The Killer Angels Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Killer Angels - Research Paper Example It will then provide an analysis of the events. The story begins with an account of events that took place on 29 June 1863. Here. a spy by the name Harrison comes at night from his spying base to inform General Longstreet that he has seen the Union troops moving towards the confederate’s camp. The information takes General Longstreet by surprise since according to him, General Stuart is supposed to be keeping an eye on the movements of the Union troops. As a result, General Longstreet decides that the confederates should act immediately by moving to the southeast of Gettysburg for them to be able to intercept the Union troops (Shaara 4). Shaara (6) notes that far down south, the Union troop’s commander general Chamberlain wakes up to a surprise finding that his Twentieth Maine troops have increased in number by more than a hundred when mutineers from Second main joined them. Chamberlain advises them to join the troops so that they can continue with the fight. However, only six concede and joins the Twentieth Maine headed by General Chamberlain. When general Buford of the Union arrives in the town of Gettysburg with his troops, they find that the confederates had camped nearby. He notices that war is looming and decides to position his troops of about two thousand men along the sloppy hills in the area. His decision to go to the hill is based on the fact that General Buford believes that the key to winning the war is position themselves on a higher ground as it would be easier for them to fight from above. Within the Confederate camp, the commander general Longstreet meets with General Pickett and others to strategies for the battle (Shaara 13). On July 1, very early in the morning, General Lee wakes up and is annoyed on realizing that Stuart is not available. He believes that the strength of the Union troops is dependent on the availability of General Stuart. As a result, he meets Longstreet who is intending to move to the

