More travel research for you to explore

Want to understand how search drives travel purchases? To compare mobile and desktop use? To understand more about the ROPO effect: research online, purchase offline. Or perhaps you want to deep-dive into the travel market in a particular country? Think Insights is home to the latest insights from a wide range of industries including the travel sector. The site houses case studies and thoughts from leaders to help you develop your travel digital strategy. And now the site has expanded to cover 21 different countries, across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. You can now search our expanded library by country and by sector, making the latest travel research even easier to find. Plus, there are new tools and videos for you to explore, including: two videos on the consumer journey looking at ROPO and attribution. Check out this video to see how the newly expanded Think Insights website can help you. And follow Think on Google+. Posted by Claire Martin, Product Marketing Manager, Google UK

Liberty Seminars 2012 in Slovenia

Join 80 freedom lovers from all over the world to learn and discuss about freedom, markets, rights and entrepreneurship at one of available seminars, Liberty Camp or Liberty Academy. The 5th annual Liberty Seminars will take place between 27 August - 1 September, 2012 in the breathtaking scenary of Lake Bled, Slovenia.

ORGANIZERS
The Liberty Seminars are organized by the Slovenian think tank Društvo Svetilnik (Lighthouse Association).

PERFECT FOR
The Liberty Seminars are open to people of all ages and from any background. We welcome you to spend an unforgettable week with other individuals who share a passion for the ideas of liberty.

TWO SEMINARS ARE AVAILABLE

1. Liberty Camp (August 27 - September 1, 2012) is a week-long seminar that actively explores the historical, philosophical and economic foundations of a free society through engaging lectures, small group discussions, movie screenings, debates and presentations. In an intellectually stimulating environment, the participants will develop a deeper understanding of today's challenges, while exploring and discussing a range of issues, including liberal ideas in theory and practice; the origins, meaning and theories of individual civil and economic liberties; the rule of law and property rights in a free society; and government's powers and its proper limitations. This seminar is mostly attended by high school and college students.

2. Liberty Academy (August 27 - September 1, 2012) is a unique week-long seminar dedicated to the advanced study of liberty. Debates and lectures take the participants beyond the basic principles of liberal thought. During the seminar, intellectually curious individuals apply liberal insights to the range of issues, including liberal economic and political institutions, the rule of law, markets and morality, corruption and public sector transparency, and economic development. This seminar is mostly attended by graduate students, junior scholars, young professionals and advanced undergraduate students who are well versed in the principles of the free society.

NOTE:
Liberty Camp 2012 and Liberty Academy 2012 will be organized at the same time (August 27 - September 1, 2012). You may apply to only one of two seminars.

LANGUAGE

Both seminars are run entirely in English.

LOCATION

Both seminars are held at Hotel Kompas at Lake Bled in Slovenia.

APPLICATIONS

The applications will open on May 10, 2012. The deadlines: June 1, 2012 (EARLY BIRD) and July 1, 2012 (FINAL DEADLINE).

ATTENDANCE

Only the first 40 qualified applicants are invited to attend one of the two Liberty Seminars.

PARTICIPATION FEE

Participation fee for Liberty Camp or Liberty Academy is 700 euro and includes:

- entrance to all academic activities of the seminar,

- accommodation in a hotel**** during the seminar,

- all meals during the seminar,

- field trips during the seminar,

- outdoor activities (canoeing, camp-fires, etc.),

- books, academic journals, CDs and other material and

- T-shirt of the Liberty Seminars

SCHOLARSHIPS

Due to the generous support of our private donors wishing to encourage a better grasp of the ideas of liberty, participants are eligible to receive a scholarship to attend the Liberty Seminars. Application for the scholarship should be submitted along with the application to the seminar. We offer two types of sholarships:

- general scholarship of 500 euro (all participants are eligible)

- special scholarship of 700 euro (only those participants are eligible that are alumnus of The Fund for American Studies, Polish-American Leadership Academy or University of Donja Gorica)

TRAVEL GRANTS

Participants are responsible for their travel costs to/from the seminar. We do not offer travel grants.

Read more and apply

"Way Home": Volunteering in a New Ecovillage near Kiev, Ukraine

We are a group of sustainability enthusiasts from Kiev, Ukraine. We're starting an ecovillage near Yushky, Kiev region.  This year we are going to build our first, common house, which will become the community center later.

