Blitzer College Math Course

Blitzer College Math CourseBlitzer College is one of the better accredited college mathematics courses in the United States. The math department also offers tutoring in Mathematics, Algebra and Trigonometry. This course also provides help with using Calculus, Integration, Geometry and Statistics in the classroom.This is one of the few US colleges that offer a 'one year' Math course in American Schools. Many of the other colleges may offer their math course, but the classroom experience is not as good as at Blitzer College. This is especially true for those who wish to learn to teach, such as teachers. Teachers and academics have testified to the superior teaching that is given at Blitzer College.One great thing about Blitzer College is that they are very accommodating of students who need special accommodations. Students who are hearing impaired, for example, may be able to take one of the supplementary courses offered in conjunction with this course. Since so many math courses at Bl itzer College require that the students learn addition and subtraction using their hands, it is not unusual for those students to give up, to quit, or to give up on the mathematics course altogether.Students who are unable to enroll in Math classes often learn from other courses at Blitzer College or may transfer to another university. The tutors are often helpful to students with learning disabilities who attend Blitzer College. Many people who are handicapped in their ability to read still find a career in teaching or education. Some students learn very well at Blitzer College and later transfer to more rigorous higher education institutions in order to earn their degrees.Students who are taking the course online can also apply for assistance. Other students in need of supplemental classes may find Blitzer College to be a place to get help. One can easily find opportunities to help at BlitzerCollege on online college counseling sites. This is especially helpful for students who ar e returning to college or are nearing completion of their education.When students at Blitzer College are enrolled in these math courses, they can join other students who are in the same courses at other different colleges. This can prove very beneficial to students who have transferred from a less effective college or to those who have been trying to get accepted at another college for a while and have finally found the right college.The Blitzer College Math courses provide students with an opportunity to make up time for their studies. Students who take Math classes at Blitzer College will find that they actually enjoy their education and are much more prepared for life after high school than most students who do not take math classes.

Student Experiences at the University of Texas at Austin

Student Experiences at the University of Texas at Austin Alyson earned her bachelors degree in French from the University of Texas at Austin. She specializes in writing tutoring, French tutoring, and a number of other subjects. Below, she shares her experience at the University of Texas at Austin: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Alyson: The campus has an on-campus bus that runs in a circle to help students get from one side of campus to the other. There are also public buses that run to campus from almost anywhere in the city. Lots of students have bikes, but I didnt. I had a car on campus, but never used it because the buses were so convenient. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Alyson: The staff at UT Austin is very available. While some have walk-in hours, I always preferred to make an appointment. They all worked really well through email, too. How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Alyson: I never lived in the dorms. I lived in an apartment my junior year and a house by campus my senior year. I like the freedom and independence I felt, because I thought the dorms would make me feel too constricted. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Alyson: UT Austin is known for its sports, as well as its business and law schools. The liberal arts programs were all very good as well. I double-majored in French and English. French was my passion, but I added English because I needed the credits to graduate. My advisor was super helpful in guiding me to choose English, and I felt supported the whole time I was at UT Austin. How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Alyson: I didnt participate in Greek life, but it did have a nice presence on campus. I mostly spent my extra time outside of school working and studying, and I still made plenty of friends. How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services? Alyson: I didnt utilize this at UT Austin, but I know there were career fairs offered to students through the center. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Alyson: UT Austin is a big campus with lots of choices for where to study or hangout. I never found spaces overcrowded, and since there were so many, I could always find somewhere to study quite easily. Describe the surrounding town. Alyson: Austin, Texas is a fantastic city with lots to do. Its very green and beautiful, so if you like nature, youll love it there. You can hike, swim, kayak, canoe, and generally never get bored. The urban side is incredible, tootons of restaurants, shopping, music venues, and festivals. Id say students go all over, but campus wasnt too far from downtown anyway. Late night buses were also available to take students to and from campus safely. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Alyson: UT is a huge university. The lower-level classes were lecture, and would hold easily over 100 students. When you got further along in your specific major, however, the classes got much smaller and more intimate, with around 10-to-20 students. I loved the variety in class sizes. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Alyson: In one of my courses, I gave a presentation with a partner. The professors wife attended that day, which was unusual. My partner and I aced the presentation. It was about the Sirens chapter of Ulysses, and I remember that the professors wife came up to us after class to compliment us specifically about how impressed she was with our understanding of the subject matter. It just seemed really unique to get a compliment like that from the professors wife. I feel really lucky to have gotten to take that class, as it was the professors last one before he retired. Check out Alysons tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

