Summative Assessment In Education Research Paper

Summative Assessment In Education - Research Paper Example Why is it important to use authentic materials when teaching the English language? (3 marks) 2. Name six of the materials that can be used to supplement a course book when teaching English. (3 marks) 3. Discuss four methods which can be used to make a lesson more lively (4 marks) 4. Mention five advantages of using a course book while teaching (5 Marks) 5. Mention five best practices associated with the use of a course book (5 Marks) 6. Discuss the four options for use of a course book (8 marks) 7. Give four reasons why it is important to plan a lesson (2 marks) Section B: Lesson plan (30 marks) 1. With the news article and blank lesson plan provided, devise a lesson plan that can be used to teach a certain aspect of grammar. You are free to choose any aspect of your interest, but the lesson plan should include all the stages. Make sure all spaces are filled. Teacher: Room: Observer: Expected numbers: Date & Time: Class Level: Context: Teaching Aids: Learner Objectives: Personal Aims : Anticipated problems for students: Solution: Anticipated problems for teacher: Solution: Procedure Phase Timing Interaction (â€Å"Online TESOL / Online TEFL ITTT Answers†, 2009) Section C: Essay questions (40 marks) Write an essay of about 500 words to discuss one of the following concepts 1. Use a course book in lesson planning to maximize effects. 2. An ideal lesson plan. 3. Benefits of using a lesson plan. Note: your essay must contain a brief introduction and a conclusion. An assessment Triangle and cognitive Learning model In creating my summative assessment, I relied on the concept of the assessment triangle and the cognitive learning model. According to Selah & Khine (2011), the mentioned can provide a guide which helps, when an assessment instrument to support reasoning from evidence is designed, which is my objective. At this point, I feel that it is necessary to apply the concept of an assessment triangle where I considered all its elements. One of the elements o f an assessment triangle that I critically analyzed is cognition. Cognition refers to the theory, data, and a set of assumptions about how student present their knowledge and develop competency in a subject matter domain (Bernholt, 2012). Using the concept I try to align my summative assessment in the best possible way to make it test the level of competency my students have developed during the learning process. To understand this cognitive behavior fully, I decided to use the cognitive learning model. According to Busemeyer & Diederich (2010), this model has a goal of scientifically explaining processes used by the human brain to accomplish complex tasks. Using this model, I was able to understand the cognitive behavior of my students. This has helped me a lot in designing this summative assessment by showing me how the students behaviors interact with the goals we want to achieve through this summative assessments. Another element of as assessment triangle that I have considered is the beliefs element.