Preoperative Hair Removal Carried Out As Skin Preparation Nursing Essay

Preoperative Hair Removal Carried Out As Skin Preparation Nursing Essay Traditionally preoperative hair removal has been carried out as skin preparation method to reduce exposure to bacteria which may lead to surgical site infections (SSI) (Gottrup et al 2005). SSIs are defined by Centres for Disease Control (CDC) as superficial, deep incision and organ infection. According to Miller (2001) hair has been removed for such reason as wound asepsis, suitable placement of bandages, and access to operative site and accurate approximation of wound edges. Though preoperative hair removal has been in practice since 18th century its impact on the wound site has been under contention and therefore attracted the authors interest in seeking ways of hair removal without skin damage. However there are concerns that hair removal increases rather than reduces infection, in a study carried out by Astegnau et al (2001) to identify mortality and morbidity related to surgical site infection suggested that shaving increased the risk of infection by facilitating colonisation o f bacteria in the operating site. Many organisations, Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN2006) and Association for Perioperative Practise (AFPP2007) have moved away from hair removal. There is no clarity in literature as to the origin of preoperative hair removal, but researchers conclude to the fact that the surgeons of the time believed that wounds might heal more quickly if hair could be prevented from becoming entangled in the sutures and wound during closure (Miller et al 2001). Shaving with a razor substantiated the emergence of preoperative hair removal in a systematic literature review by Kjonnisken et al (2002) as an established practice based on assumption of preventing surgical site infection. Some other methods, electric clipping and depilatory creams have been highlighted as having lower postoperative wound infection rates. Hair is associated with poor hygiene habits because it harbours bacteria and removing it is thought to reduce surgical infections (Kumar 2002). Hair removal is done by shaving with either a razor or a clipper which are believed to cause both visible and microscopic injuries (Briggs1997). The damage caused by a razor or a clipper can release flora-providing access to serous exudates on which micro organisms may grow (Small 1996). Skin is always a hunting ground for microbes. Once the skins protective barrier is diminished primarily by a surgeons incision, microbes can potentially contaminate the wound. Loius Pasteur in confirmation of the existing understanding into the world of infection hypothesized in his germ theory that invisible bacteria could cause surgical infection if they gained entry through the broken skin (Fogg 2003). A national audit in 2004 suggests that surgical site infections increases patients hospital stay, and increases health care cost by delaying wound healing, this causes major physical limitations and reduced quality of life (Whitehouse et al 2002). If occurring after discharge the patient is likely to be readmitted which is a burden to the patient and can even cause death (Plowman 2000). Surgical site infections occurs within 30 days after surgery, exudes pus and shows one of the following symptoms pain, localised swelling and redness according to the Centre for Disease Control (1999). While once accepted as a standard practise for surgical procedures, hair removal is now being considered in great depth in the research. This essay will review the role of hair removal in the perioperative setting and its impact on surgical site infections. The author will discuss research regarding nurses and doctors knowledge on recommended guidelines on hair removal methods, comparison and timing of hair removal methods and their relationship to incidences of surgical site infections. Keywords used for the search are preoperative skin preparation, hair removal, preoperative razor shaving, electric clipping, depilatory creams and surgical site infections. The databases utilised were CINAHL, Cochraine database of systematic reviews, Health Source Nursing and Allied Health Science. The studies were done in USA, UK, Canada and Turkey. Hair Removal Methods Razor shaving is the cheapest and most commonly used hair removal method (Tanner et al. 2007). Using a sharp blade held with the head of the razor that is drawn to the patients skin to cut hair close to the skin surface. Razor shaving increases bacterial infection rates (Basevi Lavender 2001). Another method entails the use of clipper that uses fine teeth to remove hair close to the skin leaving stubble of usually one millimetre in length. Heads are disposable and handles are disinfected between patients to minimise risk of cross infection (Tanner et al. 2006). A further method is the use of depilatory creams that utilises chemicals, which dissolves the patients hair. Cream has to be in contact with the hair for between 5-20 minutes. A patch test should be done 24 hours before using the cream as some patients can develop allergic reactions and some have sensitive skins (Kjonnisken et al .2002). Miller et al. (2001) conducted a retrospective study comparing all patients who underwent intracranial procedures in the last two and half years where hair was not shaved, to patients done three and half years back that were shaved, to determine whether no hair removal increase post operative infection rate. Results were documented as minor, moderate and severe. Of the 250 subjects used 150 patients were not shaved and 7% developed post operative wound infection compared to 6.6% infections in the shaved group. There was no statistical significance in these findings though the sample size is large for an organisational setting however the finding could not be generalised based on this number. An experimental study was performed on 82 patients who underwent abdominal surgery between November 30th May 2005 to determine the effect of preoperative hair removal on post operative wound infection. Patients were told the aim of the study and they signed consents. Inclusion criteria were pati ents who had not been hospitalised within the last 30 days and didnt have infections while being admitted. Control group with 39 patients were razor shaved and on 43 for study group clippers were used. Patients were observed for signs of SSI two days post operatively and 7% of the study group developed SSI compared to 25.6 % in the control group. The results are statistically significant but the sample size is small and the fact that abdominal surgeries are viewed dirtier than lower limbs makes findings hard to generalise however the length of time and the study design utilised would have enabled the establishment of rigor for the findings to be reliable. The study uptake therefore will be better with an increased sample size. Though the latest studies are endorsing hair clipping (Tanner et al 2006). (Boyce Pittet 2002), more studies need to be carried out. A double-blind prospective study was carried out between 2000-2004 for all patients undergoing spinal surgery (Celik et al. 2007 ) to determine the effect of razor shaving and increased rate of postoperative site infection compared to no hair removal. The shaved group consisted of 371 subjects and the unshaved group comprised of 418 subjects. Patients were fully informed about the study and consents obtained. The subjects were randomly allocated according to pre-surgical shaving status. Exclusion criteria involved patients with skin conditions acne, furuncle and sebaceous cyst, patients with nutritional deficiency and medical conditions like diabetes and cancer. Same skin preparations were done in both groups. Both subjects received prophylactic antibiotics. Postoperatively, both groups were observed for signs of infection redness swelling and purulent discharge and bloods taken to check erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Infection was higher in the shaved group (p=.01) 4 patients in a shaved group (1.07%) developed infection and in only 1 patient in the unshaved group (0.23%). The findings suggest that preoperative hair removal increases postoperative infections. This study was ethically approved and both methodology and aim were clear and concise. These all confirm its reliability however giving antibiotics during procedures may mask the results causing the study to be unreliable. A randomised control study was conducted by (Menendez et al. 2004) aiming to assess the effects of preoperative shaving of pubic hair on postoperative bacterium after urological surgery. A sample size of 300 patients was used. 149 patients were shaved and 151 were not shaved. In both groups urine samples were taken for culture before being given prophylactic antibiotic and again at one week before the catheter was removed. In the shaved group 19.5% developed infection as compared to 16.6% in the non-shaved group. The difference was found not to be statistically significant. The results were based on testing urine samples than in the wounds making the study invalid. There is no clarity about ethical considerations and if the aim and purpose of the study was explained to the subjects and whether the consent obtained was informed. The prophylactic administration of the antibiotics makes the study to be unreliable and not valid. In Cochraine collaboration review data Tanner et al. (2007) conducted eleven randomised controlled trials to evaluate the effects of routine preoperative hair removal with razor as opposed to no hair removal in postoperative infection. The authors concluded that there is no sufficient evidence to prove that hair removal causes an increased risk of surgical site infections. However the study suggested the use of clippers or depilatory cream when necessary to remove hair with an idea that both methods results in fewer surgical site infections. Comparison of hair removal methods Trussell et al. (2008) conducted a thirty nine month observational study where razor shaving utensils were removed and replaced with clippers. The sample size consisted of one thousand eight hundred and twenty seven patients undergoing coronary bypass procedure. There was an in-service training for both nurses and doctors to teach them the effects of razor shaving, instructing them how to use electric clippers which is thought to be less traumatic to the skin when removing hair .The rate of sternal infections decreased from 3.5% to 1.5 %(p= .001) when using electric clippers. The qualitative method and the design of the above study suits the sample size, and neither observational bias nor antibiotic masking of the findings were introduced in the study resulting in a proper analysis of the data. The results also showed that the removals of razors and staff education not to use them for shaving were cost effective, and time effective. Costs related to preoperative hair removal are associated with postoperative infection and longer stay of patients in the hospital. A prospective report of Cruse and Ford (1980) cited in journals a-z Spine (2007 insert author here) with the objective to evaluate post operative clean surgical wounds in 3 groups. In a prospective observational study they compared patients shaved with razor, electric clippers and those with no hair removal. They did long term follow up on 62,339 patients. In this study the patients were not scrubbed with antiseptic solution. Their findings were that only 2.8% infections occurred in patients whose hair was removed by clippers compared to 3.2% in razor shaved patients and 0.9 in unshaved group. The sample size is good, the method and aim is clearly explained this makes the study reliable and rigorous. The results of a similar study carried by Zetner et al cited in spine (2007 insert author here) for patients who underwent craniotomy found that infection rate was lower in patients whose hair was removed with clippers observational studies favoured clipping. Shaving Versus Depilatory Cream A randomised controlled study conducted by Kjonnisken et al. (2002) included 400 subjects for abdominal surgery divided in three groups. In shaved group 12.4% develop infection, 7.9% in the depilatory group and 7.8% in non shaved group. The results are unreliable proof of effects of hair removal because the use of antiseptic solutions and giving antibiotics during the operation has affected the validity of the study. The study design being suitable for a quantitative method of study could be considered unfruitful due to poor detailed explanation of the randomisation method. Seven trials involving 1213 subjects were included which consisted of mixed surgical procedures in 1 trial. There was a variation in times of outcome assessments ranging from 2 to 28 days. Overall results 10% (65/670) patients developed surgical site infection in the shaved group compared to 7 % (38/543) who were in a group of cream hair removal. The results of this study are not reliable because 3 of the trials did not report at what period the assessment was carried out. Observational studies showed more significant effect when using depilatory cream, although creams reported adverse effects such as skin allergies and reactions. TIME AND PLACE Another phenomenon evident in literature in relation to hair removal methods causing postoperative surgical site infections is time and place of hair removal. There is evidence that the adverse effect of bacterial access and growth produced by razor and clippers is worsened by the interval between shaving injury and surgery. The timing of hair removal has been determined according to health workers schedule rather than in response to scientific evidence. Tanner et al. (2006) argued that there is little evidence that supports the assumption that removing hair as close to time of surgery minimises the time of bacteria to colonise the cuts caused by shaving. Surveys have found that a majority of hospitals have policies to remove surgical site hair the evening before surgery. A randomised study of 1,013 patients cited in Advanced journal of nursing 2006 (who is the author) showed no significant difference in numbers of surgical site infections when skin was shaved the evening before or day of the operation (p=0.69). One trial of 531 patients found that 5.1% of patients shaved the day before surgery developed surgical site infections compared to 6.5% of patients shaved on the day of surgery (where is the ref.). This seems to oppose hair removal close to the time of surgery. The same study compared using clippers on the night before surgery and on the morning just before surgery. Results were in favour of clipping in the morning before sur gery (p.0.027 on discharge). This was maintained at a 30-day follow up (p=0.006)( what is the meaning of this.) One prospective observational study conducted by Alexander 2003 cited in (Joanna Briggs systematic literature review 2007) with sample size of 536 patients found that patients shaved 12 hours before surgery had lower risk of surgical site infections than patients shaved less than 2 hour prior to surgery. ( why is this so) A survey was carried out on 589 surgeons in Canada comparing their practises to recommendations of evidence based guidelines on preventing surgical site infection. A list was generated using the database of College of Physicians and Surgeons currently practising in the province. The study was approved by the Health Research Ethics Board. Surveys were emailed to the participants and only 242 were returned by mail without return address with 63% showing non compliance with the recommendations. Compared with general surgeons, gynaecological and plastic surgeons used razors than clippers, p=.004. (why are these hanging) A questionnaire-based survey was conducted between February and April 2005 to assess the opinions and practices of surgeons and ward staff with regard to patients hair removal. The answers suggested that they were not up to date with the literature and its effect on postoperative wound infections. If attitudes are to change, the surgeons need to develop a protocol with clear guidelines as to when and by what technique they need hair removal to be performed. Recommendations and Implications to Practice As patients advocates nurses need to play an important role in reducing the incidences of surgical site infections. Nursing procedures that are harmful to the patients may breach codes of professional standards. Alongside the nurses ethical duty to protect their patient it is important that nurses are aware they may be held legally accountable for their actions. Most hospital acquired infections can be prevented by implementing effective, preventive strategies throughout the patients surgical journey. Nurses have to develop patients education materials on proper hair removal. Whenever hair is to be removed it should be done by someone who has knowledge of appropriate technique and is skilful to the procedure. Through continued staff educational programmes and in-service education on the use of clippers to improve compliance with professional recommendations and promote patients safety. Nurses need to assess patients skin prior to hair removal to identify any potential risk of cuts. T hey must keep abreast with research findings incorporating resulting guidelines into practice. To maximize their advocacy role with regards to preoperative hair removal, nurses must work together with infection control staff, supply management and risk management to minimise the risk of infections.(why). The research into preventing surgical site infections found that preoperative hair removal is not necessary to reduce the risk of infection and should be avoided. The studies reviewed show there is a relationship between shaving with razor and increased surgical site infection rates. Different hair removal practises are recommended by organisations that set guidelines and standards for practice (Guidelines for Centre for DISEASE CONTROL and AORN 2007 (Recommended practice for skin preparation) states that hair removal is not necessary unless it interferes with the incision, draping and putting dressings. If hair needs to be removed they recommend using clippers instead of razor, for they are safe and easy to use. Norwegian centre for health technology assessment argues that there is no strong evidence in favour of or against hair removal, and recommend not to avoid preoperative hair removal. Although evidence is limited on the timing of clipping, its recommended it has to be done as close to the time of surgery preferable two hours before. They further specify that hair should be clipped using a single use electric clipper with a reusable head that can be sterilized between patients. However the authors opinion is that clippers with disposable heads should be utilised since it is more cost effective and time saving when compared to sterilisation. They recommend hair clipping outside the operating room to minimise the dispersal of hair which have potential of contaminating the sterile field and surgical wound (Mews 2000). Hospital infection society working party guidelines recommend using cream a day before surgery. Depilatories may be used if skin testing has been done following the manufacturer instruction, without tissue irritation. Since creams can be messy patients may be advised to use them before turning up for admission. Some hospitals still continue routine hair removal long after dissemination of recommendations against it. The author believes that it is an indication to audit hair removal procedures and adhere to the recommended guidelines and policies. In addition to the clinical advantages, clippers are also cost effective. One study by Trussell et al (2008) estimated a cost saving of $270,000 per 1000 patients when shaving was replaced with clipping. The study also concluded that long-term savings should be considered due to reduction of the incidences of postoperative wound infections. Other studies reported cost comparisons between wet razors shave and use of cream finding cream to be expensive. This cost saving was limited, covering only minimal direct costs rather than full range of direct and indirect costs of shaving items compared with the cost of depilatory cream. The use of depilatory cream was also found to be effective, though there are limitations to its use due to time factor. Conclusion Surgical site infection is one of the commonest health associated infections. Surgical site infections can occur in 10% of patients each year resulting in delayed wound healing, increased hospital stay, unnecessary pain, readmission and even death. Seemingly there is no scientific basis of preoperative skin shaving. Studies illustrates that preoperative hair removal methods have been found to be the causes of surgical site infections, because of the cuts they cause on the skin making it to be colonised by microbes. Hair clipping is considered the favoured method of hair removal but its not without error. Preoperative hair clipping protocol was developed in 2003 (by who) and literature reviews have proven that these policies are still relevant. Studies have also reinforced the importance of staff education which will help to strengthen the use of electric clippers. Nurses must keep abreast of research findings to be able to support their rationale for change when championing this crusade to their medical colleagues. Through these efforts the surgical team can provide the safest environment to reduce the risk for the development of surgical site infections, promoting positive outcomes for all surgical patients. Future research wi ll determine the effectiveness and success of clippers which improves patients safety against surgical site infections.