What Size is a Piano

What Size is a Piano How big is a piano? Chapters What’s an Upright Piano? The Different Types of Upright Pianos How Much Does an Upright Piano Weigh? What Size is an Upright Piano? What are Differences between a Grand Piano and an Upright Piano?Regardless of the brand, the sound of any piano falling down a staircase is the stuff of nightmares for piano movers. Whether it’s a Kawai piano, Steinway Sons piano, or one of the many reasonably-priced Yamaha pianos, all piano brands tend to make hefty musical instruments.This is probably more important than you think it is.Acoustic pianos are the pianos you're probably used to seeing and there are two main types of acoustic piano: the upright piano and the grand piano. both of which, unlike digital pianos, have physical parts which require tuning by either piano technicians or a piano tuner.These instruments include hammers which strike strings, a cast iron plate, a soundboard, and keys. All these physical moving parts are what tends to make them so heavy.Do you want to buy a piano without breaking the bank? Are you just starting out or do you want to get better at playing the best pieces by Chopin, Schubert, Mozart, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, or Tchaikovsky?Have you seen a new piano for sale? Don't reach for your credit card before you've read some of Superprof's information.Let me first give you a quick crash course on the piano as a musical instrument:Firstly, the piano is a polyphonic stringed instrument. Polyphonic means it can play more than one note at the same time. Instruments that can't are known as monophonic.To keep things simple, we're going to call the piano a stringed instrument (because it has strings). Some argue that the piano should be considered as a percussion instrument since these strings are physically struck using hammers. If you've used pianos before, you'll know what we're talking about.The name piano  comes from the  pianoforte, the original 18th-century instrument which inspired it. The pianoforte  gets its name from its abil ity to vary the volume of the notes it produces:  This is because you can play a piano softly (piano) or loudly (forte).In addition to being able to change a notes volume, you can also change its duration. A note also be stopped by releasing the key thanks to the damper or elongated to naturally decay thanks to the sustain pedal.Anyway... As I said before, there are two main types. Let's start with the upright piano...Discover also how the piano is considered a complete instrument onto itself... LouisPiano Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlisonPiano Teacher £32/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors BarbaraPiano Teacher £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Chi yuenPiano Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TomPiano Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ErenPiano Teacher 5.00 (5) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValtiePiano Teacher £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DanielPiano Teach er 5.00 (5) £37/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors What’s an Upright Piano?The upright piano, also sometimes known as a vertical piano, gets its name because the strings that make the sound are held within an upright (or vertical) frame. The strings in this frame are struck by the hammers which are activated by the pianist when they press down on the keys on the piano's keyboard.Only a real piano expert will know the answer. Is this an upright or a grand? (Source: JoyTunes)The upright piano also features pedals which allow the quality of the notes to be changed. These notes can be extended by using the sustain pedal to move the dampers away from the strings. This action allows the notes to continue even after the key has been released.A typical piano keyboard includes 88 keys, 36 black keys (semitones) and 52 white keys.Since the frame is upright, the strings are held vertically. This layout is quite functional if you have limited space since most upright pianos have the a dvantage of being able to be placed flush up against a wall.Upright pianos also tend to take up significantly less space than a concert or grand piano since they are smaller and have a rectangular footprint.Why does an upright piano sounds better in an apartment or smaller spaces? Because the bigger the place, the bigger the notes reverberate. A large room or a hall is far too big for these smaller pianos.Before you buy an upright piano, you should think about the different types of upright pianos there are.You may appreciate our advice on buying your first piano... The Different Types of Upright PianosThere are four main types of upright pianos. Upright pianos are divided into classes mainly on their size. However, there are also a few differences when it comes to their layout and shape, too. Here’s a brief summary of the different types of upright pianos.The SpinetThis is the smallest of the upright pianos. A spinet piano is better suited to children because it's smaller and che aper, which is great if you don't know whether they're going to continue playing.  