fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
How to add more simulator in Xcode 12 ?
By: Avinash Dalvi
Tags: Mac, iOS, iOS App Development, Xcode 12, Xcode

Today’s I came across an issue while upgrading Xcode 11 to 12. Not able to find an option to add devices which support iOS older versions like 12,13 etc. Because Xcode 12 came with iOS 14 default version. When we selected to add a new Simulator then the iOS option was coming only iOS 14 no other option to add. While doing google found one StackOverflow question which was having same issue. But all of the answers do not look straight forward.

So, I tried the simplest thing which generally all apps have an option to search inside the app. Below are steps to do the same.

Open Xcode 12 app Go to menu -> Xcode -> Preferences

3. Go to component tab shown like below picture 👇🏻

4. Then start installing whichever iOS version would like to install. Once its install iOS version

5. To add a simulator. Go to -> Xcode menu -> Open Developer tool -> Simulator

6. Simulator menu -> File -> New Simulator. It will show a list of iOS available for the device.

7. Select Device name -> Select Device model -> iOS version -> Create Simulator.

References : stackoverflow.com/questions/64075441/xcode-..

Hope this helps you. Thanks for reading this blog. If any feedback feel free to reach out to me.
Common block-related retain cycles in iOS
Tags: Objective C, iOS, Objc, iOS App Development, Retain Cycle

Summarize some common block-related retain cycle patterns.

retain local variables

- (void)presentNewViewController {

UIViewController *newVC = [UIViewController new];

newVC.completion = ^ {

newVC.title = @"some_title_after_completion";

};

[self presentViewController: newVC animated: YES]; }

In the above example, the retain cycle is newVC -> completion -> newVC

2. Superficial class method

@implementation CallingViewController {

- (void)loadData {

[DataSource fetchDataWithCompletion: ^{

self.dataReady = YES; }]; }

} // However, in the data source it uses instance method instead of class method as it appears.

// in DataSource

- (void)fetchDataWithCompletion:(void(^)(id data, NSError *error))completion {

[[NetworkingLayer sharedInstance] getRequest:request completion:completion]; }

In the above example, CallingViewController loadData method scope -> NetworkingLayer instance -> completionBlock -> CallingViewController

Rule of thumb
Mobile App Development | Web Development Company in California
By: Saubhagyam Web Pvt. Ltd.
Tags: Web Development Company, Laravel, iOS App Development, Mobile App Development, Android App Development

SAUBHAGYAM Web Pvt. Ltd. a leading Web Development Company, Mobile Application Development, and SEO Services to businesses across the globe. Over the years we have delivered the best of breed Web design, Mobile Application, and internet marketing services. Every single project gets tailored made technical solutions that fit the unique requirements of our valued clients. We have industry proven expertise in developing trendy, innovative mobile applications on various platforms like Android, Blackberry, iPhone, iPad, Windows, and Facebook. Read More
How to Create Custom Views in SwiftUI
By: Mahmud Ahsan
Tags: Swiftui, iOS App Development, Software Development, Programming, Swift

When you design your app using SwiftUI, you use the built-in views to create the user interface. But if you want to create a custom view to reuse within your app, using ViewBuilder property wrapper, you can do it easily.

In this tutorial, you will create a custom view using ViewBuilder property wrapper, and you can use it to pass any view, which will show after a red rectangle.

Screenshot captured by the author

Here is the code:

ViewBuilder is used to create a view from closures. Here we create a custom ViewBuilder named MyView by implementing the View protocol.

is used to create a view from closures. Here we create a custom named by implementing the protocol. Line 8-10 — init method used the @ViewBuilder property wrapper to accept content as a closure and assign it to its property content

— method used the property wrapper to accept as a closure and assign it to its property Line 12-20 — A built-in view Rectangle is used to create a rectangle shape, and after that content is called to render the view which will be passed externally

In the ContentView now you see, you can use MyView ViewBuilder to render and pass any views within the curly braces {...}. Whatever views you pass, it will show a red rectangle before the view.

Using the following technique, we can create some reusable complex views in our SwiftUI based app.
Flutter: Missing Purpose String in Info.plist when upload ipa
By: Gianni Deplano
Tags: Flutter App Development, App Store, App Store Review, Flutter, iOS App Development

Sometimes, when you try to upload an iOS build for the Apple Store, some issues arrive at your email address. Some are blocking issues and some are not.

In the specific case, this particular issue is a little “tricky” and happens when the flutter permission_handler will be used to manage permissions like camera, location, access to the filesystem, and so on.

You need to explicitly fix your Podfile to be able to submit your App, otherwise seems your App will be developed to access full information of the End-User!

