Major Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Major - Personal Statement Example Seeing as I was enthusiastic about business, I chose to delve into economics. In the discipline of economics, I have been able to amass multiple experiences through a hands-on rationale that drives my quest to prosper. First, I have taken up attachment positions in three firms during summer breaks, with the most influential internship being at British American. I gathered tacit lessons in corporate governance and auditing that are bound to be of help in future. I have also volunteered in peer business programs that seek to forge the way towards innovative business ideas. ‘Eco-plus’ was one such program that afforded university students the opportunity to win ten thousand dollars in grant for creative business facets, in which I acted as regional student representative for California. From these experiences, I have been able to learn the importance of communication in business, and how good communication forms the cornerstone of any successful business entity. Ethics in corporate governance has also emerged as prime cue in economies of scale, since globalization is fast changing the manner in which countries transact their businesses (Bovee & John, 43). With more involvement and interaction in the economic discipline, I am bound to gain practical skills that may yet prove influential in terms of managing a

The Effectiveness Of Facebook Marketing

The Effectiveness Of Facebook Marketing Abstract This research proposal focuses on the effectiveness of Facebook marketing. The success of Facebook has not escaped the specialists attention, but there is a clear absence of quantitative research because there has been huge debate within the marketing community that is influencing consumer behaviour and brand perception, so, this study will help to support the debate. Many brands and small businesses have already entered the Facebook platform and due to the economic remunerations of this platform, brands with a truncated marketing budget can be lured to join the race. The purpose of this research is to, with a quantitative approach; determine whether Facebook is an effective marketing standard. An experiment will be accompanied where a sample of participants will be exposed to a selection of fictive fan pages on Facebook during one weeks time. After experimentation process and surveying fans I will be able to demonstrate the fact of considering a Facebook an effective marketing tool for businesses. 2. Introduction Facebook is a very famous social networking website which was launched in the second month of the year 2004. Seemingly, it has been studied that almost one out of 14 people in this world is a Facebook user. Facebook has become an unbeatable phenomenon by its fastest growing number of users and user friendly platform. By the time it has started, Facebook has approximately more than 500 million users. Each user is connected to an average of 140 friends which shows if a company persuades a single person to post something about their business or brand they are having the potential of reaching 140 or more. There are more than 25 billion content shared like pictures, posts and links and over 170 million things to interact with, includes pages, events, applications, games and groups (Facebook web-page, press information, 2010). Facebooks early achievements attracted investors and marketing companies to nurture their businesses with the help of its growing number of users. Many national and international companies are using the help of Facebook to market and advertise their business in order to fascinate more clients (Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook). Facebook marketing is becoming talk of the business town. Facebooks enormous user power helped multinational and national companies to build number of clients and sales of their products and services in a very short period of time. The advertiser is no longer the person in a company that decides how, when, where and whom to communicate. Nowadays it is the customer that decides which company and what information to take part of (Meadows-Klue, 2007). Facebook is thus an attractive marketing channel to reach younger consumers, and particularly interesting for new companies that do not have extensive marketing budget. As a researcher, I would like to explore more on the effectiveness of Facebook marketing. So, this research mainly focuses on the effectiveness of Facebooks marketing. 3. Problem Facebook is a young contender in communication platform and there are not many studies or researches regarding its effectiveness as a means of marketing. Deceptively, there are very few guidelines concerning what role fan pages should play in a business marketing strategy and how the brand should communicate with consumers through such a medium. The absence of scientific studies does not however reflect a lack of interest amongst advertisers and the number of businesses starting their own fan page is constantly increasing. Lately, there has also been a debate concerning the effectiveness of a creative approach versus a selling approach to marketing. This debate has been supported by extensive research and according to several studies a creative approach is to be preferred (Colliander, Erlandson and Modig, 2010). However, these results have yet to be tested on Facebook platform. The problem question that will be used to perform the research is is Facebook marketing an effective? The main purpose for this research is to investigate whether start-up companies shall use a Facebook fan page in order to enhance perceptions of brand associations and improve traditional key advertisement indicators amongst consumers. The study will also determine whether an advertiser shall adopt a creative approach rather than a strictly selling approach on Facebook. We address this study to start-up companies targeting young students. 4. Proposed Literature Review 4.1. Facebook-ing for business According to author of this article Facebook is everywhere these days, and it isnt going away. A recent report stated that 10% of total time spent on the internet is on Facebook, and it would be stupid for local businesses not to take advantage of the opportunity accessible by Facebook. Jared Todd (author) also represented some primer for business looking to reach out to customers through Facebook Invite customers, but dont be pushy: Invite customers to join the page but never push them otherwise they will get irritated. Publish your Facebook Page on Website, Twitter, or any other social networking website Run Facebook Only Promotions: Run promotions which are only accessible through Facebook. Facebook for Business: This is the process where a company can promote its products with the use of Facebook. (Retrieved from: http://whizkidkonnect.com/) The main reason why I chose this article, because of authors straight forward approach in describing benefits of Facebook, he also shows the main possible ways to get the attention of the customers. This article represents all the possible ways which make Facebook an effective marketing tool. 4.2. Viral Marketing Groups are one of the simplest ways to perform viral marketing on Facebook. It is as easy as if somebody is relaxing on a couch. It starts when members starts joining a group after that they can invite any person or a friend on Facebook by using a very unique feature called the built in Invite feature. If your members are interested and would like to join about your group, it can grow really fast. Additionally, the group name will usually appear on your members personal profile pages until they leave the group. Many people view groups as Bumper Stickers. Because profile pages are exceedingly trafficked, these links can engender a lot of clicks to a group page. (Justin Smith, 2007) (Retrieved from http://www.insidefacebook.com/2007/12/09/inside-facebook-marketing-bible-24-ways-to-market-your-brand-company-product-or-service-in-facebook/, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Viral-marketing-tips/92274993058) Viral marketing is a part of internet marketing. The source here mainly states the meaning of viral marketing which is also known as word-of-mouth marketing. All these information is essential for a best conclusion on the research topic. There are certain parts of Facebook page that results to viral marketing such as its application that connects people with each other instantly, its fan page feature, invitation process i.e. inviting your Facebook fans or Friends for an event or gathering. This information is vital for knowing the effectiveness of Facebook marketing. (Bhavya George, Social Maximizer, 2010) (Retrieved from: http://sem-group.net/search-engine-optimization-blog/social-media/viral-marketing-on-facebook-7-points-you-just-cannot-neglect/) 4.3. Vancouver Business: Success story One success story which is about an entrepreneur who worked hard to develop a successful and profitable e-business is Sandy Stevens of Sandys Home-style Baking Company. Being healthy to channel her love of baking and sweets into a viable career, Stevens has experienced a great deal of success over the short time her e-business has been running. Based in Vancouver, Canada, Stevens was unaware of using marketing tactics that are provided online, but due to his friend encouragement she learnt all the possible to ways to market her company products through web. She done her own web designing and she also created a link with newspapers with the help of search engines like Yahoo! and Google. Now her business is blooming because of her effort and believing in online marketing and advertising (Retrieved from: http://www.biz2success.com/2010/06/anyone-can-do-it-small-e-business-success-stories/). This is a good example of how getting customers in an efficient and effective way. In terms of expenses, she spent a small portion of her money to create a platform where people can get information easily. This article will help to strengthen the topic as it demonstrates the success rate of promoting products and services through internet marketing. Facebook is a part of internet, thus, this article is essential to find out the speed of growth in business by using Facebook as a marketing tool. 4.4. Critique and Analyze The most vivacious part of this research is to provide a theory or a model that proves the effectiveness of Facebook marketing. Therefore, these are some literatures which are essential for researching on effectiveness level of Facebook marketing. In the first article, the author is primarily focused on the way to get attention of online customers and the rest of the articles are all about active Facebook users signals innovativeness of brand. It covers branding, Approach and style of a product or service that is being marketed by the company. Branding a product through web is an opportunity for those businesses who would like to increase to increase their brand value (Steven Holzner, 2009). Furthermore, it elucidates on viral marketing and its practices; it also shows how it is essential for local businesses. Lastly, it articulates on the success stories of some business that adapted internet marketing as their marketing tool (Chris Treadaway, Mari Smith, Facebook Company, 2010). Ov erall, all the research articles are deliberated to be resourceful for the research. 5. Proposed Methodology 5.1. Methodology There has been quite a buzz about social media currently, and of how it is giving the consumer increasingly more power while rapidly changing the real face of marketing. I found myself very captivated by this sensation, but was soon to realize that this open-ended belief in the influence of social media lacked some very fundamental quantitative research. I decided to fill this breach and found a great source of inspiration reading Kocken Skoghagen (2009). They had conducted quantitative research, analyzing whether Twitter was a valid marketing platform and how it should be used. With the conviction that there are many similarities between Twitter and Facebook I decided to perform an equivalent study on Facebook. Inspired by Kocken Skoghagen (2009) a deductive approach is to be applied in the research. The study is of underlying character, being that the objective is to find a connection between the acquaintance of a brand on Facebook and certain effects on consumer comportment and discernment of brand associations. A quantitative study will be held by simulating a realistic environment which I believe to obtain more general results. Respondents will be given four specific brands (i.e. fan pages) to follow on Facebook during one week and were thereafter will be asked to answer a survey. I chose to follow this experiment design despite the difficulties attached with involving a rather big test-group into a relatively time-consuming study. Our choice was greatly influenced by the fact that Kocken Skoghagen (2009) had used a similar design, which had already been proved to be successful. Moreover, I am hoping that by using a similar design as Kocken Skoghagen (2009), I will open up for an int eresting comparison between Facebook and Twitter as marketing channels. The experiment will be started by ideating four fictive brands, thus ensuring that none of the respondents would be familiar with them, and creating all the necessary fan pages. Status updtaes will be prepared and would be posted during the study. The participants will be divided into four groups. Each respondent will be given four fan pages (i.e. one for each brand) in order to follow and asked to create one friend list consisting of all fan pages he/she will be assigned. The friend list is a necessary deterrent in order to simulate a news feed (i.e. one of the sections of Faceobok) and make sure that all status updates I will like the respondents to perceive will be noticed. After the experiment, a survey will be distributed to all participants through the Facebook-mail. The participants will be given one week to answer the survey before they will get disregarded from the study. This will help to reduce the time period in order to pass between the experiment and the survey as that could have biased the study. The survey was created with the survey-tool provided by the website of Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com). An exact same survey will be given to all the respondents, covering all the four brands examined. Most of the questions will be standard where respondents will be asked to determine how well they agreed with some given assertions, similar to those asked by Kocken and Skoghagen (2009). 5.2. Participants Since the study would require some involvement from the participants I realized that it would be challenging to influence people to participate unless if I have any kind of personal relationship with them. That is the reason why I decided to recruit participants to my study amongst own social networks. Nevertheless, being part of the target group I will be to involving a sample that is relatively representative with regards to the aims of the study. The target of this study is to gather almost 300 people who are interested in participating to this study. The respondents of this study will be 20 to 30 years of age. Most of the participants will be asked to become fan of selected fan pages. After this process I will be giving out a survey to all the fans. Questions in the survey will be concerning the effectiveness of Facebook marketing. 5.3. Ethical Issues All the sources and references are open and accessible through the web except information gathered directly from the company itself is not accessible. According to them any information from the company is confidential and cannot be used in any research without their permission. So I decided to send them a letter that will authorize me to gather appropriate information directly from their website. Other issue is the sample that will be collected within the same network (i.e. students of Vancouver) and this may have inhibited reliability of the scores. (Retrieved from) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/7375772.stm). 6. Project Work Plan and Deliverables Tasks to be performed Dates Time Required Final Research proposal and submit for clearance 3-11 November 2010 One week Typing 22-30 November 2010 One week Pre-test study 5-15 December 2010 Three weeks Collect Data 16th December 2010 1st march 2011 Ten weeks Process Data and make preliminary interpretation End of each month of data collection Five weeks Analyze and write report 2-30 March 2011 Two weeks Publish and discuss work findings 6-25 April 2011 Two weeks Final Thesis and submission 26th April 2011 15th May 2011 Three weeks 7. References Colliander, J. Erlandsson, S. Modig, E. (2010), Speed or Distance, Manuscript, Stockholm School of Economics; Cote, J. Chris Treadaway, Mari Smith, Facebook (Firm) (2010). Facebook marketing: an hour a day, Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing. Steven Holzner (2009). Facebook marketing : leverage social media to grow your business, Chicago: Que Publishing. Creswell, J.W. (2003). Research design. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Meadows-Klue (2007), Falling in Love 2.0: Relationship marketing for the Facebook generation, Journal of Direct, Data and Digital Marketing Practice, Vol. 9, Issue 3, p. 245-250; Facebook web-page, press information, http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics, 15 May 2010 http://www.facebook.com http://www.clickrmedia.com/services/social-media-marketing/facebook http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Facebook. http://whizkidkonnect.com/ http://arc.hhs.se/download.aspx?MediumId=947 http://netbrands.net/ http://www.insidefacebook.com/2007/12/09/inside-facebook-marketing-bible-24-ways-to-market-your-brand-company-product-or-service-in-facebook/ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Viral-marketing-tips/92274993058 http://www.biz2success.com/2010/06/anyone-can-do-it-small-e-business-success-stories/ http://sem-group.net/search-engine-optimization-blog/social-media/viral-marketing-on-facebook-7-points-you-just-cannot-neglect/ http://wilderdom.com/research/QualitativeVersusQuantitativeResearch.html http://hbr.org/2010/03/one-cafe-chains-facebook-experiment/ar/1 http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/10982_Chapter_4.pdf Social & Ethical Issues of Information Systems Facebook from Marielle C http://www.churchofcustomer.com/2009/10/facebook-fan-pages-are-the-future.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/paypal-to-become-a-way-to-pay-for-facebook-ads-20100219-oj88.html

