Underwater Cities in Cuba

Havana, Cuba:
 A team of scientists continues to explore megalithic ruins found in the Yucatan Channel near Cuba. They have found evidence of an extensive urban environment stretching for miles along the ocean shore. Some believe that the civilization that inhabited these predates all known ancient American cultures. So far, only computer models of this mysterious underwater city exist.

North Sea, Europe: A lost natural landscape was found recently under the North Sea, once occupied by human hunter-gatherers over 10,000 years ago. What were once rivers, lakes and oceans are
 now all at the bottom of the sea, only made
 known through digital mapping.
 Scientists theorize that this amazingly
well-preserved landscape was at the heart
of an ancient civilization spread across Europe.

Atlantis, Antarctica? Over a hundred years ago, a museum curator in Istanbul made a remarkable discovery. Examining an ancient map on gazelle skin, he found a location marking a mountain chain where Antarctica is today. This map is, amazingly, one of many pieces of evidence people have used to try and claim that, in fact, Antarctica is the fabled lost continent of Atlantis. Other evidence
includes the recent discovery (via sonar technology) of land under Antarctica as well as the mapping systems used by ancient cartographers, which suggest Atlantis might have been located far from the Mediterranean Sea.

Underwater Cities

A wealth of human history lies submerged in ancient cities at the bottoms of lakes, seas and oceans of the world. Some of these were sent into the water via earthquakes, tsunamis or other disasters thousands of years ago. Many have just recently been rediscovered, by accident or through emergent technological innovations. Some have even caused scientists to question the history of human civilization.

Alexandria, Egypt:
Off the shores of Alexandria, the city of Alexander the Great, lie what are believed to be the ruins of the royal quarters of Cleopatra. It is believed that earthquakes over 1,500 years ago were responsible for casting this into the sea, along with artifacts, statues and other parts of Cleopatra’s palace. The city of Alexandria even plans to offer underwater tours of this wonder.

Bay of Cambay, India: A few years back discovered the remains of a vast 9,500 year old city. This submerged ruin has intact architecture and human remains. More significantly, this find predates all finds in the area by over 5,000 years, forcing historians to reevaluate their understanding of the history of civilazation in the region. The find has been termed Dwarka, or the ‘Golden City,’ after an ancient city-in-the sea said to belong to the Hindu god Krishna.

Kwan Phayao, Thailand: In itself perhaps not unusual, a 500 year old Thai temple sits at the bottom of lake Phayao. What makes this case strange is that the lake was actually made intentionally about 70 years ago, and that there has been recent discussion of potentially restoring the temple at the cost of billions of dollars. However, the ruins serve as a habitat for fish that many have argued should remain untouched.

Yonaguni-Jima, Japan: Discovered by a dive tour guide some twenty years ago, controversies have arisen around a mysterious pyramids found off the coast of Japan. These structures seem to have been carved right out of bedrock in a teraforming process using tools previously thought unavailable to ancient cultures of the region.

Eamazing and Beautiful World Country

Eamazing and Beautiful World Country Information

Home to stunning places like Rajasthan and Goa, India has everything from tropical beaches to the glacier capped Himalayas. From the town of Varanasi, to the great monument of love which is the Taj Mahal, to possibly the finest wildlife offered outside of Africa, the diversity, colors and frequent chaos of this nation can be overwhelming. Despite that, it undeniably has many of the most stunning places on planet Earth.

Home to stunning places like Rajasthan and Goa, India has everything from tropical beaches to the glacier capped Himalayas. From the town of Varanasi, to the great monument of love which is the Taj Mahal, to possibly the finest wildlife offered outside of Africa, the diversity, colors and frequent chaos of this nation can be overwhelming. Despite that, it undeniably has many of the most stunning places on planet Earth.