Torsional pendulum final experiment Essay Example for Free

Torsional pendulum final experiment Essay To improve reliability of my results I will perform 3 runs for each measurement rather than 1, this will allow me to average the 3 results for each measurement which will improve reliability of results, and if there is one of the 3 that does not fit it can be excluded and average the other 2. I will no longer need to do 5 oscillations and then divide by 5 as the accuracy of the readings by the light gate ensures that the experimental error will already be eliminated as human error and reaction time no longer applies. Â  I will scale up parts of the experiment which produced larger than expected error. Therefore I will use a larger diameter of wire, which will therefore reduce the percentage error as the accuracy of the micrometer will still be the same. Â  The time period was where the majority of the errors occurred in the preliminary. Therefore I am going to use a light gate to measure the time period, this will reduce error on the time period significantly. It will eliminate the human error as the error due human reaction time will no longer apply. There will only be a reading error now, which is far less significant than the experimental error. I will use a range of lengths from 100-500mm rather than 100-800mm, as when the length becomes very long the bar on the bar on the wire tends to wobble a lot more than when a shorter length is used. Therefore I am hoping this will further reduce the error in the time period. I will go up by 50mm each time so that I get a suitable number of results. Aim: Investigate the effect of changing the length of wire on the time period for a Torsional pendulum. Equipment: Â  Retort Stand with clamp to hold the wire and bar when oscillating and to hold the motion sensor. Bung cut into two halves so I can change length of the wire easily and hold the wire tightly. Â  Metal Bar which will move through the motion sensor to give time periods. Approximately 0. 700,m long wire( extra 200mm to allow for tying wire and excess at top of clamp to easily be able to change length) Â  Laptop with Sensing science (graph) software which logs the data in real time. Â  Light gate including easy sensor and cables, this will measure the time period. Micrometer to measure diameter of the wire. Â  Meter long ruler to measure out correct lengths of wire and measure length of the bar. Diagram: Fair test. It is important to make the experiment fair to ensure reliability of results. The following must be considered when carrying out my experiment. Â  Ensure the same bar is used for each run so that these constants (mass and length) dont change. Ensure the diameter of the wire is the same for the whole length, take readings at regular intervals on the wire to be sure. Turn 90 degrees anticlockwise for each time period measured, as the twist on the wire will be different otherwise. Also ensure that before turning 90 degrees that the wire and bar are in the equilibrium position, 0 angular displacement / no twist. Theory: As I predicted in the preliminary I expect the time period to increase as the length of wire increases, this is due to the equation derived in my research above. T=2? Where theoretically the relationship between time period and length should be T? L0. 5. However, from the equation I can see that the diameter is to the power of 4, therefore even a very small change in diameter will cause a major difference in the time period, therefore using a greater diameter will cause the denominator to be much larger and so the overall time period will be significantly lower. For example I will expect the time period for 0. 1m to be significantly less than 6. 162s, which is obtained from the preliminary using a smaller diameter. Using the theory above I can make a predicted graph of what I am expecting from my log log graph, by simply putting the lengths into the formula, as I already have the measured diameter of wire, length and mass of bar. This is what I obtained. This shows that I should obtain exactly 0. 5 as the gradient and the R squared correlation should be as close to 1 as possible to represent a strong correlation Method: Â  Set up the apparatus shown above, connect lead into laptop and open sensing science software, select com1. Set the time to 30 seconds and tick light gate sensor.* Measure the length of the bar using a meter ruler and the mass using a scale. Â  Get two 700mm copper wires and tie them together ensuring that the diameter is constant for the whole length. Then connect the wire to the metal bar, attach the wire to the bung and tighten. Measure the diameter of the wire at a few intervals and ensure that it is the same, record this diameter. Rotate the bar 90 degrees anticlockwise and let go, and at the same time press on run on the laptop. Allow the bar to complete 3 oscillations; this would be 2 peaks, 3 times, as shown below. Once 3 oscillations are complete then click the stop button. Click on interval and hold and drag from one peak to 2 peaks later, this will give you the time period for one oscillation. Record this in a suitable format and do the same for the next 2 oscillations. Â  Repeat this process for lengths 100-500mm going up by 50mm each time, this will ensure I have enough results to be able to have a good graph. Results: As you can see from the first graph without the logs, the relationship is that an increase in length causes an increase in time period. This was the prediction I made and also that the time periods would be significantly less than the preliminary due to a greater diameter of wire. I also added an R squared value to my log log graph; this gives me the strength of the correlation. With 1 being the highest, mine was 0. 9868, which shows very strong correlation.

An Inside Look at Shark Finning Essay -- detrimental practices, environ

Every summer, when parents take off work and kids are out of school, families plan a summer vacation. 42% of those vacations take place on sandy beaches underneath the summer sun. Americans splash in the waves, sip refreshing drinks under their oversized umbrellas, build sandcastles, and revel in a beach tan that will hopefully last them all summer. While eating seafood and enjoying the beach can be viewed as the ultimate summer vacation, humans impact our oceans more than we think, and it’s much more catastrophic than spending our summer vacations at our favorite beaches. There are currently over 440 species of sharks in our Earth’s oceans, but despite roaming our ocean’s waters for millions of years, sharks are constantly at risk of extinction. It is estimated that one hundred million sharks are killed by humans each year. To put it into perspective, that’s 11,417 sharks killed every hour. Meanwhile, only 12 humans were killed worldwide by sharks in 2011. The culprit behind the extremely high rate of shark deaths is the practice of shark finning. â€Å"Shark finning is the practice of slicing off the shark’s fins while the shark is still alive and throwing the rest of its body back into the ocean where it can take days to die, which must be an agonizing death.† The shark fins are used in an Asian delicacy known as â€Å"shark fin soup.† In many Asian countries, it is a sign of wealth and prosperity and is often served and banquets and weddings to impress the guests. Just one bowl of shark fin soup can cost u p to $100. Because of the high demand for shark fin soup, fishermen and middlemen alike have been finning sharks any chance they get. Although the shark fins are used in shark fin soup, they are also sold frozen, canned or dried. The... ...cean Bycatch Campaign. N.p., 31 Oct. 2002. Web. 10 May 2014. "Mercury Contamination in Fish : Mercury and Its Effects." NRDC. Natural Resource Defense Council, n.d. Web. 8 May 2014. Mosbergen, Dominique. "How Many Sharks Are Killed Per Hour? This Graphic Will Shock You (INFOGRAPHIC)." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 27 Mar. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. Orchant, Rebecca. "Threatened Species Used In Shark Fin Soup Across U.S." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 10 Aug. 2012. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. "Sea Shepherd Conservation Society." Sea Shepherd. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. . "Stop Killing Our Sharks!" Shark Angels. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. . "What You Need to Know about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish." US EPA. United States Environmental Protection Agency, 18 June 2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.