90% of the time you’ll need changes to the privacy form of particular additional information that causes the rejection of your App.

So, the solution is very easy and fast, patch your PodFile following this snippet in the pod_install script:

For each variable put 0 if the permission is not used by your App and 1 if you are using the permission.

For instance:

'PERMISSION_LOCATION=0', # Location disabled

'PERMISSION_LOCATION=1', # Location enabled

at the end run

pod install

and rebuild your archive before distributing your App with Transporter or XCode.

Enjoy!
Firebase Auth 系列 2：「電話的 Authentication」
By: Cooper Hsieh
Tags: iOS App Development, Swift, Authentication, Firebase

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
How to become an iOS developer?
By: Fidan Musazade
Tags: How To, iOS, iOS App Development, Ios Development, Swift

Algorithm of Success

In today’s world, the need for web and mobile applications is following an increasing trend. Not only new businesses are starting online, but also traditional businesses are trying to establish a presence in digital markets. With the realities that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought these digitalization attempts are ever-increasing.

Considering that a major portion of users prefer mobile experiences over desktop ones, starting a career in mobile development could be insightful. There are two major platform mobile applications run on Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS operating systems. In this article, I will try to give a guide, a roadmap for becoming an iOS developer. Let’s get started!

To develop iOS applications the first thing you should learn is the platform’s programming language. The development language for iOS applications is Swift. Let’s take a look at Apple’s definition of Swift:

“Swift is a powerful and intuitive programming language for macOS, iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and beyond. Writing Swift code is interactive and fun, the syntax is concise yet expressive, and Swift includes modern features developers love.”

If you have prior programming experience in other programming languages, you will be able to get started with Swift in no time. If you have no experience in programming, no worries, Swift is a great choice for the first-comers, and it is incredibly easy to learn. There is a great community that produces quality content on Swift. You can get started with Swift in 60 seconds which is a collection of tutorials that exposes syntax and features of Swift.

Despite being a Data Scientist myself, I could learn Swift in a relatively short period of time. All you need is practice and motivation to create. The first thing you have to do is learn the syntax of Swift. This requires a very small time if you programmed in any other language.

Swift highly resembles C, as it descended from C-based languages. The “father” of Swift is Objective-C, which was used to develop native iOS applications for a long time. Despite being similar, it is much more user-friendly and easier to learn.

The major step in learning any language is developing applications in that language. So, if you wish to learn Swift and become an iOS developer, you should start building projects. These could be small ones, like a calculator, a basic game, or an app about you. This is how I learned the basic stuff required for bigger projects.

Brian Voong

One of the best resources available is an online course offered by Brian Voong. There are actually a bunch of projects he implements in his tutorials and shows the important concepts behind iOS development. If you wish to learn more, visit his website: LetsBuildThatApp. Even though the courses are paid, they provide great value for the money you give. He also has free videos on Youtube, which you can watch to decide whether you want to enroll or no.
How to Use Custom Modifiers in SwiftUI
By: Mahmud Ahsan
Tags: Swiftui, iOS App Development, Software Development, Programming, Swift

Normally we use built-in modifiers with views in SwiftUI to produce a different version of the original view. Sometimes, it is easier to create a group of modifiers as a single custom modifier to reuse with different views. Today you will learn how to create and apply a group of styles using ViewModifiers.

When I learn new programming techniques, I always try to make a simple example, which is easy to remember. So in this case, I will create a custom modifier named redHeadline which will use two built-in modifiers foregroundColor and font to create a red headline text, which we can use with any views.

Here are the rules:

To create a custom modifier you have to conform to the protocol ViewModifier

You have to implement the function body which will return some View

which will return Then apply built-in modifiers in group

Using modifier you can add this modifier with any view

you can add this modifier with any view Using extension you can make the process easy

So here is the code:

Here is the output, in this case, I am using Playground:

Created by the author

You see, using extension you add a new function redHeadline which basically use the modifier function to apply the custom modifier named MyModifier.

Now whatever text you use in your app, just use .redHeadline() it will show the text in red color and headline format.
Refactoring Aplikasi Flutter Sederhana Dengan Implementasi BLOC
By: Mohammad Rakha Mauludi
Tags: Flutter App Development, iOS App Development, Bloc, Mobile App Development, Android App Development

zona284/news_basic_app

A News Basic Flutter application. A few resources to get you started if this is your first Flutter project: [NEW] BLOC…
What new to expect from React Native version 0.64
By: Md Tech Consultancy Services
Tags: React Native, iOS App Development, Mobile App Development, Android App Development, Cross Platform

After React v17, the next expectation is when the new version of React native will be released and what new features or updates will come with it. Since the release candidate is out now for the more recent version of React Native, the developers are getting a rough idea of what to expect from React Native v0.64.