Europe’s mountain nation encompasses probably the very most beautiful parts of the Alps. The Matterhorn is listed number two on the most incredible mountains in the world list, and the Bernese Oberland makes up some of the most beautiful highlands on earth. The country has earned it’s cliché for near-perfection, as it is amongst the cleanest on earth. Wandering through the streets of some of the most beautiful towns and villages in the world, like Lugano and Luzern, one feels it would be possible to eat off the streets themselves!

The Canadian Rockies are justifiably famous as amongst the most beautiful in the world. The stunning view of the Twelve Apostles from Moraine Lake in Banff National Park is one of the most beautiful in the world, Vancouver is one of the world’s loveliest cities, the Baffin island mountains are known by few but are totally unmissable travel highlights, the country has the longest coastline in the world, and as featured in a recent list the mind bending Sam Ford Fjord is seen by some as the world’s most impressive fjord on planet earth! And you thought they only had Bieber?

Land of the Maasai Mara and image of wild Africa. The country has been rated in the top 3 wildlife countries on Earth, and Mount Kenya is the second tallest mountain on the continent. The spectacle of the great migration is one of the greatest in the world, and the views of Kilimanjaro from Amboseli National Park are ironically probably better than from Tanzania itself, in which the great mountain is situated!

University life?

how to make the most of extra-curricular opportunities
University is not just about studying and relaxing in the pub, but also learning how to seize opportunities when they arise - a valuable lesson that will prepare students well for later life
Matthew Draycott is not planning to mince his words. When the new undergraduates arrive for an induction-week pep talk on making the most of their time at Glyndwr University this September, the Enterprise Associate at the university’s Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning plans to give them both barrels.
“If you spend your time in the pub for three years, then it doesn’t matter if you get a 2:1. Your degree is no longer the only thing you need to leave university with. You need a set of practical experiences that will give you a competitive edge,” he says, sipping coffee in the North Wales university café.
The department where Draycott works aims to teach students about enterprise, making them more employable and inspiring many to start their own business. “The trend is for students to come to us earlier,” he adds. “We have seen a big increase in numbers of first years, especially from IT courses, in recent years.”
Of course, developing interests outside of your course is nothing new. From playing for a university sports team to chairing the debating society, one of the best aspects of undergraduate life has always been the chance for students to broaden their horizons. But with graduate unemployment currently at its highest level in over a decade, savvy students are increasingly realising that getting a job is not just about good grades, it’s about making the most of those extra-curricular activities.
“Students now view the university experience as something that leads to work. While students are often under increasing time pressure,
many having to work part-time to fund their studies, extra-curricular activities are now a big part of their thought process,” says Ed Marsh, National Union of Students (NUS) vice president for union development.
So you want to get involved. But what are the best options for you? Marsh says that, while traditional sports, politics and societies remain popular, he sees more students doing community outreach work, especially at inner-city universities with more diverse students populations. During his own undergraduate days at the University of Hull, he volunteered with local schools and nursing homes for the elderly.
Another growth area is student enterprise with students looking to use new skills from their course before they actually graduate. For the aspiring Alan Sugars and Richard Bransons, it’s a natural progression towards social enterprise. Hushpreet Dhaliwal, chief executive of the National Consortium of University Entrepreneurs (NACUE), says: “We can’t be a complacent generation. It’s about being the cause, not the effect.
“Many students arrive at university not knowing what they want to do in life. You have to expose yourself to all aspects of university life, create your own personal value and build networks from the start,” she adds.
Student-led NACUE is behind more than 70 university enterprise societies across the UK and supports more than 85 universities to stimulate student businesses. It recently advised on an Apprentice-style competition, led by students from King’s College London Business Club working with eOffice.
Dhaliwal advocates the stragegic of use of websites such as Twitter and LinkedIn. “Social networking helps to build awareness among the wider student enterprise community. It offers a fast and efficient means for students expose themselves to new opportunities in career development,” she says.
But perhaps the smartest students of all are the ones seeing the global picture. University courses in modern languages traditionally include a year of study or work experience overseas as a mandatory third year off campus. But recent research by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) estimates some 22,000 UK students are currently studying in other countries.