Governance in the CNMI Essay -- Unicameral, Bicameral, legislature, Uni

Is the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) better yet with a Unicameral Legislature or with the current Bicameral Legislature? According to Wikipedia, the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature is defined as the territorial legislature of the United States of America (Wikipedia). The legislative branch of the Marianas is bicameral. It consist of twenty members in the lower House of Representatives, and an upper house Senate with nine members. The Representatives serve two-year terms, and the Senators serve four-year terms, both without term limits. Both houses of the legislature convene and conduct their meetings on the Island of Saipan, the capital island of the Northern Mariana Islands. The House seats are elected in seven districts. Two districts have one seat each, one for Tinian & Aguiguan, and one for Rota. The remaining five districts elect multiple members, two with three members and two with six members which are all located in Saipan. According to the Mariana Islands Constitution, the requirements for House of Representative are a minimum age of 21, must be a residence of the Commonwealth for at least three consecutive years, and a registered voter in the district you represented. Reapportionment occurs every ten years following the census. Together with the Senate, the Constitution permits the Legislature to enact a higher residence requirement (CNMI Government laws). The Senate seats are divided into three districts containing three seats each from Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. The Senate seats are divided into two classes that are similar to the classes of the United States Senate. One class consisting of a single Senator from each district, and the second class consisting of two Senators from... ... Mariana Islands, 1998- 2013. Web. Retrieved from http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/northern_mariana_islands.htm Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Country Brief. Home page. Bilateral, Sept. 2013. Web. Retrieved from http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/cnmi/ Farrell, Don. â€Å"Tinian: A Brief History.† Tinian. (Original work published 2012) Northern Marianas Commonwealth. Home page. Legislature, 2006. Web. Retrieved from http://www.cnmiago.gov.mp/government.html Covenant of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Home page. Web. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Mariana_Islands Covenant. Law revision commission, 2013. Home Page. Web. Retrieved from http://cnmilaw.org/cnmicovenant.html Farrell, Don. Personal Interview. 26 Nov. 2013 Cruz, Peter. Personal Interview. 29 Nov. 2013

Human nature Essay

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a classic work that weaves intolerance, religion, hysteria and vested interests to paint one of the serious human pitfalls in history. At the heart of the Crucible is conflict fueled by personal interests – meaning, evil is more difficult to handle if it manifest itself in groups of people, but that these groups are formed because of a few people’s vested interests. The Crucible shows this clearly, which makes it a relevant work of literature today even if it made its debut more than fifty years ago. After all, the problems we are facing today are, in their most basic forms, the same – fight for resources, struggle for survival, battle for honor. The story begins when the daughter of the local preacher Reverend Parris, Betty has fallen ill. Parris has seen his daughter dancing in the woods with his niece, Abigail Williams, and his slave, Tituba, and a group of girls. He thinks that the girls must have been dabbling in witchcraft. Parris is worried about his reputation in the community – Salem being a Puritanical village, with its strict observance of rules and religion. Parris wants to make sure that his reputation stays intact, his name clean. There are those who are interested with his position being the reverend. He asks his niece if he has nothing to worry about, Abigail denies the charges. Parris asks her if her name has been soiled, since there are rumors going around that Elizabeth Proctor would not sit close next to a soiled woman, and that Elizabeth has stopped attending Church religiously. And then no one wanted to hire her. Abigail comes back at him telling him that he thinks she is a burden because of the upkeep of having her. Abigail actually calls the girls and tells them not to admit anything when John Proctor comes in and talks to her. Apparently, they have had an affair a year ago when she worked for him, that is why his wife Elizabeth fired her. Abigail still wants John, but he does not want her anymore, and is concerned with his public reputation. Betty wakes up and begins screaming, and talks of her being bewitched ensues. Parris has called in Reverend Hale, a supposed expert on witchcraft, to look at his daughter, and investigate what is going on. Hale suspects something is amiss with Abigail’s actions, and calls on Tituba who confesses to communicating with the devil. Abigail joins Tituba, and Betty also joins them in their accusing certain people of witchcraft. After a week, Elizabeth talks to her husband and asks him to expose Abigail as a fraud but John does not want to have anything to do with the whole issue. Elizabeth is hurt, thinks that John still has feelings for Abigail. They fight over John’s infidelity. Their maid Mary comes home and informs them that Elizabeth has been named as a witch. They continue fighting until some villagers drop by and say that their wives have been arrested, and shortly after officers come and arrest Elizabeth. John is aghast and pressures Mary to expose Abigail and the other girls as frauds. Proctor takes Mary to court so she could testify against the girls, the judge Danforth tells him that Elizabeth is pregnant and will be spared for some time. Proctor insists, and Mary tells the court that the girls are lying. The girls are called in and instead accuse Mary of bewitching them. Proctor then confesses he had an affair with Abigail and that she wants to get back at them, wanted to get rid of his wife. To test this claim, Danforth calls Elizabeth, but instead she lies to save her husband’s reputation. Danforth calls Proctor a liar, and Mary breaks down and accuses Proctor of being a witch. Proctor is consumed by rage and the court has him arrested. Hale sees all of these and quits. The season change, autumn has arrived. Abigail took Parris’ money and ran away. Neighboring towns are in unrest because of the witch trials in Salem. Danforth is anxious over these developments. Hale works with the accused witches and tries to convince them to yield and confess to save their lives. They refuse. Danforth talks to Elizabeth to ask John to confess. John tells her that he is not holding out because of religion, rather he wanted the men responsible to feel guilty because they know he is innocent. After a while he agrees to the confession, but he would not name other people as witches and tears up the confession. John is sent to the gallows with others. Hale and Parris ask Elizabeth to talk to John again, but Elizabeth refuses because her husband is finally standing up for goodness. The protagonist is John Proctor, the main character who undergoes a character change and wins the respect and sympathy of viewers. He starts off as a worldly man who is consumed by his lust which led him to have an affair with Abigail, and then even knowing about her lies he refuses to do anything because he is concerned about his name. Yet, he attempts to do something about it, by badgering Mary, without revealing his secret, his affair. When that does not work, he makes known his affair to convince the court that Abigail and the girl are lying, but Elizabeth lies for him. He was a weak character, he even considered signing a confession just to make it alive, but his transformation is complete when he would not falsely name others as witches. He reaches his point and realizes that he has lost his public reputation and all he has left is his conscience. The other character which went through a huge change is Hale, who begins as someone who feels important because he believes he specializes in a subject – witchcraft. But even when he started as haughty and acted as though he could determine the fate of others by determining if they are witches or not, he later sees the truth and the injustice of it all, sees through the hysteria. But he loses his sense of power, and instead advises the accused to surrender and confess even if the allegations are not true, just so their lives will be spared. He then becomes not a scion of light and strength, but an agent embodying submission, by giving importance to survival over than upholding and fighting for what is right and just. The other interesting character is Abigail, the young woman who plays villain in this story. She has a low status in Salem village being unmarried and orphan, and she uses the opportunity to get back not only at Elizabeth to win over John Proctor, but also at the privileged people in society. Thus she leads the girls to getting back at the judgment society has passed over them. Lastly, Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, showed resilience and love for the protagonist. In a way, her love for him helped in transforming him. She was hurt with his infidelity, but she still thought of him and how important his name and reputation over her own judgments. In the end, she understood that John finally found goodness, one that is more true than the public reputation he so wanted to protect. All these events came about because of the characters in Salem – the village was puritanical, and quick to point the finger to wash themselves of suspicions. Abigail dabbled in witchcraft because she wanted Elizabeth dead and John for herself. John did not want to expose the truth because doing so would expose his secret affair and ruin his reputation as well. Even when there was no real reason for the deaths, it came to be because of the hysteria that Abigail whipped, her and the girls’ accusations of witchcraft. And because the people in village did not believe in tolerance, they wanted to see people get punished. But beneath these reasons lie deeper motivations. The people in Salem were not really spiritual – they may claim to be religious in the sense of following the rites of their religions strictly, of merging rule and religion as one. But in terms of the values taught, they were selfish and wanted only what would benefit the, what is in their interest. In the end, their actions were motivated by something rational – they wanted revenge, they wanted survival, they wanted resources. And this is human nature. The Crucible shows us what human nature is capable of going into unchecked, and must serve as reminder that we are not only creatures of survival, but that there is hope – we could rise above it and stand for what is good and just.

