How 9th Graders Can Improve Their College Chances

Revealing Okonkwos Character Through Proverbs Essay example

In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Ibo proverbs reveal Okonkwo’s character, especially his ambition, self-reliance, and respect for elders. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Throughout the village of Umuofia, a belief the villagers have, is the belief in the earth, sun and rain gods. The villager’s religious values are very sacred. If one does not abide by a ritual such as bringing a little kota to an elder or friend, one does not respect. Other beliefs such as whistling at night, and creating violence in the village’s annual week of peace are meant to be a bad omen. The one who is at fault is believed to be cursed. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;During one harvest, Okonkwo has had a shortage of yam seedlings, so he looks to Nwakibie and†¦show more content†¦Okonkwo believes that work brings its own reward. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Okonkwo is a honorable man because he is a great fighter and warrior. He also shows respect towards his elders. Before Okonkwo even begins to ask for a favor from Nwakibie, he first brings a little kola, to give to Nwakibie. The little kola represents respect. After giving his gift, Okonkwo brings up the proverb,† a man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness. Nwakibie feels honored by this statement. The proverb means a lot in all of societies. When you give respect to one who is older, you shall in return receive respect; this leads to a mutual friendship. Okonkwo’s respect makes it quite easy for a man to say yes for a favor, but while showing respect he is only hiding behind a mask. Okonkwo wants to claim many titles and become the leader of the clan. Okonkwo shows respect only to get what he wants. This reveals Okonkwos dark side. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Okonkwo’s respect and honor for elders, ambition to succeed and self-reliance makes him a successful man. Okonkwo knows how to get what he wants. Hard work and determination bring outShow MoreRelatedThings Fall Apart: Okonkwo Character Analysis Essay856 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel Things Fall Apart, strength and pride are very important aspects of the main character, Okonkwo, however, these traits may sound like excellent traits to possess but because of the way he was raised, Okonkwo harbours many of his emotions under an outer shell of violence, strength and pride. His traits can be shown by looking at where he has come from in his life, for example, Okonkwo has acquired a large amount of wealth in his life because of his hard work and dedication which he alsoRead MoreAnalysis of Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart1579 Words   |  6 Pagesfurthermore, that the destructive effects of these ideologies are visited upon both Ikemefuna and Okonkwo. Okonkwos larger narrative arc actually suggests an ideal third path that discards the , because the novel blends elements of African and Western literature in order to tell a story that is simultaneously a tragedy in the Greek sense and clearly, essentially African. By examining Okonkwos story in detail, it will be possible to see how Achebe uses the particular narrative elements of Things FallRead MorePostcolonial Literature (Persepolis Things Fall Apart)1504 Words   |  7 Pagesbelieve the value to be in using a particular critical approach. ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe and ‘Persepolis’ by Marjane Satrapi follow a postcolonial critical approach. Both books take place in a country considered politically inferior through western perspective and both texts, even though reinforce colonialists’ oppressive ideology, don’t stand completely against the colonialists and fault their own culture. They present the themes of dislocation on how western influences changes, religiousRead MoreThe Culture And Traditions Of Africa1898 Words   |  8 PagesAfrica is a continent marked with a beautiful, yet violent and turbulent past. Its distinct culture is displayed through singularity in art, language, traditions, values and beliefs. However, unfortunately, much of ancient African heritage disappeared due to active elimination by slave traders and colonists. Even today, Africa is one of the most negatively judged continents on this Earth. Simply the word ‘Africa’ might conjur e up images of ebola or war as compared to ‘North America’ which might evokeRead More The Lie of Imperialism Exposed in Literature Essay3048 Words   |  13 Pagesnovel effective and intelligent language. Consequently Conrad’s novella perpetuates the lie of imperialism that presupposes the superiority of European language and identity. Conrad elevates the â€Å"soundless† language of the European colonizers through his treatment of written words and texts. When Marlow finds the Russian’s book he treats it as an â€Å"amazing antiquity with the greatest possible tenderness, lest it should dissolve in [his] hands.† To Marlow the book is â€Å"astounding,† â€Å"wonderful,†

Cause and Effects of Baby Dumping free essay sample

Causes of Baby Dumping One of the causes of baby dumping is teenagers are lack of sex education. Most of the parents failed to inject the knowledge of sex into the mind of their children when their children were small. They feel shy or uncomfortable when their children ask them about sex. Besides that, parents always assume that their children will know everything naturally when they become adult. They are giving less response to those questions and less clear explanation to their children. Parents are less giving a clear view about sex and always claim that their children are too small to know about sex.Most of the schools are facing the same problems. They do not have sex education as a compulsory teaching subject in school. Teachers are also refused to give information of sex to their students because they think that giving sex education to students is not part of their jobs and most of them are having the same thinking as parents. They are failed to give students a correct thinking of sex. Therefore, children gain less information of sex. When they became teenagers, they started to feel curious about the differences between boys and girls.They felt curious about their boyfriends and girlfriends too. They tried to have sex with their partners because they would like to try anything that they never try before at this stage. Most of them have sex without using any safer tools such as condom to prevent pregnant. This shows that they are lack of sex education. Baby dumping usually happened on teenagers. Teenagers choose to dump their baby because they have no capability to grow their child on their own. Most of the teenagers are full time students and their daily expenditures are fully supported by their parents.Poor students do not have extra money to support a baby. Even though some of them work as a part time worker but their salary are very little and only can support their daily stuffs. Strong financially support is a must for grow up a baby. Having a baby is likes a burden to them. They need to take care of the baby, give love to the baby, support the daily expenditures of the baby and others. For those who are still a full time student, they have to do their school work and a lot of tuitions are waiting for them.So, they have less free time to really take good care for their baby. Also, they are lack of parenting skills. They failed to become a good parent. They do not know the correct way to feed the baby, bath the baby, or teach the baby. Therefore, teenagers failed to grow their baby with their own capability. Furthermore, high school students are too immature to fully understand the effects of free sex could have on their lives. So there is no doubt that another problem will be created because of that. For sure the problem is abortion and baby dumping.Panic of being pregnant unexpectedly, they take a risk to abort the baby before their family aware of the physical changes later on. Abortion is a risky action which can be fatal to the mother. But being in desperate situation like this, they cannot think rationally anymore. In addition, internet and multimedia which contain pornography and sexs video can be access with ease. Certain abuses take place. The easiness to widespread access pornography on internets and also through mobile phones. They can even watch on other technological gadgets like mobile phones, Ipad, PSP, without their parents knowing.The cyber sex which is getting a lot of attention especially from the teenagers-cannot of course prevent them from chatting in the web or engaging into cyber dates since the internet has proven its worth in terms of socialization and communication. Unwanted pregnancy also one of the cause of baby dumping. When unwed girls find themselves pregnant, afraid to tell their parents about unwanted pregnant and their don’t know what to do, so the best thing in their mind is throw out their baby’s without feel guilty. Moreover, family break-up or loose family relationships also considered a factor of baby dumping.Family break-ups happen after a long period of misunderstandings, fighting and unhappiness. Sometimes they happen suddenly and it is hard to understand why there needs to be change at all. Children are mostly affected by this kind of situation. If both their mother and father decided to a divorce and one cannot raise their child alone, tendency is that they will dump their child. This child will become homeless and found that they are alone. Also, the cause of baby dumping is the perpetrators didn’t get their family support.Once they tell their parents of their unexpected pregnancies, the family gets angry and started to blame the world about and questions how it happens. It is better be in the opposite way of thinking together how to help them, and provide the motivational e support that they need. Because at that stage,the pregnant woman are actually in the level of anxiousness to be charged guilty for their selves and their family. The anxiousness is actually identified as post-partum psychosis where the woman has change in their psycho ability that leads to act of baby dumping.Whereas some politicians think it causes conversely. Baby dumping happens because of perceptive of society to the mother that leads to them to abandon the baby. The society is not yet ready to be open-minded, they tend to have a very bad thought and perception towards the pregnant woman, makes them feel low, lost confidence to face the world, and in order to have it back, they decide to act repugnantly dump the baby. Baby dumping may also results from the families or the parents itself. The parents might be the kind of permissive parenting. Which they put very few attention on their children’s behavior.This kind of permissive neglectful towards their children, ignoring them, allowing them doing what they want until to the extent that the relationship become abusive. This will also cause the children, to be in over-freedom situation, and as they didn’t get the attention they seek, they switch to their partners. More, the cause of baby dumping is because uncontrollability. It is psychological factor that leads to stress. When stressful situation are unpredictable, the degree of stress will increase or in other word the greater the stress they faced, the less control a person has.This will result in baby dumping, which they cannot control to get rid of the baby because of the stress they faces. Effects of Baby Dumping Baby dumping brings the bad effect to the health of mother. Most of the teenagers are pregnant without the knowledge of their parents because they scare their parents will scold them or even force them to marry. In this case, they choose to dump their baby secretly. Some of them will give birth on their own, which is gives birth in a toilet and dumps their baby inside.This will increase the risk of death which is caused by non-stop bleeding in stomach because they do not have any medical tools help them to stop bleeding. Some of them will be infected by bacteria because they do not take any precaution steps before they give birth. In addition, abortion can cause psychological effects on the mental and emotions of mother or even affect the menstrual cycle. Mother will become weaker and weaker. Those innocent babies suffered a lot in the case of baby dumping. They face a higher mortality rate. They are abandoned since they were born.They do not know who are their parents, where are they from, or even who are they. They receive nothing from their parents. Some of their mother put them inside a plastic bag then throw them anywhere and let them die due to the lack of oxygen. Some of the parents even find many ways to kill their baby such as throw their baby from higher place. Those babies are pity and their parents just kill them without mercy. For individuals, cause by illegal way of aborting the child and left a bad effect on them because of the wrong path, they use to abort the baby just like herbs and alcoholic substances.So, the individual will have high risk of death caused by bleeding and infection on mothers wombs. Another way is dangerous and is not clean by inserting foreign objects into the womb. Women involved who do abortion without proper medical procedures take high risks facing death following infection and bleeding in the uterus. In addition, it is potentially experiencing bleeding in the stomach which can cause the woman unconscious or worse death. Womb also suffered injuries when doing an abortion because those who perform them are traditionally not qualified will use sharp objects such as wood, twigs or wooden sticks.Bleeding sometimes cannot be detected quickly, but take a long time. There are not aware of them until they bleed unconscious. Otherwise, the effects of abortion also can cause psychological effects on the mental and emotions after marriage, especially depression, especially when age is often thought of as the content is never removed. Dysphonic effects include experience in the womb, which raised pain more than experience during the menstrual process. Yet, the mother will have the biggest mental pressure from their family.It is because at that time most families will throw their daughters away instead giving them moral support. At that critical moment, when they have no support from families and society, plus the guilty feeling they felt, the easiest way to take themselves out from the moment is to commit suicide. As baby dumping leads to another problem like suicide, it will also cause a mental problem on the mother. After delivering time, is the most important moment where the mothers are in unstable post-partum psychosis. The mothers will feel anxious, pain as for they is still in refinement, and many more.Plus the support that they didn’t get from partners and family will make their mind goes idiotic or fanatical. Next, the perpetrators of baby dumping, if they found out to do so, are probably not welcome on the society anymore. The society has generalized perceptive on the perpetrators. The might been isolated, and therefore they will gain no trust from anyone, friends, neighbours, employer, and many more. The biggest effect of baby dumping is, if the baby luckily survived, they will not grow up in proper normal family.They might end-up at orphan home, which is never will be same as loving-structured family. This leads to many problems, as the child then are mostly grow up with low self confidence, behavioural or manner problems and also poor academic performance. As for the effects for society, It cause the abortion will be mimicked by others. most cases of baby dumping in the county are using the same way that removes a newborn baby into the trash. This shows there is replication of their cruel way to remove the baby into the the trash. The case has become wide. Negative views from society.