Maastricht University in the Netherlands is fast becoming a hotspot for school leavers turning their backs on the British university system for its winning combination of lower course fees and grants available from the Dutch government if undergraduates work 32 hours a week while they study. Maastricht University has been sending representatives to sixth-form careers days over the past year and is installing a fast-track admissions scheme for prospective UK students this summer.
Ed Mash of the NUS says: “We’re competing in a global market and the costs of courses at British universities are now higher than ever. Having an international perspective gives real value to the individual.”
Back at the coffee bar, Matthew Draycott is finishing his latte and checking his Twitter account, his favourite way these days of engaging with students and communicating to them the latest news from the student entrepreneurship sector..

Best Estimate of Your College Costs

How to Get the Best Estimate of Your College Costs

Did you know that colleges with higher sticker prices sometimes offer more financial aid? Or that colleges differ in the types of aid they offer? Below are a few tips that will help you estimate the real amount you’ll have to pay to attend the colleges you’re considering.

You can search for colleges by average net price and by the average percent of financial need colleges meet.
Focus on Net Price

Your net price for a college is the published price for tuition and fees minus your gift aid and education tax benefits. Gift aid includes grants and scholarships but not loans or money earned through a work-study job. Getting your estimated net price is the best way to get an early answer to the question of how much a college will really cost you. Learn more about net price.

Cost Figures to Know for Your College Search

Your personalized estimated net price is the best indicator of what a particular college will cost you. But if you’re just beginning your college search, the types of figures listed below can help you decide if you want to get more information on a college or use its net price calculator.

Average Net Price
The average net price of a college is what the student really pays to go to that college. The U.S. Department of Education defines average net price as the cost of attending a college (for an in-state student who lives on campus) minus the average amount of gift aid that a student at that school receives from the college and the government.

A college you’re interested in might have a published price of $23,410. But its average net price might be only $17,300 — which includes room and board and other costs. That’s a big difference.

Average Percent of Need Met
Most colleges are not able to cover 100 percent of a student’s demonstrated financial need. You can get an idea of how much aid a college might award you and your family by checking to see what it has typically awarded other students in the past.

For example, if your family has demonstrated need of $10,000, and the college you are interested in has an average percent of need met of 75 percent, then your financial aid award (for one academic year) from this college might be about $7,500..

Average Percent of Gift Aid
Different colleges have different ways of awarding their financial aid packages. The final award is generally divided into a combination of scholarships and grants, work-study jobs and loans. Only scholarships and grants are considered gift aid..

If a college awards you a financial aid package of $7,500, and the average percent of gift aid is 50 percent, then you can expect your award to include approximately $3,750 in grants and scholarships. The rest of the award would likely be a combination of loans and work-study earnings...

How to Transition from High School to College

Student Life 
How to Transition from High School to College

Choosing a college is a huge undertaking, with many late nights spent filling out online applications, requesting transcripts and letters of recommendation, and—lest we forget—writing those sleep-depriving personal statements. But you keep your eye on the prize, thinking once you have chosen the right school for you, all that stress will fade away . . .

Or does it?

The transition from high school to the college of your choice can be stressful too. But I’m here to help you take that stress and channel it in order to become a productive, happy, healthy contributor to your new college or university. It’s really not that hard. It’s actually pretty fun! So strap yourself in and get ready.

Let’s start from the beginning,

You have chosen your college. You’ve submitted your housing information, perhaps filled out a roommate questionnaire, and picked out your meal plan. Maybe you’ve even gotten letters or e-mails from your academic advisor. You’re ready to make the transition from high school senior to college freshman. So, now what?