Poverty: Comparative Analysis of China and India

University of National and world economy economic sociology paper [pic] Poverty: Comparative Analysis of China and India WRITTEN BY mANOL MANOLOV ECONOMICS IN ENGLISH 131 FACULTY No: 29114055 TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. Introduction to ‘poverty’ in the world †¢ Causes of poverty †¢ Effects of poverty †¢ Global analysis of world poverty †¢ Analysis of East-Asian region 2. Analysis of poverty in India †¢ Overview †¢ Historical trend †¢ Urban poverty †¢ Rural poverty †¢ Indian economic development 3. Analysis of poverty in China †¢ Overview †¢ Historical background Analysis of characteristics of China’s poverty †¢ Recent economic growth in China †¢ Connection between the Economic growth and Poverty reduction 4. International cooperation for reducing poverty 1. Introduction to ‘poverty’ in the world According to the World Bank (2000), â€Å"poverty is pronounced deprivation in well-being†. This of course begs the question of what is meant by well-being. One approach is to think of one’s well-being as the command over commodities in general, so people are better off if they have a greater command over resources.In this view, the main focus is on whether households or individuals have enough resources to meet their needs. Typically poverty is then measured by comparing an individual’s income or consumption with some defined threshold below which they are considered to be poor. This is the most conventional view – poverty is seen largely in monetary terms. This also is the starting point for most analyses of poverty. A second approach to well-being (and hence poverty) is to ask whether people are able to obtain a specific type of consumption good: do they have enough food? Or shelter? Or health care? Or education?In this view the analyst would need to go beyond the more traditional monetary measures of poverty and analyze an individual’s depri vation of education, nutrition, clothing, shelter etc. Perhaps the broadest approach to well-being (and poverty) is the one articulated by Amartya Sen (1987), who argues that well-being comes from a â€Å"capability’’ to function in society. Thus poverty arises when people lack key capabilities, and so have inadequate income or education, or poor health, or insecurity, or low self confidence, or a sense of powerlessness, or the absence of rights such as freedom of speech.Viewed in this way, poverty is a multi-dimensional phenomenon, and less amenable to simple solutions. Around the world, in rich or poor nations, poverty has always been present. In most nations today, inequality—the gap between the rich and the poor—is quite high and often widening. The causes are numerous, including a lack of individual responsibility, bad government policy, exploitation by people and businesses with power and influence, or some combination of these and other factors.Ma ny feel that high levels of inequality will affect social cohesion and lead to problems such as increasing crime and violence. †¢ Causes of poverty Poverty is caused by two basic things: scarcity of basic needs and barriers to opportunities. In the past poverty had been mostly accepted as inevitable as economies produced little while populations grew almost as fast making wealth scarce. Food shortages  were common before the appearance of modern agricultural technology. However, nowadays there are well enough places that still lack such technology, leading to poverty rates being retained or even raised.On the other hand, intensive farming often leads to a vicious cycle of exhaustion of soil fertility and decline of agricultural yields. Approximately 40% of the world's agricultural land is seriously degraded. Health care can be widely unavailable too. The loss of health care workers emigrating from impoverished countries has a damaging effect. For example, an estimated 100,000 Philippine nurses emigrated between 1994 and 2006. There are more Ethiopian doctors in Chicago than there are in Ethiopia.There are also a lot of factors of living, closely connected with poverty. Colonial history, centralization of power, corruption, warfare, environmental degradation and social inequality are factors on which the development of a nation or state is fully dependent. Moreover, warfare, unproductive agricultural cycles, drought and flooding and all kinds of natural disasters are factors which directly lead to poverty of any kind. Such factors are known as acute causes of poverty. †¢ Effects of poverty Poor health and education severely affects productivity.Inadequate nutrition in childhood undermines the ability of individuals to develop their full capabilities. The lack of economic freedom inhibits entrepreneurship among the poor. New enterprises and foreign investment can be driven away by the results of inefficient institutions, notably corruption, weak rule of law and excessive bureaucratic burdens. In reality, behind the increasing interconnectedness promised by globalization are global decisions, policies, and practices. These are typically influenced, driven, or formulated by the rich and powerful.These can be leaders of rich countries or other global actors such as multinational corporations, institutions, and influential people. In the face of such enormous external influence, the governments of poor nations and their people are often powerless. As a result, in the global context, a few get wealthy while the majority struggle. †¢ global analysis on world poverty The world has the wealth and means to end poverty. Almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2. 50 a day And over 11 million children will die from poverty-related illness this year alone.This is the reality – the difference between the â€Å"developing† and â€Å"developed† countries is huge. [pic] In 2 005, the wealthiest 20% of the world accounted for 76. 6% of total private consumption. The poorest fifth just 1. 5%: [pic] Relatively to the graph above, the poorest 40 percent of the world’s population accounts for 5 percent of global income. The richest 20 percent account for three-quarters of world income. Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen. Of 2. 2 billion children in the world 1 billion are in poverty (every second child). For the 2 billion children in the developing world there are 640 million without adequate shelter (1 in 3), 400 million with no access to safe water (1 in 5) and 270 million with no access to health service (1 in 7). A lot more facts can be displayed in order to portray the tremendous ratio of poverty and well-being in the world today. â⠂¬ ¢ Analysis of East-Asian regionThe role of social policy and particularly social security in addressing the ongoing challenge of poverty in East Asia is huge despite the region’s spectacular experience of economic growth in decent decades. The East Asian miracle resulted over the last four decades in a transformation of the region’s traditional agrarian economies and significant increases in standards of living for many ordinary people. Even though it was given little attention, poverty has remained an ongoing problem. The problem became particularly evident however with the Asian financial crisis of 1997 when many low income and middle class workers became unemployed.As a result of this crisis, the need for effective social policies and social security programs were recognized. The idea that economic growth would solve the problem of poverty was increasingly challenged. Even in China today, where rapid growth has created new employment opportunities and the promise of prosperity for many, the government has recognized that the problem of poverty cannot be addressed only through economic growth but that comprehensive social policies must be formulated, and this includes the development of an effective security system.It is claimed that the East Asian nations had not only solved the problem of poverty but were likely to maintain high standards of living for their citizens for many years to come. There were many references to what was called the â€Å"Asian Century† at the 2008 World Economic Forum at Davos which implied that the East Asian nations had not only achieved economic success but were likely to dominate global trade and finance in the future.This notion perpetuates the idea that economic growth is the solution to the poverty problem. However, the seriousness of the problem of poverty is seldom missed by journalists and the main stress is put on the vast economic development. While the incidence of absolute poverty associated wi th subsistence agriculture and urban, informal economic activities has declined dramatically, this does not mean that poverty and relative deprivation have been eradicated.Indeed, it became painfully clear in the late 1990s that the East Asian economies were vulnerable to global economic shocks and ill prepared to address the challenge of rising unemployment, homelessness and other social ills. Analysis of the World Bank show, that in recent years poverty in the region has decreased from 2% in Korea up to more than 10% in Malaysia. Poverty declines in China and India have been particularly sizable. The table below shows the proportion of population below the poverty line of 1$ per day: Country |1990 |Latest Year | |People’s Republic of China |33% |10. 8% (2004) | |Mongolia |27. 3% |11% (2002) | |Indonesia |20. 6% |4% (2005) | |Malaysia |