They tend to measure less than 40 inches in height and the top of these pianos is only a few inches above the keyboard itself.These pianos are highly recommended for anyone looking for a piano to put in a small room. However, it does come with a few downsides. Generally speaking, while the spinet's sound isn't great, it does tend to be much cheaper than some of the other types of upright piano.A spinet upright piano should be perfect for your little ones. (Source: Krisztina Soos)Console PianoThe console piano is bigger than the Spinet and tends to be between 40 and 44 inches tall. Teachers and pianists find the sound quality of these types of piano to be good enough for beginners. If the sound quality of the spinet bothers you but you're on a tight budget, the console piano might be the best choice.Studio PianoA studio piano measures between 44 and 47 inches from the ground. Again, this piano is thoug ht to have a better sound quality than the two previous types and deciding upon whether to buy one depends massively on your budget.Upright PianoIf you’ve ever seen a piano before, this is probably the type you’ve seen. This is the tallest of the upright “vertical” pianos and the most common. This type of piano tends to produce the best sound of all the upright pianos. It also comes at the highest prices.Follow these guidelines to choose the piano of your dreams! LouisPiano Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlisonPiano Teacher £32/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors BarbaraPiano Teacher £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Chi yuenPiano Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TomPiano Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ErenPiano Teacher 5.00 (5) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValtiePiano Teacher £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DanielPiano Teacher 5.00 (5) £37/h1st le sson free!Discover all our tutors How Much Does an Upright Piano Weigh?The weight is one of the biggest annoyances when it comes to buying a piano and getting it installed in your room.Pianos can weigh as much as a ship's anchor! (Source: Briztaker)An upright piano is basically a piece of furniture. It takes up a large part of any room and is very heavy.You need to think carefully about where you’d put a piano before you buy one.An upright piano tends to weight around 260lbs. Some weigh around 300lbs and there are even ones that weigh as much as 600lbs!However, an upright piano does weigh between 2 to 5 times less than a grand piano, which can weigh over 1300lbs!Before you install one in your house, you'll need to consider fitting wheels and how you’ll move it.Find out also how much a piano costs... What Size is an Upright Piano?As we said before, the size of upright pianos varies according to their type. A general rule of thumb:Spinet: 36” to 40”Console: 40” to 43”Studi o: 44” to 48”.Upright: 48”+Don’t forget to account for the space you’ll need around the piano to actually play the thing!Also make sure there is room enough for two, in case your Superprof teacher comes to your home for piano lessons...You'll need to think about where your piano will go. (Source: Stylo Reformas)If you don’t have a wall to put the piano up against, there’s no real benefit to having an upright over a grand. Don’t forget you can also get a digital piano if you have very little space.Digital pianos are a great idea if you’re short on space, live in a small apartment or studio, or don’t want to bother your neighbors. They can also be put away in a cupboard when you're not using them and played with headphones if you want to practice late at night.Discover also the accessories you will need to play your piano... What are Differences between a Grand Piano and an Upright Piano?Maybe you've already heard of upright pianos, grand pianos, baby grands, petit e grand, parlor grand, etc.How can you tell them apart if you’re an absolute beginner and are just starting to learn the instrument?The main differences between grand pianos and upright pianos are fairly simple to understand. They tend to affect the instruments playability and its sound. Here are a few things you need to know when it comes to differences between upright pianos and grand pianos:The shape of the instrument: an upright piano is far more compact than a grand since its strings are held vertically.The size of the piano: A grand piano usually requires a room of around 270ft2. Even smaller pianos require a room of at least 160ft2.The sound: Grand pianos have a more powerful sound.The mechanisms: Thanks to gravity, the hammers in a grand piano fall naturally onto the strings whereas an upright piano requires springs to stretch out the strings.The keys feel more natural and fluid on a grand piano.A grand piano has up to 98 keys and includes lower octaves than an upright.A g rand piano is more expressive than an upright.The smallest grand piano is the baby grand piano and the largest is the concert grand piano.Grand pianos are generally considered better than upright pianos thought they’re usually more expensive, too! If your heart's set on a grand piano, you should probably be looking at a used piano. Don't forget you'll need to pay for regular piano tuning, too!Some pianists learn basic tuning in the course of their online piano lessons.There's no golden rule, though! Remember that a high-quality upright piano can be better than a low-quality grand piano and that an expensive violin would still sound terrible if played by an amateur! The best piano in the world mightn't be the best piano for you!Ask your piano teacher or a sales assistant at the piano store about the best acoustic pianos.Find out more about piano accessories!Search for piano lessons on Superprof.

