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Why is it important to develop soft skills as a student?

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There is a set of skills that a person gains in the ‘college of the timetable’, as there is no separate discipline for it. They are called soft skills and they help in nearly every realm of our lives since people are social beings. In fact, interaction with one another is a thing that we learn throughout our whole lives, but the lessons are easier and more valuable when you are a student.  Mastering social skills opens thousands of opportunities, which is why the sooner one learns them, the higher one will grow.

What are soft skills?

The definition and measurement of one’s soft skills are a challenge since one generally either has them or not. Overall, soft skills are defined as communicating and interacting with people socially. The level of your soft skills also defines your ability to impact people and solve conflicts.

A person with well-developed social skills knows how to approach people, listen to them, and analyze social situations to their profit.  No wonder they give a person more prospects, provide a can-do attitude, and allow a more
secure feeling socially and professionally.  However, working on soft skills requires intention and effort, so it is sometimes normal to get math homework help online and do a networking event instead. It will pay off later.

This strategy is especially good for young people who study in college and have to handle many things at a time. Sometimes, a social event can teach you more than an exercise; the only thing you need to make it work is to define your networking goals. So, let’s figure out why soft skills are so paramount these days!

Why are soft skills so important for students?

#1 Intellectual work is crucial these days

In today’s world, most of the qualifications and expertise come from intellectual and social abilities rather than physical capabilities. For that reason, developing one’s mind and ability to handle issues intellectually will be more valued in the employment market in the future.  Historically, it’s no wonder this is the case. Technology is developed enough to compensate for manual tasks, so people start investing in skills that technology cannot provide a substitute for yet.  Hence, the more humane you are in your activity, the more relevant you are in the employment market.

#2 You can get some psychic powers along the way

There is nothing supernatural in how far developed soft skills can get you. One of such benefits is the ability to sense how other people are feeling. The keys to mastering social skills are openness and empathy, and these are also qualities that require attention and effort. Successful interaction with other people requires empathy — the quality of sensing or predicting what others feel and how they will react. Luckily, all that empathy requires is wearing someone else’s shoes and seeing the situation from their perspective.

#3 The sense of integrity and responsibility

Another professional and personal improvement that comes with soft skills is your outlook. A person who has mastered these skills will have a deeper sense of integrity and responsibility in their collective, class, friend group, or any other social circle.  Your outlook shapes your attitudes, which will show in your further work as a type of responsibility.  Naturally, the more responsibility one can handle without cracking under its weight, the further their career will advance. Plus, the ability to bear through tough situations is also one of the benefits you’ll get.

#4 Resilience

Along with responsibility, a person learns how to be morally resilient in complex circumstances. However, it is important not to confuse resilience with the absence of emotions. One gives you healthy coping mechanisms and attitudes, and the second one only makes you bottle up all the negativity, which can backfire later. Hence, the more adjusted you are socially, the more you can go through, and fewer situations will eventually overwhelm you.

#5 Mindfulness

The main difference between soft skills and hard ones is that the former impacts how you interact with others and how you treat yourself. If you are attentive to the environment, all the situations you analyze will include reflections on your own actions. For that reason, the more you try to understand other people, the better you eventually understand yourself and the more comfortable you are with your life.  However, it is important to remember that mindfulness must manifest itself in how one asserts him or herself rather than in conflict avoidance.

#6 They will make you a good leader

It is impossible to make people follow you without social skills. Ideally, all the qualities we mentioned above are summed up as the skills of persuading, reasoning, and inspiring people.  With these qualities, every interaction you will have with peers, classmates, and coworkers will be useful. If one can communicate his or her ideas and articulate them to inspire others, working with such a person can be a blessing. Good soft skills turn any kind of work into an enjoyable collaboration.

#7 They will help you stand up for yourself

Finally, it is important not to confuse soft skills with people-pleasing. People-pleasing teaches one to neglect their own needs.  Soft skills ensure you are happy about what you do, for if you’re not, they give you the right instruments to protect your boundaries and change even a tough problem to your favor.  Being open about the problem and approaching conflict with maturity improves the overall quality of life of any individual.