We are looking for volunteers to share the joy and help us with the construction.

The first leg of construction started on 28 April 2012. The construction will go on until October. The ecovillage is only 1h on a bus from Kiev, so you may come for any period of time you feel like.

We offer vegetarian food three times a day. Living in tents on the building site or in a local club building 4km away whichever you prefer (you will have to take a sleeping bag and a rug with you anyway). Nice, cheerful people. There is mobile network coverage on the building site. The toilet is outside. Shower water is heated by the sun.

Expect to work 6 hours a day. In spare time we will practice various crafts including pottery, woodcutting, wickerwork, macrame. During the main work you will receive a hands-on experience of building with local materials.

We have place for sleeping in our club building in Kiev. So you may come earlier and spend some time in Kiev and getting more acquainted with us.

The ecovillage will be situated in a beautiful draw. There is a stream, a forest, a beaver dam. A forest reserve is situated 2km from the building site.

No alcohol or any other drugs are allowed on the building site.

If you are interested please fill in this form: goo.gl/1rIUl

We will reach you via email with further details.

~Club for applied ecology.~

http://hatabobriv.org.ua

bthechangeu12c@gmail.com

Exams are Hard in Any Country: Effective Study Tips

College is a fun and exciting time. Your life is opened up to so many new experiences and new opportunities that the possibilities seem (and really are) endless. Students can learn about topics they never imagined studying, forge relationships with people they would have never encountered in any other environment, and even take their academic pursuit abroad for a period of time. These educational and personal pursuits are worthwhile in so many different ways for a young and passionate individual. While college is a time full of opportunity and growth, it is also a time of seemingly endless stress and exhaustion. With late night study sessions, intensely hard classes, and ever impending deadlines, when you're in the thick of it nothing seems more difficult than college. We can all admit, there are few things more daunting to a college student than final exams (besides maybe an 8 am class). In many ways, it seems that we as college students put the weight of an entire semester into one hour long exam. This is bound to be overwhelmingly stressful. While college exams are always going to be a drag, there are several strategies you can use in the dorms, at home, or abroad to study more effectively.

Think about Surroundings 

Your physical environment is one of the most important factors in staying focused and engaged. I would argue that your surroundings are the single most important aspect of studying in college. All too often, college student place themselves in the most distracting and disruptive environment and try to cram for their "life-ending" exam. Your optimal study environment is very much a product of personal preference. Some people work better with some sound in the background, while others need complete silence in order to be fully focused. Consider what surroundings encourage you to work best. No matter what, you're going to want to find a space that is distraction less and comfortable. Working in your dorm room (if you live in the dorms) or in your room abroad can be a very bad choice. Because these are the spaces that we sleep and relax in, they may not encourage a studious state of mind. In order to really use your time effective and efficiently find a space that you know will work for you. 

Be Motivated

Alright, so you're probably never going to really really want to study for that upcoming exam. Studying is typically a drag. Particularly when you are studying abroad, there are just so many other things you'd rather be doing. But, of course, there comes a time that studying is a must. However, you shouldn't try to force yourself to study for a test when you know you are too tired or too distracted to focus. You want to be motivated to get your studying done. If you are particularly sleepy, all the information you are studying will likely go in one ear and out the other. Studying relies heavily on your state of mind. Try resting for an hour or two before you try to study for a long period of time. This will help you get the most out of your study session and help you waste less time during the study process. 

Plan Things Out

One of the most difficult aspects of final exam time is that you are taking a test in every class you have. Sure, one exam is tough, but having five all in the same week can be excruciating. It's in situations like this that planning out your studying is a good idea. Students should try to create an agenda for their studying so that they can find a way to fit everything they need to in to the time given. Plan out what days and times you are going to dedicate to specific subjects. Within those time slots take a look at the actual material you are hoping to cover. Make sure that you are planning out something that is reasonable and achievable. By planning out your time and setting up a study agenda, you give yourself an idea of progress and accomplishment. This can help busy students feel less overwhelmed by the daunting task. You will know that if you stick with your plan, you will cover everything that you need to cover.  

Author Bio:

Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education where she writes about education, online colleges, online degrees etc. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.