10 Ways to Say Im Busy in English - Learn English with Harry ??

10 Ways to Say Im Busy in English - Learn English with Harry ?? Here you will learn 10 different ways to say Im busy in English.You wont be surprised to hear that there are so many different ways to say Im busyin English.  And its one of those phrases that youll hear a lot in modern life. There is something about the way we live today that trains us to believe that we have to busy all the time.  So what alternatives ways you can use to say Im busy in English? 10 Other Ways to Say I'm Busy in English Welcome to our English courses and today Im going to talk to you about different ways to say Im busy in English.But before I get started, I just like to remind you about our Easy Peasy Club.When you get onto our website www.englishlessonviaskype.com this is a VIP English Learning Club So lets talk about Im busy. There are many ways in which we can say it when we talk about busy.   Busy means I havent got time for something else or somebody else. Could you help me with the housework? No, Im busy. Could you do some extra work? No, Im sorry, Im busy. Could you help me with my homework, Dad? No, Im busy.How many other ways can we say it?Well, there are many ways that are connected with parts of the body.For example, IM UP TO MY EYES.Meaning up here. Im up to my eyes.Another way a lot of people say IM UP TO MY NECK in it. Im really really busy. I have lots of work.IM UP TO THE TOP OF MY HEAD or   IM OVER MY HEAD in work.So these are all parts of the body. Ways to Say I'm Busy in English Or indeed even Ive heard somebody say UP TO MY EARS this week.up to my eyesup to my earsup to my neckover my headin work all meaning the exact same thing, meaning that Im very busy.And usually its referring to paperwork.Okay, a lot of our work these days is done over the internet but this means exactly the same. So lots of paperwork to do and lots of paperwork to complete.So what other ways are there to say Im busy?Well, we can say IM SWAMPED.Like a swamp where you sink so you can feel yourself sinking under the weight of the work that you have to do.Im swamped this week, I really cant do any more. Lets put up that meeting until next week.Or you can say IM SNOWED UNDER or SNOWED INLike the snow that falls in the sky. As the snow falls, it gets higher and higher. So when youre snowed under, youve got the snow up to here and you cant seem to move.So when youre really busy Im snowed under.Look, Im snowed under for the next two weeks, my boss is away. So I really dont have any time, Im w orking late every night. Lets put off our meeting for a little while.We can just simply say IM TIED UPTo tie something means to tie a knot. When youre tied up, you cant move, you have to stay at the desk or do what youre doing. Im tied up all this week. Ive got meetings back to back.This means that youre really busy and you dont have time for anything else. You can say  IM ENGAGEDEngaged  can have a lots of different meanings but when somebody means youre engaged it means youre busy.Often that is used when somebody phones for you. They phone through and they get a secretary or somebody else in the office and they say: Hello, can I speak to Harry please? Im sorry, hes engaged at the moment.meaning hes busy, hes on another phone line. You can leave a message and Ill tell him to call you.Im engaged  or  hes engaged  or  hes been engaged  on another telephone call for quite a bit of time.If you go past an office in the building you might see a notice on the door  engaged, dont enter  meaning whoevers inside is busy.So other ways when we can say that were busy, something a little bit more formal  I HAVE A LOT TO DO or  IVE LOTS TO DO.It means lots of things lots of meetings, lots of work, lots of emails, lots of housework. Whatever it might be.Dont bother me now, Ive lots to do.I have a lot to do tomorrow so Im not going to be able to call you, why dont you talk to me on Thursday or Friday?We all like talking about food these days, and we can use MY PLATE IS FULL to say Im busy.It doesnt mean that youve got too much food on your plate, it means your work plate, or whatever youve got to do, its full.   Youve more than enough than you can handle or deal with. And you know you cant really take any anything else or anymore.Theres lots and lots of expressions that we can use to say that Im busy.   We can say say:up to my eyesup to my neckup to my earsover my headin work so all references to part of parts of the body.Im swamped (like sinking under the weight of the work that I have to do) Im snowed in or snowed under (youre disappearing under the weight of the work)Im over my headIm tied upIm engagedI have too much work to doIve lots to do/a lot of work to doMy plate is fullso lots of nice expressions in which you can say that Im busy and remember to subscribe to my channel and as always join us on our web page www.englishl essonviaskype.com. Other Ways to Say I'm Busy in English