If you would like to help React Native test this new version before the stable release, you can upgrade or create new apps with version 0.64.0-rc.2. To test this, type:

npx react-native init RN064 — version 0.64.0-rc.2

Note: Please proceed with caution as it is a Release candidate, not a stable version.

Important changes from React Native’s Upcoming update.

1. Hermes opt-in iOS

Hermes is an open-source JavaScript engine that is designed for running React Native applications. For several applications, allowing Hermes would increase start-up speed, reduced memory consumption, and smaller app sizes.

Previously Hermes was available for only Android, but it will also be available to iOS after this version. Hermes is available as an opt-in choice for Android and so will be for iOS.

How to enable Hermes on iOS(only for versions >0.64):
An in-depth look at the AppBar widget
By: Greg Perry
Tags: Flutter, iOS App Development, Mobile App Development, Android App Development, Programming

In this article, we’re going to review the AppBar widget’s parameters one by one using a little app I whipped up for this exercise. It’s available to you for download on Github called, appbar_example. You can then ‘look under the hood’ at the code and see how to use AppBar widget’s many parameters.

I Like Screenshots. Click For Gists.

As always, I prefer using screenshots in my articles over gists to show concepts rather than just show code. I find them easier to work with frankly. However, you can click or tap on these screenshots to see the code in a gist or in Github. Further, it’s better to read this article about mobile development on your computer than on your phone. Besides, we program mostly on our computers — not on our phones. Not yet anyway.

No Moving Pictures, No Social Media

There will be gif files in this article demonstrating aspects of the topic at hand. However, it’s said viewing such gif files is not possible when reading this article on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, etc. They may come out as static pictures or simply blank placeholder boxes. Please, be aware of this and maybe read this article on medium.com

Let’s begin.

We’ll work our way down the AppBar’s named parameters and illustrate how each affects the appearance of the app bar and the general ‘look and feel’ of the app overall. This widget is, in fact, a StatefulWidget. That means it has a corresponding State object (_AppBarState) that retains some values for the duration of the app. Below is a screenshot of the AppBar widget.

Implements A Preferred Size

Further note, the widget implements another class called, PreferredSizeWidget. Unlike Java with its explicit Interface types, Dart has implicit Interfaces. In Dart, as you see in the screenshot above, you can assign any class as ‘an interface’ to any other class by simply specifying it with the keyword, implements. That means, however, you’ve now some further work to do. All the functions from that class will need to be re-implemented in your own class (unless yours is an abstract class). Further, any instance fields from that class will need to be re-assigned values — otherwise, they’re null.

In the case of the AppBar class implementing the class, PreferredSizeWidget, it is the instance field, preferredSize, that now has to be assigned a value. You see, it’s seen as the height in which the AppBar widget would prefer to be if it were unconstrained. In most cases, that height is the sum of [toolbarHeight] and the [bottom] widget’s preferred height forming a band (a bar) along the top of the screen.

Play With Your AppBar

Again, the sample app on Github, will allow you to try out to some degree each and every parameter offered by the AppBar widget. Note, its parent widget, in this case, is the Scaffold widget and is also using a Drawer widget in this app. It this drawer that you’ll use to adjust the AppBar’s parameter values:
Best android app development services from ElsadINC
Tags: Android App Development, iOS App Development

ElsadINC provides both android and iOS app development services with a client-oriented proposal. Onward with other services like AngularJS, reactJS, we impart unbeatable service in the area of android app development. Before explaining more about us, let us first have a look over the basics of android app development and what it is in actuality. If you want to master the field of android app development, you need to master these languages.

For more details: https://elsadinc.blogspot.com/2020/12/android-app-development-and-other.html
SwiftUI | Fetch JSON data & display it into a list
By: Sullivan De Carli
Tags: Swiftui, Json, iOS, iOS App Development, Programming

Create the Model

Go ahead and create a Swift file called userModel and copy/paste the following code into it:

This is the structure we are going to use for our app. The id, username, and name will correspond to the ones present in the JSON file. Feel free to add more such as email, phone, website, etc…
Post-Secondary
By: Andrea Juillerat-Olvera
Tags: The Junction, University, Learning, Higher Education, Poetry

image by author

Hungry brains feast

on a banquet of

books and numbers

carefully selected quanta

stashed like jewels

in the folds of

grey matter crevasse.

Bright morning smells

traded for eager smiles

we inhale daily wonders

beneath the watchful gaze of

humble brick and mortar.

Here

the day lifts its head

crowned with edification

we cultivate dignity

we grow dendrites

we use many languages

we are together in a river of knowledge

celebrating epiphany

singing our woes

reaching for the sky.