3 Tips for Writing Stellar Yale Supplement Essays

3 Tips for Writing Stellar Yale Supplement Essays SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Yale admits just under 7% of their total applicant pool every year. If you want to be one of those admitted students, you’ll need to write amazing Yale essays as part of your Yale University application. In this article, we’ll outline the different types of essays you need to write for your Yale University application and teach you how to write a Yale supplement essay that will help you stand out from the thousands of other applicants. What Are the Yale Essay Prompts? Yale University requires you to submit one or two long essays, depending on whether you are submitting the Common Application or Coalition Application. You will choose from a selection of three topics for the longer Yale supplement essay questions. The prompts are the same for both the Common and the Coalition application, but the number of prompts you’ll choose to answer is different depending on which application you use to apply. You’ll also complete a total of six short answer questions regardless of which application you’re using. The six short answer questions for the Yale essays range in word limit from 35 words to 300 words. These essays are specific to the Yale application - you won’t find them on any other college or university’s application. Although they are short, the Yale supplement essays are just as important as the longer essays. The Yale supplemental essay questions offer you plenty of opportunity to show off your qualifications as an applicant and wow the admissions committee. 2018-19 Yale Supplement Essay Questions There are three Yale supplement essay questions, as well as an essay specifically for students applying to the engineering program. Let’s take a look at the three prompts. Then, we’ll talk about who needs to answer them. Think about an idea or topic that has been intellectually exciting for you. Why are you drawn to it? Reflect on your engagement with a community to which you belong. How do you feel you have contributed to this community? Yale students, faculty, and alumni engage issues of local, national, and international importance. Discuss an issue that is significant to you and how your college experience might help you address it. If you’re applying with the Common Application, you’ll choose two of those prompts and answer them in 250 words or fewer. If you’re applying with the Coalition Application, you’ll answer one prompt in 300 words or fewer. You’ll also include an audio, video, image, or document file that you have created this is meaningful to you and related in some way to your essay. You’ll write one sentence to show how this relates to your essay. Yale Supplemental Essays Analyzed There are three longer supplemental essays that applicants submitting the Common or Coalition applications must choose from. The prompts are the same for both applications. Remember, if you’re submitting the Common Application, you must respond to two of the three prompts. If you’re submitting the Coalition Application, you must respond to one and include a piece of media that’s meaningful to you. Essay Prompt 1 Think about an idea or topic that has been intellectually exciting for you. Why are you drawn to it? Here you can show off all your nerdy school-related passions with abandon. Well, maybe not too much abandon. The prompt requires you to discuss one idea or topic, so think carefully about what you want to write about. When thinking of a topic, you can choose anything from your favorite subject in school to a facet of the judicial system that you’ve been learning about through podcasts. The point here is that whatever you pick should be somehow tied to your academic interests. In this longer essay you have the chance to show how your interests relate to your ambitions as a Yale student and graduate. Do the best you can to be clear about how your chosen topic or idea could potentially influence your course of study at Yale and maybe even your life in the professional world. Essay Prompt 2 Reflect on your engagement with a community to which you belong. How do you feel you have contributed to this community? This essay provides a great place to let the committee see a side of you that has nothing to do with academics. There are so many possible answers here: family, sports teams, religious school, AV club - these are all communities and they all have been affected by your presence Have fun with this Yale essay. Don’t feel pressure to talk about how much charity work you do - chances are a lot of applicants will go that route and it will seem inauthentic. (unless charity work is actually your jam. If that’s the case, go for it!) Let your voice shine through in this one and don’t be a raid to be creative. Since you have a larger word allotment you can show off some of your prosaic chops. Don’t try too hard though! Be yourself - the committee will appreciate you for it. Essay Prompt 3 Yale students, faculty, and alumni engage issues of local, national, and international importance. Discuss an issue that is significant to you and how your college experience might help you address it. This prompt is pretty straightforward. Once again, don’t write what you think the application committee wants to read. Do research your answer before you write your essay and be honest in your writing. If nothing comes immediately to mind when you read this prompt, don’t panic. Take a moment to make a list of broad issues that interest you. For example, you may be interested in diversity in your hometown, the debate over national health care in America, or drinking water conditions in Africa. Once you’ve thought of a general topic, get online and look up a few articles about the issues. In your actual essay answer be as specific as possible. You want to show that you care about the topic, took time to research it, and didn’t just scroll through a bunch of trending hashtags related to social justice. Want to get into Yale or your personal top choice college? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Optional Engineering Essay Students applying to Yale’s engineering program must also submit the engineering essay as part of their application. If you selected one of the engineering majors, please tell us more about what has led you to an interest in this field of study, what experiences (if any) you have had in engineering, and what it is about Yale’s engineering program that appeals to you. Please respond in 300 words or fewer. If you are applying for this program, chances are you have a very real idea of what an engineering degree means in terms of undergraduate study and career opportunities. If you have no real-world experience with engineering, don’t make it up. Be sure you have research and real-life examples to back up your claim. Once more, we’ll mention how crucial research and specificity is. Engineering can be a broad area of study, but generally leads to very specific careers. Do your research and plan out this essay in as detailed a fashion as possible. You know, like an engineer would! 2018-19 Yale Short Answer Questions Every applicant must respond to six Yale-specific short answer questions on their application. Every student must respond to these short answer questions, The Yale short answer questions are just that: very short. Some only require 35 word answers. We will talk about how to answer these questions later. For now, let’s take a look at the prompts themselves. Students at Yale have plenty of time to explore their academic interests before committing to one or more major fields of study. Many students either modify their original academic direction or change their minds entirely. As of this moment, what academic areas seem to fit your interests or goals most comfortably? Please indicate up to three from the list provided. Why do these areas appeal to you? (100 words or fewer) What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer) What inspires you? (35 words or fewer) Yale’s residential colleges regularly host conversations with guests representing a wide range of experiences and accomplishments. What person, past or present, would you invite to speak? What question would you ask? (35 words or fewer) You are teaching a Yale course. What is it called? (35 words or fewer) Most first-year Yale students live in suites of four to six people. What do you hope to add to your suitemates’ experience? What do you hope they will add to yours? (35 words or fewer) Yale Short Answer Questions Analyzed In this section, we’ll be looking at the short answer Yale supplement essays in depth. Remember, every applicant must answer all essay prompts, so you don’t get to choose which essay you would like to write. It is important that you answer each of the Yale essay prompts strongly as they are all of equal importance. Let’s take a look at each Yale short essay questions and see how to write something meaningful for each. Yale Short Answer Question 1 Students at Yale have plenty of time to explore their academic interests before committing to one or more major fields of study. Many students either modify their original academic direction or change their minds entirely. As of this moment, what academic areas seem to fit your interests or goals most comfortably? Please indicate up to three from the list provided. Why do these areas appeal to you? (100 words or fewer) First off - follow the directions here exactly. ONLY use areas of study from the list provided in the above link and be sure to mention no more than three. Here, Yale is giving you the opportunity to show some range in your interests, but keeping your writing brief and honest is key. Less is more here - don’t be afraid to only list one interest. Although it may be unrealistic to choose a major before you enter college, there is no harm in expressing what excites you right now. You will not have to stick to this major throughout your Yale career, unless of course you want to. Just remember that 100 words is not a lot of space, so you may be able to express more if you choose one subject rather than three. Yale Short Answer Question 2 What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer) The best advice we can give you here is to be specific. Do your research before you start in on this prompt. The best answer will have mention of professors, programs and classes that are only available at Yale. One way to approach this essay is to base it around a conversation you may have had with an alumnus or professor from Yale. The application committee is looking to see how truthful and deep your desire to attend Yale is, so go the extra mile. Reach out to people who have experienced Yale for themselves. Your high school guidance counselor can help you find these connections. Yale Short Answer Question 3 What inspires you? (35 words or fewer) Caution! Due to its small word requirement here, you may be tempted to be witty or sardonic in your answer. Resist the urge! Again, go with authenticity rather than cleverness. If something charming or funny arises from your answer naturally, check with your guidance counselor, English teacher, or another trusted editor before turning it in. Humor can read as flippant and the application committee could think that you are not taking your application seriously. Good answers to this question range from inspirational people, to remarkable landscapes, to fine dining. There is no correct answer, so have fun answering! Think about what this prompt is asking: what inspires you? What gets you excited and motivated? Avoid trite answers at all costs. Don’t say how inspired you are by â€Å"the world in all its vastness.† Instead look inward, and think about when you have felt the best about yourself, and most energized to do the things you love. What made you feel that way? Who? And how did you act on that inspiration? Yale Short Answer Question 4 Yale’s residential colleges regularly host conversations with guests representing a wide range of experiences and accomplishments. What person, past or present, would you invite to speak? What question would you ask? (35 words or fewer) Here is another prompt you can have fun with. Again, avoid cliches! Don’t say â€Å"Gandhi† or â€Å"MLK† - those are obvious answers that are impossible to achieve. Choose someone that has truly inspired you - not someone you think will impress the admissions committee. They don’t have to be hugely famous, rich or successful. They should, however, have made a tangible impact on your life. Yale Short Answer Question 5 You are teaching a Yale course. What is it called? Another fun one! Once again: no cliches, no obvious answers, and please no comedy. Here’s a chance to show off something you feel you have mastery over. Instead of projecting into the future when you are a famous playwright and have the chops to teach a class on fantastic realism in modern theater, pick something that you know about right now. Maybe you speak a second language. Maybe you collect insects or press flowers. Maybe you are an expert at self-care for busy students. This question is not designed to get a better sense of your ambitions or goals. Here the committee wants to learn about the abilities and passions in which you already feel confident. Yale Short Answer Question 6 Most first-year Yale students live in suites of four to six people. What do you hope to add to your suitemates’ experience? What do you hope they will add to yours? (35 words or fewer) This question gives you the opportunity to share about different sides of your personality. If you’re a great hobby cook, for instance, you can show off those skills here. The important things to highlight in this question are the unique aspects of what makes you, you. Maybe you’ll contribute special edition DVDs of all the Lord of the Rings movies, or an epic poster collection. No matter what, you’ll want to show that you appreciate the community. Finally, you’ll want to share what you’re looking for in a suitemate - friendship, support, a buddy to go to the Yale-Harvard football game with. Showing how you appreciate others is equally important. How to Write a Great Yale Essay Regardless of which Yale short answer question you’re responding to, you should keep in mind the following tips for how to write a great Yale essay. #1: Use Your Own Voice The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond your test scores, grades, and honors. Your admissions essays are your opportunity to make yourself come alive for the essay readers and to present yourself as a fully fleshed out person. You should, then, make sure that the person you’re presenting in your college essays is yourself. Don’t try to emulate what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you’re not. If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will diminish its effectiveness. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think Yale wants you to be. #2: Avoid Cliches and Overused Phrases When writing your Yale essays, try to avoid using cliches or overused quotes or phrases. These include quotations that have been quoted to death and phrases or idioms that are overused in daily life. The college admissions committee has probably seen numerous essays that state, â€Å"Be the change you want to see in the world.† Strive for originality. Similarly, avoid using cliches, which take away from the strength and sincerity of your work. #3: Check Your Work It should almost go without saying, but you want to make sure your Yale essays are the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your Yale application, make sure to edit and proofread your essays. Your work should be free of spelling and grammar errors. Make sure to run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit. It’s a good idea to have someone else read your Yale essays, too. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend. Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure you haven’t missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it possibly can be. Recap: The Key to Yale Essays That Work The Yale essays cover a wide range of topics. Regardless of the question you’re answering, remember to follow these basic dos and don’ts as you’re writing: DO Be authentic and honest Be specific when citing people, places and things Strive for brevity and simplicity; less is more! Be yourself, and do your research - both will shine through in your essays! DON’T Base your essays on what you think the Yale application committee wants to hear Use cliches or broad sweeping statements Try too hard to be funny and original - be genuine and your positive attributes will be visible to the committee. What’s Next? Trying to figure out what to study in college?Have no fear- our guide will help you choose the best major for you, one step at a time. Really want to get into Yale? Using an acceptance calculator will help you figure out your chances of getting into the schools at the top of your listso you know how to up your odds. It's a great time to start researching scholarships. It's never too early to start thinking about how you're going to pay for college! Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