Spring Break Essay free essay sample

Spring break is mainly a time of partying for most teenagers that go to my high school, but I was off to California with my girlfriend’s family to pretty much explore a whole other side of the U. S. California is the place that every person and the world wants to go for their spring break. I was very happy that my girlfriend’s mom is a travel agent, so we got a pretty good deal for the prices of our flight and on the hotel prices. Just for extra fun we drove to Chicago and stayed there for two nights. We explored downtown Chicago, all the amazing buildings. We even got to go into the old Sears Tower, which was something that I think everyone needs to see. Its probably one of the best sights Ive ever seen, other than the fact Ive only seen a good view going down Quincy hill near my hometown. We will write a custom essay sample on Spring Break Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I forgot to mention that when we left for our flight to California that was going to be my first time ever flying on an airplane. It was very exciting to fly, especially since it was going to be a long three hour flight. I felt like a little kid again when the flight attendant gave me my wings for flying for my first time. Not all people in the world get to experience flying, so I thought I was pretty lucky to get to enjoy this experience. We arrived in Los Angeles, California. The hotel we stayed in was one of the best hotels Ive ever been in. This hotel was so big and fancy, and the weight room that was there was bigger than the fitness center back home. This hotel also had two pools. The outdoor pool looked really beautiful, because it had a giant water fall leading into the pool, but it was closed down while we were was staying there, so I just used the normal everyday hotel pool, which was indoors. It was very incredible to see something like this on how beautiful a single hotel could be, and look. Exploring the streets of California was really fun. I adventured through the fashion district, which has a lot of cheap items. There was some kid trying to sell me copyrighted DVDs, which I actually bought, but out of the three I bought, but only one of the movies worked. One of the obvious reasons of why I went to California was that I got to see all the amazing sites that all normal tourists go and see. We all walked around the Sanna Monica Pier, Manhattan Pier, and also to the great Venice beach. It was very pretty place to see all the people walking around and all the little gift shops on the beach. However, out of the three piers I went to, the Manhattan Pier was one of my favorites, because I got to see my first dolphin, which was pretty awesome, and I never thought I’d actually have the chance to see one with the little time that I was there. Later in that week our last trip was to Hollywood Boulevard, which was a crazy place to meet some weird people. There was a lot of people singing, dancing, selling stuff, or any other random ways to make a dollar. Hollywood Boulevard was still a very interesting place, seeing all the stars on the ground with some hand print in it or their writing. One pretty interesting thing that I noticed is that Muhammad Ali’s star was the only one that was hanging up, because all the other stars where just on the ground, but I guess he was the fighter of America. When it was about time to leave California, I was feeling something different than usual, like I didnt want to go back home just right yet. I just wanted to stay there and enjoy the sun. I knew that my spring break had to end at some point, though It was just amazing how different the society was here than Michigan. I think I liked it better here, but that is probably because I’m not living here 24/7 like I am in Michigan. I thought to myself how I would rather go on vacations than partying for my spring break. Spring break is where one can actually learn about a different state and see new sightings for the first time. It was a great experience to go on this trip to California.

Senior Scholars to Freshmen Flunks the Five Paragraph Essay Unraveled Essay Example

Senior Scholars to Freshmen Flunks: the Five Paragraph Essay Unraveled Essay Cover Page Through writing this paper, I wish to actively inform the public about the universal argument towards the five paragraph essay and formulaic writing in general. To help share this information, I wanted to present the opinions of several accredited sources, and insert them into a conversational format so that the reader can easily navigate and understand their arguments. Apart from informing the public about the current debate, I wanted to introduce a solution to the problem of students using the five paragraph essay in their college English classes. By introducing higher level writing earlier in the education system, students will have a head start once they start taking courses at their university. I believe that this paper will be effective because it appropriately lays out accredited opinions about the positives and negatives of formulaic writing, while at the same time proving the point that it will not be accepted in a college atmosphere. Furthermore, it presents a solution to this situation by seeking to implement higher level writing methods while students are still taking high school courses. This paper introduces the argument, supports it from both sides, frames itself, and then offers a possible solution. I personally think that the synthesis of my essay is well written. I feel that I did a good job finding sources that agree or disagree with each other and then implementing those arguments into a conversation. Apart from those strengths, I fear that my niche may seem weak due to the strength of my synthesis. I feel that I may have overshadowed the personal part of the essay with the information I learned from my sources. We will write a custom essay sample on Senior Scholars to Freshmen Flunks: the Five Paragraph Essay Unraveled specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Senior Scholars to Freshmen Flunks: the Five Paragraph Essay Unraveled specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Senior Scholars to Freshmen Flunks: the Five Paragraph Essay Unraveled specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As a result of this project, I have learned that writing is just another medium through which to inform people about a given topic. I have come to realize that writing is very simple: you do it to inform the reader about something. The complex part occurs when you try to decipher how you will complete that task. In terms of â€Å"developing theory of writing,† this realization is probably the main point I learned because in all honesty that is a very big concept that I took away from this project. I am excited to see how this theory will change based on the works to come. Campbell Bailey Michael Johnson English 1510 18 February 2013 Senior Scholars to Freshman Flunks: The Five Paragraph Essay Unraveled Almost every high school English classroom in America has been taught the same thing: the five paragraph essay, or â€Å"formulaic writing,† is the proper way to write a paper. Most students would agree with this statement; they think that they five paragraph essay is a simple and efficient way to draft an essay. Additionally, students often start college with the incorrect assumption that this writing style is adequate and acceptable by their instructors. As long as they write an introduction, three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion, they will receive their coveted grade of an A+. But what is the science behind this formulaic writing? Why does it seem to work so well for high school students, but not college students? The five paragraph essay (or FPE) should not be disregarded or seen as a necessity; it should be viewed as an instrument to improve the writing of novice students. But all writing mechanisms have a proper time and place for implementation. As a result, prior to entering college all students must learn that the five-paragraph essay will not always suffice in a university environment. If they continue with formulaic writing style, they run the risk that their assignments won’t come close to receiving the grade that they desire. This represents a shortcoming in the schooling of today’s novice writers, and this limitation cannot be filled by any brilliant instructor. The solution lies at the feet of none other but the institution of education. The American schooling system must start preparing students during their high school years for the college level writing that they will need to become proficient, while also making them aware of both the positive and negative aspects of formulaic writing. The five paragraph essay has been taught in schools for years because it achieves fantastic results. Students can grasp its construction easily, resulting in good grades and positive reputations for school districts. According to Dictionary. com, formulaic is defined as â€Å"made according to a formula; composed of formulas† (dictionary. com). Not surprisingly, that is exactly what the FPE is: it’s a specific formula that, if followed, helps students create and write their papers. Almost every formula for the FPE is the same, and one will rarely find a different structure then the one taught in almost every school system across America. The construction of the FPE is quite simple, which is why it can be taught to students at an academically young age. The first paragraph is the introduction, with the thesis statement ending the paragraph. The next three paragraphs all support the thesis, and each one usually contains a source that helps build the writer’s argument. The last paragraph is named the conclusion, and summarizes the main points of the paper. This structure has been used by countless students over the years, and it has yielded consistent and positive results. Not only is it easy for a teacher to grade, but it also allows students a quick and efficient way to write their essays on various state-sanctioned tests. But a problem arises once these students arrive at the college level. It is here where the great debate between scholars begins about whether or not the FPE is a proper and justifiable method for teaching writing skills. In the current and ongoing argument over the FPE, it seems that a great deal of controversy is about format. Both high school teachers and college professors seem to have differing opinions on the topic. Jan Haluska, who currently chairs the English Department at Southern Adventist University, believes that the versatility of the FPE creates more beneficial thought and ideas then does writing without a formula. Novice writers are more capable of furthering themselves intellectually if they follow a set of guidelines, rather than not following anything at all (30). But Rick VanDeWeghe of the University of Colorado, and Richard Argys of North Glenn High School disagree, stating that â€Å"The FPE formula may assist students with proper formatting of papers, but it appears to fall short of helping them offer a cogent discussion of their thoughts† (99). The FPE helps students in the short run with the format of their papers, but it oppresses the persuasive aspect of their words. It seems that while the FPE essay offers students organization and simplicity, it also holds back their natural intellectual ability to persuade and inform. The argument over the structure of the FPE is even more hotly debated. VanDeWeghe and Argys positively support the FPE format, saying that it offers writers a solid groundwork unto which to build their essay. They agree that all writers have a hard time creating work, and it is a great advantage to have a clear view of what a proper dissertation looks like (98). In a metaphorical sense, following guidelines to the five paragraph essay is much like riding a bike with training wheels. Without training wheels, the rider would lose their balance and crash, much like a writer ith no direction or foundation. But other writers believe the thesis statement that accompanies the teaching of the FPE overshadows any foundational aspects. Author Mark Graham believes in this notion, and expresses his belief by writing â€Å"And so you cant begin with a thesis, because you dont have one, and may never have one. An essay doesnt begin with a statement, but with a question† (Graham). Many colle ge level educators heartily agree with this statement, and this concept has been used to sway many to veto the use of the FPE. Essays were not initially created to persuade, but to inform and discover. While there is evidence that the FPE suppresses this notion, the fact that the formulaic essay creates a positive working environment for writers cannot be overlooked. It seems that today’s educators play the lottery with whether or not to support formulaic writing; the only way to know if they have hit the jackpot is to pour over the crisp final drafts of their students. When freshman students begin their college careers and flip open their English writing syllabus, they often find themselves anxious and fearful. Thoughts of constantly writing papers and hours of essay formatting leave them anxious with knots in their stomachs so tight that they can hardly breathe. But the stomach knots of some students who have mastered the five paragraph essay are usually a little looser than others according to Kerri Smith, a freshman composition professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Smith exalts students who possess skill with the five paragraph essay. She welcomes them to her class, eagerly overjoyed that she will finally have some students intellectually capable enough to withstand the rigors of college writing (16). So it seems that professors may genuinely believe that formulaic writing lends students a hand in kick-starting their writing careers. They arrive to college armed with valuable information about the structure, organization, and overall atmosphere of a successful essay. But Smith shows us in the above comment exactly what so many educators are arguing for. She references that formulaic writing prepares students for the â€Å"rigors of college writing. † In this one single sentence Smith deals the ultimate blow to the argument for the use of the FPE in college environments. Although it may bring better writers to universities around the country, students will arrive at their freshman English course and discover that they have the skills for an A paper, but they lack the correct form. The formulaic writing that they once knew and loved is rendered completely obsolete by the harsh standards of college writing. Imagine you have been trained from birth to swim with fins attached to your feet. By the time you are 19 years old, you have perfected your stroke and you can gracefully glide through the water. But suddenly, you are told that fins are no longer allowed to be worn while you swim. You confidently take them off and plunge into the water, kicking with your feet like you are so accustomed to doing. You quickly realize that you are hardly moving at all, and that you don’t even possess the strength to tread water in your bare feet. Exhausted, you cling to the side of the pool and come to the conclusion that if you ever want to swim again, you will have to completely re-think and re-learn the skills you have been taught your whole life. The fins represent the formulaic structure of writing that the average student is familiar with. The bare feet symbolize the liberal construction of a college level essay. As one can clearly tell, a college student trying to excel in courses with only knowledge of formulaic writing will struggle much like a swimmer who only knows how to swim with fins. It seems that the â€Å"big final paper† around the country for high school seniors is to write a research paper. This paper is often feared by many students, even though they typically have to argue for one side of a specific topic. These seniors will often investigate a specific topic, and write a glorified summary of the views of a few accredited sources. While this essay is obviously not five paragraphs, students will almost surely mold their writing in a formulaic fashion. They will have a one sentence thesis at the end of their introduction, cite one source per paragraph, give their explanation of that source, and then end with an expected conclusion. The students receive an A grade, and they feel happy and ready to enter college with their expert writing skills, when in reality, they do not have the slightest understanding of what is expected in college writing classes. The concepts that students learn in their freshman English course need to be taught earlier in the curriculum in order to prevent this mistake from happening. Senior year, students are primed and ready to learn essential skills that will help them thrive in a university environment. Concepts that are incorporated into college essays should be introduced at this time. For example, many high school students do not understand that an essay should shed light on two, three, or even four opinions of a specific argument. They also do not know that a complete essay should contain an original argument, or a niche, which is a new opinion or angle on the topic that the writer brings to the conversation. Lastly, high school students don’t understand what a real conclusion is, and this weakness quickly becomes apparent in their early college career. Writer Paul Graham has never understood the method for writing a conclusion that he was taught in high school, saying that it seemed like he was â€Å"just supposed to restate what we said in the first paragraph, but in different enough words that no one could tell† (Graham). This is a common misconception about the conclusion of an essay, and it is something that develops in middle school and continues on until students graduate from grade school. If high school educators could mold their second semester curriculum around teaching their students the three basic concepts above, freshman writers in their English courses would be better prepared and, but they will also be less anxious which will in turn allow them to write more successful, journal-worthy essays. There has yet to be a study conducted which researches the success of college students in regards to the five paragraph essay. A researcher could study the success of freshman students in their English writing course, and interpret that data based on the intensity of their prior knowledge of the five paragraph essay. Furthermore, a study has yet to be done about the success of freshman college students that had prior knowledge of college-level writing concepts, as discussed above. Such studies would shed much light on the effectiveness of the five paragraph essay. These results may even be the final nudge educators need to rethink and adjust their high school curriculums. In conclusion, academia may never know or agree if the five paragraph essay has a universally positive or negative effect on student writing. There are too many variables that factor into the situation, such as the intentions of the writer, the difficulty of the class they are in, etc. Writers will have to make a personal decision on how they prefer to write their cherished essay. Will they play it safe and stick to a simplistic format of five paragraphs, or will they take the plunge into a risky sixth paragraph and dare to offer multiple sides of the argument? Oddly enough, in the end, this hotly debated decision lies in the hand of the one who holds the pen. Works Cited formulaic. Collins English Dictionary Complete ; Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. 17 Feb. 2013. ;Dictionary. com http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/formulaic;. Graham, Paul. The Age of the Essay. paulgraham. com/essay. html. N. p. , n. d. Web. 10 Feb 2013. Haluska, Jan. The Formula Essay Reconsidered. Education Digest 78. 4 (2012): 25. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 10 Feb. 013. Mary Kendrick, et al. EJ Extra: The Five-Paragraph Essay And The Deficit Model Of Education. English Journal 98. 2 (2008): 16-21. ERIC. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. Smith, Kerri. Speaking My Mind: In Defense Of The Five-Paragraph Essay. The English Journal 4 (2006): 16. JSTOR Arts Sciences IV. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. VanDeWeghe, Rick, and Richard Argys. Research Matters: One More Thing: Can We Teach Process Writing And Formulaic Response?. The English Journal 3 (2008): 97. JSTOR Arts Sc iences IV. Web. 10 Feb. 2013.