Andrea Juillerat-Olvera 2020
The Top Episodes of The Chad Whittle Podcast for 2020
By: Chad Whittle
Tags: University, Higher Education, Podcast, Journalism, Podcasting

We have almost made it to the end of 2020!

Thank God!

Good riddance and here’s to 2021!

As the year wraps up, I wanted to share with you some of my most-listened to podcast interviews I’ve conducted on The Chad Whittle Podcast from this crazy year of 2020.

I want to thank you for reading my articles and for listening to my podcast.

I really do appreciate your support! Please share my work with your friends!

Below are my most-listened to episodes for 2020:

Robert Morales is a video creator, producing inspiring, informative, and entertaining travel videos. His videos are mainly published on , but some of them are also available on Amazon Prime Video and .

He joined Chad to discuss producing travel videos, how he got his start producing YouTube videos, and if the RV lifestyle is right for you. Listen to my conversation with Traveling Robert here.

Scott Christianson is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Management at the Trulaske College of Business at the University of Missouri. On this episode, he discussed the future of technology including A.I., blockchain, COVID-19’s impact on higher education and our society, 5G, and more. Listen to the interview here.

Chris Beckham is the host of the Chick-fil-A Football Friday Night radio show that is heard on multiple radio stations in South Georgia and the High School Football Report on NewsTalk 105.9 FM WVGA Valdosta, Georgia. Listen to this touchdown of an interview here.

Preston Scott, is the host of T he Morning Show with Preston Scott on 100.7 WFLA Tallahassee and 94.5 WFLA Panama City. He discussed his career, hosting a talk radio program and the future of the format with Chad. Hear the interview here.

Senior Pastor Mike Waers of Northridge Christian Church in Milledgeville, Georgia, joined Chad to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on worship services from a media perspective as churches across the country had to move their services exclusively online and find creative ways to use media to reach their communities each week. Listen here.

Frank Barnas teaches video production and screenwriting at Middle Tennessee State University. He has published six textbooks and produced multiple documentaries. He is also the former host of The Morning Drive with Frank Barnas on News Talk 105.9 WVGA-FM Valdosta, Georgia.

Frank discussed producing documentary films around the world, including Antarctica, and how technology has impacted producing video content. He also discussed why he likes talk radio and why he started his travel podcast. Hear his conversation with Chad here.

Subscribe to The Chad Whittle Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Tune In, and listen at ChadWhittle.com. For a full list of available podcast platforms to listen to the show, visit https://chadwhittle.com/

Subscribe to my Substack newsletter to receive podcast updates and my columns.
If You Give a Professor a Stimulus Check . . .
By: Gary Jenson
Tags: Philosophy, Satire, Finance, Higher Education, Humor

Photo by Chris Blonk on Unsplash

If you give a professor a 600 dollar stimulus check,

He’s going to question use of the word “stimulus” and take issue with its psycho-sexual Freudian connotations that in the twenty-first century are considered misogynistic and stupidly binary.

When you give him the platform to question the terminology, he’ll probably ask you for a committee and a course release in order to conduct his study.

When he’s finished his study, he’ll ask for 15 minutes in front of Faculty Senate to present his findings.

If you give him the floor, he’ll probably use his time to completely hijack the meeting and whip everyone up into circular arguments about whether language reflects or constructs reality.

When he’s finished, no one will remember what the meeting was supposed to accomplish and several faculty members will cry because they feel oppressed in some vague and micro-aggressive way.

If you clap at the end of his speech, he’s probably going to ask for institutional support to write a conference paper on the paradox and socio-linguistic implications of tying attempts at economic progress to an archaic term that simplifies the complexity of human sexuality by framing it in a linear cause-and-effect construct.

When he gets into the conference, he’s going to ask you for departmental funding to register for it, which will probably be around 600 dollars.
Resetting and Reimagining Higher Education
By: Michael Milligan
Tags: Pollution, Engineering, Covid 19, Higher Education, Sustainability

The virtual format had many benefits, but one that seemed particularly fitting was the positive impact on our environment by not travelling. I can’t help but wonder how many tons of carbon we avoided putting into the atmosphere by attending from home instead of flying to the conference. The good news was that global greenhouse gas emissions plunged earlier this year as a result of people not travelling. The bad news: according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s Emissions Gap Report 2020, despite the brief dip in emissions, the planet is still heading for a global temperature rise this century exceeding 3 degrees Celsius. However, with a green pandemic recovery and commitments to net-zero emissions, UNEP’s report is optimistic that we can still slow climate change. But we need to act, and soon.