How to Find the Best Private Student Loans 4 Tips

How to Find the Best Private Student Loans 4 Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Most students who go to college have to take out loans to afford the cost of attendance. Private student loans can be a good option for you if you need more money to cover your college costs. However, which private loans are the best ones? When should you decide to take out a private loan? In this article, I'll thoroughly explain the different types of loans and the most important factors to consider when getting a private loan. What Are Private Student Loans? There are two primary types of student loans: federal and private. Federal loans are funded by the federal government, and private loans are made by a lender such as a bank, credit union, state agency, or a school. The lender will give you money, and you’ll have to pay back the loan amount (principal) plus interest. Private Student Loans Should Be Your Last Option Generally, private loans are the worst way to pay for your education. First, before considering private loans, you should try to get grants and scholarships. You don’t have to pay back grants and scholarships. Essentially, you’re being given free money to finance your college education. You can’t beat that. If there’s a gap in how much your college costs and how much you can afford after accounting for grants and scholarships, then you should consider a federal loan. Federal loans can be subsidized or unsubsidized. Subsidized loans are preferable because the federal government will pay the interest on your loan while you’re in school. To qualify for most need-based financial aid, including federal loans and many grants and scholarships, you have to complete a FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Here’s a thorough breakdown of the financial aid process. If you don’t get enough scholarship and federal loan money to cover the cost of your education, then you can consider getting a private loan. Why Are Federal Loans Better Than Private Loans? Here are the major reasons why federal loans tend to be better than private loans. Lower Interest Rates Often, federal loans have lower interest rates, so the total amount of money you’ll have to pay back will be lower. Some private loans have lower interest rates, but these rates might be variable, which means they can change over time. Eventually, the rates on these loans may be higher. More Flexible Repayment Plans Also, repayment plans tend to be more flexible with federal loans. Your required payments may be more proportional to your income. If you get a job with a low salary when you graduate from college, you’ll have a lower minimum loan payment. More Likely to Offer Deferment Federal loans are more likely to offer deferment. During a period of financial hardship, you won’t have to make loan payments and interest won’t accrue. Many private lenders don’t offer deferment. Loan Forgiveness Federal loans offer loan forgiveness. You can reduce the amount you have to pay back on your federal student loans by pursuing certain public service jobs like teaching, joining the military, volunteering, or moving to certain areas. If you become a teacher, you can get some loan forgiveness. How Do You Find Private Loans? If you find yourself in need of a private student loan, where do you turn? Because there are a ton of private student loans out there, an easy solution is to turn to sites like ElmSelect, Credible, or simpletuition where you can enter basic information and compare loans that match your search criteria. Also, universities often have a list of private lenders that will disburse your loan payments right into your student account. Furthermore, you can start your search with the more well-known lenders. Sallie Mae is probably the most well-known lender of student loans. Some of the other big lenders include Wells Fargo, PNC, and Discover. Finally, you can just look up private student loans online and wade through the sea of options, but that’s probably less efficient than using a loan comparison site. How Do You Find the Best Private Student Loans? Unfortunately, the best private student loans are dependent on a number of factors including your college, how much you have to borrow, and your creditworthiness (or your cosigner’s). Generally, you won’t get the definitive terms like the interest rates on your loans until you apply. However, here are some tips to follow to get the best private student loan for you. Compare Many Options Like anything else you buy, you’re most likely to find the best deal by shopping around. Compare rates from different lenders and try to determine how much money you’ll have to pay back. Keep in mind that you won’t know how much money you’ll have to pay back if you opt for a loan with a variable rate because the interest rate can change. Often, loans with low variable rates will end up costing more than loans with a higher fixed rate. You can use tools like the Loan Analyzer from FinAid to determine the quality of different loans. Shop around to find the best private loans. Get Your Credit Right Typically, lenders will offer lower interest rates to those who have excellent credit. If you anticipate that you’ll have to apply for a private student loan, work on getting your credit as good as possible. Because most students have limited or no credit history, you may need a cosigner who hopefully has good credit to get the best interest rate available. If you anticipate needing a cosigner (probably a parent), get that person to agree to cosign for your loan and make sure she is doing everything possible to improve or maintain her credit. There’s More to Consider Than Just Interest Rates Beyond interest rates, you need to consider the fees associated with loans. Some loans have origination fees, which are fees charged by the lender for processing the loan. Also, you want to consider how flexible the repayment plan is and if you’re able to defer payments. Moreover, how long is the grace period before you have to start paying back your loan? Are there any borrower rewards? Sometimes, you can lower interest rates on loans for setting up automatic withdrawal, paying on time, or getting good grades. You may also get a rate discount if you take a loan from a bank or credit union where you’re a member. Apply for Multiple Loans Before you apply for loans, you’ll be given a range of possible interest rates, but you won’t know the exact rate until after you apply. For example, here’s the information for a $10,000 PNC loan I found on SimpleTuition for a hypothetical Stanford student from the class of 2020. As you can see, the interest rate for the PNC loan ranges from 3.62% to 9.85%. This is a huge difference. The total cost of the loan with the highest rate is almost double that of the loan with the lowest rate. You won’t know the exact terms of the loan and interest rate until after you apply. The interest rate will be determined based on the amount you’re borrowing, your or your cosigner’s credit history, and whether you choose a fixed or variable rate. Final Advice If you want some specific ideas forthe best private student loans, you can check out this list of the top 17 best-rated student loans by Consumer Affairs.Keep in mind that this list includes federal loans. If you read the reviews, you’ll realize that very few people seem to be happy with their student loans. Try to minimize your private student loans. Private loans can be tempting because they’re easy to apply for, and you can often borrow as much as you want to pay for your educational expenses. However, remember that private loans should be a last resort. You don’t want to burden yourself with extremely high debt that you’re going to have to pay off for the next 20-30 years. I know people in their 40’s who are still paying off their loans. Also, remember that you won’t be able to accurately compare loans until after you apply. Lenders will often advertise their most attractive terms, but you may come to find out that you're only eligible for a much less favorable interest rate. If you’re a US citizen or permanent resident and you need financial aid to attend college,make sure you fill out the FAFSA and submit it by the deadline. The FAFSA is used to determine your eligibility for federal aid, and many states and colleges use it to determine how much state aid or institution-based aid to give you. Get good grades and high test scores. You can reduce the amount you’ll have to take out in private loans by getting merit scholarships. You don’t have much control over how much need-based aid you’re eligible for, but you can get more scholarship money by excelling academically. Many colleges and organizations offer merit scholarships for outstanding students. Additionally, the most selective schools usually offer the best financial aid. If you’re able to get into one of these schools, you may get enough aid to cover your cost of education without having to take out private loans. Apply for scholarships: the more, the better. So many students don’t apply for scholarships just because they don’t want to spend time writing essays or filling out applications. However, depending on your situation, you may be eligible for a number of great scholarships that will help you avoid taking out private loans. Because some scholarships are highly competitive, you'll increase your chances of getting scholarship money by applying for more scholarships. What's Next? If you're looking for scholarship money, check out our expert guide on how to find scholarships. If you're specifically hoping for a merit scholarship, read our guide to getting one. Finally, learn the best ways to save for college. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath Quotes