Silver-Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)

Silver-Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) The silver-spotted skipper, Epargyreus clarus, frequents roadsides, fields, and backyard gardens throughout North America. Skippers dash quickly from flower to flower, as if they are skipping around the meadow. What Do Silver-Spotted Skippers Look Like? Chances are youve seen a silver-spotted skipper. With their brown wings and quick movement, they might not be the first butterflies youd stop to observe. Take a closer look, and youll notice bands of orange on the forewings, and a silvery patch in the center of the hindwings. The silver-spotted skipper is the largest skipper in North America, with a wingspan of 1 3/4 - 2 5/8 inches. Silver-spotted skippers have enormous eyes that appear to bulge out from the head. Epargyreus clarus also has short antennae with clubbed ends. The odd-looking caterpillar has an enlarged head capsule and a pronounced neck collar. With a deep rust or black head and two bright red eyespots in the front, the caterpillar appears quite like a cartoon alien from outer space. The larvas body is yellow-green, with thin dark lines running across its width. By some accounts, the silver-spotted skipper lays her eggs on plants near the host plant, but not on the actual host. This requires the newly hatched larva to crawl and locate its food source. Most experts seem to dispute this theory, and argue the butterfly lays directly on the host plant. How Are Silver-Spotted Skippers Classified? Kingdom - AnimaliaPhylum - ArthropodaClass - InsectaOrder - LepidopteraFamily - HesperiidaeGenus - EpargyreusSpecies - Epagyreus clarus What Do Silver-Spotted Skippers Eat? Larvae feed on legumes, especially woody legumes. Black locust is the favorite host plant. Other host plants include honey locust, false indigo, bush clover, and tick-trefoils. Adult silver-spotted skippers nectar on many flowers, but show a clear preference for blue, red, pink, or purple varieties. They rarely visit yellow flowers. The Silver-Spotted SkippersLife Cycle Like all butterflies, the silver-spotted skipper undergoes four stages during its life cycle, a complete metamorphosis. The generations per year vary by region, with southern populations having the most broods. Egg - Green, dome-shaped eggs are laid singly on upper side of leaves.Larva - The caterpillar has a large brown head, with red eyespots at the front. The body is a yellow-green color.Pupa - These skippers overwinter in the chrysalis, hidden in rolled leaf litter.Adult - Adults emerge in spring. Males perch on tall weeds or branches, watching for females. They also patrol for potential mates. Special Adaptations and Defenses ofSilver-Spotted Skippers At night, or when the daytime weather prohibits flight, silver-spotted skippers hang upside down under leaves. Caterpillars build themselves tiny shelters using carefully cut pieces of leaves. As they grow, they abandon their old homes and build larger ones by joining leaves with silk. Where DoSilver-Spotted Skippers Live? Open parks, fields, gardens, and meadows, and where larval food plants are available. In North America, the silver-spotted skipper is common from Mexico to southern Canada, with the exception of the Great Basin region and western Texas. Worldwide reports include sightings in parts of Europe, Asia, and Australia. Sources: Silver-spotted Skipper, Butterflies and Moths of North AmericaSilver-spotted Skipper, Massachusetts Audubon - Butterfly Atlas

Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Case - Essay Example The goal was not consistent with the definition of effective goals as it did not conform to the elements identified in SMART goals (Author 453). Likewise, every strategy implemented by Ruth, as deemed crucial towards the achievement of the defined goal by Hoffman has not be appropriately supported and thereby enhanced negative, rather than positive emotional arousal. By providing insufficient information as to the extent of leeway given to Ruth regarding company policies (like providing credit in excess of $1,000), all the more Hoffman diminished Ruth’s confidence in running the branch. On the part of Ruth Cummings, the guidelines that were apparently violated are as follows: (1) modeling; (2) providing information; and (3) creating confidence. When Ruth applied strategies that were innovative (hiring an administrative assistant and appearing in a local TV show), she failed to appropriately advise Hoffman to seek approval and support for the strategies. Also, hiring the administrative assistance and paying above norm potentially diminishes the morale and confidence of internal human resources (top sales clerks). Pursuant to the guidelines of empowerment that were violated, the advice that an outside consultant could give to Ken are as follows: (1) provide clear (SMART) objectives to Ruth to enable her to design appropriate strategies that conform to these goals; (2) provide positive social and emotional support; (3) clearly provide information for scope of approving authorities through identification of details from company policies that could be waived (if any) in terms of providing credit beyond the stipulated amounts or needed protocols requiring management’s approval prior to implementation (hiring or firing human resources, for that matter). These moves would create the needed confidence to be exuded by Ruth in carrying out her responsibilities as the branch manager. On the other hand, the advice that would assist empowering

Security Policy Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Security Policy Analysis - Essay Example Greater emphasis is also placed on personal accountability and responsibility of cyber security. Section 111(a) stipulates the supremacy of the Act in accordance with other laws relating to cyber security. According to my personal view, this section mimics the supremacy of the Constitution. It distinctly states how the Act, shall supersede very provision, statute, regulation, state rule, that expressly commands comparable cybersecurity practices developed for the purpose of protecting critical infrastructure. The policy is important in dealing with information security program management. It stipulates the structure for various agencies on now to prevent, assess and even manage cyber security risks. Additionally, it provides a network for federal agencies and other stakeholders to communicate and discuss new developments in cyber terrorism. According to Borene, every federal agency has a distinct role in policy enforcement. On a general basis, each party is tasked with being at the forefront of responsible global cyber engagement, enhancing information sharing and facilitating efforts to increase awareness, training and education to the general population (Borene, 2011). The lack of clear policy enforcements leads to cyber terrorist attacks on government agencies, loss of information and privacy and loss of billions of dollars on an annual basis. One such incident is the cyber-attack on Blue Shield and Anthem Blue Cross in February 2015. Even though no medical information was compromised, the incident breached notification laws at the state level. When technology moves faster than policy, there are many cases of financial loss and exploitation, such as the period before the establishment of the open data policy, an open source project by the U.S

Ielts Preparation Essay Example for Free

Ielts Preparation Essay Onam is one of the greatest festivals of INDIA. It is celebrated with Joy and enthusiasm all over the Country by all communities. It is celebrated in the beginning of September. It is a celebration of 10 days. The Legend of ONAM is, It is celebrated to welcome the King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit India at the time on ONAM. The story goes that, the beautiful state of Kerala was once ruled by a Demon King , Mahabali. The king was greatly respected in his kingdom and was considered to be wise, judicious and extreamly generous. It is said that Kerala witnessed its golden era in the reign of King Mahabali. Everybody was happy in his kingdom and there was no discrimination on the basis of caste or class. Rich and poor were equally treated. There was neither crime nor corruption. People did not even lock their doors, as there were no thieves in the kingdom, there was no poverty sorrow during his reign and everybody was Happy. Looking at his fame and growing popularity, Gods became jealousy on him, and send him to an unknown world(nether world), Since Mahabali is o attached to the people of India, before send him to the nether world, the God gave him a boon to visit India once in a Year. During his visit India celebrate as ONAM. During the 10 days festival, The government declared as a Public holidays for School and colleges. During the festival; all the families gather together and celebrate. There are various sports loke Snake Boat rice, Elephant race, tug of war etc are celebrated. People bun w dresses, and it is festival of unity and happiness.

