When you subscribe to a VPN service, you usually receive a username, a password, and a VPN server address. VPN subscriptions are not free, and are often billed monthly.  ExpressVPN is generally considered one of the best choices for Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, and Linux. Downloading free VPN software is a different process, as doing so gives you a program that will block your IP address in all browsers but must be turned on and off. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen. Click the gear-shaped icon in the lower-left side of the Start window. It's the globe-shaped icon in the Settings window. This option is on the left side of the window. It's at the top of the window. A new window will open. Click the "VPN provider" drop-down box at the top of the page, click Windows (built-in), and then enter your VPN subscription's address in the "Server name or address" text field. You can also add a name for the VPN in the "Name" text field.  If your VPN requires a username and/or password, enter these credentials in the "User name" and "Password" text fields. You can change the type of VPN authentication used by clicking the "Type of sign-in info" drop-down box and then selecting a different option in the resulting drop-down menu. It's at the bottom of the menu. Click the VPN's name near the top of the page, then click Connect below it. This will connect you to your VPN service, at which point all browsing regardless of browser or Internet connection will be hidden. You may need to enter a username and/or password before your VPN will connect.

Summary: Subscribe to a VPN service. Open Start . Open Settings . Click  Network & Internet. Click VPN. Click Add a VPN connection. Enter your VPN's information. Click Save. Connect to the VPN.


Challenge yourself with difficult college prep curriculum in high school. Because Yale is an Ivy League school, admissions officers look for students who have proven they can survive a heavy course load. Achieving high grades in easy courses will likely not be enough to get you into Yale, so load up on advanced placement and college prep courses to prove you stand out among your peers.  If your high school offers unusual or unique courses not found in most high schools, take them. For example, if your high school offers an exotic language such as Japanese or Mandarin in addition to Spanish, French and German, choose Japanese or Mandarin. This will help you stand out. Don’t take “easy” or “blow off” electives. Getting a 4.0 in easy elective classes will not help you gain admission to Yale. So ditch the dodgeball class and take something a little more challenging. . The first thing Yale will look at is your academic performance throughout your high school tenure. Maintaining a consistently high grade point average throughout high school is a critical step in applying for Yale.  As an elite Ivy League school, Yale will examine your grade history from all four years of high school whereas less exclusive schools tend to weigh your performance in your junior and senior year more heavily.  However, you should make sure that your senior course load reflects a rigorous program of study. Do not indulge in "senioritis." There are a number of programs and courses designed to help you prepare for the SAT and ACT. These courses can help you devise methods for studying and taking the exams that will help you achieve the highest score you possibly can.  These courses or programs generally provide techniques designed to help you maximize your score on the ACT or SAT, like how to increase the speed with which you work through individual questions or how to eliminate clearly wrong choices when you don’t know the answer. Community centers and public schools sometimes offer these classes for free or at a reduced rate, so check in your area to see what options are available to you. SAT Subject Tests are recommended but not required for admissions to Yale. However, these tests are a great way to showcase your knowledge in a specific area and can help distinguish you from the rest of the pack. Be sure to pay close attention to the dates when you can take the ACT or SAT in your area and compare those dates to Yale's yearly application deadlines. This will help you plan out a schedule that maximizes your chances of scoring highly on a standardized test before you have to apply to Yale. The application deadline for Single-Choice Early Action applications -- where you agree to accept an offer of admission if it is made -- is November 1. The regular application deadline is January 1. If you are applying for regular admission, Yale recommends you take the SAT or ACT no later than December. If you are worried about your score, consider taking the SAT or ACT more than once. Your score on these exams is a major component of your application package. However, Yale does suggest that you not retake the test if your score is already in the ballpark, since your time will be better spent strengthening other elements of your application.  Yale does not have standardized test score cutoffs. However, the most recently enrolled freshman class had SAT scores ranging between 2130-2400 and ACT scores ranging between 32-36.  Yale does not participate in “Score Choice” reporting on the SAT and ACT general exams. This means that you must submit all of your SAT and ACT general exams scores to Yale.  On the SAT subject test, Yale does allow “Score Choice” reporting, meaning you can choose which scores you want to submit to the university on the SAT subjects test.  While you can take these tests multiple times, there is little evidence to support the idea that your score will rise drastically after the second or third time you take the exams. Save yourself the time, money and headache by focusing on exam preparation in the beginning rather than trying to maximize the number of times you take the test.

Summary: Take AP or college prep courses if they are available. Get good grades Enroll in SAT or ACT prep courses. Schedule your exam dates carefully. Consider taking the SAT or ACT multiple times.


Pieces of material used in mosaic art are called tesserae.  They can be glass, stones, porcelain, seashells, or whatever else you can find.  You will also want to gather together any objects you might want to include.  These could include buttons, bones, metals, etc.  If you can, find them already precut into distinct shapes and sizes.  This will keep you from having to break them with a hammer/saw later. Choose a wide variety of colors and shades.  Even if your work will be mostly monochromatic, you will want varying values and ones. Choose tesserae that goes with the art you wish to create.  For example, if you are doing a beach scene, it might be best to use a wide variety of shells.  If you are looking to recreate the Brooklyn Bridge, you might want to look into metals. Tables, planters, birdbaths, or walking stones are just a few ideas to use.  You can make almost anything work as a base.  Wood, terracotta and/or glass are usually what people use as a base.  Make sure the base is strong enough to hold the weight of the tesserae and grout. Choose bases which have large, open spaces. If there are numerous crevices on your base, it may be hard to create mosaic pieces which will fit. Find patterns for free online or use your imagination and come up with your own design.  For a first time project, you may wish to work with a simple pattern.  This could mean a house, a fish, a landscape, or anything else with simply defined shapes.  After you work on a simple pattern, you can graduate up to more complicated projects. Print out the pattern to the dimensions needed.  Begin transferring the design, first using a pencil.  This will allow you to adjust for mistakes and inconsistencies.  Once you have a rough outline with a pencil, go back and trace over the lines with a pen or marker, depending on the type of base.  If you are using a basic design, this might be the time to add in details that are not present in the original design.  If the pattern is extra large, do it in sections.  Remember this is a rough outline, which can be changed when you start to lay down specific tiles. If you are using an original design, simply draw it directly onto the base.  However, don't over plan.  Spontaneity is key to creating artistically stunning art.
Summary: Select the material you wish to use. Pick the foundation to adhere the mosaic tiles on. Find a pattern you wish to make into a mosaic. Transfer the design to your base.