Smithfield :: essays research papers

Strategy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Smithfield Foods is the largest hog producer and pork processor in the world. They produce 5.1 billion pounds of meats yearly. Smithfield products are sold in North America and 25 worldwide markets. These international acquisitions gave the company a strong hold on the market, upgraded manufacturing facilities, and the opportunity for growth. Smithfield began its’ expansion into foreign markets in 1998 when they made their way into Canada, France, Poland, and later on into Mexico.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Smithfield Foods headquarters are located in Smithfield, Virginia. However, most of the company’s operations are found in North Carolina. Their southern location enables them to give lower wages in order to have more competitive prices. The CEO, Joseph W. Luter III goal was to keep driving costs down in order to increase the sales. They want to continue this trend into the future in order to increase profits. Performance In 2002, Smithfield’s sales were 6.6 times where they were in 1993. In addition to this, net income was up 50 times the amount of 1993. The company quickly expanded, and in 2001 they raised 12 million hogs. That was 3.5 times the amount of their closest competitor. Expanding the business abroad was essential in the company’s growth. In 1995 net income was 27. 8 million. In 1999 net income was 94.8 million. That increase was the direct effect of international expansion. After the expansion abroad, Smithfield also expanded domestically which sent sales rocketing. By 2002 the company owned or leased facilities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Utah, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Missouri, Illinois, Mexico, Brazil, Poland, and Canada. In 2002 the net income was 197 million and the company secured its place as the top in the industry. External Audit There were many external factors that affected the company’s performance and were something that needed to be dealt with. Most importantly was the issue of waste in the environment due to the hog farming. The residents of eastern North Carolina were unhappy with the situation taking place. The smell of the city was beginning to become unbearable and it was affecting the lives of many people. The problem did not affect sales and income however it had become an issue of morality. Another external factor that needed to be dealt with was the availability of land to dispose of the manure. According to the reading, the hogs in eastern North Carolina generate 9 million tons of manure each year.