Strategies for Discrimination in Adult Community Care

Strategies for Discrimination in Adult Community Care Identify and reflect on potential strategies for addressing oppression  and unfair discrimination encountered in community care for adults. Examine the implications of this process for a social worker value base. The Audit Commission report of 1986 and the Griffiths report 1988 emphasised the need for care to become consumer-led; traditionally state run services were quickly contracted out to private and voluntary sector providers. Value-for-money became key, and community care became the favoured option over and above residential care (Blakemore, 2003). Some argued that social work values became secondary to resource-led decision-making (Banks, 1995). Negative discrimination can be defined as the attribution of negative traits or features with regard to an individual, or a group of people (Thompson 2003). Generally negative discrimination relates to social and biological constructs and can be based upon a multitude of characteristics, such as gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, class, age and so on. Negative discrimination creates situations that can lead to oppressive practices, which is defined by Thompson (2001) as: â€Å"Inhuman or degrading treatment of individuals or groups; hardship and injustice brought about by one group or another; the negative and demeaning exercise of power† (pg 34) The core principle of the NHS Community Care Act 1990 was to give people the choice, where possible, being cared for in their own home (Blackmore, 2003), and the social care field was opened to market forces; services users became consumers. However, the purchasing power of service users is disparate, dependant upon social, economic and individual variables. Adults partaking in community care are particularly vulnerable to oppression where there is an imbalance in the distribution of financial or other material resources; economic status can create real disparities in the standard of care received. Service users will often find their financial resources are controlled by their carers, placing the carer in a powerful position and disempowering the service user. This can be countered by being very open with the service user and avoiding â€Å"closed† decision-making and mystery (Topps, 2001). The service user should be involved at all levels of decision-making regarding resourc es. The Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1996 is encouraging as it allows local authorities to make direct payments to service users, enabling them to arrange and pay for their own care package. This is a positive step forward in empowering community care service users. It is also important for practitioners and carers to consider their use of language and its potential effects. Dehumanizing and medicalised language can result in a loss of esteem and a sense of disempowerment for the any service user, particularly those with intellectual impairments who maybe less able to understand medical terms. This can be prevented by avoiding jargon and providing lots of opportunities for questions and open discussion. Carers and social services staff should continually check themselves for use of infantilising language and ensure they engage in mature, adult discourse with service users. An example of dehumanizing language that is still used regularly in care setting is the term â€Å"manual handling†. Many physically impaired service users have reported this term as degrading (Elder-Woodward, 2001), as the implication is that the person is an object to be handled. The term â€Å"moving and assisting† is more widely accepted now. We should also consider the power that is implied through the assumption that â€Å"professionals† have superior medical knowledge, skills and expertise in relation to the community care service user. Often, care plans are based upon the medical model; the impairment is seen as the problem and the service users dependence is emphasized (Adams et al, 2002). Thompson (2001) says social work should take a â€Å"demedicalised† stance and look past the pathology, utilizing the social model of disability as described by Adams et al (2002). The social model suggests the service users needs should be considered in a much wider context, ensuring their social and mental health are given equal consideration to their medical needs. Viewing societal constraints as the problem, and not the individual, creates the frame of mind to consider how to remove barriers to mainstream social, political and economic life. Social workers should liase with service users and look towards a solutio n-focused (not impairment-focused) care plan whereby barriers are identified and solutions sought collaboratively, utilizing strengths. Social workers are trained to critically reflect on their practice to ensure they continually monitoring their reactions to, and engagement with, service users. Critically reflective practice is crucial in anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory work. Until recently, community carers were not trained in such practice and therefore were more likely to repeat oppressive practices over and over as they maybe not be aware of the implicit discriminatory messages of some behaviours. The issue is tackled by new regulations, which require all paid carers to hold an NVQ qualification. The NVQ requires carers to consider issues of discrimination and oppression, and look at significant elements of their own identity. It is important this training is followed up by regular supervision and support (Thompson 2003). Care can be stressful, and it is crucial that steps are taken to minimise pressure, where possible, and for managers/social workers to take the opportunity to debrief with carers as nec essary. The ability to identify and promote non-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice and procedure is a focal point of the social work value base (Training Organisation for Personal Social Services, 1989). Social workers must maintain awareness of the value base by using a variety of strategies to ensure service users are not discriminated against. The aforementioned strategies mean the social work value base is referred to, and reflected upon on a regular basis; it makes it a working, â€Å"live† document. All of the aforementioned strategies are referred to within the value base as issued raised by service users. Anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practices are once again key focus areas for social workers and carers alike. It is encouraging that all workers are required to consider such issues within their training and as part of their value base, and steps are being taken to empower service users by facilitating the co-ordination and funding of their own care package. It remains the case that many care-receivers live with friends/family, who ultimately are in a position of considerable power over the service user, which can lead to oppression and discrimination. References Adams, Robert et al (eds) 2002 Critical Practice in Social Work. Basingstoke, Palgrave. Banks, S (1995) Ethics and Values in Social Work. Macmillan Press LTD, London Blackmore, k (2003) Social Policy: An Introduction. 2nd Ed. Buckingham, Open University Press Elder-Woodward, J (2001) Making Sense of Community Care Recent Initiatives: A service users perspective; or, Farewell to Welfare The perspective of  an ungrateful bastard. Retrieved 16th August 2005 from: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/archiveuk/elderwood/CCPS paper3 (Times12).pdf Thompson, Neil (2001) Anti-discriminatory Practice 3rd Ed. Basingstoke, Palgrave. Thompson, Neil (2003) Promoting Equality: Challenging Discrimination and Oppression 2nd Ed. New York, Palgrave Training Organisation for Personal Social Services (2001) National Occupational Standards for Social Work. Topps, Leeds

Being a Scottish Crofter

I wake with the dawn, pulling on a slicker over my thick wool sweater and boots against the cold rain falling steadily from the sky. Walking through the rain to my sister’s home across the croft we’d split evenly between the family members when I’d been able to purchase the land as my own, I brace myself for a confrontation with my mad brother-in-law.From South Uist (51), I’ve never trusted him and don’t quite know why my sister had married him. He brought less with him than we already had and took in more in food than was his share.With my hands twisted most days and unmovable, I’d hoped that my baby sister would marry a young man full of ambition. Instead, she has married someone with no past or future and with no respect. Without a son, he was my hope but now I will just have to wait for one of my girls to grow big enough to help share in the burden. Perhaps, by that time I will no longer have the sheep. I can smell the sea air, and hear t he waves being pushed again the rocks along the shore. Despite the rain, the sound of the sea blankets the whole of this side of the island.With the steep cliffs, I keep the sheep away and take them to the old community grazing area to eat the seaweed (53), but still my ear strains to catch the sea’s strangely beautiful music. My sister meets me at the door to tell me her husband will be along shortly. I turn and walk back towards my own home, seeing the wife moving about as she readies herself and the children for the day ahead. They will help her to harvest some of the potatoes (68) growing in a patch behind the house before leaving to be educated in the town proper.Potatoes aren’t much but enough to keep our bellies full for a couple months as long as none of them are rotten or soggy (65) as they were last year at this time. Crofting is never an easy life but it is made harder still when there are too few hands to work so little land, even if the land is finally you r own. We are still our own state, but what that means is slowly eroding as more and more changes are made, some for the better others for the worse