Freshman orientation is a great way to jump into your new surroundings. Most colleges and universities have summer programs that bring all new students together for a day or so not only to break the ice but to also get some business done so you don’t have to run around in a frenzy once the semester officially starts. Make every effort to attend your orientation! This is your school’s way of helping you reach that first rung on the ladder to a successful transition. You won’t succeed in that transition unless you know what to expect. That’s what orientation is all about.

You’re in college now

It’s finally happening: you are a bona fide college student. Believe it or not, most people will consider you an adult now, which can be scary because with this “adult” label comes responsibility. Your responsibility. Professors might give you assignments, but they can’t really tell you what to do. You have an unprecedented level of freedom, with no parents, no siblings—wait, no parents?! Who will tell you when to get up? When to go to class? When your assignments are due? Yes, these new responsibilities can be a stressful part of the transition, but students have proven time and time again that they can survive it. You will too!

Time management is your friend

It’s pretty simple: If you embrace time management, you will be successful as a college student. If you don’t, well, you can guess what will happen. So what does “time management” really mean? It’s basically looking at all your assignments, events, and responsibilities and then planning your time accordingly.

A rule of thumb: for every hour in the classroom, you should plan on three hours of studying outside the classroom. This is not like high school where you might be able to study the night before and pass a test or exam. College exams come perhaps only twice a semester, which means they cover a lot. If you don’t keep up with the studying and learn to manage your time, those exams could prove to be problematic. You don’t want that to happen.

Class flexibility figures into your time management too. Your class time isn’t structured like high school; the bell doesn’t ring when you have to change classes, and your class times will vary greatly depending on the day and between semesters. Some classes might be 50 minutes; some might be three hours! (True story. If you have to take any sort of lab, you’ll see.) These fluid class schedules are great in a lot of ways, but they also make effective time management skills even more important.

More money, more problems

Financial responsibility is a pretty new concept for most students transitioning from high school to college, especially when it comes to paying for tuition. FAFSA, Perkins Loans, Pell grants, subsidized and unsubsidized loans—these terms may not mean anything to you now, but believe me, they will.

Part of your new responsibilities as a college student is to be financially fit and not abuse any financial aid or other funds you may receive. Students sometimes see the need to take out more money in loans than necessary so they can use it for personal expenses in college. This is not a good idea, because six months after graduationjob or no job—you have to start paying that money back. If you, like most students, need to take a loan or two out to make ends meet, that’s fine, but don’t overdo it. Remember to think long term. Be financially responsible now so you will be able to pay your debts after graduation.

A different kind of “social responsibility

College is social. High school was too, but in college your fellow students can be a surprisingly important and influential part of your life. They will help you in study groups or with tutoring. They will be your support system when your family and hometown are hundreds or thousands of miles away. They will even enter the workforce with you as your peers and professional network for years to come.

You need to put yourself out there and be social to reap the benefits of surrounding yourself with supportive students, professors, and other staff. Do not be afraid to introduce yourself to faculty, staff, or fellow students, especially at the beginning of your college experience. Taking advantage of your college’s community is another new responsibility on your plate. This isn’t like high school, where relationships are made by the mere fact you are in the same homeroom with the same people every day for four years. In college, you may meet someone new every day for four years!

You may not be able to remember everyone’s names, at least not in the beginning, but this is how the transition helps you give back. When you become an upperclassman, you’ll have the opportunity to introduce yourself to those shy freshmen you see coming in the next few years. It will be up to you to help make them comfortable in their new surroundings.

It will be overwhelming at times. You will meet people from new places, new backgrounds, new ethnic groups, and new religions. You will meet people who challenge you—and not always in a good way—and people you will wish you had met years earlier. Remember, each new person is a new opportunity. You just don’t realize it yet. But you will.

Don’t sweat the small stuff”

So said Dr. Richard Carlson in his famous book. Remember those words. Live them. You will experience so many awesome things once you leave high school, you won’t ever want to go back and you won’t remember the little stuff that bothered you. Your college experience will comprise some of the best times of your life, memories you will carry with you for a long time. Just keep these tips in mind, and your transition will be a success.....

