emerging across the country and the world. With new features like free overseas withdrawals and special rewards schemes, these new banks offer incredibly competitive, appealing deals for the young people savvy enough to find them.

Debt

Young people tend to be amongst the most vulnerable to debt. That’s hardly surprising: they’re more naïve than most adults, and they’re also at the start of their careers and their financial journeys, and many choose to enter debt to put themselves through college or university. The key lesson, if you find yourself in debt, is to be calm. Don’t kneel to the debt collectors. Indeed, their threats and demands often cross the line into plain illegal harassment – and in these scenarios, lawsuits over debt can require professional help from lawyers who will fight on your behalf to resist the advances made on your assets by debt collectors.

Investing

If you’re looking good financially, and you’re earning considerably more than what you’re spending, it might be time to look at the investment opportunities you may be able to take advantage of in the coming months. You should look primarily into property and stocks or shares, which means that you should invest in something for the long-term, which may make you a lot of cash over time. Investing is a smart way to protect your wealth.

Savings

Finally, don’t forget to make up some savings over the next few years of your life. Savings are incredibly important for you to be able to afford a mortgage later in life, or to save up for other fabulous and once-in-a-lifetime events, like weddings and honeymoons, or that around-the-world-trip that you’ve always held in the back of your mind. Savings pots are incredibly easy to set up and can provide an extra safety net should you lose your job in unfortunate circumstances in the future.

Make use of these five financial tips to stabilize your financial health in the weeks and months ahead.

0

3 Things To Do If You Start Losing Control Of Your Vehicle

For many people, they don’t even have to be in a full-blown car accident to feel like they’ve had an emergency behind the wheel. Losing even part of your control when you’re driving a vehicle is enough to make any driver’s heart skip a beat.

So to help ensure that your minor loss of control doesn’t turn into a complete car accident that requires you to get your vehicle towed off the road, here are three things you should do if you start losing control of your vehicle.

Don’t Accelerate, But Don’t Jump On The Brakes Either

As soon as you start to feel like you’re losing control of your vehicle, the first and most important thing you should do is to take your foot off the gas. By beginning to slowly decelerate by stepping off the gas pedal, you’ll give your car a chance to slow down on its own and regain some of the control that you’ve lost.

Keep in mind, however, that while you’re taking your foot off the gas pedal, you don’t want to reapply it to the brake at the time of your loss of control. According to Andrei Zakhareuski, a contributor to Driving-Tests.org, braking suddenly can cause your car to go into even more of a slide and result in you losing further control.

Try Pumping Your Brakes

While braking suddenly can make your loss of control even more pronounced, there is a way to use your brakes that won’t typically make it harder for you to regain control of your vehicle.

According to Christopher Lampton, a contributor to How Stuff Works, the best way to use your brakes when you’re experiencing a loss of control is to pump your brakes. If you have anti-lock brakes, your car will automatically do this for you. But if your car doesn’t have ABS, you’ll want to step on and off your brakes to pump them on your own. By doing this, you will be able to regain traction on your wheels without locking up your brakes and disallowing yourself the chance to regain control.

How To Steer When Skidding

If you lose control of your vehicle due to a skid, be it on wet or icy roads, it’s important to know how to steer your vehicle out of this situation.

To help you with this, the California Department of Motor Vehicles advises that you always steer slightly into the direction that you’re skidding. By trying to correct your vehicle away from the skid, you could wind up overcorrecting, which could put you in even more danger. So unless you’re about to hit something head-on, it’s best to try to steer into the skid to reclaim some traction so that you can then have more control.

To help you protect yourself and others on the road, consider using the tips mentioned above if you ever lose control of your vehicle while you’re driving.

 

0

Easy Pet Hair Cleaning Hacks

Easy Pet Hair Cleaning Hacks

Dogs may be man’s best friend, but if any other friend was as difficult to clean up after, we’d probably get a new BFF. Fortunately for dogs, their fawning, slobbering, unconditional love seals the deal with our hearts. We just sigh, scratch behind their ears, and then spend the time it takes trying to rid the house of their pet hair as best we can.

Cats can also shed and leave little fluffy drifts of fur balls floating around the house. And for a home with both a dog and cat—well, the struggle is very real.

What’s With the Shedding?

Dogs and cats only sweat from the parts of their bodies that aren’t covered with fur, like their paws and noses. This means it can be more difficult for them to regulate body temperature. Part of their natural coping method for seasonal changes means they will grow fluffier winter coats when the weather cools, and then shed the extra fluffy hairs in the spring. Besides this seasonal shedding, dogs and cats shed some hair year round. Just as in humans, an animal’s hair falls out when it’s at the end of its life cycle. But for pets, the life cycle of each hair is shorter. They also have much more hair on their bodies than humans, resulting in a great deal of shedding. Some dog breeds shed more than others, so if you are extremely bothered by shedding, look for a dog breed that sheds less.

If the dog you chose—or the one that chose you—is an excessive shedder, getting rid of all the dog hair in your home can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are some great pet hair hacks, that can make this less of a chore.