Changing pattern of agriculture in Bangladesh Essay

Change in the contribution of GDP The major change in the agricultural field is the contribution in the National GDP which is decreasing year by year. Like the GDP Growth rate of the agriculture sector is descending. Financial Year Contribution of Agriculture 1991-92 28. 70 1992-93 28. 21 1993-94 27. 30 1994-95 26. 02 1995-96 25. 68 1996-97 25. 87 1997-98 25. 34 1998-99 25. 28 1999-00 25. 58 2000-01 25. 02 2001-02 23. 98 2002-03 23. 47 2003-04 23. 08 2004-05* 21. 91 Fig 1: Contribution of Agriculture in GDP Contribution of Sub sector in GDP. As agriculture is consist of all the sub-sectors which are – crops, forestry, livestock and the fisheries. Like the total amount, percentage of the sub- sectors is also declining for contributing in the GDP. In Percent FY 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-2000 2000-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 Sub-Sectors CROP 15. 03 15. 21 14. 59 14. 33 14. 59 14. 70 13. 75 13. 43 13. 23 12. 51 12. 19 Live Stock 3. 36 3. 27 3. 19 3. 12 3. 02 2. 95 2. 96 2. 93 2. 91 2. 95 2. 93 Forestry 1. 93 1. 91 1. 89 1. 90 1. 88 1. 87 1. 88 1. 86 1. 83 1. 82 1. 79 Fisheries 5. 36 5. 48 5. 67 5. 93 6. 09 5. 51 5. 40 5. 25 5. 11 5. 00 4. 86 Use of chemical Fertilizer. The use of fertilizer has been increasing for agricultural production. In the FY 1994-95 the total quantity of fertilizer use was 26. 41 lakh metric tons which increased to 37. 55 lakh metric tons in the FY 2004-05. The use of Urea fertilizer alone was 17. 48 lakh metric tons in FY 1994-95 which increased to 25. 23 lakh metric ton in FY 2004-05. The percentage increase in Urea use in FY 2004-05 is 59. 78% i. e. 9. 44 lakh metric to compared to that of FY 1993-94. This is attainable to increase the irrigated areas and diversified use of Urea. On the other hand the use of phosphates Fertilizer such as TSP, DAP and SSP increased by 42. 16 percent in FY 2004-05 compared to that of 1994-95. Since 1995-96 Urea super/ mega granules are being manufactured and marketed through private sector. This has resulted in reduction of the Urea saving of 30to 35% of Urea and increase in yield together with creation of employment opportunity in the rural areas. The number of machines for manufacturing Urea super granules has gradually increased since 1996-97. Super/ mega granules are also being used in other Rabi Crops. Besides use of different types of mixed fertilizer is being encouraged for balanced use of fertilizer. TSP complex in Chittagong has started production and marketing of NPKS fertilizer on experimental basis. Some factors in the private sector have started production and marketing NPKS. Import of NPKS is also being encouraged under private sector. mport of DAP, TSP,NPKS and potash with more nutrient contents instead of low nutrient content SSP fertilizer is being encouraged and farmers are also being motivated to use such fertilizer, steps are being taken to enforce fertilizer marketing of low quality fertilizer, steps are being taken to enforce Fertilizer Control Order, 1999. Post- landing inspection has been strengthened in the case of imported fertilizer in the private sector. Besides manuals for fertilizer inspection and fertilizer analysis have also been prepared. In Bangladesh chemical fertilizer has been used for a long time. The census of use of fertilizer in Bangladesh of different years are given in the next page- Use of Chemical Fertilizer Type 93-94 94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-2000 2000-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 Urea 1579. 0 1748. 5 2045. 5 2141. 0 1867. 0 1902. 0 2151. 0 2121. 0 2247. 42 2239. 0 2324. 08 2523. 39 TSP 234. 2 122. 9 111. 1 72. 6 62. 4 170. 2 259. 3 399. 5 425. 31 405. 0 361. 0 420. 02 DAP 28. 7 1. 8 0 0 6. 8 38. 6 109. 2 90. 1 127. 03 112. 0 90. 0 140. 72 MP 103. 9 154. 2 155. 9 219. 3 193. 5 210. 8 239. 5 139. 8 222. 26 250. 0 240. 0 260. 38 SSP 170. 6 533. 5 596. 9 525. 3 473. 3 362. 4 237. 2 138. 6 127. 13 130. 0 148. 0 170. 93 NPKS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10. 2 12. 87 30. 0 45. 0 90. 0 AS 10. 0 2. 5 8. 7 11. 7 9. 7 12. 4 26. 0 13. 0 20. 19 10. 0 9. 0 5. 59 Zinc 5. 2 0 1. 0 1. 2 0. 7 0. 3 1. 2 3. 0 0. 24 2. 0 7. 0 8. 0 Gypsum 86. 1 77. 2 103. 6 86. 6 113. 4 128. 2 189. 4 102. 3 96. 05 120. 0 140. 0 135. 70 Others 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Change in Agri-Financing During the two decades the system of agri financing has changed hugely. Now a day a huge part of agri finance came from the government Bank and other banks. There are a number of NGO to help the farmers with short term loan. Khudra Rin Prokolpo of Grameen Bank plays a very important role in changing this financing system. Before most of the agri finance was came from the Rich villagers who are generally known as Jamindars. But that loan was not enough helpful. Because the farmers have to pay a huge amount of money as interest of that loan and by giving back that loan and interest the farmers again reached at the point of taking loan again. Financial Years Target Disbursement Recovery Balance 1992-93 1474. 41 841. 85 869. 23 5692. 84 1993-94 1643. 08/ 1100. 79 979. 12 6222. 00 1994-95 2161. 72 1605. 44 1124. 11 7045. 22 1995-96 2434. 27 1635. 81 1340. 02 7769. 07 1996-97 2394. 22 1672. 43 1646. 38 8256. 00 1997-98 2525. 83 1814. 53 1779. 29 8515. 04 1998-99 3270. 01 3245. 36 2039. 65 9702. 51 1999-2000 3331. 00 2851. 29 2996. 29 10648. 90 2001-02 3265. 92 3019. 67 2877. 87 11137. 26 2002-03 3560. 53 3278. 37 3516. 31 11913. 35 2003-04 4388. 94 4048. 41 3135. 32 12705. 95 2004-05 5537. 91 4956. 78 3171. 15 14408. 94 Change in Employment Generation The economy of Bangladesh is based on agriculture, natural gas, and small industries of jute, textiles, garments, tea, cement, chemical fertilizers, sugar and light engineering. The contribution of agriculture to the country’s GDP is about 23 percent while crops account for 13 percent. Agriculture employs 64 percent of labor force in the country. Agriculture is also the largest employer of women. In 1995-96, 79 percent of the total number of employed women (15 years or older) worked in agriculture. Rice and other cereals occupies nearly 80 percent of total crop land giving a production of food grains of more than 26 million tons in 2001 from a net cropped area of more than 10 million hectares. Agricultural products account for about 25% of total export value. Bangladesh has the largest number of NGO activities in the world. There are more then 2000 NGOs operating in Bangladesh, many of them are associated with agricultural mechanization and food processing. The NGOs are promoting agribusiness in providing technical backup, micro credit and managerial skill. Some other NGOs are also initiating post harvest and food processing programs for rural women. The rate of population growth has brought down to 1. 48 percent; the supply of labor force continues to increase at over 3 percent per annum without further access to land for agriculture. Agriculture is presently and will remain the largest employer of labor in years to come. The national aim would be to increase GDP growth to more than 7 percent (presently 5. 33 percent) on average during the next decades.

Why Not Applying for SSD After 50 Could Be a Mistake

Why Not Applying for SSD After 50 Could Be a Mistake 50-62-Year-Olds Aren’t Applying for SSD, Missing Opportunities A significant group of disabled Americans could be missing out on receiving the social security disability (SSD) benefits they deserve, because they don’t think they need to apply.Those who are 50-62-years-old may become disabled, but think that social security disability is not for them. Perhaps they are daunted by the seemingly complicated process or by what they have heard about how common denials can be. Or maybe they are worried about the stigma of being categorized as disabled, even though the disability is at no fault of their own.Therefore, they may avoid applying for SSD altogether and instead apply for early retirement to afford their medical bills and continue to support themselves and their family while they are unable to work. Being so close to retirement age, this shouldn’t hurt, right? However, applying early for retirement significantly reduces the benefits you can receive once you reach full retirement age.Difference Between Social Security Disability a nd Social Security Retirement It is important to understand that although the social security administration is responsible for both social security disability and social security retirement, these are separate entities. Social security disability was created to help Americans who have been diagnosed with disabilities, such as mental disorders, musculoskeletal system and connective tissue disorders and cancer that cause them to be unable to work. On the other hand, social security retirement was created for those who have reached retirement age and are ready to leave the workplace.The Older You Are, the More Social Security Disability Benefits You Can Receive If you are a disabled worker, you are not alone. In fact, disabled workers make up the majority of those who receive SSD benefits at nearly 87%. Other claimants include disabled adult children and the widows and widowers of the disabled.Being 50-62-years old as a disabled worker is often the prime age to receive SSD benefits. T his is because it is typically easier for workers who are 50 and older to receive the highest social security disability benefits. According to a report from the Social Security Administration, social security benefits for disabled workers increase with age.Simply put, Americans 50-years and older have diligently payed taxes over the years to fund SSD. Let’s take a look at the breakdown of benefits awarded to disabled workers ages 50-64.Ages 50-54: 16% of BenefitsAges 55-59: 25% of BenefitsAges: 60-64: 30% of BenefitsIt is also important to note that those who successfully apply for SSD and are approved to receive benefits typically do so until they reach full retirement age. Therefore, receiving SSD benefits will not change the social security retirement benefits you are entitled to. This is a crucial point because as mentioned, if you are disabled, but apply for early retirement instead, your benefits will be reduced.Don’t Wait - Apply for SSD Benefits As Soon As Po ssible to Start Receiving Benefits If you are between 50 and 62-years-old and you have been diagnosed with a disability, you should apply as soon as possible for social security disability. The process can be complicated, and requires paperwork, proper documentation of your disability and many other elements. With this in mind, it is important to understand your options and seek out an experienced social security disability lawyer who can help you submit your initial application and appeal your claim if necessary.If you are disabled and unable to work, call  Disability Attorneys of Michigan  for a free confidential consultation. We’ll let you know if we can help you get a monthly check and help you determine if any money or assets you receive could impact your eligibility for disability benefits.Disability Attorneys of Michigan  works hard every day helping the disabled of Michigan seek the  Social Security Disability  and  Veterans Disability  benefits they nee d. If you are unable to work due to a physical, mental or cognitive impairment, call  Disability Attorneys of Michigan now for a free consultation at  800-949- 2900.Let Michigan’s experienced disability law firm help you get the benefits you deserve.Disability Attorneys of Michigan, Compassionate Excellence. Social Security Disability Attorney, Social Security Disability Benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance, Social Security Disability Lawyer

Lucent Technologies essays

Lucent Technologies essays Splitting with communication giant AT Lucent has seen its former organizational layout lead down a path of miscommunication and loss of profits. With these issues staring them in the face, Lucent had no choice but to completely revamp its corporate layout. It found itself using smaller focus groups to find problems or new ideas in production. Managers now are forced to have a new outlook on many past stigmas such as top-level bureaucracy. This organization has decided that with declining profits and market share, it needs to become more employee and consumer focused. New managers were brought in to replace its horizontal structure with a more vertically focused organization. An organization that wasnt afraid to listen to new ideas and even implement them into their production processes. The overall strategy to these changes was to improve sales and cut costs. Jeong Kim was selected as the new head of optical networks to improve performance. Delivery time was to be improved by 30% within Kims 100-day plan. Even though Lucent has decided to focus more on employee needs, 5000 more people will be laid off in order to further lower operating expenses. We as a group believe that while Lucent aims at creating bridges between management and its wor ...

Analysis of Alternative Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of Alternative Tourism - Essay Example These tourists want to gain more profound experiences in the countries of their destinations. In such a way, tourists are able to get acquainted with the authentic experiences of source cultures and be involved in the culturally-marked activities of the local communities. Very often alternative tourism is criticized for a major focus of tourism developers on financial gains and not cultural interchange between the tourists and the local communities (Shilling 2007; Tappe, 2011). Further on the paper is focused on alternative tourism, mass tourism, and sustainable tourism. Mass tourism, alternative tourism, and sustainable tourism There is a need to create sustainable places for tourism and it requires the cooperation of tourism developers and community developers. Alternative tourism is more specific than mass tourism due to an abundance of cultural traditions and customs, which are available for tourists. In the mass tourism the visitors are looking for the sun, the sea and sand. The refore, they do not have culturally-specific needs and they need only to have rest. The key concepts of mass tourism are focused on the reduction of direct participation and communication with the locals. Tourism developers are interested in the promotion of interaction between tourists and locals, which is absent in mass tourism. For this purpose place development is required and it should be noted that money expenditures should be invested in this aspect of tourism. Alternative visitors, as a rule, prefer spending their money in local districts and not in the greater region. In order to correlate the needs of alternative visitors and the interests of the local communities, it should be mentioned that careful planning is in need (Crabbe, 2010). Tourism developers of alternative tourism usually consist of families, friends, and representatives of the communities, who are caring about the environment. The concept of alternative tourism is usually used by tourism developers or governm ental representatives. Ordinary tourists would hardly use this term. Natural environments or marine protected areas are of great importance for alternative tourists. Cultural interchange, participation in local traditions and customs are very important for visitors, especially when they come to underdeveloped regions. Pros and cons of alternative tourism, Unfortunately, alternative tourism can be intimidating for natural wildlife, disturb water quality, threaten communities, and disrupt local culture. Therefore, the major challenge of tourism is that it can destroy the resources, on the basis of which it is created. Consequently, both tourism developers and local communities should keep in mind their mutual coexistence and mutual help in the name of alternative tourism promotion and development. Tours of special interest belong to the sphere of alternative tourism. There is an evident shift in the field of tourism from Fordism to the more specific scale of modes of production and co nsumption. Nevertheless, very often alternative tourism prevails over mass tourism. In case tourism is in the hands of the indigenous population, it can lead to their marginalization. â€Å"Sustainable tourism† may be often considered by tourism developers as â€Å"hijacked by many to give moral rectitude and ‘green’ credentials to tourist activities†.  Ã‚  