As STEM professionals, we have an obligation to use our technical and professional skills to deliver creative solutions that will build a better world for all. COVID-19 has already forced us to change how we operate, so how can we maintain those behaviors that have had a positive impact on the planet?

In a recent article, I discussed declining enrollment in higher education since the pandemic began. Events like WEEF & GEDC 2020 give me hope that even in the face of a global crisis, there are many dedicated people working to ensure the continued health of global STEM education.

At ABET, we strive to strengthen post-secondary STEM programs in ways that teach students to care not just about technical solutions, but also how those solutions impact our environment and society. Now that we’ve hit the reset button, let’s continue to reimagine our processes and create new, sustainable solutions.

COVID-19 has forced us to change how we do things, but as the first round of vaccines are now being distributed, we have the option to either return to our pre-pandemic routines or to do things in a way that have a positive impact on the environment. We have an opportunity to redesign the world to be safer, more efficient, more comfortable and more sustainable for all. Let’s not miss this chance to change the world for the better.
ASU professor championing scholars to examine the past through the lens of race
By: Asu Foundation
Tags: Higher Education, Shakespeare, Arizona State University, Race, Philanthropy

ASU professor championing scholars to examine the past through the lens of race

Ayanna Thompson was living the dream, or so she thought. As an investment banker on Wall Street in the early 1990s, free dinners and chauffeured car services became daily fixes. She made more money in a few months than her mother made in an entire year working as a teacher in the Baltimore city school district.

But she was confusing money for value, she realized.

“I called my mother and said, ‘I hope you’re sitting down,’” Thompson recalls. “I told her, ‘I’m gonna quit my job and go to graduate school.’ She started crying and said, ‘I’ve never been so proud of you in my life. I was waiting for you to understand that it’s not about money, that it’s about making a difference.’”

Thompson engaged in English literature studies to further her understanding of how the concept of race came to be.

“I was admitted to graduate school to do postcolonial work, but I was realizing, this isn’t where it started,” she says. “I was reading backwards in time on my own for fun and ended up reading travel narratives from the Renaissance and realizing some of those plays I read in college were dealing with some of these issues too.”

Today, Thompson is a renowned scholar of Shakespeare, race and performance, and has authored several books on the matter, advancing the study of race through the framework of classical texts.

She’s also an English professor and director of the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Arizona State University, where she created the RaceB4Race symposium, a biannual conference series that offers mentorship, workshops and networking opportunities for scholars of color in premodern studies.

Thanks in part to donor support, all events have been free and open to the public. Private support also enabled 15 scholars to travel to the first conference in 2019.

Thompson considers it “the most important and rewarding work that I’ve done in the field.”

“It feels like I’m actually changing the way the field thinks about itself and the way it operates,” she says. “We’re really trying to say, ‘You can do this. You can ask the weird, odd question about race in these texts and in this history, and it’s probably worth pursuing.’”
The Mi:Lab December Newsletter
By: Mi Lab Team
Tags: Design Thinking, Creativity, Milab, Higher Education, Education Innovation

Mi:Lab’s 2020 in Higher Ed

How to Co-Design Better Schools, IDEO

The Post-Pandemic University Project by Mark Carrigan brings together diverse global voices to reflect on how we can build higher education back better.

As We Rush Online, How Might We Redesign Higher Education? By Rafe Steinhauer is an empathetic and actionable set of ideas and resources for designing intentional learning experiences.

After the Pandemic, a Revolution in Education and Work Awaits by Thomas Friedman predicts lifelong “just-in-time learning” as the ‘pension’ of the future.

How to Co-Design Better Schools by IDEO is one in a series of projects IDEO has launched this year to re-imagine education around community and equity. Also check out this visions for reimagining learning.

Wicked problems: (how) does higher education solve problems for students? By Jim Dickinson considers the “wicked” problems of Higher Ed, and the need for “a bit less conspiracy theory and a bit more complexity theory.”

A podcast for faculty & higher education professionals on research design, methods, productivity & more, with Dr. Katie Linder.

The Innovating Together Podcast, An Interview with Michael Crow Thoughts from the innovative and pioneering President of Arizona State University.
A Philosophy Professor’s Letter to Santa
By: Ron Fields
Tags: Philosophy, Satire, Higher Education, Humor, Holidays

Photo by Edmond Dantès from Pexels

Dear Santa,

It is not the intention of this letter to debate that nature of “good” and “bad,” or “naughty” or “nice.” As Hume claimed in his 1777 work An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, morality is a human construct based solely upon societal norms which are themselves based upon society’s expectations. Given the relative nature of what constitutes “decency,” it is pointless for me to argue that I have, in fact, been a “very good boy” this year.

