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Guest Blogs

Knowitall.ch often invites local experts in their field to contribute to their own blogs on our site. This means not only you will benefit from the useful recommendations that we make on our News pages, but you can also profit from some of the great advice and tips that these experts have to make on their favorite subjects. Whilst each of these bloggers has been recommended to us at some point during the evolution of Know-it-all passport and  knowitall.ch, obviously we are not able to test out all the suggestions they make on their blogs, nor do we necessarily agree with all their opinions.  So if you do find one of their tips useful (or not!), do let us know!

To make these blogs more accessible to you, we have now decided to group them altogether in one section, entitled Guest Blogs, accessible from our main menu bar.  We will also post the most recent blogs on the home page of our site in the right hand column.

We are still building up this area of the site, and are looking for bloggers in a number of sections, including Your Home, Travel, and Leisure, so if you feel you have a useful contribution to make in either of these areas, and have the time to submit blog entries approximately every month, then please get in touch!

Students talking copy
 
By Philippa Dobree-Carey, From High School to Uni
 

In the final year of high school, it's imperative for students in Year 13 (or equivalent) to devote a significant amount of time to their studies, and structuring a study schedule that includes both coursework and dedicated revision periods is essential.

Crafting Your Revision Schedule
Students need to ensure that their revision periods consist of reviewing known material and should not be learning new content at this point, which could indicate a gap in their knowledge base.

Studying without Distractions
Developing a distraction-free study routine is crucial to success.

Revision Schedule (with short regular breaks for food and downtime)
— Monday to Friday: 6pm - 9pm
— Weekends: 10am - 4pm

Coursework Deadlines
Students should divide their tasks into different categories and allocate time accordingly — List of subjects and their associated submission dates
— Allocation of extra time slots one month prior to deadlines

Claire close up

By Claire Doole, www.doolecommunications.com

One of the key roles of a conference moderator is making sure that everything goes smoothly. Whatever happens, the show must go on, and the only person who can ensure this is the moderator who has the microphone.
 
Nothing as dramatic has happened to me as the famous incident back in the 1980’s when BBC newsreader Sue Lawley carried on reading the news when activists stormed the studio – one handcuffing herself to a camera and the other crouching below the newsreader's desk!
 
However, here are a few conference shockers that I had to deal with and ensure the show went on… 
 
The rollercoaster of technical chaos: At one event, we were eagerly awaiting the keynote speaker's wisdom, only to be met with the dreaded "failed to connect" message not once, not twice, but three times on day one. The organisers refused to ask her to pre-record her remarks for day two and, predictably, day two didn't fare any better! Again, we twice tried to connect, but our speaker remained elusive, leaving us hanging without a single word of her anticipated keynote.
 
But wait, there's more! As we attempted to patch in speakers from every corner of the globe, it seemed like the universe conspired against us. Five consecutive no-shows! It was like a virtual game of hide-and-seek, and we were losing spectacularly.

Claire close up

By Claire Doole, www.doolecommunications.com

Someone asked me this week to explain the role of a panel moderator.

I replied that it was to facilitate an insightful discussion for the audience. Remember them? The most neglected part of an event except when organisers panic the room might not be full.

Unfortunately, engaging debates are sometimes very difficult to achieve when you are brought in at the last moment and the panelists have already been selected by the organisers for political or PR reasons. It is like trying to bake a great cake with the wrong ingredients.

Drawing on decades of experience and a lot of patience, I usually manage after speaking individually to each panelist to construct a flow and exchange between the panelists, that is engaging and insightful. Of course, the discussion is compromised in terms of depth as I have to loop in people who either don’t want to address the theme of the panel or don’t have the knowledge to do so.

There seems to be a view by some organisations - the more panelists the merrier, as this shows how well-connected and influential, they are. However, this leads to frustration all around – from the panelists themselves, who have less time to get their points across, from the moderator who has to keep the discussion at a relatively high level and the audience, who most probably have learned nothing they don’t already know.

SwissChangeLisaCirieco

By Philippa Dobree-Carey, From High School to Uni

Have you started to search for the perfect student pad to suit your budget? Before you embark on the stressful hunt for rented accommodation, make sure you have the essential ammunition - knowledge of student rental scams.

If you're not planning on living in halls of residence, or if you're heading into your second or third year of university, finding a place to live can be a challenge.
Students are a prime target for rental scammers who exploit students’ newfound independence and panic about finding a place to live.

Imagine finding a place that looks fabulous, the rent is within your budget, and the location is close to town or university. Sounds Ideal, right? Scammers love to dangle the carrot of incredible deals in front of unsuspecting students.

Beware of these tempting but unrealistic offers that are too good to be true

In the age of online transactions, scammers prefer to stay in the shadows. If your potential landlord avoids face-to-face meetings and insists on doing everything online, pull the plug. Any reputable landlord will take the time to meet a prospective tenant. After all, they want to know that you will respect their property.

If you ask for a meeting and are met with excuses, drop it and keep looking

Have you ever experienced the fear of missing out? One of the most common tactics used in rental scams is for scammers to create a false sense of urgency and heighten a student's anxiety.
"Multiple offers are pouring in!" they claim. "You need to send your deposit to secure the tenancy". "If you can pay me a month's rent today, I can reserve the flat for you".

cartoon science
 
By Claire Doole, www.doolecommunications.com
 
When was the last time you heard a great keynote speech? 
 
Many speakers use them to sell themselves or their organisation, neglecting to engage with the theme of the event.
 
Not so Dr Stephen Feeley, Chief Statistician at WHO, tasked with giving the keynote before a panel discussion I moderated on data governance and fake news at Davos last month. 
 
A double-headed title for a panel discussion is always challenging as it can belie a lack of focus. 
 
Dr Feeley took up the challenge and delivered a keynote that set up the panel discussion that was thought-provoking, entertaining and memorable. 
 
So, what did he do?
  • He had a clear objective – to inspire and unify the audience around a common purpose.
  • He had a clear central argument – making the case for a global data governance framework.
  • He understood the audience – pitching the level correctly so they were not bored nor confused but engaged in his thinking.
  • He simplified the key message into a call to action so that the audience knew what was expected of them.
  • He structured the speech by first talking about the problem before going to the solution.
  • He hooked the audience with the specific – fake news – before going to the general – fake news as an example of the need for data governance.