Negotiation is a broad and general term

Negotiation is a broad and general term that may be defined in several ways. Not most of us are aware that negotiation happens in almost every aspect of our lives. In fact, San Diego State University sponsored a seminar about negotiation and conducted a survey among the participants about the frequency or rate of recurrence of negotiation in general in their lives. Sixty four percent of the respondents answered ‘always’ (Stark, 2008). That must mean that in most aspects of our lives, we do negotiations.To fully understand, negotiation, it is significant to go over several definitions that may narrow down the long list of definitive terms used to define the word. Gerard I. Neirenberg wrote the book â€Å"The Art of Negotiating† and the president of Negotiations Institute, Inc. in New York. According to him, negotiation as the exchange of ideas in an attempt to alter the status of a relationship and deliberate to make an agreement. (Stark, 2008)The iron ore price ne gotiations are an example of a negotiation. An article released on the 2nd of March this year tackles this issue. It is soon to be settled with the heightened demand for pellets from the Companhia Vale do Rico Doce (Vale), therefore negotiations for the prices of the these items is well underway. The CEO of Vale, Mr. Roger Agnelli, stated that talks are being conducted with their consumers to guarantee fairness in their transactions. Apparently, Agnelli said that Vale wants to assure their clients that they will not be overcharged, and at the same time guarantee that their clients will not be paying a lesser amount either. (Steel Guru, 2008a)Another article released on the 3rd of March this year reveals a negotiation going on between Vale and Arcelor Mittal. The article is also about the price of iron ores. Vale is active in the mining and metal industry in Brazil. Arcelor Mittal, on the other hand, is involved in the steel business. Apparently, Arcelor Mittal is the major client of Vale. Both companies are negotiating to close a deal involving the price of iron ores that will be purchased from Vale. The negotiation is similar to Vale’s negotiations with other companies all over the world. (Steel Guru, 2008b)In this scenario, Vale is involved in major negotiations with several companies mostly involved in the steel business. Since the demands for pellets and iron ores have reached its summit, there is a need to negotiate the prices of these commodities. This is to ensure that the buying capacity of clients will be able to compensate the production of pellets and iron ores by Vale. The negotiations would then be a vehicle for companies and Vale to agree on a price that would be advantageous for all.The main point of the negotiation process is exemplified in a statement by Agnelli, the CEO of Vale, wherein he states that they want to make sure they will not be charging too much for their products and at the same time, their clients will not be paying redu ced amounts for the actual cost of pellets and iron ores (Steel Guru, 2008a) Perhaps this is a very good example of a well-mannered negotiation because both parties are making sure to agree at a certain point that would be mutually fair. Conceivably, this is the primary concept of negotiation.At this point, it would be significant to discuss the elements of negotiation. According to Roger Fisher, negotiation has seven elements namely alternatives, interests, options, legitimacy, commitment, communication, and relationship. Having alternatives means that the factions that are holding negotiations should have back-up plans that they can follow individually just in case they fail to arrive at a consensus. Interests are the desires or the requisites of each faction.These are the conditions that are reasons for a negotiation between factions. The options available in negotiation are the ways or modes in which two factions can compromise. There should be several options available in a neg otiation, and it is best that each of these options ensure that the results would lead to a fair and balanced position for both factions. Legitimacy is the evenhandedness of negotiations based on standards or rubrics that are advantageous to both factions.The commitment of both factions to adhere to their agreement should be talked about or materialized in a written agreement that would state how they are going to go about realizing what they have agreed on. Communication is a significant tool in negotiating because without it, both factions will not be able to understand and arrive at a consensus. During and after negotiations, the relationship between the factions should have improved to affect a harmonious and workable rapport. (Fisher, 2006)There are also negotiation strategies that ensure a fair and a balanced agreement favorable to both negotiating parties. To cite three of them, negotiation strategies include assigning people who would lead or represent a party in the negotia tion process, evaluating the weaknesses and strengths of both negotiating parties, and developing a negotiation plan where priorities are ranked as to importance. Assigning people to represent a party in negotiation proceedings is strategic in nature because the acquisition of the objectives of the party is dependent on their performance as a negotiating team.It is important to make sure that the negotiating team is a small group and that specific tasks in the negotiating process is assigned to them. It is also strategic to evaluate the strong and weak points of each party involved in the negotiation, such as the background, the existing knowledge, bargaining skills, and importance of the agreement, etc. of and to the other party. It is important for a negotiating party to create a plan wherein their priorities or interests are ranked in order of importance. The non-negotiable interests, issues that are open to compromise, etc. should be identified and laid out to the other negotiat ing party. (Federal Acquisition Insitute, 2003)All three strategies are appropriate for negotiators to use before and during the negotiation process. The inappropriateness lies in the negative response of negotiating parties to these strategies mainly because these strategies are laid out in order to affect success in negotiations. These strategies are the foundation of successful negotiations.In marketing and other business issues, most negotiation subjects are pricing and cost estimates. Pricing analysis is an act of evaluating the appropriateness of a given cost (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2008). Pricing or estimating costs should involve marketing analysis and evaluation of other factors involved in pricing, such as the demands, pricing objectives, etc. Negotiating parties should conduct marketing analysis in order to identify the demands of the consumers.After this, the production of commodities, its distribution, and promotional strategies should be eval uated in order to arrive at the actual cost of producing the demands of the clients. All the expenses involved in the production of commodities for consumers and the standard for altering prices according to the rate of demand should be taken into account. These strategies will then be used to arrive at a price that should appropriate and fair for both negotiating parties. (Net MBA, 2007)Negotiations are significant in the realization of a goal or objective that cannot be attainable through individual efforts alone. Negotiation is there to provide for a means to attain the interests of an organization through the help of another organization. Negotiation strategies are available for each party to adhere to in order to accumulate success that is favorable for both parties. In marketing and business administration, pricing and cost estimation is very common in negotiation proceedings. Therefore, pricing strategies are also made available for business groups to follow in order to close deals with other negotiating process in a fair and balanced way that is desirable to all of them. Negotiating parties should be able to propel the negotiation on the way to their success.ResourcesFederal Acquisition Institute. (2003). Unit 42: Negotiation Strategies. Retrieved March 9,  2008,    from Federal Acquisition Institute. Website:http://www.fai.gov/pdfs/Unit42.pdfFisher, R. (2006). The 7 Elements of Negotiation. Retrieved March 9, 2008, fromNet MBA. (2007). Pricing Strategy. Retrieved March 9, 2008 from Internet Center forManagement and Business Administration, Inc. Website:http://www.netmba.com/marketing/pricing/Stark, P. B. (2008). What is Negotiation. Retrieved March 9, 2008 from SmartBiz.Website: http://www.smartbiz.com/article/articleview/618/1/5/Steel Guru. (2008b). Iron ore price negotiations – Vale and Arcelor Mittal. RetrievedU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2008) Quick Guide to Cost andPrice Analysis for HUD Grantees and Funding Recip ients. Retrieved March 9,  2008 from Homes and Communities: U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment. Website: https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/cpo/grantees/cstprice