Morning Mix Harvey, Uber, football season and a Black Lives Matter controversy

Morning Mix Harvey, Uber, football season and a Black Lives Matter controversy Massive flooding continues in the Houston area. (Image: Screenshot YouTube/Sky) Harvey continues to devastate Texas: Some reports put the death toll at 30, over 51 inches of rain has fallen, flooding is widespread and thousands are homeless. Its only expected to get worse. Heres a photo gallery. Heres how you can help the victims. North Korea launched a missile over Japan on Tuesday morning, causing alarm and panic on the island of Hokkaido. Its another provocative move that will further raise tensions in the region. And the North Korean government said they will go after Guam next. President Trump said all options are on the table. Uber has a new CEO and he says hes scared.   Dara Khosrowshahi is taking over a company which has been dealing with all kinds of problems. But, it cant be all that bad, Khosrowshahis salary could be as high as $200 million. THE FIRST FULL WEEKEND OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS UPON US Once again, all eyes are on Nick Sabans Alabama Crimson Tide (Image: Screenshot YouTube/ESPN) While there have been a few games already, the college football season gets into full swing starting Thursday night when title-hopefuls Ohio State take on Indiana. The big matchup of the weekend is a clash between No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Florida State. Other key games include Florida vs. Michigan, Brigham Young vs. LSU, Texas AM at UCLA, Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia and Maryland at Texas. Heres a look at the 25 action from Bleacher Report. Is it a big football weekend on your campus? A NEW COLLEGE COURSE FOCUSING ON BLACK LIVES MATTER DRAWS CRITICISM San Francisco March 2016 protest against police violence. (Image:By Pax Ahimsa Gethen via Wikimedia Commons)Beginning in October, San Diego State University is planning to offer a course called Black Minds Matter: A Focus on Black Boys and Men in Education, which will focus in part on events inspired by the  Black Lives Matter movement. CBS News (via the Associated Press) reports: Craig DeLuz, a gun rights advocate with the Sacramento-based Firearms Policy Coalition, said a public university should not be offering a course that includes speakers from a movement whose members have been accused of inciting violence. The biggest concern is they are offering a course based on the  Black Lives Matter movement which has promoted violence  and segregation and has really little to do with education, let alone presenting a positive image of education, DeLuz said. SDSU joins a handful of schools â€" including New York University, University of Washington and the University of Miami â€" in offering classes that focus on the Black Lives Matter movement. AND FINALLY, WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DEVELOP A ROMANTIC INTEREST IN YOUR ROOMMATE? (Image: Pexels) Victoria Roberston from the University of Illinois  has five pieces of advice if you (or someone you know) finds themselves in this situation. Heres a preview: Just because you’re feeling a certain way does not mean that they are feeling the same. This is a difficult situation where you’ll want to ensure feelings are reciprocated before making any grand gestures. You can either ask them point blank about their feelings or simply ask some pointed questions to assess the situation a little better. The way that you approach this subject with your roommate largely depends on the nature of your relationship, so determine what the best course of action is for you and act accordingly. Just make sure that whichever method you’re using, you’re considering their feelings in addition to your own. Read all five steps to take right here. And if you read all the way down, awesome. Youre ready to get over this hump day have a great one.