Vacuum Away Pet Hair

It may seem like a no-brainer, but it has to be said. Frequent vacuuming can help keep pet hair from accumulating in your home. If your vacuum doesn’t seem effective against pet hair, you may be using the wrong vacuum. Look instead for one of the best vacuums for pet hair. There are many new vacuums on the market that are labeled as specially engineered for pet hair removal. Many of these come with attachments that make getting pet hair out of carpets and furniture easier.

Having a carpet can be a challenge when you have pets. If your pets are serious shedders, it might be worthwhile to have a good carpet cleaner in the house. Carpets should be thoroughly cleaned every six months to remove pet hair, stains, and odors.

Give Barney a Blanket

While it’s easy to say that you should not let your dog on the couch, we all know that in most cases this isn’t realistic. Dogs love couches, and we love to snuggle up with our best buddy at the end of the day.

One way to keep dog hair on your sofa at a minimum is to keep a dedicated dog blanket in your dog’s preferred spot. If you choose a fluffy blanket that matches your decor, this actually won’t look bad at all. When it starts to get furry, take it outside and give it a few shakes. Birds love weaving soft, fluffy dog hair into their nests, so you know there’s a chance that your pup’s fur will be put to good use.

Dry Sheets Do it All

Dryer sheets can do a lot more than make your clothes soft and static-free. Try Googling cleaning with dryer sheets, and you will discover that these versatile little white sheets can do anything from remove soap scum to get rid of dead bugs from your bumper and windshield. And on top of all of that—these sweetly-scented little sheets are fantastic fur removers! Rub down your couch cushions and dog beds with a couple of dryer sheets and you will not only remove fur, but you will also freshen your furnishings! This can actually help to make your cushions repel dust and pet hair in the future. Dryer sheets are also great for removing pet hair from baseboards and corners.

Tape it Away

If Fido’s fur is particularly stubborn, you can try using duct tape or packing tape to remove fur from furnishings, carpets, and clothing. This works better than a lint brush, is less expensive, and lasts longer. You can tear off a lengthy strip of tape and wrap it around your palms. Then simply use your hands to swipe away pet fur from any surface.

Another duct tape tip is to wrap it around a paint roller to make a giant lint roller. Then you can roll it across surfaces to collect massive amounts of pet fur in each roll.

A Window Squeegee Works Wonders

Window squeegees do more than clean windows. These are also handy tools for removing pet hair from carpets. Brush the squeegee back and forth in both directions against your carpet nap and you will see a nice pile of pet fur come to the surface for you to scoop up. Try doing this after running your vacuum and you will be surprised at how much fur your vacuum missed.

If your pet rides in the car with you often, a squeegee also works to remove pet hair from carpets and upholstery inside your car.

Beloved Balloons

If you’ve ever tried to sweep pet hair off of a tile or hardwood floor, you’ve probably spent time trying to chase down the fluffy drifts that fly away from your broom. This is especially true of lightweight car fur. Try inflating a balloon and rubbing it along your hard floor surface. You can harness the power of static electricity to collect all of that fly-away fur. If you have kids, this is a fun activity for them, and they might not even notice that they are helping you with a chore!

The Hairspray Hack for Hounds

A great quick tip for removing your favorite hound’s hair from your clothes before you head off to work is to spray a washcloth or hand towel with hairspray and use it to quickly brush fur off of your clothes. The hairspray attracts pet hair and quickly removes it from clothing, jackets, and shoes.

All of these pet hair hacks will help to minimize the loose fur floating around your home and on your clothing, but you can also help to reduce the amount of pet fur in your home by grooming your dog once or twice a week with a good brush or a de-shedding tool to remove the loose fur on your own terms. Doing this outdoors or on a porch can help keep the fur out of your home.

Grooming your dog is also a great bonding time and most dogs really enjoy it. Cats too!

0

Frequently Asked Questions About Traveling to Japan

Are you currently doing some research into the prospect of traveling to Japan on your next family holiday or romantic getaway for two?

If so, you will probably have a few questions in terms of what to expect, and why you should consider adding it to your destination wish list in the first place.

Here are some answers to your most frequently asked questions about “The Land of the Rising Sun”.

Why is Japan a popular holiday destination?

Rich in culture and natural beauty, there are countless reasons as to why Japan attracts millions upon millions of tourists each and every year. In fact, it is estimated that around 28.7 million tourists in total visited Japan in 2017 alone.

Here are just a few reasons why you might want to book your Japan tour packages sooner rather than later:

• To see the breath-takingly beautiful cherry blossoms that adorn the trees in every direction you look (in spring and summertime)
• To experience what it’s like to stay inside a pod hotel
• To take part in ‘forest bathing’ – no water involved
• To marvel at the towering Mount Fuji
• To visit the golden, shimmering Zen Buddhist temple, Kinkaku-ji
• To overlook the bustling city atop the Tokyo Skytree, an observation tower located in Sumida, Tokyo, and the tallest tower in the world, and the second tallest structure in the world (second only to the Burj Khalifa in the UAE). It currently stands at 634 metres high

Do I need a Visa to travel to Japan?