How to develop soft skills 

There is no formula for developing outstanding soft skills, yet there are several things one can practice to improve them.

1. Try walking in someone else’s shoes. If you think that a person is completely wrong in a certain situation, take a minute to view a situation from his or her perspective. Empathy is practiced rather than learned, so soon you’ll see a bigger picture in every social situation.

2. Be creative in your optimism. Even if the situation is tough, there is always a silver lining. Next time you’re frustrated or anxious, make it a creative experiment to find a positive side to the problem.

3. Articulate your concerns. Learn to address problems before they get worse. It may be uncomfortable at first, but it will improve your confidence and teach you resilience and creative problem-solving skills. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of soft skills in the modern world. If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry—you are already on the right track.  All that it takes is paying a little more attention to how you interact with other people and how those interactions makes you feel.

 

Todayville Content Team works with a wide variety of clients to develop compelling content solutions. Our experienced team develops strategic campaigns that use video and storytelling, digital advertising and social media to help our clients position and distinguish themselves in the market.

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Understanding Slot RTP and Variance: Which Slot Game Is Right for You?

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When it comes to playing slots, luck plays a huge role, but there’s more to winning than just spinning the wheels. Checking the variance and RTP of a slot game beforehand can help you find one that matches your style and strategy. Whether you’re a casual player or chasing a jackpot, understanding these factors can improve your experience. For Canadian players looking to try their luck, Tenexcasino.com is a top choice among crypto casino sites, offering a great platform to explore these games.

What is RTP?

RTP or Return to Player shows how much of the money you bet goes back to you over time. It also shows you the “house edge,” or how much of your money goes to the casino over the same period. If a slot has an RTP of 90%, 90 cents of every dollar you bet goes back to you. The remaining 10 cents is the “house edge” or the profit the casino will likely make.

RTP is measured over time and doesn’t tell you what will happen with each spin. But it can tell you which slot games to pick if you want to minimize risk.

What Is Slot Variance?

Variance also shows the risk of playing each slot game. But unlike RTP, it determines how often you can expect to win and the average size of each payout. Will you see small, frequent wins or rare but potentially huge payouts?

Depending on your preference and budget, you can opt for low, medium, or high-variance slots. Low-variance slots offer frequent but smaller payouts, medium-variance slots provide a mix of frequent smaller wins and occasional bigger winnings, and high-variance slots give rare but significant payouts.

What’s the Right Type of Right Slot Game for Me?

Variance and RTP can help you select the slot games that suit your style and the risk you’re
willing to take.

High RTP Slot Games

High RTP games are an ideal choice if you’re on a small budget. They will give you the best chance to build your bankroll and get more from your investment. You should look for games with at least 97% RTP, like Mega Joker (99%), Codex of Fortune (98%), and Starmania (97.87%).

While these games ensure you get more of your money back in the long term, they won’t necessarily help you maintain your bankroll. If that’s what you’re looking for, you should ensure the slots also have low variance.

Low Variance Slots

Low-variance slots are a perfect choice if you’re looking for steady gameplay with minimal risk. They allow you to play longer without large swings in your balance. But it’s not without its thrill.

If you like frequent wins, these games certainly keep the excitement alive. Some of our favorite low-variance games are Starburst, Jack Hammer, and Blood Suckers.

Medium-Variance Slots

These are a sweet spot. Medium-variance slots are perfect if you want steady payouts with the occasional thrill of big wins. They allow you to avoid the risk of high-variance slots while enjoying some of the excitement. Temple of Iris, Wolf Gold, and Golden Winner are great medium-variance slots worth checking out.

High-variance Slots

High-variance games are your best bet if you dream of hitting the jackpot. The risk is undoubtedly high, but you can win a massive payout. However, these slots may not be the best choice for prolonged gaming sessions. They can, however, provide convenient and enjoyable entertainment when traveling or during your lunch breaks.

High variance slots often include progressive jackpots. Some of our favorite high-variance slots include Rome: The Golden Age, Twin Spin Megaways, and Jack in a Pot.

Having a healthy bankroll is necessary here. But even more so, you need patience. You may go through several spins without a win, but the payout can be significant when you do win.