A taste of "Thailand"

A taste of Thailand
Let me preface this article with the disclaimer that in my ten-day excursion to Thailand, I visited three areas – Phuket, Bangkok and Chiang Mai – which were all hubs of tourist activity. With the tourist industry comes a tendency towards Westernisation, and I only wish I had the knowledge of the Thai language to have enabled me to venture out into lesser-known parts of the country. Since I was constrained to the trodden paths, my experience of Thai food may not have been in its spiciest and most ‘authentic’ form. But then again, this may well have been a good thing for me given my weak palette for spice!

With the exception of a few delicious green curries, I erred away from dishes that sounded suspiciously spicy and chilli-filled. Instead, I found myself eating an awful lot of rice-based dishes. I have always been an avid fan of rice – an underrated comfort food – but I must confess, by day ten, even I thought I never wanted to see a grain of rice again!

The first thing that strikes me about the food I ate in Thailand is how light and healthy it is. My first (and possibly favorite) meal of the holiday was on a boat tour off the coast of Phuket. It was a buffet meal on a ‘floating island’ called Koh Panyi, which enabled us all to sample a range of dishes. At the spicier end of the selection was a chicken curry with coconut rice, which was much enjoyed by the sterner-palettes of my fellow travelers. However, for me, the main delight of the meal was a garlic pork dish, which was slightly salty, rich and indulgent, served with vegetable fried rice.

  It was here that I discovered that fried rice in Thailand is a far healthier and lighter dish than its typical student takeaway equivalent.
In spite of the name of the dish, the rice and vegetables are often boiled rather than fried and then briefly cooked together with some oil (and soy sauce plays no part in the occasion!) At this first lunch, I made a discovery that changed my experience of the rest of the trip – homemade oyster sauce. Although I’d only ever encountered oyster sauce before as a slightly sweet and nondescript flavoring in a dish at Wagamamas, this oyster sauce was salty, rich and sweet all at the same time, and, when served together with some boiled vegetables, created a meal I could have eaten for days!

When we hit Bangkok, we found ourselves surrounded by the far greater degree of culinary choices. On our first night, some friendly Germans from our hostel invited us to join them for dinner in Chinatown. While every big city in the world has a Chinatown, this experience was something quite different – the restaurants were set up from makeshift tables, boxes and stools and one chef was cooking every meal before our eyes from a few flaming-hot woks. This combination of factors gave the place a very homely feel. The menu presented to us was written in Thai so we had only good luck/my tactic of pointing at an appealing dish on a neighbouring table (which was much to the amusement of the waiter) to go by. It was certainly an adventure but I struck gold with a sweet and sour pork dish, which was not only delicious but also incredibly cheap!

By the time we reached Chiang Mai, we were pretty familiar with the format of a Thai restaurant menu. Popular dishes we sampled included, of course, Pad Thai (I tried this once despite disliking peanuts – which is often a key ingredient), Kuay Tiew (a wonderful light noodle soup), and Gai Med Ma Moung (chicken with cashew nuts, but be warned, this can sometimes be unexpectedly spicy!).

On the drinks front, Thailand also had a few delights to offer. I very much enjoyed the famous ‘Mai Tai’ cocktail, which was often served creatively in a pineapple. Anyone who enjoys rum will love this drink, however, probably not as strong as they make it in Thailand and sadly not for only about £3! You’ll also find alcoholic drinks flavoured with fruits like mango, passionfruit and the very suspicious (and gross!) durian.

On the ‘morning after’ side of things, Thailand surprised us all with various little coffee spots. As the climate was extremely humid, we leant towards iced coffee, which took the form of a black coffee with ice and was served alongside a cup of this hot, very sweet milky concoction to add to taste (I added the whole cup to satisfy my sweet tooth!). This drink proved a refreshing and invaluable cure on several mornings to prepare us for a day of sightseeing