5 ways to streamline the college application process

5 ways to streamline the college application process Tips from a Los Angeles College Admissions Consultant: 5 Ways to Streamline the College Application Process Its that time of year; students are filling out numerous college applications in hopes of being accepting to one of their dreams schools. Some students will also be filling out financial aid and scholarship forms while preparing to take the SAT or ACT. Throw in a couple of advanced placement classes, and students wont be able to leave their desk until January. This can be a very stressful and overwhelming time, but there are some ways students can streamline the college application process, so they get through it successfully and still have the energy to go to class through the end of June get into your first choice for college with the help of our Los Angeles college admissions consultants. 1.     Consult a college counselor Its really important that college applicants speak to a college counselor before they get too far through the process. Students can work with a college counselor provided by their high school or work with one privately. Whatever they decide, its important to consult a professional who is up-to-date on all of the latest changes that take place each year. College counselors can give sound technical advice but can also advise students on reasonable options as well as help them locate excellent colleges and universities they may not have originally considered. 2. Leave extra time A lot of the stress involved in the college application process arises because students run out of time. A well-intentioned student will plan to sit down on a Saturday morning and write their college essays but then find out they have a last minute advanced placement assignment due Monday morning. Somehow the college applications get pushed to the next week, and the process becomes more stressful. Students who leave plenty of extra time will find that a hectic academic or extracurricular schedule is not as detrimental as it seems. 3. Create an outline Just as students will create an outline to write an essay for an English class, they can write an outline for the college admissions process. Its helpful if students can start by writing a paragraph or a list of what is most important to them in their college experience. This way, if they get overly stressed later on, they can refer to their ‘top five’ lists to help them move forward. Next, students should compile a list of all the colleges they are considering applying to and research what each college requires in advance. When students prepare in this way, they avoid last-minute surprises that can be time-consuming and stressful. Finally, students are encouraged to write an extended outline of what their essay might discuss. This way, they can show it to the college counselor or tutor before they have taken the time to write an entire first draft (Read: Navigating the Basics of the College Application Process). 4. Focus on the personal statement Another essential element of college admissions is the personal statement or essay. Students are encouraged to spend as much time on this as is necessary. Other than good organization and editing skills, there arent any shortcuts. This is the student’s primary opportunity to show potential colleges what theyre about and what makes them special. Students applying on the common application will usually get to choose from three or four essays. Its worth the time to write two separate essays if the student feels they have something important to say on more than one topic. Once students have a good first draft, they can take it to their tutor or college counselor who can help them determine what might need to be changed or clarified regarding content. Once the content is concise and unique, students can begin to focus on editing. 5. The technical aspects In addition to writing a personal statement, students will have to fill out tons of forms that become repetitive. Theyll be writing down personal information for what will seem like days on end. Students are encouraged to break up this task into smaller increments to avoid becoming overwhelmed. They can also enlist family members to provide a second pair of eyes and make sure that each field is complete. If students forget to provide, technical information colleges may send the packet back to them to be completed. This takes a lot of time and, if students just barely met the due date, their application might be disregarded as incomplete. Our Los Angeles college admissions consultants have a 97% success rate! Call us today for more information. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

Involve me and I learn

Involve me and I learn Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. A quote by Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790 Benjamin Franklin is perhaps best known as one of the Founding Fathers who drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. But Franklin has also been pioneering advances in science, letting us see with bifocals and famously discovered electricity by flying a kite on a wire during storm. Franklin mapped the Gulf Stream, invented swim fins, and musical instruments and established colleges. His self-education earned him honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, and the Oxford University in England. Benjamin Franklin had a strong moral compass and an unflagging commitment to civic duty, and an overall wit, good humor and integrity. Franklin illumined corners of American life that still have the lingering glow of his attention. He was a true polymath and entrepreneur, which is no doubt why he is often called the First American.