English: It’s position in the global arena Essay

English occupies an important position in global education at the moment. It seems to be seen as a high status language with an inherent connection to capitalism and globalism. The example websites given, one from a university in the Netherlands and the other from Brazil. Both websites are presented in English as well as their national language, despite the fact that English is a secondary language in both nations. This status, rivalling even the official language of the country, seems to have sprung from a number of sources, not the least the general impression that English has become the new lingua franca. The prestige and encroaching ubiquity of English has contributed to it’s increasingly high position within academia. The history of colonialism, the status of English schools in the wider global community and the inexorable link most countries place between capitalism and English. It is also greatly affected by the various policies adopted by countries. Of course this all begs the question of whether the position of English in higher education is a beneficial one, or another form of English imperialism. Politics plays a hefty role in the position of English and it has always been influenced by the relative prestige it enjoys when compared to other languages. The websites shown both exemplify this status. While both websites are based in countries where the official language is not English (Dutch and Spanish respectively), both either presented in English (the Maastricht website) or have a full English translation available (the San Paolo website)(The University of San Paolo, 2013)(Maastricht University, 2013). This shows the remarkable influence that the English language has a secondary education, especially considering they originate from countries that have no history of British colonialism. Other countries, such as India or Malaysia, have these ties to English through the colonial history of the British Empire. In particular, the legacy of colonialism has had a profound effect on the position of English, not just in higher education, but in the world. During the occupation of the various countries that became part of the British empire, it tended to be the policy to educate the native populace in English, to better integrate them into the lower rungs of government. These countries tend to link English with a higher status of education, and, therefore, enact policies to try to capitalise on this  perceived prestige (Hewings, 2012, p96-99). For example, Mahatma Gandhi was educated in an English university, before returning to lead his nation. Also contributing to this sense of the superiority of English is the fact that many of these countries do not share a common language to begin with (India, Malaysia and a variety of countries). Thus, the enforcement of English in education provided a common language for various regions to communicate. India, in particular, has a strong history of this. In turn, this makes higher education in English almost inevitable, as the high status of higher education is naturally paired with the high st atus of English within these countries. However, this can be quite controversial in within the country, with the general feeling that the use of English for governance and education leads to a degrading of the native languages. It has also lead to questions of the usefulness of teaching in English, due to the very real possibility of students having a less than perfect grasp of the language(Martin, 2012, p125-129). This stems from the fact that being able to speak a language is different from being able to study academically in it(Hewings, 2012, p103-105). While these are valid concerns, the political and social backing of English means that the position of English within the higher education spheres of these ex-colonial territories is well-secured. There are also practical reasons for the position of English in higher education. One reason is that many of the industries that are desirable to students in higher education have higher English language skill requirements. Fields such as science, engineering and programming all rely on a high level of English based technical speech and many higher education courses are offered in English(Hewings, 2012, p115-120). For example, if one wishes to study any of the sciences, one must become familiar with the technical terms and writing of various academic publications, a large proportion of which are published in English. These fields require a higher level of education to enter, and necessitate at least a passing knowledge of English to comprehend. English is also used at the highest levels of business, giving rise to the idea that English has become a global lingua franca for business and technology. Thus many will learn English as a means of appearing more business-like and professiona l, and to help them compete in the global market(Gray, 2012, p146-148). This gives rise to a feedback  loop, wherein to enter these fields, one must speak English well enough to learn them, which in turn causes those fields to be even more locked in to English based higher education. Additionally, a number of industries have sprung up around higher education, such as academic publishing or English language teacher training. These industries provide a sustained push for the position of English, with resources for higher education being produced by publishers based out of English language universities(Gray, 2012, p148-150, p158-161). These publishers have little economic incentive to publish in other languages, thus most high end resources for universities are published and sourced from English speaking countries. This is shown by the high amount of universities that offer their courses in English(Hewings, 2012, p113). This establishes that a large quantity of materials used in secondary education, and a lot of the more prestigious training for teachers of such, stem from English language universities. Even European universities have begun to offer courses entirely in English, especially in the Eastern European countries such as Slovakia. In these countries, especially those that gained their independence with the fall of the Soviet Union, English is seen as the language of capitalism(Prendergast C., 2012, p33-35). As such, younger people, seeking ambitiously to carve a place for themselves, learn English to better place themselves in higher status jobs(Prendergast C., 2012, p35-38 ). In turn, this created a demand for higher education in English, to the point where the price of these courses skyrocketed (Prendergast C., 2012, p33). All of these factors have contributed to the seemingly dominant position of English in higher education. Many people have argued for and against the position of English in higher education, with some claiming that the ubiquity of English allows for greater collaboration and dissemination of information (Prime Minister’s Office, 2008, Seargeant, 2012, p9-10) while others claim that this same ubiquity is pushing out other languages(Sutherland, 2002, Seargeant, 2012, p10) and the features of education that those languages have. This debate further solidifies the position of English within higher education, due to the simple acknowledgement such a debate infers. By the basic fact that such a debate is happening, the participants have agreed that English has a dominating presence within higher education. One such argument posited by  those against the proliferation, is that other languages slide into decline and with them their own particular features within higher education, for example the French thesis-antithesis-synthesis essay(Coleman, 2006, Hewings, 2012, p114-115). If English becomes the sole language of higher education, then these features may simply cease to exist. The counter argument to this is that the growing ubiquity of English allows for a much greater sharing of information due to providing a common point for many different countries. An additional argument against is that teaching in more than one language can be beneficial to the students ((Monaghan, p134 – 136). This argument ignores the difficulties of training teachers in the multitude of languages that they may encounter within the classroom from students of varied backgrounds. Equally, one must not forget that higher education is not only the stage for education but is also a great contributor to the development of science and a retainer of scientific knowledge. By setting the standard of higher education to one language, which did not necessarily have to be English, a much greater pool of knowledge can be made available than might otherwise be possible. Students from various background and cultures would be able to access the same sources of information and, thus have a gr eater chance of advancing and gaining knowledge. In conclusion, the position of English within higher education can be thought of as a useful one. It came about due to the specific historical and political factors unique to English. It just so happened that most of the mathematical, scientific and technological notation is based largely in English (for example, the development of the internet was an American innovation). It also just so happened that the notion of capitalism and big business is also closely associated with English. Equally, the legacy of colonialism has meant that the English language is spread widely around the globe, and is linked to the upper rungs of these societies, due to the government of these colonies being run largely by Englishmen and the natives they taught English too. These factors all combine into a general view of English as being the language of professionalism and of globalism, making it attractive for those with skill sets derived from higher education(). In turn this created demand for English t o be the language these courses were taught in. Whether or not this is a good thing is a matter for debate, but  for good or ill, the fact remains. English enjoys a lofty position within the higher education system of the world. References: Gray J. (2012), ‘English the industry’ in Hewings A. And Tagg C. (eds) The Politics of English Conflict, Competition, Co-existence, Abingdon, Routledge/Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 137 – 163 Hewings A. (2012), ‘Learning English, learning through English’ in Hewings A. And Tagg C. (eds) The Politics of English Conflict, Competition, Co-existence, Abingdon, Routledge/Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 93 – 120 Maastricht University (2013) Maastricht University, Leading in Learning [online], http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/ (accessed 11/04/2013) Martin P. (2012), ‘Tensions between language policy and practice’ in Hewings A. And Tagg C. (eds) The Politics of English Conflict, Competition, Co-existence, Abingdon, Routledge/Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 121 – 128 Monaghan F. (2012), ‘English lessens’ in Hewings A. And Tagg C. (eds) The Politics of English Conflict, Competition, Co-existence, Abingdon, Routledge/Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 129 – 136 Open University (2012), U215, The Politics of English Conflict, Competition, Co-existence, Abingdon, Routledge/Milton Keynes, The Open University Prendergast C.(2012), ‘English and ambivalence in a new capitalist state’ in Hewings A. And Tagg C. (eds) The Politics of English Conflict, Competition, Co-existence, Abingdon, Routledge/Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 33 – 39 Seargeant P. (2012), ‘The politics and policies of global English’ in Hewings A. And Tagg C. (eds) The Politics of English Conflict, Competition, Co-existence, Abingdon, Routledge/Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 5 – 32 The University of San Paolo (2013) Universidade de Sao Paulo [online], http://www5.usp.br/en/ (accessed 11/04/2013)