'The Bell Jar' by Sylvia Plath Quotes The Bell Jar  is a famous autobiographical novel by Sylvia Plath, though it was first published under the pseudonym, Victoria Lucas. The novel has been banned and challenged because it deals with mental illness, suicide, and the female experience. Some have claimed that students may be inspired to commit suicide after reading about Esther Greenwoods struggle with mental illness but these claims are unfounded. Here are a few quotes from The Bell Jar. Doreen singled me out right away. She made me feel I was that much sharper than the others, and she really was wonderfully funny. She used to sit next to me at the conference table, and when the visiting celebrities were talking shed whisper witty sarcastic remarks to me under her breath.- Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar, Chapter 1 There is something demoralizing about watching two people get more and more crazy about each other, especially when you are the extra person in the room.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 2 After Doreen left, I wondered why I couldnt go the whole way doing what I should any more. This made me sad and tired. Then I wondered why I couldnt go the whole way doing what I shouldnt, the way Doreen did, and this made me even sadder and more tired.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 3 The sickness rolled through me in great waves. After each wave it would fade away and leave me limp as a wet leaf and shivering all over and then I would feel it rising up in me again, and the glittering white torture chamber tiles under my feet and over my head and all four sides closed in and squeezed me to pieces.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 4 I hate handing over money for what I could just as easily do myself, it makes me nervous.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 5 Buddy kissed me again in front of the house steps, and the next fall, when his scholarship to medical school came through, I went there to see him instead of to Yale and it was there I found out that he had fooled me all those years and what a hypocrite he was.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 5 What a man wants is is an arrow into the future and what a woman is is the place the arrow shoots off from.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 6 She was a fat middle-aged woman with dyed red hair and suspiciously thick lips and rat-colored skin and she wouldnt even turn off the light, so hed had her under a fly-spotted twenty-five-watt bulb, and it was nothing like it was cracked up to be. It was as boring as going to the toilet.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 7 So I began to think maybe it was true that when you were married and had children it was like being brainwashed, and afterward you went about as numb as a slave in a totalitarian state.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 7 If neurotic is wanting two mutually exclusive things at one and the same time, then Im neurotic as hell. Ill be flying back and forth between one mutually exclusive thing and another for the rest of my days.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 8 I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery- air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, This is what it is to be happy.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 8 Show us how happy it makes you to write a poem.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 9 I had decided I would put off the novel until I had gone to Europe and had a lover.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 10 But when I took up my pen, my hand made big, jerky letters like those of a child, and the lines sloped down the page from left to right almost diagonally, as if they were loops of string lying on the paper, and someone had come along and blown them askew.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 11 There was a uniformity, as if they had lain for a long time on a shelf, out of the sunlight, under siftings of pale, fine dust.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 12 I am I am I am.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 13 I am climbing to my freedom, freedom from fear, freedom from marrying the wrong person, like Buddy Willard, just because of sex, freedom from the Florence Crittenden Homes where all the poor girls go who should have been fitted out like me, because what they did, they would do anyway...- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 18 The bell jar hung, suspended, a few feet above my head. I was open to the circulating air.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 18 Doctor Nolan said, quite bluntly, that a lot of people would treat me gingerly, or even avoid me, like a leper with a warning bell. My mothers face floated to mind, a pale reproachful moon, at her last and first visit to the asylum since my twentieth birthday. A daughter in an asylum! I had done that to her.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 20 There would be a black, six-foot-deep gap backed in the hard ground. That shadow would marry this shadow, and the peculiar yellowish soil of our locality seal the wound in the whiteness, and yet another snowfall erase the newness in Joans grave.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar,  Chapter 20 There ought, I thought, to be a ritual for being born twice- patched, retreaded and approved for the road.- Sylvia Plath,  The Bell Jar

Alroy Drawer Runners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Alroy Drawer Runners - Essay Example Alroy is a leader in the manufacture of metal drawer runners that are utilized on furnishings, custom cabinetry and any other product requiring efficient and no-slip drawer slides, hence creating a plethora of opportunities for capturing disparate markets and prospects. What makes Alroy products unique is their durability in construction and powder-coated covering that improves anti-corrosion capabilities and longevity over that of competing drawer runner manufacturers worldwide. Alroy Sheet Metal’s customer is Heritage Home Group LLC, a multi-national organization specializing in manufacture, design, distribution and retailing of a variety of home furnishings. Heritage is a very high-end producer and marketer of top quality, premium home products under the respected and well-known brand names such as Thomasville, Lane, Broyhill, Pearson and Drexel Heritage. The customer maintains a very broad group of retail channels that include branded retail stores, collaboration with world-renowned interior design agents, mass merchant retailers, and independent retail stores across the world. The relationship between Alroy salespersons and Heritage Home Group is one that is justified through a consultative selling model. Salespersons, in order to add value to the relationship and engage the customer effectively, ask a variety of strategic questions, utilize active listening skills, and illustrate a legitimate care and concern for their problems and needs. Relationship development involves more interactivity with customers, face-to-face selling practices, in which productive communications between seller and customer are critical to establishing trust and perceptions of competency in the salesperson and the corporate brand.  

Radio Shack Strategic Management Research Paper

Radio Shack Strategic Management - Research Paper Example RadioShack is primarily focused on the US market where as at the end of 2011 it employed 34,000 people, and owned and operated 4,476 stores under its brand and an additional 1,496 stores under the Target Mobile centers brand. RadioShack’s products and services are categorized into four platforms: mobility, signature, consumer electronics and other sales. The mobility platform consists of prepaid and postpaid wireless handsets, commissions and residual income, tablets and e-readers. The signature platform includes home entertainment, wireless, computer, and music accessories; general purpose and special purpose power products; headphones; technical products; and services (RadioShack 3). The consumer electronics platform includes personal computing products, laptop computers, digital music players, residential telephones, GPS devices, cameras, digital televisions, and other consumer electronics products (RadioShack 3). Other sales include sales generated by the Target Mobile centers, sales to independent dealers, sales generated by RadioShack’s Mexican subsidiary, sales from www.radioshack.com website and sales to other third parties through the company’s global sourcing operations (Rad ioShack 22). The contribution of each of these product platforms in 2011 is displayed in Figure 1 below. In 2011, RadioShack net sales increased by 2.6%, to $4,378 million over its 2010 revenues. However, the company’s gross margin went down by 3.5% to 41.4% within the same period. This was largely attributed to change in the company’s sales mix within its largest product platform, the mobility platform, towards lower margin smartphones and tablets (RadioShack 20). The company has sound financial strength depicted by its quick ratio of 1.61 and current ratio of 2.73. Figure 1: RadioShack Product Platforms (RadioShack Corp 1) 2.0. Strategic issues There are two major strategic management problems facing RadioShack Corporation: merchandise mix and growth strategy. To begin with, RadioShack established its mobility platform as the more attractive unit and has continued to steer corporate resources towards it. Figure 1 above, shows mobility devices accounted for 51.4% of the company’s net sales in 2011, up from 46.1% in 2010 and 35.3% in 2009 (RadioShack 22). Howev er, the high competitive rivalry in the retail consumer mobility industry, short product cycles, and its much lower margins has made the company vulnerable to weak consumer spending. For this reason, on March 2, 2012, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services lowered its corporate credit and senior unsecured debt ratings on RadioShack to ‘B+’ from ‘BB-’, with outlook also moved from stable to negative (FitzGerald Para 2). This downgrade lowers investor and creditor confidence on the organization. Ultimately, the lowered rating may affect RadioShack’s ability to raise financial capital for any major investments that it may seek in future. RadioShack’s senior management

Public argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Public argument - Essay Example As a result, there has been an increase in the size of the deserts in the world. Initially people would rely on rain-fed agriculture (Bredahl 26). However, this is not possible anymore. The seasons have become more unpredictable. In addition, some adverse weather conditions have been experienced in various parts of the world. These conditions have affected the ability of the current resources to sustain the increasing population†. †Genetically modified crops produce high yields. The crops have been genetically engineered in order to produce more produce that other crops. As a result, the crops can be used to fight the increasing levels of food insecurity in the world. The statistics indicate one person dies each day as a result of hunger. Therefore, the genetically modified foods can close this gap by ensuring that the world has adequate food to feed the current generation. As a community we need to be in the forefront in fighting hunger in the world. However, we cannot achieve this noble idea with the current production practices†. â€Å"The increased use of pesticides by farmers has created strains of pests that are resistant to the pesticides. This aspect is affecting the level of production by the farmers across the world. In addition, some pest causes some crop diseases which affect the productivity of the crops. Nevertheless, genetically modified crops have the ability to resist the pests, an aspect that plays a significant role in increasing the yields†. â€Å"According to Bredahl (31) genetically modified foods have high nutrient contents. Currently, the world is struggling with the increasing number of people suffering from heart diseases, high blood pressure, and other chronic diseases that are associated with obesity. This results from consuming foods with unbalanced nutrients value. Genetically modified foods close this gap by ensuring that the foods have the correct nutrient content.