Literature review topic Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Literature review topic - Coursework Example The ear of fish was according to its water environment, and that of lizard is according to aerial environment. (Fay, 2008). Heart is main organ of supplying blood to all the body organs. The position of heart is also different in different genus as well as the number of chambers. Amphioxus did not contain a true heart, but there were only blood vessels in different body parts that were divided to circulate blood in their specified organs. As the evolution went on, the animals started to grow a well-developed and distinct organ that has divisions. These chambers are atria and ventricle in mammals (Marcos S. Simà µes-Costaa, 2005). Even the atria and ventricles are divided as right atrium, left atrium, right ventricle and left ventricle. These chambers do not allow any mixing of blood and there is a very less chance that oxygenated blood can get mixed with deoxygenated blood. The heart of amphioxus(genius: Branchiostoma) was not well shaped but it is now a very regular organ in mammals like horse(genus : Equus). (Josà © Xavier-Neto, 2010). Prokaryotes are single celled organisms that do not have cellular organelles. They are simple in composition while eukaryotic are complex in nature. They comprise bacteria cells. For movement, they have flagella or cilia. Although they are living, but they do not have well developed systems and specialized organs. They have simple mode of living. Their circulatory, respiratory, etc. all systems are simplest of all organisms. With the evolutionary process, they have been changed to eukaryotes, the most developed organisms of the world. The eukaryotic organisms are very much advance and they have organelles specialized for specific functions. They contain chloroplast, ribosome, mitochondria and many other special structures that are specified to do special works. Chloroplast is used in the process of photosynthesis. Mitochondrion is the

Managing Shareholder Value Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Shareholder Value - Essay Example For effectively planning and managing the funds, another scorecard of metrics is being developed with the provision of incentives for bettering the budgeted figures being used. All of these elements when considered individually excel with their simplicity. But when the system as a whole is looked at it turns to be complex with a number of "metrics, methods and messages" which makes the understanding of the finance executives of the shareholder value rather difficult. Hence it becomes vitally important that the CFO of any organization coordinates his efforts in designing the systems of the financial management with the CEO and the directors of the company so that the internal corporate governance is strengthened and if necessary modified to meet the firm's requirements. With this background this paper envisages presenting a report on the degree of profit measure of economic surplus and shareholders funds economic value accurate the metrics of the key economic visions of a firm. The shareholder value is represented by the wealth a company creates through its profitability for its shareholders. The shareholder value also includes the broad framework in which the firm operates to achieve the shareholder value and it also includes the organizational culture. ... areholder Value theory works on the premise that the value created by a business is best represented by the change in its economic value that is, the change in the net present value of its expected future cash flows to shareholders."1 There are a number of Shareholder Value measures which are being used for monitoring and evaluating the performance of the organization as well as rewarding the employees. One of the most popular methods of shareholder Value Measure is the Economic Value Added (EVA) approach. 2.1 Rationale behind adopting Shareholder Value Approach: The Shareholder Value approach has increasingly been adopted due to the following factors: The managers always feel that there exist a difference in the value of the firm as perceived internally and by the shareholders and this approach helps them to bridge the gap It is also necessary that the investors should know the true economic value of the firm for making their investment decisions on the basis of the economic profit of the firms. The accounting statements present rather a historic value and analysis of the performance of a company and it is necessary to have information on the future value of the company. Since the shareholder value is based on projected cash flows allowing for the cost of capital which are also discounted are less influenced by accounting rules and hence project the true value of the firm. Due to the globalization there is a delay in accessing the standard measures of performance Due to increased contribution to business by the information technology the expectations of investors has increased to get more clear measures of performance. The above factors necessitate adopting a proper measure for the assessing the value of a firm from a shareholder's perspective and Economic Value

Nazi Germany Essay Example for Free

Nazi Germany Essay In Nazi Germany during the Third Reich, which began in the early 1930’s, the role of Women in the society was greatly affected by different policies that were created by the totalitarian government system. Some of these policies included the Law of Encouragement of Marriage, the Lebensborn program, and the Law for Prevention of Hereditary Diseased Offspring (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum). The law of Encouragement of Marriage said that newly wed couples would be given a loan of 1000 marks and for each child that they had they would be allowed to deduct 250 marks from their loan (Trueman). This meant that if a family had 4 or more children they would pay their entire loan off. The Lebensborn Program of 1936 meant that racially pure Aryan women, usually unmarried, would live in Lebensborn houses while they carried the children of SS men in secret (The â€Å"Lebensborn† Program). Once the child was born, they were given to the SS organization to educate the child and facilitate their adoption. All men and women who applied to live in the Lebensborn houses first needed to pass a racially pure test. This test included tracing the family’s genetics back at least 3 generations and blonde hair and blue eyes were preferred (The â€Å"Lebensborn† Program). The Law for the Prevention of Hereditary Diseased Offspring meant that women who were considered to be racially impure or undesirable were sterilized so that they would not be able to produce more offspring. These laws were designed to increase the population of â€Å"pure† Germans and increase the amount of soldiers and mothers that lived in Germany (Turk). The policies that were imposed upon women in Nazi Germany can be considered both successful and unsuccessful. When these policies were first imposed, everyone complied with the policies and women began bearing more children (Women in the Nazi State). As a result, women were forced to commit themselves to the domestic life thus forfeiting their chance to be employed outside of the home. While more women committed themselves to domestic life, more men were able to take their jobs. Through these laws the population increased dramatically and women and girls now had the opportunity to help support the Nazi organizations (German Women and 3 Ks). The policies were unsuccessful because Germany lost the war and thus they did not need all of these pure Germans to populate these territories because they lost control of them when the war was lost. The women were also needed  to work when the war was in its most intense period, but due to the policies that were imposed on women, they were used to living a solely domestic life and did not want to return to the workforce (German Women and 3 Ks). The policies were unsuccessful as well, because there was a large amount of discrimination towards women, limiting their rights as German citizens. The Nazi party, through imposing these policies, increased the German population from 66 million people in 1933 to 68 million people in 1938 (Ganse), which is the main reason these policies could be considered a success. Work cited: Allison, Fiona. The Role of Women in Nazi Germany 1939-1945 West European History. N.p., hhhhhh8 Oct. 2009. Web. 23 Aug. 2012. Ganse, Alexander. History of Germany. World History at KMLA. Korean Minjork Leadership Academy, 11 Sept. 2008. Web. 23 Aug. 2012. German Women and 3 Ks. German Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Aug. 2012. Simkin, John. Women in Nazi Germany . Spartacus Educational. Spartacus Educational hhhhhhPublishers, n.d. Web. 23 Aug. 2012. The â€Å"Lebensborn† Program. Jewish Virtual Library. N.p., 27 Apr. 2000. Web. 23 Aug. 2012. Trueman, Chris. The Role of Women in Nazi Germany. History Learning Site. N.p., n.d. hhhhhhWeb. 23 Aug. 2012. Turk, Eleanor L. Nazi Germany, 1933-1939. World History at KMLA. N.p., 7 Feb. 2011. Web. hhhhhh23 Aug. 2012. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. â€Å"Women in the Third Reich† Holocaust Encyclopedia. Web. 23 Aug. 2012. Women in the Nazi State. BBC GCSE Bitesize. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Aug. 2012.

Crime And Drugs :: Crime Drugs Research Papers

Crime and Drug Use The link between drug use and crime is not a new one. For more than twenty years, both the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Justice have funded many studies to try to better understand the connection. One such study was done in Baltimore on heroin users. This study found high rates of criminality among users during periods of active drug use, and much lower rates during periods of nonuse (Ball et al. 1983, pp.119-142). A large number of people who abuse drugs come into contact with the criminal justice system when they are sent to jail or to other correctional facilities. The criminal justice system is flooded with substance abusers. The need for expanding drug abuse treatment for this group of people was recognized in the Crime Act of 1994, which for the first time provided substantial resources for federal and state jurisdictions. In this paper, I will argue that using therapeutic communities in prisons will reduce the recidivism rates among people who have been released from prison. I am going to use the general theory of crime, which is based on self-control, to help rationalize using federal tax dollars to fund these therapeutic communities in prisons. I feel that if we teach these prisoners some self-control and alternative lifestyles that we can keep them from reentering the prisons once they get out. I am also going to describe some of today’s programs that have proven to be very effective. Gottfredson and Hirschi developed the general theory of crime. It According to their theory, the criminal act and the criminal offender are separate concepts. The criminal act is perceived as opportunity; illegal activities that people engage in when they perceive them to be advantageous. Crimes are committed when they promise rewards with minimum threat of pain or punishment. Crimes that provide easy, short-term gratification are often committed. The number of offenders may remain the same, while crime rates fluctuate due to the amount of opportunity (Siegel 1998). Criminal offenders are people that are predisposed to committing crimes. This does not mean that they have no choice in the matter, it only means that their self-control level is lower than average. When a person has limited self-control, they tend to be more impulsive and shortsighted. This ties back in with crimes that are committed that provide easy, short-term gratification. These people do not necessarily have a tendency to commit crimes, they just do not look at long-term consequences and they tend to be reckless and self-centered (Longshore 1998, pp.

Social Conflict in Public Schools

Big American government is widely perceived as the foundation of social order in our country, yet it is, as some would say the single greatest source of disorder. Political power constantly tempts those who control it to enforce conformity with their own preferences of Education, and Religion, As seen in our country and many parts of the world, citizens will evade enforcers if they can but when necessary will fight back. Our public schools can also be looked at through the structural-functional theory In an article by Jim Powell entitled â€Å" Public Schools and Social Conflicts† he discusses the many conflicts in our public schools are primarily the product of our governments deliberate doings. In the early 1840’s for instance, Protestant dominated public schools were made compulsory for the newly landed immigrant Irish and southern European Catholics. Conflict arose when the Catholics resented having to pay taxes for Protestant schools where courtesy of another government bodies mandate Protestant values were to be taught there as well. The Catholics proceeded to establish their own system of â€Å"parochial† schools, however the age old practice of collecting public school taxes still exists no matter where the student chooses to be educated. Religion is another public school related conflict that Jim Powell discusses. Here he discusses the most famous social conflicts of public school history, the issue of whether schools should teach the biblical story of how the world was created. The â€Å"Butler Act† which made it illegal for any public school to teach a theory that denied the biblical story was how the conflict began. After a series of trials, debates, court and governmental interventions, the conflict still exists. Our public schools can also be viewed under he structural-functional theory. The various cogs of our public schools were probably intended to work together coherently to promote solidarity and stability as the structural-functional theory would suggest. The compulsory mandate of schooling for every child was probably intended to keep the majority of the new population educated thus increasing their productivity in a very young country. Many sociologist like Karl Marx would see this as an opportunity to not only live with the interpreted word but to constantly enact changes to conform with the needs of the current population thus maintaining the desired solidarity and stability . This type of sociologist would suggest that one only had to pay school taxes if the child used the public school system. In our day and age it would seem fair to the children who are home schooled or for that matter senior citizens and families with no children using the public school system, so the burden lay only on the benefit users. Infact it is the main point of discussion whenever a school budget or election comes up in many a town. On the issue of religion, this type of sociologist one that values preserving the desired solidarity and stability would suggest that issues of the religious nature not be discussed at all and that religious students should have a silent moment of prayer should the need arise, thus lending value to the now popular â€Å"separation of church and state†. There are many manifest functions of the public school system that can be The public system is a solid, affordable and consistent source of education for the vast majority of the population and being government funded has its regulations and systems in place. Freedoms that Americans have gotten used to are valued as well. Lack of regulation can have it’s own set of problems as was exemplified in the current â€Å"Financial meltdown†. Latent functions could also be seen in the public school system as is evident in the fact that public colleges function as a â€Å"marriage market†. Here young people of similar socio-economic backgrounds meet and perhaps form lifelong relationships. As was evident in the case of the recent Royal wedding where in Kate Middleton, the daughter of a wealthy businessman was enrolled in a prestigious university thus enhancing her ability to possibly meet a partner of similar stature who in this instance happened to be Prince William. Many a relationships have begun this way and although very rarely acknowledged is a unrecognized and unintended consequence of the public school experience. The public school system does affect American cultural values namely :Equal opportunity along with Individual achievement and Personal success. The public school system does for the most part offer equal opportunity to everyone who wishes to pursue this or her individual dreams. With all the checks in the system it gets next to impossible for any given public education system to waiver making allowances when deemed fit and holding firm when necessary. Individual achievement and personal success are cultural values very connected to the value of equal opportunity. In America, more so than in many other parts of the world is truly the â€Å"Land of Opportunity† . The sky is the limit if one has the desire and dares to dream. With the theoretical perspective in mind it is imperative that American cultural values will change as time progresses. There are constant changes that the public school arena is exposed to: The changing mix of certain ethnic populations in a given environment has given rise to a need for educators with English as a Second language backgrounds. Another area where cultural values will change are in the Special Education arena where with the growing classifications and need to integrate young Special Ed students educators will have to make adjustments to the way the whole population is taught so as to promote solidarity and stability as the structural-functional theory would suggest.