Based on my students’ end-of-term evaluations of overall instructor efficacy, however, I can conclude that I was reasonably effective in fostering academic growth through the rigors of dialectical inquiry. Perhaps I spent too much time on Kant, as one student pointed out, and not nearly enough time on Heidegger. Cartesian inquiry was perhaps not the best way to teach systematic analysis of Truth, given the preponderance of “fake news” and an ever-increasing skepticism in what had heretofore been the most universally-accepted axioms of human existence: that the world was a sphere, that birds were living creatures, or that election tampering was generally bad form. My students learned the lessons of Descartes too well, and are now confident that the only universal truth can be found in mathematics. Each of my PHIL 2200 students have now switched their major to one of the numerous math-intensive STEM offerings on campus.

Insofar as I have accidentally encouraged my students to major in a more lucrative industry, I suppose it can be argued that I have been, in fact, a good professor this year. Granted, the caveat is that such a thing as “goodness” exists at all. An ontological proof for the existence of goodness is forthcoming in my article “Being Good in Bad Times: Morality in the Age of Covid19,” wherein I argue that goodness, if it is an admittedly intangible but desirable trait, must exist because of the presence of badness. Ultimately, though, we can never know true “goodness” or “badness” in and of itself, but rather in comparison to other admittedly relative traits derived from metaphysical cognition.

I would end by saying that I hope this letter finds you “well,” but what constitutes “well” is naturally likewise relative and dependent solely upon perception and comparison and also it’s 2020 so there is that. Another frequent comment on my students’ end-of-term evaluations is that I tend to wander into tangentials and never recover my original course, and I fear that may have happened with this letter.

Therefore, I will simply conclude it, in as far as it is possible to conclude anything. For whatever my purpose in writing may have been, I hope you’ve found this missive worthwhile.

Best regards,

Professor Fields
Every Dime in Your Pocket
By: An International Student'S Column
Tags: International Student, Higher Education, Labor, Graduate School, Wage Theft

Hello friends! How much have you paid for higher education? The average number was over $26,000 per year for international students as in 2019, which represented a 40% increase since 2009. This number does not include travel, housing, and other expenses that tend to cost international students more than their domestic peers. In most cases, student loans and other forms of financial aid are neither available.

There is additional money to spend on visa-related procedures. Applying for an F-1 visa costs $160 (each application filed) plus service fees charged by intermediate agencies. To fulfill the compulsory visa interview, many need to travel for a long distance to a regional consulate. International students also have to fund the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a record-keeping bureaucracy mandated by the US government. In 2019, the SEVIS fee was raised from $200 to $350 per active record.

Universities are required to maintain SEVIS-related operations on their end, and many choose to charge international students to fund such operations. UW-Madison sets up the International Student Services (ISS) and imposes a $100 fee each semester on over 6,000 international students. The university introduced this fee in 2015 and raised it from $75 to $100 in 2017. Unlike segregated fees, there is no procedural mechanism of transparency or shared governance regarding the use of the international student fees. ISS is not accountable to the students it’s supposed to serve, and bureaus like ISS are bound to facilitate policy enforcement when it comes to the surveillance or persecution of international students.

I’ve been mentioning quite a few numbers here. Part of it is calculation, a thing all of us do to keep ourselves afloat. The capped annual income for international students from a 50% graduate assistantship currently ranges from $18,350 to $24,816 at UW-Madison. The living wage in Madison for an adult without children is over $25,000. Any small extra expense thrown our way can easily tip over the equation.

Another part of it is to ponder over what’s lost from the calculation. The numbers tell a business story about putting in a bare amount of investment and extracting every ounce of exploitable value. In this business, our potential to build knowledge is unimportant, our need to keep a social life and see our families is frivolous, and our well-being beyond economic productivity is irrelevant.

See you next Friday.

Sincerely,

An international student

The International Student Caucus is a working group under TAA. In addition to supporting the broader mission of TAA, the I-Caucus connects grad workers invested in advocating for students from all across the globe. Email Trisha trishachanda13@gmail.com to learn more!
Alumna Manojna Namuduri on How Minerva Prepared Her to Be an Independent Learner
By: Minerva Project
Tags: Alumni, Education, Higher Education

Alumna Manojna Namuduri on How Minerva Prepared Her to Be an Independent Learner

Minerva Alumna Manojna Namuduri

Can you tell us about your job?

I’m a programmer at Wolfram Research. Wolfram Alpha is the answer engine that Alexa or Siri uses, amongst other things. It’s also used to help you with math homework. The company has a number of cool computing products, and my job is centered on Wolfram Language.