The Economic Crisis in America

We are going through a crisis that is sweeping the nation and affecting our people greatly. I will be discussing terrorist attacks; the war in Iraq, the falling housing market, government's bailing out program, unemployment and the natural disasters which have played a key role In the direction our country has taken In the twenty first century. I will provide In-depth examples on how each event has Impacted our economy and social circumstances. Each piece fits together like a puzzle and creates what we now have â€Å"The State of Emergency†.Are entering into what could be known as next great depression? Hopefully our government will act fast and dig us out off this rut that were are headed toward, before it is too late! Over centuries people from all over the world have migrated to the United States for the hope of living â€Å"The American Dream†. This country has stood for inalienable rites such as freedom of speech and religion. These specific rights have attracted m illions to migrate into the United States. Immigrants have been driven here for the opportunity to prosper financially and spiritually.It's for this reason; America has rowan into one of the most powerful countries in the world. Other countries look up to us as an example of how to lead their own countries. Within the United States it's a different story. Since the industrial age started the people of America have become greedy. One of the most common phrases amongst Americans is â€Å"l want my children to have everything, I didn't have†. This mentality has placed our country into a â€Å"State of Emergency'. This country has raised many generations to pose this believe and created a self-centered way of life.Now we have the rich, who get richer and the poor ho continue to get poorer. Since the beginning of twenty first century we have faced one ordeal after another. How has this affected our economy and culture? Let's revisit what has happened in the last eight years. We e lected a new President in 2000 ( George W. Bush), September 1 1, 2001 (terrorist attack), war on terror, war in Iraq, foreclosures crushing the housing market, bank bail out program, unemployment on the rise, and the election of the first African-American President ( Barrack Obama). This is not touching on the natural disasters that our country has faced.Has America en her last days of glory or will she bounce back like she did during the Great Depression? Hopefully, our newly elected President has a plan that will bring us out of this depression that we have fallen into. What will happen next? Is America at the point of no return? If you analyze the past you will find that America was strong enough to overcome it. We had and have the power to bounce back. We need to come together as a country and work together to get through these tough times. Most of the issues we have faced today may not have affected us if America as a society actually believed in teamwork.In public we are taugh t to be a team and in private taught to look out for ourselves. The failure starts with our children. Have we taught our children how to survive in a society like we have today? Actually, the question should be; has society taught the adults, to love your neighbor or the love for self- indulgence? This is a question that we all have to answer for ourselves. Election; That November we elected George W. Bush to be our 43rd President. In 2001 less than a year from electing our new President on the day of September 11 a terrorist attack came upon the United States like a scene from a Hollywood movie.Four planes had been overtaken by members of the terrorist group, AY-Qaeda. One hit the Pentagon, two targeted the Twin Towers in New York City, and the last plane was headed for the USA Capital, when passengers on the plane fought back and the plane crashed in Janesville, Pennsylvania. That day 2,974 people died, 19 more died that were terrorist. We still have not found 24 people and are pr esuming that they are dead. This is not counting the people that were killed in the line of duty, several weeks later they estimated the death toll to be over 6,000 in all.Fear did not Just trite Americans but people all around the world. One of the biggest shocks was, when we learned that these terrorist had been taught how to fly planes here in the USA. The first thing the Government enforced was changing the security coming into the country. Then we went on the offensive and went after Osama Bin Laden and his band of rebels. We sent our military to Afghanistan to find and stop AY-Qaeda (being harbored by the Taliban). First we had to remove the Taliban to get to AY-Qaeda but they are hard to find because they are hidden under cover in the Pakistan Mountains.The economy was affected because New York came to a halt due to the destruction of the fall of the Twin Towers. Wall Street closed down for the rest of the week. Flights were stopped for several days leaving people stranded al l over the country. After this, people were afraid to leave home much less get on an airplane. So many employees lost Jobs because of this act of terrorism not Just in the area hit but all around the country. It also changed our society in so many ways. The trust was gone; everywhere you looked there was a possible terrorist.Fear, anger and outrage took over, but for many sorrow and regret. Never-the-less the one good thing that came out of the attacks was that for one shining moment the American people became one. Now it is 2008 and we are still feeling the pain of that horrible day. The War in Iraq: Then in 2003 we invaded Iraq along with a coalition of other countries on the grounds that we thought they had nuclear weapons (weapons of mass destruction) that Sad Hussein would not disarm and because he was supporting terrorist groups such as the Taliban and AY-Qaeda along with the religious sect the Jihad.The Arab nations looked to Sad as a hero for standing behind Palestine which had been at war with Israel since Biblical times. America kept a close eye on Iraq with apprehension since the early sass's following the Persian Gulf War when the first president Bush was in office. Then on December 13, 2003 the news came in, Sad Hussein was captured. Three years later, on November 5, 2006 he was found guilty by a new Iraqi Government that the USA had helped them to establish. On December 30, 2006 he was executed by hanging.The changing times brought on by September 1 1, brought the American people together and then the Iraqi War really tore the American people apart. American's were seeing a trend happening and were afraid of other countries becoming involved or the start of World War Ill. This scared largest anti-war rally in history; where over 3 million people attended this rally. This demonstration was held in Rome, Italy. American troops are still in Iraq today helping to keep the peace and they will be there for several more years. Housing Market Falls: In t he year 2006 we started to see the housing market shift into a downward spiral.For several years before everywhere you looked you saw a new housing subdivision under development. Then all of a sudden we started to see the same housing sites sitting empty. In 2007 the foreclosures in the housing market started growing at a fast pace. It was amazing how fast so many Americans were losing it all. Everything they had worked so hard to provide for their families was Just disappearing. Then in 2008 it was still moving in that downward motion. More and more families are losing everything. The housing market is still in a downward spiral with no relief in sight for the homeowners.However, the banks that would not help the homeowners stay in the homes are getting help from the government. Many states, such as Florida, had help from the Florida Government to try to keep homeowners in their homes but, this only worked if the homeowner and bank were both in Florida. In 2008 the foreclosures wer e at record highs month after month. This has hurt our economy very badly. The society we live in has changed for this same reason. People have to learn how to adapt to a different way of life. In which, can be hard a thing to master. It is much easier to adapt to a moving up the food chain than down the food chain.This has raised the homeless rate to new heights here in America. Many have had to depend on the welfare system to support them and now have to seek refuge in shelters. Charlene S. Onto wrote in one article in May of 2008 that, â€Å"According to an April 2008 report by the National Coalition for the Homeless, the top 10 states with foreclosures attributed to 73% of the homeless†. These are astounding figures and it shows us that we have a much larger problem than we think. Banks are Bailed Out: The next thing to happen is that the banks and financial intuitions of the United States are in financial trouble.The foreclosures severely hurt the banks. In 2008 twenty-t wo banks have already collapsed. This is even with the bail out package of a $700 Billion dollars. What's next? How is the United States going to heal from this massive loss of financial support? Of course the banks can no longer give out loans to the small business owners; this means many of the small businesses will be the next thing to fall by the way side. Other large corporations are Jumping in on the bail out band wagon like the American Auto Makers.The Government denied the auto industry help, once the press unleashed the truth on how they first need to do their win cut backs. They actually had the nerve to fly into Washington DC in their private planes that cost the company's around $28,000 dollars to make this round trip, when they could have taken a coach flight for under $600 dollars. They are asking for $25 billion of the $700 billion bail out package. What does our 44th President Elect think â€Å"Obama, said he believes aid is needed but that it should be provided as part of a long-term plan for a â€Å"sustainable U.S. Auto industry† ? not simply as a blank check. † Now once Obama takes office as our 44th President of the United States and the Democrats take the majority in congress, the Auto Industry might Just get the money they need, to keep from going bankrupt. Yes, we know that if some help doesn't come, our way of life is going to come to a stop. If you are watching the stocks on Wall Americans are Just hoping that soon it will at least stabilize, so that we can work at fixing the problem and to know we are on the right path.Today everyone is playing the blame game and we all need to realize that in some ways we have all contributed to the crisis that we are now going through in our society. Unemployment Rises: Now e know all of the things going on with the economy, but how has it affected the unemployment rate. It definitely has restructured this area. If the banks have no money for loans because the banks are going under, b ecause of the housing market foreclosures that has brought them down. Now we have another problem. Companies are forced to lay off employees in order to keep their businesses going.This becomes the next crisis. Unemployment is rising fast according the Agency for Workforce Innovation. In Florida the unemployment rate has hit the highest it has in fifteen years. It is now at an average of seven percent, but in some counties like Flagler, it is above ten percent. Just about everywhere you go you meet someone else with a story of their company releasing them. Will this affect the housing crisis even more? Of course it will. How is our government along with the people of America going to fix our problems?The main thing we can do is no matter what social class or race we might be is look at the problems and try to do our part to fix it. American people need to stop looking to the government to fix everything we all have a voice and need to learn to use it. Natural Disasters: Over the pas t few years the economy has suffered because of the natural disasters from hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes and wild fires. The cost to rebuild after a natural disaster can be soar into billions of dollars. Just look at the devastation this tornado in Oklahoma caused on Mother's Day 2008.Look at Just how big an out of control this fire in California became and how it eats everything in its path. Natural disasters are likely to hurt us in more ways that the rest because it can take over your life so fast and most working people don't have the funds to Just start over. It is devastating to loose everything you have and even some family members. It is amazing to me how our country will come together in these times to help but, in others like the economy everyone Just points the finger. Satellite view Satan 2005 $81. 2 Billion Quickie $27 Billion Wilma 2005 $22. Billion Charlie 2004 $18. 6 Billion Hurricane Strain These are some examples of the cost associated with a hurricane. Alabama F lorida 14 Georgia 2 2 AltaVista 1,577 Mississippi 238 Total 1836 The death tolls are also astounding after one of these storms. You can see in this hart based on Hurricane Strain in 2005 This is not mentioning the 705 people missing. Personal Reflection Unfortunately, I was one of the many who lost their home. It was foreclosed on in September 2007. I lost my Job because my company made a decision to out source position.I had a very hard time trying to find a Job and when I finally did the income wasn't nearly the same. First, I tried to keep my house and my car was repossessed, then because I was already so far behind I lost my house. Things started getting better for my family in early 2008. I found a good paying Job and so did my husband. That summer my husband, who is a heavy equipment operator, lost his Job once the project was finished. Within two months are other car was repossessed. Thank God, my Job was walking distance. What I didn't know was the next day I was going to be laid off.So here I am no car, no Job, no bus route close, and no phone. What was I going to do? I made a leap of faith and I am going back to school. I finally received my income tax and bought a cheap car and Just keep looking for a Job. Hopefully, one will come soon since I am about out of money and will be out on the street and raising the homeless rate by four. I view our country as a great one full of opportunities, but it is in trouble. Everything comes and goes, we Just have to remember that we are strong and life will get better.My hope for this country is that our newest President will have the strength to fight the wrongs that hurt our country and the compassion for the people that really need him. To help those of us that has fallen with the economy. I hope to one day see an America where we are all, actually equal, that social statuses are erased and that economic status shows us how we help one another when we are in need. Personally, I feel that the government needs t o be eloping out the families in America more than the banks and auto companies. For example and they could buy a home and cars that would rebuild the economy.Not to mention the taxes on the money, homes, and cars that would be paid back to the government. People would be off the street and banks would have gotten rid of all the foreclosed houses. It would raise the housing market if people were competing for them. In my opinion, I see a fix that could be better than giving aid to the banks because, they still are having problems after the bailout. Self-indulgence or greed has ruled this country for long enough. I wanted to have it all and once I had it still wasn't enough I wanted more.