In Twelve Angry Men Rose Shows That Doubt Is an Easier State of Mind Than Certainty Essay

Set in the sweltering summer of 1954, Reginald Rose’s socially insightful play â€Å"Twelve Angry Men†, illustrates the dangers of a justice system that relies on twelve individuals to reach a â€Å"life or death† decision with collective states of minds hindered by â€Å"personal prejudice†. At the conception of the play, rose explores the idea that doubt is a harder state of mind than certainty by portraying doubt, in the guilt of the boy, as a minority view within the courtroom. However, as the play progresses a seed of doubt is planted and the importance of self prejudice hindering the verdict is removed, making it harder for the jurors to hold their certainty in their guilty verdict. At the conception of Twelve Angry Men, Rose exposes the audience to the devastating heat in the jury room which over looks the â€Å"New York sky line† on what is described as â€Å"the hottest day of the the year†. At this stage it is revealed to the audience the apathetic nature of jury members, uninterested in the â€Å"grave responsibility† they have in deciding the fate of the â€Å"16 year old boys life† and more interested with the goal of escaping the plain, oven like jury room. With each juror being blinded by the thick glaze of heat In front of them a verdict of guilty becomes the instinctive state of mind and the room for reasonable doubt is eliminated from all but one. The author, Reginald Rose displays through juror 8 that to be doubtful when challenging a majority becomes a harder state of mind, â€Å"as it’s not easy to stand alone against the ridicule of other† at this moment juror 8 initiates his campaign that we can never be certain about anything, we can only make assumptions based on the information provided. As juror 8’s campaign continues, and the seed of doubt planted into the â€Å"guilty† minded jury members is fertilised thorough the analysing of facts the reasonable doubt slowly grows in the jurors minds, the audience begin to create an understanding that doubt is an easier state of mind than certainty, as to be doubtful you are not accountable to that single view, as we are reminded in the text from juror 8 â€Å"I don’t know whether I believe it or not† parting him from the majority but lowering the conflict, as he is not certain about the innocence of the boy rather not feeling not comfortable to raise his â€Å"hand and send a boy off to die without talking  about it first†, making the doubtful state of mind an easier sense of conscience although a harder sense to preach onto the other jury members who consist of the majority. Towards the conclusion of the play twelve angry men, doubt begins to become an easier state of mind as the persuasion of doubt is created through a range of events that after previously being concrete are now questioned, and the â€Å"not guilty† verdict is now the majority verdict, this releases the oppressively hot environment of the jury room through the delivery of rain, representing a Burst of relief and fresh air for the jurors. Although, Reginald Rose decisively leaves one jury member (3) who is still stuck in the train of personal prejudice and believes the kid â€Å"knifed his father 6 inches into the chest†. Juror 3s certain state of mind portrays him as the villain of twelve angry men, a man who is blinded by his own personal outside influences and is illustrated as a stubborn man with no â€Å"integrity† when defending his view of â€Å"guilty†, this shows that his state of mind being â€Å"guilty† now becomes the harder state of mind as he is left as the minority, and could not separate personal prejudice when dealing with the fate of another’s life, effecting his judgement. After juror 3 finally splits his relationship between his son and the 16 year old boy on trial a â€Å"not-guilty† verdict is delivered to the judge. Reginald Rose shows his intended audience at the conception of the film that doubt is the harder state of mind as juror 8 views on the boy and trial is challenging the majority, although throughout the progression of the play, not one juror member is able to hold his certainty, making doubt an easier state of mind as they do not have to hold a certain point of view and are not accountable to that single certain view.

Automobile and Buses Urgency Essays

Automobile and Buses Urgency Essays Automobile and Buses Urgency Essay Automobile and Buses Urgency Essay in front of my school is a narrow one . very busy place . Every afternoon when school finished roads become more crowded and full of kids, bicycles , cars and buses urgency and struggle to use it . Sometimes a policeman there to help solve the problem of traffic congestion , because congestion chaos, we should be careful not to get involved in an accident . Several accidents have occurred . I was a witness to one. In the event only after school . As usual path utter bedlam . Children walking on the oad to get to their cars and buses . Cars and buses honking mad at them. Just then I saw a young man making a dash across the street . There are loud horns blare , a brake squeal and I saw a car knocked into the boy. He fell as if his feet were swept from under him . Fortunately the car was not moving very fast and the driver managed to stop the car before the wheels can hit the boy fell . All traffic stops. I ran to the boy and saw blood on the road. He was bleeding from a wound on his head. A guy came and inspected the boy. Then he lifted the boy is brought to the car . They accelerate , perhaps to the hospital. Many people surrounded the driver looks in anger and stared . A policeman came to calm things down. Like there was nothing I could do , I turned and walked down the street carefully. It is terrible to witness the accident. I certainly do not want to be involved in one. suddenly I heard a sound like the call I boy! quickly get up I Just think it is a nightmare.