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The Role of Satellite Imagery in Developing VRA Prescription Maps

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Since its appearance in the 1980s, precision agriculture has revolutionized farming, offering innovative solutions to age-old challenges. One of those is Variable rate technology (VRT), which plays a key role in improving efficiency and sustainability in today’s farming methods.

By applying inputs like fertilizers and water in different quantities across the field, VRT helps optimize crop yields and reduce costs. This technology relies on data collection and analysis to create detailed VRA prescription maps, allowing for customized input applications. 

With the right equipment and technology, VRT can significantly improve agricultural productivity.  Today’s advanced tractors, equipped with built-in terminals and specialized software integrated with a precision agriculture platform, use prescription maps to accurately apply variable rates of water or chemicals based on GPS location and management zones.

Variable Rate Technology In Precision Agriculture

Precision agriculture is a game-changer, moving far beyond traditional farming methods. Often called satellite farming, this approach focuses on crop condition monitoring, measuring, and responding to variability within fields. One of its standout innovations is variable rate application (VRA), which has caught the attention of farmers worldwide for its immense potential.

Why is VRA so important? It goes beyond simply fertilizing, seeding, and applying pesticides. It’s about utilizing technology to apply various expendable materials on and beneath the field automatically. 

Farm management software simplifies contemporary farming by combining data and technology to improve farming efficiency, sustainability, and profitability. Precision agriculture platforms consolidate operations, crop health monitoring through satellite imagery, and offer real-time suggestions, enabling farmers to make informed decisions for the best use of resources (through VRA) and increased productivity.

Variable rate application offers numerous advantages for modern agriculture:

  1. VR fertilizer enhances farming efficiency.

Adjusting rates based on soil health and plant needs helps save resources and increase yields. Research shows this method can lead to higher net income and healthier soil compared to using uniform rates: “The net incomes of VR management zone were 15.5–449.61 USD ha−1 higher than that of traditional spatially uniform rate fertilization.”

  1. VR irrigation saves water, time, and fuel while reducing machinery wear.

Applying the correct amount of water to different parts of the field based on soil moisture levels and crop requirements reduces wear and tear on irrigation equipment compared to uniform irrigation.

Studies claim: “Variable rate irrigation (VRI) can increase water use efficiency and productivity by applying water based on site‐specific needs.”

  1. VR seeding increases crop yield by adjusting seeding rates based on soil fertility.

VR seeding adjusts seeding rates based on soil fertility and other factors to optimize plant populations and yields. It is commonly used alongside variable rate fertilization as part of a comprehensive precision agriculture strategy. 

Findings show that: “The application of VRS to the seeding of various crops shows positive agro-economic trends, additional yields, and higher economic returns.”

  1. VR pesticide reduces environmental pollution and improves pesticide efficiency.

VRT helps farmers target pests more accurately and use less pesticide. 

Studies have found that “VR management zone reduced the use of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilizers by 22.90–43.95%, 59.11–100%, and 8.21–100%, respectively, and it also increased the use efficiency of N, P, and K by 12.27–28.71, 89.64–176.85, and 5.48–266.89 kg/kg, respectively, without yield loss.”

This demonstrates the ability of variable rate technologies to improve pesticide effectiveness and reduce environmental pollution in agriculture.

Using Various Technological Means For Informed Decisions

Applying different technological tools is essential for implementing variable rate technology in agriculture. This includes smart machinery, fertilizers, seeders, soil sensors, geographic information system (also called GIS), and the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) applications for field mapping. Additionally, having supporting infrastructure, which helps manage and analyze info from different sources, is crucial for successful implementation.

Understanding the location, timing, and methods for seeding, fertilizing, and harvesting is key in remote crop monitoring and precision agriculture, where data plays a vital role in managing resources effectively.

This information is taken from a wide variety of data sources.

  • Sensors. Moisture, soil nutrients, compaction, weather stations (humidity, temperature, wind speed)
  • Drones and satellite photography. Field hyperspectral imaging.
  • GNSS. Event coordinates, also points and times for obtaining time-series data
  • Spatio-temporal data sources. Spatio-temporal specific data (trajectories of agricultural machinery, spatiotemporal points, event points, time-series information)
  • Maps. Field boundaries, soil type, surface levels)
  • AI solutions. Prediction of weather conditions, detection of plant diseases.