Japan welcomes citizens from 68 countries around the world without any need for a Visa if they are visiting as tourists and only plan to stay for fewer than 90 days/three months. These countries include Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Australia, the UK and many other European nations.

However, all travelers visiting Japan will need to be in possession of a valid passport that has at least three months left of validity ahead of its expiry date.

Remember to constantly re-visit the Japan tourism rules and requirements even if you are a resident of one of the countries that are currently allowed to enter without a Visa. Rules and requirements tend to change regularly.

When is the best time to visit Japan?

Unless you are visiting specifically to take full advantage of the expansive ski slopes, you will probably want to steer clear of Japan during the wintertime. Most travelers consider the best time to visit Japan to be in the spring, from March to May, where you will be able to witness the infamous red-pink cherry blossoms in all of their glory.

If you can’t make it during spring, the next best time to visit is during autumn, from September through to November. The crisp, colorful leaves are just as beautiful as the country’s iconic flowers, after all.

High season takes place during late spring and summer, so avoid unless you are game to pay sky-high prices for flights and accommodation. Generally, March is considered to be the cheapest month to fly to Japan.

Best of luck for planning your getaway to Japan.

 

0

Technology & Business: A Match Made In Heaven

If your business is not yet fully integrated with technology, you’re selling yourself short. Technology is the right hand of business, and your business has everything to gain from the utilization of the most popular tech tools of this generation.

Let your interests pique, and learn something new about your opportunities in business. Take a moment to read through this brief compilation of a few ways in which technology can help take your business to the next level.

Cloud integration is the next step

Not all businesses have fully integrated their operations to the Cloud, so there’s still room to gain a competitive edge over other similar companies. Cloud integration also benefits your business by adding more security for your crucial data.

If your business experiences a disaster, you can rest assured that all of your valuable information is safely stored in the cushion of the Cloud. Take the time to research the full spectrum of what cloud computing can do to change your business, and you won’t be sorry.

Learn to champion SEO

Digital visibility is the name of the game in marketing today, and your business needs a strong online presence. The foundation for the strength your operation needs online is to learn the ins and outs of search engine optimization (or SEO).

When your online content follows the concepts of search engine optimization, you’ll find that your digital visibility will skyrocket. Invest time and resources in boosting your operation’s SEO game, and watch your business grow.

Consider the benefits of remote professionals

Small businesses can find the most benefit in hiring remote professionals. Remote professionals cost less to employ, and your business will likely be able to pay them better. Businesses save on overhead and the lack of downtime when they operate with a team of remote professionals.

Automate your invoicing processes

Automating your operation’s invoicing process saves professionals the trouble and opens up their time to contribute to your business in other ways.

Invoicing automation is also a great way to assure accuracy. You can use invoicing records to do customer follow-ups and gather more email connections for your digital rolodex.

Lean into the popularity of social media

Don’t miss out on the popularity of social media, and add sharing icons throughout your digital presence. When you place your sharing icons, do it in a strategic fashion. Know where web users look to find these outlets, and be a people pleaser.

Setup several business profiles on different platforms, but keep the social media spread to a maximum of three different profiles. You won’t have the time to properly maintain more than three social media profiles, so remember quality over quantity.

 

0

Tips to Calm You Down Before Going to Work

You dread waking up each day because you know you’re going to face several challenges at work. However, since you need to make a living, you have no choice but to go to work. If you panic or feel terrible once you leave home to go to the office, these are some tips to help calm you down.

Take a hot shower

People who have steam shower cabins at home can take a steam shower anytime they want. The good thing about having a hot shower before leaving home is that you feel relaxed. You also have time to think about the challenges that you will face at work, and you will know how to deal with them. The rest of the day might be stressful for you, so it’s good to have something that relaxes you at the beginning of each day.

List what you need to do

Once you arrive at the office, and you have no idea what to do, you’ll feel overwhelmed. You think that you have a lot on your plate, and you won’t have enough time to do all of it. Therefore, it helps if you list everything that you need to do so that once you get to work, you’ll feel more confident. Create a reasonable schedule that you can follow and stay focused throughout the day.

Do some mindfulness activities

There are different ways for you to exercise mindfulness activities. The good thing about doing them is that you calm your mind, and you also feel positive about your environment. You can try simple activities first and try something else later. You can do them before taking a bath in the morning, or you can even do them while riding public transportation on your way to work.

Talk to a loved one

For the rest of the day, you will face people you don’t necessarily like. You don’t have a choice because you work with them, and you want to get things done. Therefore, it helps that you give enough time to talk to your loved one before you leave home. You need to remind yourself of the reason why you’re working hard. If you have problems, you can share them with your loved one so that you will receive support and advice to get you through the day.

It’s understandable for you to feel that way because you know what’s waiting for you once you arrive at the office. However, you shouldn’t feel bad about your work forever. At some point, you need to deal with it so that you won’t have any problems in the future. You may not learn to love your work, but you can at least find a way to avoid panicking while at work.

It also helps you to talk to the people who cause you stress. Whether it’s your boss or your colleagues, you need to face them and let them know how you feel.