The 10 Best ACT Books Recommended for ACT Prep

The 10 Best ACT Books Recommended for ACT Prep SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Has your reading list been taken over by ACT prep books? There are a lot out there to choose from, and you want to make sure you're using high-quality materials that will get you ready for the ACT. This guide is meant to help you choose the best ACT prep books to achieve your goals. I've divided the books up into three categories: the critical book you need, the best books for general prep, and the best books by ACT section. Before jumping into myrecommendations, a quick note about the perspective I'm coming from. FYI: A Disclaimer If books are your preferredresource for studying, then they can take you as far as you want to go in prepping for the ACT. Since all of the following books have different strengths and weaknesses, I would recommend using a combination of several. That way one can make up for any content, strategy, or practice questions that might be lacking in another. At the same time, it's up to you to make a study plan and stick to it. This ACT book list hasall the material you need, but it's up to you to make the most of them. Because designing and sticking to a plan is challenging to students at any age and level (the urge to procrastinate never goes away, to be honest), PrepScholar's online ACTprep program has a great track record of helping students meet their goals. This program combines the best parts of each of these books, while also building in a measure of accountability. It helps you design a study plan customized to your particular needs, strengths, and weaknesses, keep track of your progress, and stick to your benchmarks over a sustained period of time. Regardless of what method works for you, we're committed to givingall students access to the resources they need for academic success. That's why we publish detailed guides to the ACT every day, along with free ACT practice test pdfs for you to download and print. That's also why we want to make sure you're using the best ACT prep books available. To that end, let's start by discussing the critical ACT prepbook that every student should purchase. The Critical Book for ACT Prep By calling this book critical, I mean every student should use it to study for the ACT, regardless of herlevel or target scores. It's really important. Go ahead and get it. I'll wait. The Official ACT Prep Guide (or the "Red Book") Amazon price: about $23 Why is The Official ACT Prep Guideso crucial? Because it's made by the test makers themselves, meaning its practice questions are the best representations of what you'll see on the test. They were actually already given on the test, on past administrations of the ACT. All books have pros and cons, though, so let's consider where this oneexcels and where it has limitations. Pros This book has the best sample questions because they're real ACT questions. That means the content will match what you'll see on the test (with one caveat - see the cons section below), as will the format, timing, and wording of the questions. It's crucial to use real practice questions to prep, so you can get used to the test, know what to expect, and assess where you need more practice. The Red Book has five full-length practice tests, all of which were previously administered official tests. It also has over 400 questions available online that you can access with a code you get when you buy the book. While this book is the best source of practice questions, it's not the best book for other aspects of your test prep. Let's consider some of its drawbacks. Cons While the Red Book is a great source for practice questions, it's not the most thorough when it comes to reviewing concepts or learning strategies. It's especially weak when it comes to test-taking strategies, since the ACT test makersare like magicians: they don't want to reveal their tricks. Another weakness of this book has to do with the answer explanations. They could be more thorough. Other books do a better job of walking through the steps of answering a question or solving a problem. This helps you develop a thought process for successfully approaching and answering questions. Finally, it turns out that not all practice tests are equivalent. While ACT, Inc. hasn't announced any changes to the test, many experts agree that the ACT has been gradually changing (ie, getting more difficult) over the years. In particular, they generally agree that the Science section has become more challenging and the Reading faster paced. The practice tests and questions in this book don't always reflect these changes. In fact, many questions in this book seem to be easier than what you'll encounter on test day. You may find yourself scoring higher on these practice tests than on the real ACT. Since the Red Book is best for practice questions, you would need to supplement it with other ACT books that review content and teach strategies. Below ismy ACT preparation books list, divided by the best general books, followed by my suggestions for subject-specific study guides. Best ACT Books for Overall Study The books that are best for overall study address all sections of the ACT, English, Reading, Math, Science, and the optional essay. Some excel in reviewing content, while others are better for strategies, like managing your time, recognizing question type, and speed reading the passages. All of these books can be used alongside the Red Book, where you can apply what you'velearned on real sample questions. Let's jump into the pros and cons of each. Barron'sACT Amazon price: about $17 Pros If you're looking for a large amount of content, strategies, and practice questions all in one big ACT prep book, then Barron's ACT is a good choice. It's a traditional prep book with a thorough review of the concepts that will appear on each section of the ACT. It begins with an introduction to the ACT and suggested study plan, followed by an ACT "dress rehearsal," or diagnostic test to measure your initial level. Then it devotes about 50 pages to each section, with test-taking tactics, skills and concepts, question types, and a practice test. Each section also begins with a warm-up drill, about ten or so quick questions. Barron's discusses the main concepts you need for answering Reading questions, like uncoveringmain point, interpreting details, and understanding vocabulary in context. It breaks down the English section by grammar rule, like punctuation, run-on sentences, and subject-verb agreement. Along similar lines, it describes and gives examples for math concepts like algebra and coordinate geometry, and reviews the data representation, research summary, and conflicting viewpoint questions on the science section. Barron's ACT is a good book for general study, but there's also Barron's for a 36 for those students aiming for a perfect score. Barron's also has subject specific workbooks, such as Barron's ACT Math and Science Workbook, for even more practice questions. Now for the downsides of Barron's ACT. Cons The general feeling around Barron's test prep books is that the practice questions are actually more difficult than real ACT questions. Some go beyond the test in terms of the concepts they test, while others are just worded in an overly complex way. While "overpreparing" is not necessarily a bad thing, it could be an ineffective use of your time. Plus Barron's practice tests might not give you the truest sense of your scoring level. While Barron's is very comprehensive, this thoroughness might also be a drawback for some students. The sheer amount of material can feel overwhelming, and it means students have the extra task of breaking up their studying into smaller, more manageable goals. Reading it cover to cover wouldn't be the most effective approach, so you have to break it up into an order that makes sense for you. Without a frequency guide that prioritizes some concepts over others, this may feel like additional work. The thoroughness of Barron's ACT is a strength, but it also signifies extra commitment from you. Princeton Review's Cracking the ACT Amazon price: about $17 Pros Like Barron's ACT, Princeton Review's Cracking the ACT is a comprehensive, traditional test prep book that provides a full review of content, strategies, and practice questions. It covers Math most thoroughly, followed by Science. The English and Reading sections are less comprehensive. This book clearly states important grammar rules and math concepts you need to know, while suggesting thought processes to use when taking the test. It talks about how best to use process of elimination, what order to answer the questions in to save time, and how to think through questions that leave you stumped. Each section has drills and example questions. This book also provides six full practice tests, four of which are in the book itself and two online. It has an online LiveScorer for the essay, as well as instant scoring for the online tests. Cons This book has similar downsides as Barron's ACT. As a big, comprehensive book, it can feel overwhelming and be difficult to approach. Since it's a traditional prep book, some students might find its style dry and hard to stay engaged with. Since the practice questions aren't official, they aren't the best representation of real ACT questions. Unlike Barron's overly difficult material, though, Princeton Review can be too easy. If you're looking to boost your scores into top percentiles, Princeton Review is probably not the book that will get you there. Instead, books like Barron's and the subject-specific books below are better for achieving top scores. The ACT Black Book Amazon price:about $29 Pros While Barron's and Princeton Review cover all aspects of ACT prep, the ACT Black Book is more narrow in its focus.By this I mean the Black Book is less concerned with teaching you math and English skills and more concerned with teaching you about how the test works. According to the author, Mike Barrett, the ACT is a predictable test that uses the same template year after year. If you study the question types and patterns, then you can recognize exactly what each question is asking you. In a sense, you can beat the test by truly understanding how it works in an in-depth way. Barrett suggests thatany student can score highly on the ACT regardless of their academic performance in school. Doing well is abouthow you think about the questions and avoid the common pitfalls of tricky wording and distracting answer choices. As Barrett says, the ACT is only hard because "it tests the basicsbut in very strange ways." Cons The major con for The Black Book is that it has no ACT practice questions of its own. Because it refers to questions from the Red Book, it has to be used alongside it. The Black Book doesn't have too many lessons on concepts, either. For what it does have, the Math and Reading are stronger than the English and Science. The Black Book presupposes that you already have the skills down, and then shows you how to apply them on the ACT. That's why it must be used in conjunction with another book for content review, and probably only after you possess the requisite skills. Additionally,at about $29, this is one of the more expensive ACT prep books. Because it's a wordy, in-depth look at the structure, format, and tricks of the ACT, it requires a lot of dedication and motivation from students. The Black Book will teach you a lot, but you have to really take the time and energy to engage with it. The Black Book is best for students willing to delve into the material and thereby gain a deep understanding of the ACT and how it works. Up Your Score: ACT, The Underground Guide Amazon price: about $11 Pros The Underground Guide takes a more fun approach to ACT prep. It breaks down the format and concepts of the test in a humorous way, and offers some test-taking strategies. It's written by test-takers who share their experiences and understand what the entire process is like. Unlike other books, it delves into issues of stress and pressure surrounding the tests and offers advice for taming your nerves.Plus it has a recipe for "GameFace Quintuple Sugar Blast Bars," if you're into that kind of thing. Cons This book is a lighthearted departure from more serious, traditional prep books. While it's a relatively fun way to introduce yourself to the ACT and gain some intriguing insights from former test-takers, it's probably not sufficientas your only source of test prep. It might be more like a "pre-book" to start out your studying, clear up questions and anxieties around the test, and learn about what the test and experience is like in an engaging way.To gain more rigorous review of different sections of the ACT, I recommend checking out these subject-specific books listed below. Best Books for ACT Math Are you looking to pay special attention to the math section of the ACT? These books focus specifically on ACT math, so they can be especially useful if this is where you're trying to improve your scores the most. My two recommendations are the Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT and McGraw Hill's Top 50 Skills for Math. Ultimate Guide to the Math ACT Amazon price: about $24 Pros The Ultimate Guide to the Math ACTgives clear, well-crafted lessons of each math topic that shows up on the ACT math, like algebra and geometry. It also breaks them down into smaller subtopics, like functions and plane geometry. It covers everything you need to know and doesn't go beyond the concepts that will appear on the test. It also has high-level strategies for solving problems, saving time, and prepping in the most effective and efficient way. Cons The answer explanations to the practice problems are not as thorough as they could be. This book doesn't walk you through the steps of solving the problem like the ACT Black Book does, meaning you could run into confusion with a similar problem. It also doesn't have a frequency guide that shows you how often to expect certain concepts or identify levels of difficulty. This means it's up to you to figure this out and prioritize your studying. McGraw Hill's Top 50 Skills for Math Amazon price: about $14 Pros McGraw Hill's Top 50 Skills for Math, unlike a lot of other math review books,is written in an engaging style. It discusses 50 critical math skills you need for the ACT, along with sample questions illustrating each concept. A particular strength of this ACT prep book is that itwalks you through solving the problems from beginning to end, which can aid your thinking when you're taking the real test. This book has a diagnostic pre-test you can use to assess your skills starting out, as well as a post-test to gauge your progress. Cons Since this book is more focused on teaching the top 50 math skills, it's limited in terms of practice questions. This book would best be used to review concepts alongside the Red Book plus another source of practice questions. While this book is useful for students at all levels, it doesn't provide extra strategies or tips beyond the ordinary. It's probably not the book that will push motivated students into the top percentile of scores. Best ACT Prep Books for English and Reading In terms of the English and Reading sections of the ACT, my top recommendation comes from Erica Meltzer. Erica Meltzer's The Complete Guide to ACT English Amazon price: about $31 Pros Erica Meltzer teaches you about the different types of English questions and drills you on those question types. She explains the important grammar and usage rules you need to answer these questions correctly, like parallel structure, sentences and fragments, even punctuation marks like apostrophes and dashes. The practice questions are grouped by skill so you can drill your understanding of each rule. This book is straightforward, to the point, and covers the most important skills and rules you need to know. Cons One obvious con is this book is relatively expensive considering it only covers one of the four sections on the ACT. It is helpful for learning and drilling all the grammar rules, but not sufficient as a source of practice questions. While it's helpful that Erica Meltzer groups the questions by skill, the actual ACT will ask these questions randomly. You'll have to move beyond this book to make sure you can identify the skill without it being pre-labeled in the book. The Complete Guide to ACT Reading Amazon price: about $28 Pros Both the reading passages and practice questions are high quality and realistic in Erica Meltzer's The Complete Guide to ACT Reading. Erica Meltzer does a good job of teasing apart the skills you need to develop for this section, which can be harder to identify than, say, the math section. She gives activities to drill each skill, as well as discusses strategies for reading the passages and saving time. For more pieces of advice, you can check out her blog, The Critical Reader. Cons Like her English book, this one is relatively pricey. Bought together, they total roughly $60, and that's only to cover English and Reading. Some students find her writing style to be a bit dry, while others appreciate that it's direct and to the point. While the material is high quality, the layout is not compelling. It has small font and not particularly creative graphics. Best Book for ACT Science Even though many students find the Science section to be the most challenging part of the ACT, until recently there were no books specifically dedicated to helping you on ACT Science. At PrepScholar, we know all the tricks for making ACT Science easier, so we decided to compile them into a book. The PrepScholar Guide to ACT Science Amazon price:about $5 (e-book) Pros This book covers every topic, skill, and question type you'll see on ACT Science which means that nothing on this section will come as a surprise on test day. It includes a list of every science fact you could be tested on, so you're only studying the science information you need to know. It also contains multiple strategies for tackling ACT Science passages so you can choose the method that works best for you. Most importantly, this book contains all of our best ACT Science test-taking tricks.Many students get tripped up on the Science section because it's so different from the science tests they've taken in school. However, this books shows you how to identify every trick in ACTScience and learn how toavoid getting fooled by them so you can find the correct answer quickly and more easily. Cons While every chapter in this book includes sample questions to help you see and understand different concepts, there is no final quiz or exam section at the end of the book. To fully practice everything you've learned from this book, we recommend takingfull-length Science sections. Additionally, right now the book is only available as an e-book, so you can't purchase a hard copy if that's how you prefer to study. Is Studying from Books the Best Option for You? Studying for the ACT probably isn't at the top of your favorite things to do. For a lot of students, it requires a lot of self-discipline to sit down and drill yourself on the skills you need for English, Reading, Math, and Science. Given this, you certainly don't want to be wasting your time. If you're taking the time study, you should see results. To make sure you're prepping effectively and learning the skills you need to know, I would recommend exploring all your test prep options. For instance, you can learn a lot about the ACT (for free!) from our various detailed study guides. A lot less expensive (and lighter) than all these recommendedACTpreparation books, since unfortunately there's no ACT preparation books free download. These are just a few of the most useful guides, and we're adding new ones every day. The Best Way to Review Your Mistakes on ACT Questions Should You Guess on the ACT? 5 Guessing Strategies The 31 ACT Critical Math Formulas You Must Know The Complete Guide to ACT Grammar Rules ACT Vocabulary: Words You Must Know How to Write an ACT Essay, Step by Step How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer All of us at PrepScholar have been through the standardized testing process and understand what's at stake. We also know that it's important to prep in a way that's customized to you as a student, celebrates your authentic learning style, and doesn't feel tedious or boring. You can try a 5 day free trial of our online ACT prep program to see if it works for you. You can learn exactly how PrepScholar customizes your study plan, keeps track of your progress, and helps you stay accountable to your goals. While books offer a ton of information, their very thoroughnessadds extra challenge to an already high stakes situation. Before spending your time and money on all these books, consider how you best learn and what your goals are so you can make things easier on yourself and determine yourbest approach. What's Next? How long should you study before you take the ACT? Check out our recommended study plan here. When are you going to take the ACT for the first time? How many times do you plan to take it? This article discusses the most important factors in choosing your test dates. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.