Trainspotting Essays

Trainspotting Essays Trainspotting Essay Trainspotting Essay Trainspotting is a fictionary film focusing on a young boy: Mark Renton and his friends who live in the depressed and grimy side of the big city Edinburgh. Like most of friends Mark does heroin to escape the stress and pain of the modern-day life, he also loves the rush that he gets from drug. Mark stands without a job and therefor has no other way of financing his expensive habit than to do shoplifting, robberies and mugging people on the street. At last he goes to rehab and goes to London where he finds a nice apartment, a legal source of income and just some peace in general.However his old friends offer him a very nice deal that gets him back in the world of drugs and crime. In the end he runs off with all the money that he and friends retrieve from the deal. 2) Settings: The film takes place in Edinburgh in the dark and gritty environment. The film doesnt directly tell what time it is set, and instead it hints its timeline through the music, clothes and football that they watch. There are throughout the film, some suggestions that it may actually be set in the early 1990s, such as the techno music and a scene on which the characters talk about Russian sailors.The film could be set from anywhere between the 80’s to 1993 where the novel was released. The places that the boys go to are dirty, poor and it’s definitely not in the upper-class that they live in. Also their apartment is messy, no beds and there is needles and crack pipes everywhere. Also the movie is filmed in low-key and the weather is cloudy and dark almost throughout the whole movie and that makes Edinburgh look like a sad/dirty place filled with criminals and drug abusers. 3) Characterizations: The main protagonist is Mark Renton; he is a young boy whose life is overtaken by heroin.He is unemployed and doesn’t study. He is a big fan of ’Iggy Pop and has posters of him in his room. We see that the addiction has been going on for a long time and he tries several times throughout the move to quit heroin but every time he comes back because he can’t live without the kick that drugs give him. ’ imagine the best orgasm you ever had and multiply it by a thousand and youre not even there He overdoses once but after his visit to the hospital, he is like a new character, he finds a job, his own apartment and lives well until his old friends comes to haun t him.Sick Boy is the intelligent James Bond wannabe smart guy. He is a pimp and is very active in the criminal world. It seems like he doesn’t care about other people than himself. An example would be his baby that died because he had taken so many drugs that he had forgotten to feed him. Begbie is the top dog of the group. He thinks that he is better than everybody and if someone messes with his views or angers him they will learn it the hard way that he is not one to mess with.He doesn’t do drugs like the other boys because he says that he doesn’t want to ’poison his body, but he doesn’t consider alcohol as poison. Sometimes you wonder why the boys stay friends with a psychopath like Begbie but maybe he wasn’t violent and antisocial when him and the boys first became friends. Spud is the dumbest out of the boys. He doesn’t know to behave for example he went to a job interview while he was high and when he was supposed to have sex w ith girlfriend he was too drunk to do anything.When he woke up in the morning he had realized that he shat in his girlfriend’s sheets. He accidently throws the feces on his girlfriend’s parents. He is also the only person that receives some money from Renton in the end. Tommy is a contrast to all the other boys. He is athletic, doesn’t do any drugs and loves to watch football. One day he decides to try drugs because Renton recommends it and that really messes him up and in the end he is the one that is most affected both physically and mentally by the drugs and he actually dies from aids.

Free Essays on Non Verbal

Humans, like most other species of animals, have what we call "personal space". When we interact with other individuals, we prefer to be close enough to them for effective communication, but not too close. We feel uncomfortable when an individual gets too close or invades our personal space. The selective advantage for this behavior may lie in our evolutionary history as a social species. Most of the members of our social group are potentially rivals or social enemies; these individuals were in the past (and in some cultures still are) capable of inflicting bodily injury. We are trying to serve two conflicting social demands: one, to interact socially and thus foster cooperative behaviors, and two, to avoid potentially harmful competitive interactions. Our personal space or preferred social distance is a reflection of this internal conflict. Personal space is affected by a variety of social factors. For instance, the personal space of married individuals is smaller when approached by the spouse than when approached by some other individual. Preferred personal distance between a married man and a woman who is not his spouse is greater when his spouse is present than when his spouse is absent. Personal space is greater (and emotional reaction is stronger) when individuals are approached (experimentally) by strangers who are perceived as "unattractive" or "creepy" than when approached by "attractive" or "normal" strangers. Intentional invasion of personal space may be used as an intimidating or threatening behavior in situations of social conflict (as in "in your face"). There are also cultural differences in personal space and in tolerance of intrusion. Elevators, buses, theaters, and many other "crowding" situations tend to reduce personal space; people who routinely find themselves in such situations have smaller personal space and more tolerance for intrusion (at least in the crowding situations) than do people who are unused to cr... Free Essays on Non Verbal Free Essays on Non Verbal Humans, like most other species of animals, have what we call "personal space". When we interact with other individuals, we prefer to be close enough to them for effective communication, but not too close. We feel uncomfortable when an individual gets too close or invades our personal space. The selective advantage for this behavior may lie in our evolutionary history as a social species. Most of the members of our social group are potentially rivals or social enemies; these individuals were in the past (and in some cultures still are) capable of inflicting bodily injury. We are trying to serve two conflicting social demands: one, to interact socially and thus foster cooperative behaviors, and two, to avoid potentially harmful competitive interactions. Our personal space or preferred social distance is a reflection of this internal conflict. Personal space is affected by a variety of social factors. For instance, the personal space of married individuals is smaller when approached by the spouse than when approached by some other individual. Preferred personal distance between a married man and a woman who is not his spouse is greater when his spouse is present than when his spouse is absent. Personal space is greater (and emotional reaction is stronger) when individuals are approached (experimentally) by strangers who are perceived as "unattractive" or "creepy" than when approached by "attractive" or "normal" strangers. Intentional invasion of personal space may be used as an intimidating or threatening behavior in situations of social conflict (as in "in your face"). There are also cultural differences in personal space and in tolerance of intrusion. Elevators, buses, theaters, and many other "crowding" situations tend to reduce personal space; people who routinely find themselves in such situations have smaller personal space and more tolerance for intrusion (at least in the crowding situations) than do people who are unused to cr...