However, simply collecting raw data is not sufficient. It is necessary to process this information to extract valuable insights, make informed decisions, and enable automatic alerts and control signals for agricultural equipment. Thus, you must have the capability to:

  • Gather data;
  • Transform the data to extract valuable insights for precision farming gear;
  • Upload the data into agricultural equipment;
  • Retrieve real-time data from tractors, seeders, fertilizers, and other machinery.

By following these steps, farmers can make the most of modern technology, optimizing their farming practices and boosting efficiency.

Use Of Satellite Images In Building VRT Maps

Satellite crop monitoring imagery can be used to generate different kinds of VRA maps for various purposes. As nitrogen is one of the most critical elements plants need, building map for its proper application is a major task. 

Nitrogen fertilization maps play a crucial role in optimizing the application of water, nitrogen, and crop protection products. 

When creating a VRA map for nitrogen fertilizer, you can choose from various indices that provide valuable insights:

  • MSAVI is sensitive to uncovered soil and, therefore, is ideal for planning VR fertilizer application in the early stages of growth.

Example:  Early in the growing season, a corn farmer uses MSAVI to detect patches of uncovered soil in their field. This helps them apply fertilizer more accurately, ensuring that nutrient-rich areas receive the right amount of input and promoting uniform growth.

  • ReCI measures chlorophyll content in leaves, helping to identify field areas with faded and yellowed vegetation that may need additional fertilizer.

Example: A soybean grower notices using ReCI that certain sections of their field have yellowed leaves, indicating possible nutrient deficiencies. They apply additional fertilizer to these areas, restoring plant health and boosting overall yield.

  • NDVI indicates biomass accumulation zones and areas with low vegetation that might demand larger amounts of fertilizer.

Example:  A cotton producer uses NDVI to map out zones with varying levels of biomass across their field. They adjust their fertilizer application rates, applying more in areas with lower vegetation to support growth and maximize their harvest.

  • NDMI is well-suited for VR irrigation by identifying areas that are under water stress.

Example: During a hot summer, a vineyard uses NDMI to pinpoint areas suffering from water stress. They adjust their irrigation system to provide extra water where it’s needed, ensuring the vines remain healthy and productive.

    • NDRE helps identify stressed or dying vegetation in the middle to late stages of a season, aiding in effective fertilization strategies.
  • Example: During the season, a wheat farmer uses NDRE to identify patches of the field where the wheat plants are showing signs of nutrient stress or poor growth. By applying a mid-season nutrient boost specifically to these stressed areas, the farmer improves the overall health and yield potential of the wheat crop.

Field Productivity Maps

Field productivity maps can be created by analyzing satellite images to pinpoint areas with high or low crop yields. By using the NDVI index and advanced machine learning algorithms, different productivity zones can be identified.

Key applications of productivity maps include:

  • Potassium and phosphorus fertilization

Historical productivity zones data can help avoid excessive application in areas where these nutrients may have accumulated with time.

  • Variable rate planting

Farmers can apply different seed amounts in various productivity zones to either maximize yield or achieve uniform distribution across the field.

  • Land evaluation

Field productivity can be assessed before purchasing or renting land; it helps reduce risk and enhance profitability.

  • Targeted soil sampling

Soil sampling efforts can be focused on key areas indicated by productivity data, rather than relying on generic grid sampling.

As you see, variable rate application (VRA) is a cost-effective method that can save you 10% on planting and cultivation costs based on the characteristics of the soil. To fully benefit from VRA, it’s important to understand the technologies involved, such as sensors, GNSS, earth observation pictures from drones and satellites, and digital maps, which provide crucial data for analysis and implementation. We sincerely hope that you succeed in your farming endeavors with modern technology!

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Author Vasyl Cherlinka

Vasyl Cherlinka is a Doctor of Biosciences specializing in pedology (soil science), with 30 years of experience in the field. With a degree in agrochemistry, agronomy and soil science, Dr. Cherlinka has been advising on these issues private sector for many years.

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