The UVOworld 3 (8), Winter 2019

Meet the Champ!

They say it’s difficult to be a top dog. Indeed, these guys know exactly how to excel no matter the hardships, obstacles, and emergencies.

We are glad to present the Golden Pen Laureates, the writers who finished at least 100 orders this season without a single late or dispute!:

Golden Pen Laureates

Samson	3411	Samson	309977	Samuel	339363
Jesse	3479	Charles	310083	Michael	345899
Kevin	19751	Samuel	310983	James	346133
Daniel	40147	Brenda	311035	Nancy	354145
Jessica	50311	Martin	311515	Japhlet	354197
Faith	228734	Philip	313595	Antony	360549
Uzair	229034	Evarline	316187	Jorim	373975
Jessica	50311	Colin	289987	Victoria	329085
Eric	277529	Catherine	316407	Elias	376377
Jonathan	279161	Charles	321115	Damaris	377661
Susan	286333	Alice	329125	Peninah	377913
Abigael	295153	Simon	329955	Felix	379131
Louisa	296949	Justus	330325	Beatrice	381951
Benedict	301281	Stephen	331247	Joaquin	397607
Lazarus	302307	Doreen	335581	Morgan	400945
Petronilla	303349

Traditionally, we announce the victor of the season. This time, it is Abigael (295153)!

We send big thanks to Abigael and all writers for the hard work and great achievements this season!

Excellent job, guys!

Let’s find out more about Abigael with the help of our short interview:

How would you describe yourself?: I am an enthusiastic individual that wishes everyone would be kind to another.
Do you remember the first day you started writing? How was it?: Yes I do, vividly. I did a one page paper in like 7 hours. It was not fun, and I felt like never having to write again.
What game or movie universe would you most like to live in?: I would love to live in the universe that will enable me to bring back Iron Man. We all want to continue experiencing his ingenuity.
What do you think led to your success this time? How to become a top writer?: First of all, check the instructions fully and be sure you can deliver a first-class paper. After it is done, recheck the instructions with the content, eliminate all cases of errors, do thorough editing. This way, you will barely get revisions or disputes, giving you the peace of mind and motivation to keep working more. Manage your time very diligently to avoid lateness cases.
Most writers experience the state of burning out. How do you refresh your mind or rest to avoid that?: Well, during the day, I take regular breaks. Do something fun like watch an episode of All Hail King Julien and some yoga. Helps me relax and balance work and life. I also go out on the weekends and dance my soul off. By Monday I am fresh and re-energized to keep going. Just have fun besides working- you will not notice the burnout.
If you could visit any place in the world, where would you choose to go and why?: I would like to visit Seoul, South Korea. Specifically, I would love to tour Lotte World amusement park and view the city from the Soul tower.
Who has impressed you the most with what they’ve accomplished?: I admire Bill Gates. I watched his documentary and how he has invested so much to help improve sanitation in third-world nations, and I think that such kind of generosity is what we need.
What are you looking forward to the most in the next 10 years?: I want to be able to travel without stopping - hoping that the next 10 years give me that financial freedom.
Are there any pieces of advice you would like to give the rest of the writers?: Take writing seriously. It is a whole job. Don’t do it as a pastime activity because you will not enjoy the icing on the cake.
How to achieve big goals, like winning the victor of the season award?: Be goal oriented, do not just work without knowing the direction to which you are going. Set some targets for yourself and challenge yourself to be the very best. No one or nothing will stop you.

Thank you, Abigael and good luck!

Michael Approves

Michael:

Hi, guys!

Ensuring proper paragraph structure may be quite challenging. To help you cope with it successfully, we have created a list of the top-5 related mistakes and prepared some tips on how to avoid them.

More than one main idea in a paragraph.
Do not mix two or more ideas in one paragraph, but focus on one only. For example, describing the consequences of globalization, discuss each of them in a separate paragraph.
Missing topic sentence.
Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence – a statement presenting the central idea. It helps the reader understand what the paragraph is about.
Lacking transitions between paragraphs.
Imagine that you’re writing an essay about the correlation between computer games and teenage violence. One of the paragraphs ends with a statement that playing video games makes teenagers aggressive. The next one starts with the description of an experiment proving that computer games help teens to get rid of excessive aggression. The reader may feel confused, as it is not clear that you present an opposing point of view. That’s why you should ensure logical flow of ideas and make transitions between paragraphs.
A paragraph ending or beginning with a citation.
Remember that a paragraph should begin with a topic sentence and end with a concluding statement? Both of them should be written in your own words. You cannot start or finish a paragraph with citation.
No references to reputable sources.
When you are writing an academic paper, you want the reader to believe you. To achieve this, support your thoughts by referencing credible sources! Ensure that borrowed information is correctly integrated into the text. Avoid random citation placement. Try to interpret external information in a proper context.

Good luck!

Keep calm and stay motivated

When you work on your own, it is usually simple. But it’s a whole different story when it comes to running a team. Apart from old-fashioned e-mails and calls, there is a better way of management with far less stress and hardship - working with Google Spreadsheets and Google Docs.

Managing orders flow

Google Spreadsheets allow you to create tables (spreadsheets) and share them with your team. What’s important is that you can limit your teammates’ access to the document. For instance, you may reserve the right for editing to yourself only (and as such, never worry that someone would ruin the entire table by accident).

Think about it: you post orders in a table; your teammates comment on the one they are willing to take; then you assign the order to the best candidate. It happens in real-time, with no e-mails, long times for confirmation or calls. And it’s all for free.

Adjusting payments

Google spreadsheets work just like any other table. They provide a ton of formulas, meaning that you can calculate payments automatically. Just run a separate payments table with formulas set up accordingly. It will save you a lot of time. Or simply add the price in the aforementioned order distribution table and use the SUMIF formula to adjust your team payments.

Completing orders

Instead of paying a lot of money for software, use Google Docs for creating documents. Apart from being free and functional, this service is always available on the go, as long as you have an internet connection.

To find out more, just google the rest. We are sure that these tools will save you time and ensure a more streamlined workflow.

Around the UVOworld

Eastern Europe has a lot of beautiful cities with a rich history. One of its gems is Lviv, home to over 700 000 inhabitants and an actual cultural relic existing for more than 750 years. During this time, the city often played a central role in the region. So be prepared to see a lot of fascinating landmarks.

Its theaters, historic buildings, monuments, museums, cafes, palaces, and parks carry an indispensable value for the city, making Lviv a true legend itself. Here, every courtyard, house, and street have their own unique stories that date back to the Middle Ages. Just spend a day in this city, and you will come up with a legend of your own that will be kept in the walls of this ancient city.

Let’s dive into the photos of this marvel! Meanwhile, we are sending big thanks to Arsen (397693) for providing us with this brief on his city!

Got a Question?

Q: Will the bonus system be improved?

A: Yes, we are planning to revamp the system in the near future to make it more transparent, beneficial, and attractive.

In 2020, bonuses will be paid based on your high season results twice a year: each May (for February-March-April season) and December (for September-October-November season). To get a seasonal bonus, you will have to demonstrate the following performance:

Have no late paper fines
Have no disputes with writer’s fault
Have at least the set number of orders completed during a season

For such an outstanding performance, you will get fixed lump sum bonuses which will be quite high and, we hope, motivating. We are replacing a complex bonus system with many “if-then” criteria with a straightforward mechanism (just be active and have no lates or disputes) offering predictable and high rewards. The latter (just like the number of orders needed to qualify) will be announced via news before the season.

If you get under mentorship during the season, you will still be able to earn a bonus. We will consider your performance as a freelancer and accrue bonus on your respective earnings.