How to Build an SAT Study Plan 4 Sample Schedules

How to Build an SAT Study Plan 4 Sample Schedules SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips To do well on the SAT, you’ll need to have an SAT study plan. This plan tells you what, when, and how to prep for the SAT. It also helps you manage your time so that you’re not focusing too much (or too little) on certain topics and skills. In this guide, we give you four SAT study plans to choose from, based on your SAT score goals. Before we dive into those, though, let’s go over the benefits of having an SAT study schedule and the preliminary steps you'll need to take to get your SAT plan off the ground. Feature image: danyeela/Flickr What Are the Benefits of a Study Plan for SAT Prep? Everyone who takes the SAT should have a study plan. But what exactly can an SAT plan do for you? For one, an SAT study plan lets you balance your schedule so that you’re spending enough time prepping for the SAT but not overworking yourself.For example, if you’ve got two months until your test date, an SAT plan tells you how many hours per week you must study so that you’re prepping regularly but not squeezing in too many study hours each day. An SAT study schedule also tells you when and how to study the topics you must master to get a high score. If you're not sure where to start with algebra, for instance, a good plan will show you when and how to study all major algebraic concepts you need to know for the test. Likewise, an SAT plan should give you time to review and strengthen any content weaknesses you have. Finally, a solid SAT study schedule indicateswhether you’re improving. By studying consistently for several weeks or months, you’ll be able to determine whether your SAT score is in fact getting higher, as well as whether you’re getting more questions correct in your weaker areas. The easiest way to check your progress is to use official SAT practice tests(we'll tell you how to use these later). As you can see, an SAT studying schedule can greatly benefit you. With a plan, you’ll not only be able to manage your prep time better but will also be able to use your time more effectively to hone the skills and study the content areas you struggle with the most. What’s more, you can use your plan to help you track your progress and see whether you’re improving your likelihood of getting the SAT score you want. Getting Started on Your SAT Study Plan: 5 Preliminary Steps Don't jump into an SAT study schedule without a plan! These five preliminary steps will help you gather the info and materials you need to choose the right SAT plan for you. Step 1: Set a Target Score First and foremost, you'll need to set an SAT goal score. A goal score is the score most likely to get you into all of the schools you’re applying to. To get your goal score, you must find the 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores for each of your schools (excluding any safety schools). But what does these numbers mean? And where can you find them? The 25th and 75th percentile scores represent the middle 50 percent of scores for admitted applicants, or the average range of scores. A75th percentile score means you’re scoring higher than 75 percent of admitted applicants to a school, while a 25th percentile score means you're scoring higher than only 25 percent.The best way to keep track of your schools' SAT info is to make a chart (or downloadour pre-made chart). Once you've got a chart,get on Google and search for â€Å"[School Name] PrepScholar." Then, click the link to your school’s â€Å"Admission Requirements† page.On this page, you'll see a table listing your school's 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores. For example, here is the SAT score table for theUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa: Repeat this process for each of your schools until you’ve got all 25th and 75th percentile scores in your chart. Then,choose the highest 75th percentile score in your chart; this will be your SAT goal score sinceit’s the one most likely to get you into all of your schools. Let’s say I am applying to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, UC Davis, the University of Oregon, and the University of Washington. Of these schools, the highest 75th percentile score is 1420 (for the University of Washington). This means my SAT goal score would be 1420. Step 2: Find Your Baseline Score The next step is to get your baseline score. This score is essentially your starting point; it’s the score you’d get on the SAT at this very moment, without any prep. To find your baseline score, take an official SAT practice test. Official tests are the best resources for getting a baseline since they’re the most similar to the SAT.As you take your practice test, try to recreate real testing conditions as closely as possible: take it in a quiet room, usean SAT-approved calculator, and follow the official section time limits. Once you finish, use your test’s scoring guide to calculate your scores for each section as well as overall (out of 1600). Your total score- that is, your Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) scores combined- will be your baseline score.So ifI earned a 630 on Math and a 600 on EBRW, my baseline score would be 1230. Your baseline score is your starting point in SAT prep. Step 3: Calculate How Many Hours You’ll Need to Study Next, use the info you got in steps 1 and 2 to calculate the approximate number of hours you’ll need to studyto raise your current score to your target score.To do this, subtract your baseline score from your goal score. Then, match the difference you get to the numbers below to see how many total hours you'll need to prep for the SAT: 0-30 point improvement: 10 hours 30-70 point improvement: 20 hours 70-130 point improvement: 40 hours 130-200 point improvement: 80 hours 200-330 point improvement: 150 hours+ As you can see, the bigger the point increase you want, the more hours you’ll need to study. In my example from steps 1 and 2, my goal score was 1420 andmy baseline score was 1230. The difference between these two scores is 190 points. Using the conversions above, I find that 190 points translates to about 80 study hours. Step 4: Choose a Test Date When taking the SAT, always choose a test date that: Gives you ample time to prepare for the exam Fits well with your schedule Ensures your scores will get to your schools in time Let's look at time first. The amount of time you’ll need for SAT prep will vary depending on your baseline and goal scores.Simply put, the more hours you need to study, the more time you should give yourself before your test date. Generally, anywhere from three to six months of study time should be enough. However, you might find you have less (e.g., a month) or more (e.g., a year) time than this. In any case, try to find a time frame that lets you easily fit in the total number of hours you need to study. Secondly, pick a date that works well with any obligations or commitments you have (personal, school, or otherwise). For example, if you’re starring in a school play in April, a spring SAT probably wouldn’t work as well for you as a summer or fall SAT would. Lastly, if you’re taking the SAT as a senior, choose a date that's guaranteed to get your scores to your schools before yourcollege application deadlines. If your scores arrive after the deadlines, your application could get disqualified. In general, seniors (who aren’t applying early actionor early decision) should be safe with all fall test dates and likely the December test date- but not anything later! Step 5: Gather Study Materials It's important to gather all of your study materials before you begin prepping for the SAT. This way you won’t waste any study time trying to find resources you can use. Official SAT resources are by far the best ones to use.Luckily, the College Board has released many free prep materials online. Here's what we recommend using in your prep: Official SAT practice tests:These full-length tests are exactly like the real SAT in terms of structure and overall content. They're the closest you can get to taking the SAT without actually taking it! Official practice questions: You can accesstons of practice questions for all SAT sections through the College Board website. Each question comes with a question difficulty and detailed answer explanation to help you understand how to find the right answer. The Official SAT Study Guide: This is the official SAT prep book, covering everything you need to know about the format of the exam, what's on it, and how to study for it. There are also plenty of sample questions you can work through. The best part is that the College Board has uploaded the entirety of the book to its website, making it entirely free to download! Khan Academy:A free partner website with the College Board, Khan Academy offers thousands of official practice questions, answer explanations, and video lessons for the SAT. Furthermore, there are many high-quality, unofficial SAT resources you can buy. Our guide to the best SAT prep books offers a look at which prep books are worth investing in. As a reminder, always be a little pickier with unofficial resources since many are low quality and don’t contain realistic SAT practice questions. We give each of our four SAT study plans four stars. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! 4 SAT Study Plan Options for You to Choose From Now that you’ve finished all preliminary steps for your SAT plan, it’s time to find the plan that’s right for you. Below, we give you four SAT study plans to choose from. These plans differ in both length of time (e.g., one month, three months, etc.) and intensity (that is, the total number of hours you’ll need to study per week). Each SAT study plan gives you an overview of what to study for the week and comes with suggested time frames.These guidelines tell you (approximately) how much time you should spend on each activity. That said, you are welcome to tweak them if you feel you need more or less time with a certain topic. Remember, a good SAT prep plan willadapt tofit your needs. If you're stronger at math and want more study time for Reading and Writing, it's OK to replace some of your Math prep time with Reading and Writing prep. Just know that by changing content focuses or time frames, you'll likely need to shift other days' topics or make up for missed time on other days. Ultimately, what's most important is that you're getting in the total number of study hours you need. Now, let's take a look at our study plans. We offer the following four programs: A three-month program of medium intensity (80 hours) A three-month program of low intensity (40 hours) A six-month program of medium intensity (150 hours) A one-month program of high intensity (40 hours) SAT Study Plan 1: 3-Month Program, Medium Intensity This moderate, three-month SAT plan aims to get you as many as200 pointson test day. To reach this goal, you'll need to study a total of 80 hours, or six and a halfhours per week.Since you'll be spending several hours a week prepping, this SAT plan is best if you're studying over the summer and taking the SAT in the fall. As with any plan, you may spread out your hours however you like each week. Those studying in the summer should try to prep fairly regularly- two or three days a week is ideal. On the other hand, if you’re currently in school, it may be easier to study mostly on weekends. In the end, just do what works best for you! To be successful, always start with the foundation. Month 1: The Basics This month is all about familiarizing yourself with the SAT's structure and content. Week 1: Get to Know the SAT 1. Take a practice test to get your baseline score. If you haven’t taken an official SAT practice test yet, use this time to take one and get your baseline score. Try to take the test in a quiet room without distractions so that you’re getting an accurate representation of your current SAT abilities. Suggested Time: 4 hrs 2. Score your test and analyze your results.Calculate your baseline score and take some time to see what kinds of questions and content areas you struggled with on the test. Suggested Time: 1 hr 3. Learn the format of the exam. To do well on the SAT, you’ll need to understand the format of the test, including what kinds of concepts it tests and how these concepts are given as questions. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs Week 2: Focus on Reading 1. Learn the Reading test format. Know what kinds of passages and questions there will be and how much time you’ll get. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 2. Figure out the best passage-reading strategy for you. Take a couple of Reading practice tests (you can use official practice tests) to test out different reading strategies. When finished, choose the strategy that gave you the highest score. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 3. Try out Reading practice questions with the strategy you’ve chosen. Put your strategy to the test and aim to get better at it the more you use it. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs Week 3: Switch to Writing Language 1. Learn the Writing and Language test format. Understand how it’s different from Reading, what kinds of questions it asks, and what sorts of grammar and stylistic rules you’ll need to know. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 2. Review core English grammar topics and punctuation rules.Go over standard English conventions and familiarize yourself with the kinds of errors you’ll see on the SAT. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 3. Find the best passage-reading strategy for you. This strategy might differ from the one you use for the Reading section. To figure out which one you like most, take some Writing practice tests, using a different strategy each time. Stick with the one that gives you the highest score. Suggested Time: 2 hrs Week 4: Move Toward Math 1. Learn the Math test format. Understand the differences between the No Calculator and Calculator subsections as well as the differences between multiple-choice questions and student-produced responses. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 2. Review basic math concepts. Start by reading our guide to integers andour advanced guide to integers. Then, check out our fundamental guide to fractions, ratios, and proportions. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 3. Go over major algebraic concepts, including: Linear functions Single-variable equations Systems of linear equations Algebra plays a key part on SAT Math, so you’ll need to know what it is and how it looks on the SAT. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs You can't do well on the SAT without strategy. Month 2: Strategies For this month, you'll study additional concepts you need to know and learn basic test-taking strategies that'll help you attack questions effectively on test day. Week 5: Learn More Math 1. Get to know other SAT Math concepts, specifically those in the realms ofadvanced math and problem solving and data analysis. Topics include: Statistics Reading data tables, bar graphs, histograms, and scatterplots Quadratic and nonlinear functions and equations Exponential functions and equations Polynomials Coordinate geometry (points, lines and slopes, etc.) Plane and solid geometry (lines and angles, polygons, solid geometry, etc.) Trigonometry Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 2. Memorize important formulas.Get down the main formulas for SAT Math. Suggested Time: 1 hr 3. Practice SAT Math questions and drill difficult topics. As you practice, check your answers and analyze your mistakes so that you can see which concepts you need to study more. Suggested Time: 3 hrs Week 6: Start Strategizing 1. Learn key SAT Math strategies, including plugging in answers and plugging in numbers. In addition, learn how to pace yourself and practice guessing strategically on Math. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 2. Learn key SAT Reading strategiesand Writing tips. Understand what to look for in different question types and how to rule out incorrect answer choices. Also, study possiblevocabulary words. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 3. Practice Math, Reading, and Writing questions. Put your strategies to the test with realistic practice questions for each section of the exam. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs Week 7: Check Your Progress 1. Take an official practice test. You'll use this score to see how much you’ve improved since your baseline test.As always, try to recreate a real SAT-testing environment as you take the test. Suggested Time: 4 hrs 2. Score your practice test and determine your weaknesses. Look at your results to get a clearer idea of what you’ve improved and what you’re still struggling with. Over the next month, you'll primarily study the weaknesses you find in this test. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs Week 8: Hone Your Essay-Writing Skills 1. If you’re planning on taking the optional SAT Essay, use this time to go over the basic format of the essay.Understand what kind of writing you'll need to do and how long your essay should be. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 2. Readofficial practice SAT Essay prompts.This will give you a broad idea of the kinds of topics you might see on test day. Learn how prompts are usually worded and look at sample responses, too. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 3. Write a few practice essays.Once finished, grade yourself using the official SAT Essay rubric. You can also get another person to grade your essays and offer suggestions for improvement. Suggested Time: 3 hrs Test day is coming up, which means it's time to start reviewing. Month 3: Review Practice Almost done! In this last month, you’ll focus mainly on reviewing and practicing what you've already studied. This means there will be no new content to learn. Week 9: Strengthen Your Weaknesses 1. Use high-quality practice questions to drill any major weaknesses you still have. For example, if you’re struggling to get trig questions right, review the basic concepts you need to know and test yourself with more trig questions. Suggested Time: 6.5 hrs Week 10: Check Your Progress 1. Take your third and final practice test.This will give you a last-minute look at what kinds of weaknesses you still have at this point. Suggested Time: 4 hrs 2. Score your test and closely analyze your results. Are there any areas you really need to improve these next two weeks? What confuses you or eats up your time? Learn what's holding you back and then attack it head-on. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs Week : Practice Still-Difficult Concepts 1. Spend all of your time reviewing and practicing difficult concepts.Use practice questions to try out what you've learned and to ensure you’re making progress on the concepts you struggle with the most. Suggested Time: 6.5 hrs Week 12: Review as Needed 1. Keep reviewing concepts or strategies you still need to work on- but don’t overdo it. This week should feel more relaxed than other weeks. As you study, focus on staying calm and confident. Don’t study the day before the test or the day of your test; you’ll need this time to give your brain a break and calm your nerves. Suggested Time: 6.5 hrs (with 0 hrs on test day and the day before the test) SAT Study Plan 2: 3-Month Program, Low Intensity Compared to the plan above, this SAT schedule is slightly more relaxed and instead targets those looking to make smaller gains- anywhere from 70 to 130 points. With this plan, you’ll study a total of 40 hours, or only about three and a half hours per week. This plan is ideal for those studying for the SAT during the school year, though you can also use it during the summer. If you're any having trouble finding time to prep during the week, try opting for Saturdays and Sundays. You need to go back to the basics if you want to do well on the SAT. Month 1: The Basics This month familiarizes you with all of the main parts of the SAT, including how it’s structured, how it’s scored, and what kinds of Reading and Writing content you’ll need to know. Week 1: Find Your Baseline Score 1. Take a practice test and score it.Although this test will likely exceed your weekly number of study hours, it’s important to get it done so you can see where you’re currently scoring. Once you finish the test, score it to get your baseline SAT score. Suggested Time: 4 hrs Week 2: Get to Know the SAT Format 1. Analyze your baseline test’s answers from the previous week. Just getting your baseline score doesn’t illuminate your weaknesses and strengths. Take some time to go over each of the answers on your practice test, and see if you can re-solve any questions you missed without relying on the answer explanations. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 2. Learn the format of the exam. You need to understand the format of the SAT to know how to attack it on test day. This means getting to know the question types, what kinds of topics are tested, and how the sections are arranged. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs Week 3: Focus on Reading 1. Learn the Reading test format. Go over the different kinds of passages and question types on SAT Reading. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 2. Figure out the best passage-reading strategy for you.Try out different strategies with a variety of Reading passages and question sets. Give yourself 13 minutes to get through each passage and question set. Once finished, calculate the number of questions you answered correctly to determine which strategy gave you the highest score. Suggested Time: 1 hr 3. Practice answeringReading questions with the strategy you’ve chosen. You’ll need to understand how your passage-reading strategy works and how you can use it effectively on test day. Suggested Time: 1 hr Week 4: Switch to Writing Language 1. Learn the Writing and Language test format. Go over the basics of what’s on this section, how it differs from Reading, and what kinds of passages and questions it has. Suggested Time: 1 hr 2. Review core English grammar topics and punctuation rules. SAT Writing is all about channeling your inner editor, so be sure to familiarize yourself with all of the major grammar and punctuation topics tested. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 3. Practice the graf-by-graf method for reading passages. This method is the best one out there for Writing section passages, so be sure to try it out on a couple of SAT passages to get a feel for how it works. Suggested Time: 1 hr Time to get calculating! Month 2: Math Strategies Next up, you’ll get to know the SAT Math section, what it tests, and how to strategize for it. You’ll also learn key Reading and Writing strategies. Week 5: Move Toward Math 1. Learn the Math test format. Know what kinds of question types and math topics to expect. Also, understand the difference between regular multiple-choice questions and student-produced responses, or grid-ins. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 2. Review basic math concepts. You must have a basic knowledge of integers (make sure to also read our advanced guide to integers) as well asfractions, ratios, and proportions. Suggested Time: 2 hrs Week 6: Learn More Math 1. Go over common algebraic concepts, such as linear functions, single-variable equations, and systems of linear equations. Since algebra plays a huge part on the Math section, you’ll need to understand how it's tested and how to solve these types of problems. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 2. Review other major math concepts, mainlyadvanced math and problem solving and data analysis. Additional topics you should know include the following: Statistics How to read data tables, bar graphs, histograms, and scatterplots Quadratic and nonlinear functions and equations Exponential functions and equations Polynomials Coordinate geometry (points, lines and slopes, etc.) Plane and solid geometry (lines and angles, polygons, solid geometry, etc.) Trigonometry Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 3. Memorize important SAT Math formulas.Focus primarily on the formulas you won't get to see on test day (though it’s a good idea to memorize all of them!). Suggested Time: 30 mins Week 7: Practice Reading Writing 1. Learn key SAT Reading strategiesand Writing tips.Specifically, you should know how to answer different question types and how to rule out an incorrect answer. Suggested Time: 1 hr 2. Practice SAT Reading and Writing questions. Drill Reading and Writing questions until you’re comfortable with your passage-reading strategies. If you have extra time, learn some of the most common SAT vocabulary words, too. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs Week 8: Practice Math 1. Learn key SAT Math strategies. These include plugging in answers, plugging in numbers, and the process of elimination. Suggested Time: 1 hr 2. Practice SAT Math questions. Test out the strategies you’ve learned and try to drill questions on topics you struggle with. Use the correct answers to guide your thinking if you’re having trouble understanding how to solve something. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs You won't get the SAT score you want if you don't practice, practice, practice. Month 3: Review Practice This month is all about making sure you understand the major concepts tested on the SAT. Week 9: Check Your Progress 1. Take an official practice test. Make sure to recreate a real testing environment as closely as possible. When finished, score your test to see how much you’ve improved since your baseline test. Suggested Time: 4 hrs Week 10: Strengthen Your Weaknesses 1. Use high-quality practice questions to drill any major weaknesses you still have at this point. For example, if you don’t understand how to answer big-picture questions on Reading or coordinate geometry questions on Math, focus on getting those concepts down pat. Suggested Time: 3.5 hrs Week : Practice Still-Difficult Concepts 1. Spend time reviewing difficult concepts until you can correctly answer practice questions on these topics. Keep using the strategies you’ve learned and review any other topics as needed, such as vocabulary words, formulas, etc. Suggested Time: 3.5 hrs Week 12: Review as Needed 1. Continue going over any topics you still need to study before test day- but don't overdo it. Your goal now is to feel calm and confident on test day. Keep reviewing any topics, question types, etc., you struggle with and then relax the day before test day. Suggested Time: 3.5 hrs (with 0 hrs on test day and the day before the test) You'll know you're almost done with this next SAT plan when these kittens are nearly full-grown cats. SAT Study Plan 3: 6-Month Program, Medium Intensity For this medium-intensity plan, you’ll study 150 hours over the course of six months- that’s six or six and a half hours per week. This plan can give you a maximum score increase of 330 points. So if your baseline score is far from your goal score, this is a perfect plan for you! I highly recommend this plan to high-achieving sophomores, as it gives you a head start on SAT prep and dramatically raises your potential to get a high score on your first SAT attempt (which should ideally be in the fall of your junior year). Juniors can benefit from this plan, too, by using it to prepare for a spring or early summer SAT. What's especially great is that you can spread out your study sessions across the school year, helping you to avoid overwhelming yourself with school work and test prep. Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Month 1 Find Your Baseline Score Take an official practice test (4 hrs) Score your test to determine your weaknesses (2.5 hrs) Understand Structure Learn the SAT format (3 hrs) Learn the Reading test format (3 hrs) Understand Structure Learn the Writing and Language test format (3 hrs) Learn the Math test format (3 hrs) Learn How to Read Find your preferred passage-reading strategy for Reading (2.5 hrs) Find your preferred passage-reading strategy for Writing (2 hrs) Study vocabulary (2 hrs) Month 2 Learn Math Content Review basic math topics and formulas (3 hrs) Build algebra foundation (3.5 hrs) Learn EBRW Content Review English grammar and punctuation topics (3 hrs) Build reading comprehension knowledge (3 hrs) Learn More Math Content Build problem solving and data analysis foundation (3 hrs) Build advanced math foundation (3 hrs) Check Your Progress Take a practice test (4 hrs) Score the test and review your answers (2.5 hrs) Month 3 Learn EBRW Strategy Learn how to eliminate wrong answer choices and practice (3 hrs) Practice other EBRW strategies (3 hrs) Learn Math Content Strategy Build additional topics foundation (2.5 hrs) Practice plugging in answers and numbers (2.5 hrs) Practice other Math strategies (1.5 hrs) Focus on Your Weaknesses Practice Math and EBRW topics and question types you struggle with (6 hrs) Check Your Progress Take a practice test (4 hrs) Score the test and review your answers (2.5 hrs) Month 4 Review Practice Practice Math and EBRW topics and question types you struggle with (6 hrs) Learn the Essay Format Learn the Essay format (2 hrs) Practice writing essays (4 hrs) Review Practice Practice Math and EBRW topics and question types you struggle with (6.5 hrs) Check Your Progress Take a practice test (4 hrs) Score the test and review your answers (2.5 hrs) Month 5 Review Needed Math Concepts Review any Math topics you’re still struggling with based on your practice test results (6.5 hrs) Review Needed Reading Concepts Review any Reading topics you’re still struggling with based on your practice test results (6 hrs) Review Needed Writing Concepts Review any Writing topics you’re still struggling with based on your practice test results (6 hrs) Check Your Progress Take a practice test (4 hrs) Score the test and review your answers (2.5 hrs) Month 6 Review Needed Concepts Review any Math or EBRW topics you’re still struggling with based on your practice test results (6.5 hrs) Review Needed Concepts Review any Math or EBRW topics you’re still struggling with based on your practice test results (6 hrs) Check Your Progress Take a practice test (4 hrs) Score the test and review your answers (2.5 hrs) Prep Lightly Review Practice any topics or question types you want to review and get some rest before test day (6 hrs) SAT Study Plan 4: 1-Month Program, High Intensity For this quick, high-intensity plan, you’ll spend 40 total hours, or 10 hours a week, studying for the SAT. By the end, you'll be able to raise your baseline score by up to 130 points. In order for this plan to work, however, you must be willing to put in the time and effort to study each week. One month isn’t a whole lot of study time, especially if you’re trying to make gains of more than 100 points, but it’s certainly doable if you know how to use your time wisely. For more tips on studying for the SAT in a month, check out our step-by-step guide. Week 1: Study Structure 1. Take a practice test.First and foremost, you’ll need to have a baseline score. Make sure to take the test in a quiet room without distractions. Suggested Time: 4 hrs 2. Score your test and analyze your results. To figure out what areas you struggle with the most, look closely for any patterns in your mistakes. Suggested Time: 1 hr 3. Learn the SAT format. Go over what’s tested, all question types, and how it’s scored. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 4. Learn theReading test format.Get a feel for what the Reading section tests and what kinds of passages it contains. Suggested Time: 1 hr 5. Learn theWriting and Language test format. Get to know the Writing section by learning how it differs from Reading and what kinds of passages it includes. Suggested Time: 1 hr 6. Learn theMath test format. Familiarize yourself with the topics it tests, its No Calculator and Calculator sections, and the differences between multiple-choice questions and grid-ins. Suggested Time: 1 hr Make sure you understand the structure before focusing on content. Week 2: Concentrate on Key Content 1. Reviewcore English grammar topics andpunctuation rules. You’ll need to know a variety of grammar rules for the Writing section, so memorizing these is critical for a high Writing score. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 2. Review and practice core math concepts. These include the following: Integers (we also have an advanced guide to integers) Fractions, ratios, and proportions Algebra (linear functions, inequalities, equations, systems of equations) Advanced math (nonlinear functions, polynomials) Problem solving and data analysis (statistics, how to read graphs) Suggested Time: 5 hrs 3. Memorizeimportant SAT Math formulas. Knowing these formulas will give you a leg up on test day. Suggested Time: 1 hr 4. Choose and practice a passage-reading strategy for Reading. To choose one, practice different strategies using official SAT Reading tests. The one that gives you the highest score is the one you should use on test day. Suggested Time: 2 hrs Week 3: Strategize Check Your Progress 1. Practice thegraf-by-graf method for reading passages on SAT Writing. This is the best strategy for Writing passages since it is less time consuming than others and easy to learn. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 2. Learn key Math, Reading, and Writing strategies.For Math, the best ones to know are how to plug in answers and how toplug in numbers. For Reading and Writing, learn how to eliminate incorrect answer choicesand when to choose â€Å"No Error.† Suggested Time: 4 hrs 3. Check your progress by taking a practice test.Once finished, calculate your score to see how much you’ve improved since your baseline test and to determine where your weaknesses lie. Suggested Time: 4.5 hrs Week 4: Review Practice 1. Go over any SAT topics, question types, or strategies you want to practice more. You’ll need to get down the most important concepts if you hope to do well on test day, so focus on any glaring weaknesses you still have. Don’t study the day before the test, though, as you should take some time to rest your brain a bit! Suggested Time: 10 hrs What to Remember When Choosing an SAT Study Plan Before choosing an SAT schedule, set a target score, take a baseline practice test, choose a test date, and gather all of the materials you'll need for your prep. This will help you find an SAT study schedule that's perfect for you and your goals. But which plan will work well for you? In short, the best SAT study plan for you is the one that'll help you reach your goal score on test day. As you consider what plans might work for you, keep the following points in mind: Consider your obligations. Choose a study plan that doesn’t interfere with any major commitments you have. For example, if you have sports practice every day after school, opt for a plan that lets you get in all of your prep hours over the weekend. Stick to a regular schedule. The plan you select will be most effective if you stick to a regular schedule each week. This means you should try to study on the same days each week and for the same number of hours. Customize your plan- but don’t forgo critical steps. We encourage you to tweak our SAT plans to better fit your study needs. However, you should still follow the general order of steps we’ve given you so that you don’t skip crucial information or practice. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Study plans can be heavy, but they should still be doable. Don’t choose a plan that’ll require you to pull all-nighters every week- exhausting yourself won't get you the score you want! With that, I wish you the best of luck with your SAT study plan! What’s Next? Want more guidance on SAT study plans?Get tips on how long you should study for the SAT and learn how many times you should take the SAT. Looking to get a perfect 1600?Read our expert guide to getting a perfect SAT score, written by a real full scorer! Taking the ACT?We've got a separate guide to help you come up with your own ACT study plan today (coming soon)! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today:

Analysis on Antigone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis on Antigone - Essay Example The issue of burial would change from Polynieces being left out for the carrion, which would be illegal, to being buried anonymously out in the woods and without a memorial. An interesting twist might be to make the organized crime family Japanese, a story based upon the Yakuza rather than the more commonly known organized crime structure of the Italian mob. The setting of the play is justified because of the familial themes that are similar in both of the genres. The Greek setting is based upon royal familial ties and the need for both legitimacy in Creon’s authority and a conflict in which Antigone must defy his decision. The character interactions in the play by Sophocles are defined by their ties within a family and this makes the transition to a setting in which organized crime is involved have a strong potential. The genre of organized crime is based upon the ‘family’, thus the line of succession is a part of their power structure. That the role of Creon wou ld be in jeopardy of losing his place would also play nicely in the organized crime genre because although family is important, it is not the only criteria for establishing power. The son of an organized crime boss or the brother is not necessarily in line to inherit the control of the syndicate. The misogyny in organized crime can also be translated from the Greek. In the literary genre of organized crime stories women typically do not have a great deal of power and are more often portrayed as victims. Women in Japanese society have a tradition of being submissive, thus the nature of Antigone would have the same meaning if translated into a modern context. She is both young and female, thus her opinion would not be taken into consideration similar to the way it was not taken into consideration in the Greek version until she acted. Although modern Japanese women have more power than in the past, the organized crime syndicate of the Yakuza is based upon lower socio-economic male memb ers of the Japanese society who are disenfranchised and find a brotherhood with the Yakuza gangs. It is typically male oriented (Howard, 2011). The setting of Japan in the environment of the Yakuza means that male dominance and family importance both remain important themes. Generation gaps in belief systems can be used to show the older generational beliefs in male dominance in conflict with female assertions of power from a feminist perspective. The central issue of funeral can be translated between an anonymous burial of Polyneices in the woods instead of the customary cremation with honor. Characters The main characters of the play are Antigone, Haemon, Creon, and Ismene. In addition, the names of Polynieces and Eteocles would have to be changed as well. Antigone would become Aneko, which means older sister. This gives her a familial designation which also supports a sense of her wisdom. While Antigone means â€Å"against offspring,† the familial tie is reinforced through the use of the name Aneko (Behind the Name, 2012). Ismene would be changed to Junko, which means â€Å"child of obedience,† relating to her reluctance to go against the will of Creon. Creon would be named Eito, meaning a â€Å"prosperous person† designating that he is wealthy as he has taken control of the organized crime family (Baby Names World, 2012). Haemon can be changed to the name Hansuke which is translated to mean â€Å"helpful friend.† Polynieces is changed to Ryoji which is translates to â€Å"

University of Washington Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

University of Washington - Personal Statement Example I did enjoy UCLA at first, but after a while I realized that I was not progressing as I had hoped for. The architectural program at UCLA is limited somewhat due to the fact that the university focuses on other areas of study. In order to grow and expand, I need to study at an institution where the focus will be on improving the knowledge of the students and equipping them with the tools required to succeed. 2. The University of Washington will assist me by providing me with a strong foundation from which to expand my knowledge in the area of architecture. I have always been an artistic person, and I have held a love of architecture from since I was very young. The University of Washington will provide me with a learning environment that is conducive to my well-being and academic pursuits. Creativity is an important part of architecture, and I feel that this institution will not stifle my ambition and instead assist me to achieve all of my professional goals that I have set out for myself. Additionally, I hope that the University of Washington will help me to develop on a personal level as well. Most education institutions are focused on the academic abilities of students, but the reality is that the personal well-being of students should be just as important. This is the reason why I am looking for something a little bit more than just a solid education. It is my hope that the Universi ty of Washington will be a place where I can flourish and fulfill the potential that I have had in the field of architecture since I was a young child. 3. As I have mentioned previously, my first experience of architecture was in Indonesia when I was younger. Although I had an intense passion for architecture, I could not progress within this field while still at an Indonesian school. I was still very young when my parents made the bold move to send me to an international school. The benefits to this