What has been the best period in your life and why Essay

What has been the best period in your life and why - Essay Example Their presence makes me feel important and there is a natural attachment between me and my children. The period of their upbringing was difficult but the emotions that arose within me when they started talking and walking seem to be unforgettable. There were times when I had to give up my sleep and luxuries to make them happy and to give them time but I did not regret it. I realized that fatherhood was a position of giving without any hope of rewards. Their happiness instilled emotions of happiness within me and when they cried I tried to do everything possible to make them happy. Thus, it was a feeling and a relationship that was different from all other relations. The time of their upbringing has always been important for me and this period of fathering the two most beautiful children of the world has been the most important and unforgettable period of my life. This is owing to the strong natural bond that exists in the relation of a father and his

The Internet and Self Employment - Increase of Business Owners because Essay

The Internet and Self Employment - Increase of Business Owners because of the Internet - Essay Example Internet is a technology, which is used by the companies to operate their business online. Without internet facility, it is impossible to reach international markets and introduce products to the international customers. At present, internet has become one of the extensively used technologies, which has made many business reach success in a very short span of time. Facebook, Twitter, and Groupon are some of the major examples of successful online firms (Beer, 2011). E-businesses are based on ideas. An e-business is successful if the idea behind that business makes people save their money (Quittner, 2009). How Well Does Internet Increase The Progress Of Businesses Online? Internet makes small businesses more profitable and efficient as compared to the small conventional style businesses. A company working in the ebusiness environment makes use of website to make people aware of the products and services offered by the company. A good website is very important for the success of an onl ine company because it is the main source of communication between the company and the customers. A website not only helps a company gain exposure in international markets but also attracts a large number of customers towards the products and services of the company. ... ot get much exposure to the outside world which results in decreased levels of productivity whereas online businesses operate in different parts of the world by making use of internet technologies resulting in many benefits, such as, attracting more customers towards the products and services of the company and increasing productivity and profitability of the company. In today’s world, a company can never gain competitive edge over its competitors with low levels of productivity and market share. Efficiency and productivity are the keys towards customer satisfaction and achievement of competitive advantage. Online businesses hold a large number of customers and market opportunities as compared to conventional businesses, which increase their chances of achieving competitive advantage in the markets where they operate their businesses. Exposure to multiple markets is one of main features of online businesses. Today, the world has become a global village where customers are very much comfortable with the use of internet and they can search for their desired products online instead of going to supermarkets physically. Another thing is that the customers look for their desired features in the products, which they look for. If they do not get their desired products from one company, they search for other companies online in order to find their desired products, which results in increasing the business of those companies, which have online presence. Therefore, we can say that online presence of a company results in increasing the productivity of the company. Increase in productivity is not only related to the number of customers of a company but also to the number of markets in which a company operates its businesses. Online companies can reach the customers more

Portofolio for proffesional development in education Essay

Portofolio for proffesional development in education - Essay Example Accordingly, I have carried out the following assessment of the teaching methodology I used. As per my tutor, there needs to be a greater knowledge base which would have the strong support of evidence throughout the assessment. I have done so by making use of theories that have been supported by various scholars so as to support each of the arguments I have put forth in the process of discussing and assessing the learning approach I have use. These include theory and practice relationship within teaching methodology as well as the learning outcomes of the learning approach used by me. These have been summed up as the evaluation in the conclusion. These elements of assessment have been used an integral part of the assignment rather than separate features, as pointed out by my tutor. To begin with, there has been a substantial amount of learning that I have managed to garner from the classes. Yet, the classes showed me that there is a lot to be desired in terms of definition of areas that signify real worthwhile learning. There also seems to be a confusion of thoughts with a plethora of concepts like globalization flying around. This has shown that there has been a steady merging of lines throughout the world with the convergence of theory and practice. ... With an increase in the phenomenon known as globalization and the wide use of technology as a complementary feature, human society has changed and the needs have increased manifold. This has been used in the teachings regarding acute pain during this class. In the case of healthcare teaching, changes in the political, economical and cultural arena have challenged and effected alterations within various professions. The autonomy of professions has been under challenge because the market has tried to decrease it so to reduce their power and status. Finally, all these changes have affected and put under challenge professional education. This is further evident in the following lines as mentioned by Robert B. Reich, when he says, "In this mercantilist game, one sovereign's advance (was) necessarily at the expense of another, because the whole point of the exercise (was) to gain more power than a potential opponent." (Reich, 1991, p.14). As assessed above, there has been a convergence of theory and practice, yet there are many gaps owing to the basic fact that there is yet to be a clear cut definition of how globalization affects the meeting of theory and practice. (Reich, 1991, p.14). This will create the real platform upon which worthwhile learning may be measured. Worthwhile learning is also getting increasingly difficult to measure and there needs to be better models that can support phenomenon like knowledge management so as to support complementary phenomena like globalization. Many scholars believe that theory and practice are characterized by a clear difference because each one offers a different, not opposite, knowledge field. According to Durkheim, theory refers to the knowledge that we

The Internet and Self Employment - Increase of Business Owners because Essay

The Internet and Self Employment - Increase of Business Owners because of the Internet - Essay Example Internet is a technology, which is used by the companies to operate their business online. Without internet facility, it is impossible to reach international markets and introduce products to the international customers. At present, internet has become one of the extensively used technologies, which has made many business reach success in a very short span of time. Facebook, Twitter, and Groupon are some of the major examples of successful online firms (Beer, 2011). E-businesses are based on ideas. An e-business is successful if the idea behind that business makes people save their money (Quittner, 2009). How Well Does Internet Increase The Progress Of Businesses Online? Internet makes small businesses more profitable and efficient as compared to the small conventional style businesses. A company working in the ebusiness environment makes use of website to make people aware of the products and services offered by the company. A good website is very important for the success of an onl ine company because it is the main source of communication between the company and the customers. A website not only helps a company gain exposure in international markets but also attracts a large number of customers towards the products and services of the company. ... ot get much exposure to the outside world which results in decreased levels of productivity whereas online businesses operate in different parts of the world by making use of internet technologies resulting in many benefits, such as, attracting more customers towards the products and services of the company and increasing productivity and profitability of the company. In today’s world, a company can never gain competitive edge over its competitors with low levels of productivity and market share. Efficiency and productivity are the keys towards customer satisfaction and achievement of competitive advantage. Online businesses hold a large number of customers and market opportunities as compared to conventional businesses, which increase their chances of achieving competitive advantage in the markets where they operate their businesses. Exposure to multiple markets is one of main features of online businesses. Today, the world has become a global village where customers are very much comfortable with the use of internet and they can search for their desired products online instead of going to supermarkets physically. Another thing is that the customers look for their desired features in the products, which they look for. If they do not get their desired products from one company, they search for other companies online in order to find their desired products, which results in increasing the business of those companies, which have online presence. Therefore, we can say that online presence of a company results in increasing the productivity of the company. Increase in productivity is not only related to the number of customers of a company but also to the number of markets in which a company operates its businesses. Online companies can reach the customers more

Understanding the Concept of Organizational Management - Ford Motors Essay

Understanding the Concept of Organizational Management - Ford Motors - Essay Example Understanding the concept of Organizational Management – Ford Motors The functioning of organizational management is like a cyclical process. It consists of planning, decision making, organizing, staffing, directing or actuating and controlling functions to achieve an objective. Here in this paper the case study of Ford during the year of 2006-2010 is taken to understand the finer nuances organizational management and how it helps in organizational transformation. Another vital element of organizational management is leadership. The truth is there is no such concept of right or wrong leadership nor there is a specific style which is best for all situations. So, flexibility of thought is a key characteristic of a leader which enables him to develop strategies according to situational needs. Organizational or management structure also act as an important factor which helps to link and interact with people from different regions, divisions and departments as well as establishes a hierarchical level. This also helps to establish the communication channel with an organization which enables to make speedy and accurate decision. This communication channel pattern mostly depends on the size of the organization as well as on the accuracy and speed of making the decision. It also helps to reduce and eliminate barriers within an organization during exchange of valuable information. Implementation of these elements like leadership style, management structure, communication pattern and other core functions of marketing are reviewed regularly to ensure all the subsystems of the organization are working effectively. This evaluation is done on the basis of performance like quantity, quality, cost or timeliness and known as performance management. If the performance level is not satisfactory the management decides for down-sizing, right-sizing, new product development or change in processes. (Today’s Concept of Organizational Management, 57) Lewin’s Change Model in Organizational translation Lewin considered change process as consi sting of three major steps. These are as follows: Unfreezing It involves reducing the forces that resist an organization, department or individual from change. It can be done by giving information that shows inconsistency between the behaviors desired by the organization and those showed by its members. Moving It involves shift of attitude and behavior to the new desired level. This is done by changes in organization structure and processes. Refreezing It involves reinforcing the change process. â€Å"Organization culture, rewards and structures† are used to stabilize the organization in the new state. (Cummings & Worley, 24) (Cummings & Worley, 4; Spector) In this paper will attempt to analyze the organizational change in Ford Motor Company during the year of 2006-2010 when Alan Mulally became the CEO and we will try to relate the changes with Lewin’s Change Model. The case of American Automobile Czar Ford Business failure occurs for numerous reasons, but especially t wo reasons which affect business the most are rapid change in condition of market and finance. Performing business in this epoch is full of risk as the market is very volatile and competitive. Challenges of diversified sort brew up both from external as well as internal environment. The year 2008 and 2009 were the most chaotic for US and Canadian automobile industry. The fall