I mostly work on developing tools for mathematical logic. But I’ve also been doing research with the Wolfram Physics Project on intersections between category theory and quantum information, which has some exciting connections with my professional role. My job also consists of working on the Physics Project behind the scenes, developing software and content related to logic and computation.

You graduated from Minerva in May 2020. Tell us how you got your job.

A Minerva professor, Prof. Kiel Howe, organized a group of students to do research as part of the fundamental physics cohort at Wolfram Summer School 2020. The Wolfram Physics Project had just launched, and this was a fantastic opportunity to get involved from the start.

After a summer spent getting acquainted with Wolfram Language, the formalisms of the Physics Project, and the possible role of quantum entanglement in the emergence of spacetime, I was invited to continue with the Physics Project as a junior research affiliate and to join the special projects department at Wolfram Research.

If you were to think about your Minerva education, which are the skills that you learned that are most useful to your job?

I majored in physics and minored in math at Minerva, and all of those courses, as well as the Formal Analyses cornerstone, ended up being quite relevant to what I do. Having had a bit of exposure to topics like formal logic and abstract math really helped me get situated into the niche of my job, as did the code literacy I developed from constantly using Python since foundation year.

Minerva’s pedagogy made me a more independent learner, with more confidence in acquainting myself with new topics. Minerva’s active learning showed me the importance of asking thoughtful questions and I have learned so much at my job from trying to practice that habit.

What are you most proud of since you graduated?

I contributed to my first research paper! My team and I are in the process of getting it published in a proper journal. We’re currently working on a follow-up as well.

How do you think Minerva changed the way you look at challenges you face, whether personal or professional?

Minerva taught me the importance of persistence. I realized that success is great but failure is a better teacher. I think I came away from my undergraduate experience with a bit more humility about how relatively small the scope of my knowledge is, but also with a bit more confidence about my ability to follow my curiosity and do something interesting with it if I put in an earnest effort.
5 Fast Track Healthcare Careers. How you can help heal others without…
Tags: Healthcare, Learning, STEM, Higher Education, College

5 Fast Track Healthcare Careers

Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

Every year thousands of Americans graduate from high school with the hopes of becoming a medical professional. Young adults dream to save or change lives for the better, be able to support themselves comfortably, and add some prestigious letters to the end of their name.

However, the road to medicine in many cases is long and arduous, often requiring hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans to get started. Many healthcare pathways involve dedicating a huge portion of your life to training and subjecting yourself to extreme pressure and stress for quite a few years.

Not to mention, many healthcare careers are stressful in themselves, and sometimes do not have the best debt to income ratio.

I have immense respect and admiration for physicians and others who spend over a decade training their craft, and I myself choose a career path requiring seven years of education.

Although I believe if you feel something is your calling, you should do it, regardless of what it takes to get there, I do believe it is important to show young people the healthcare career opportunities that offer more flexibility.

As I’ve gone along on my educational journey I have realized there are some “hidden” healthcare careers that involve only 4 years of education or less. For some reason, these careers aren’t as well known, yet many of them can be extremely fulfilling and require a much more reasonable amount of training than becoming an MD. Here are the careers I’ve come across as fitting this category in no particular order.
Strategies to Prepare for Higher Education
By: Brian Hazlett
Tags: Higher Education

As the vice president of student affairs and enrollment management at Millersville University, Brian Hazlett has the job of ensuring that the university’s enrollment grows and student needs are addressed. Brian Hazlett is currently studying for a doctor of education, and he understands what it takes to prepare for higher education.

Many high school students have ambitions of attending a university or college after they graduate to build on their education and get into a field of their choosing. If a person is looking to advance their education, it must be taken very seriously, as there is much preparation that a person can do to help their chances of succeeding. There are a number of things a student should be aware of that can help them prepare.

A guidance counselor is going to be an essential element in the preparation for higher education, as they are the person who will be able to guide a student in the right direction. They can help a student figure out what they want to do, and where to go for the proper education, as well as making sure that institutional requirements for the student are met.

References can make a major difference when a student is applying to a university or college, so it is important that they spend time during school making connections with people who can vouch for them. In addition, finances are a major concern for the majority of people pursuing higher education, and a student should know of the different ways to obtain aid. Looking into bursaries, scholarships, government programs, and other loan institutions are important so a student can achieve the best possible financing arrangements.
Student Advocacy: Building on student support, voice and belonging in the LLC
By: University Of Leeds, Student Education Service
Tags: Advocate, Sesleeds, Sense Of Belonging, Higher Education, Students

The New Student Advocate Role

The last six months has been a whirlwind in Higher Education, for staff and students. Covid-19 has brought a whole array of new challenges, not least how to support learners when both staff and students are increasingly working remotely. Anxiety and isolation (perennial experiences for first-time campus learners) have become increasingly a widespread across different cohorts. The need for heightened homeworking and social distancing has amplified usual student worries, while producing new ones. In response to this tough context, the Leeds Lifelong Learning Centre has created a new team of Student Advocates.

At the core of our work is Student Engagement, to ensure those struggling to or not engaging with teaching have individualised and tailored support, signposting to relevant university services, and the regular offer of friendly advice.

We reinforce existing focus on boosting Student Success. On referral from Programme Managers, we’re supporting individual or groups of learners to progress in their studies and overcome barriers to their development as learners.

We are also here to reinforce the Partnership principle between students, the Lifelong Learning Centre, and the wider University. As conduits of real-time feedback, we play our part in hearing the student voice and facilitating co-created responses that ensure University life meets the changing needs of both students and staff.

We proactively facilitate Student-led Activity that helps students build their own learning community, through student-owned initiatives that can sustainably engage new and existing students beyond Semester One.
Living At Home During Grad School
Tags: Life Lessons, Self Improvement, Education Reform, Higher Education, Graduate School

Living At Home During Grad School

Photo by Flaunter on Unsplash

I am 23 and I live at home.

Although those words may not come across as striking as they may have years ago when moving out at 18 was the universal standard, they still carry some negative notion to many.

I live with my mother and father, my 15-year-old brother, and our 2 dogs. I have 2 younger sisters who go to college far away, one of whom is a communications major who lives on her own in Florida.

Despite the horror stories I’ve heard from others, I have had no tangible issue living at home.

My parents don’t have any crazy rules, I have a wonderful relationship with them, and before the pandemic, I spent 90% of all days out of the house on the campus where I attend graduate school.

The house I live in is large and beautiful, its many walls filled with memories of many people’s joy, stress, despair, and love. The house has stood for over 100 years. It has seen decades of joyous holiday celebrations.

Out the window, you can watch the seasons change as the in-ground pool my dad and his friends built themselves turns into an ice rink when winter hits.

In the summer I can look out the window and see my childhood. My siblings, cousins, and friends, all pretending to take our driver’s tests as we rode our bikes around our dead-end street.

We didn’t yet know screens. We spent our days outside doing cartwheels and pretending any chunk of wood on the playground was a balance beam.

Our childhood was magnificent and to this day, I am profoundly grateful for the roof I have over my head, having all my family and friends close by, and my serene room where the desk my parents bought me houses thousands of hours of neuroscience and orthopedic study material and my cranberry chutney candle.

Somehow many years have passed, but I am still here. I stayed here to save money in undergrad since I went to school just down the street.

My plans shifted when I did not get accepted to the affordable graduate program at the university I attended during my undergraduate studies. I did however get accepted into one of the nation's top 10 programs, but the price was significantly higher.

Eventually, I decided it was too good an opportunity to give up.
The Global Forest by Diana Beresford-Kroeger
By: Chris Jerrey
Tags: Climate Change, Forest, Ecology, Book Review

Diana Beresford-Kroeger is a botanist and medical biochemist, an expert on the medicinal, environmental and nutritional properties of trees. Unsurprisingly, the book is rich in scientific detail about how trees germinate, grow, reproduce and fruit. But this is not just the biology of trees, it is about the life of trees and how they collectively form the Global Forest.

Just like human society, the forest is a place of communal life, full of rich interactions. Food is shared, knowledge passed on and sexual relations take place. This book deals with these interactions to a fascinating level of detail. The author is intensely knowledgeable about trees, perhaps as much as anyone on Earth. She is uniquely equipped to explain not only the biochemistry of the forest but how that is expressed as life.

We learn about the role of the oldest Mother trees and how they nurture the next generation. How the forest on land sustains the forest on the sea bed and what happens when that relationship is broken. We learn about how trees produce perfect foods for all the creatures of the forest including ourselves. We are invited to join the author’s indignation at the folly of cutting trees to satisfy our insatiable demand for paper.

Humanity has treated the global forest with utter disrespect. The author never hectors us about our collective behaviour, but she doesn’t need to. She represents the beauty, complexity and necessity of the forest so eloquently and effectively that we are just left to squirm in embarrassment at what we have done.

The book is composed of short four-page chapters, each dealing with an aspect of forest life. Each is a hymn, full of praise for the wonder of the forest. Considering how humanity has ripped through the global forest, the author could be forgiven some bitterness towards this destruction. But this never shows. Like the trees she loves, she stands tall and showers the reader with the blessings of her knowledge.

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Beresford-Kroeger

Website: https://dianaberesford-kroeger.com/