Value Chain

Value Chain Analysis ******** Diagram ********* The above model demonstrates the principal element of Value Chain Analysis for an organization such as Easyjet. The integration of the above elements ultimately delivers great margin potential and thus the ideal high profitability status. I will provide a detailed analysis of this model to highlight the core capabilities of Easyjet: Infrastructure Main headquarters based in Luton. Provides excellent communication with motorways, railway lines and bus access Low overheads Paperless office No ticketing system with posted ticket Simple distribution channel management (through the Internet or call centers) Low airport costs (minimal time of aircraft on the ground), thus achieving economies of scale Financial resource investment initially supported by Haji-loannou HR Management Haji-loannou, high profile entrepreneur (shipping tycoon background), Hands-on-approach from Haji-loannou – looking for opportunities to diversify and expand, Innovative marketing terms for marketing communications to date. Technology Development Booking through the Internet (higher margins, with a more manageable, simplistic system) Strong reputation for being an airline where bookings are made via the phone or Internet. Procurement Easy purchase system in place for flight bookings Negotiated low cost airport fees Simple staff uniforms No tedious ticketing system in place Below you will find a commentary on how these key elements are also integrated into the Easyjet business and further, how the strengths can be used to develop and extend the Easyjet brand. Inbound Logistics Excellent communication system in place at airports and easy flight booking policy/payment methods convey an image of convenience – a key benefit to consumers Operations and Outbound Logistics Good marketing strategy – ‘we have the best’ approach Partnerships and promotional tie-ins with the mass media High profile PR strategy (for example: the PR stunt against Robert Ayling, Chief Executive of British Airways and its budget airline â€Å"GO† – gains cheap PR coverage) Fine targeting of attractive segments emerging e. . utilization of casual uniforms. However, safety is always a critical concern and is up to par with the standards of other airlines. Service Convenience and simplicity are of integral importance Affordable, frequent, reliable, safe slots are offered to an increasing number of new destinations No frills and/or complications are associated with the travel experience. Conclusion Clearly Easyjet has some at tractive core capabilities that have been established in the marketplace and are perceived as ultimately beneficial to the consumer. The Value Chain Analysis highlights those elements of the business that can be integrated or fine-tuned (through for example ‘just in time’ systems, quality standards and relationship marketing) in order to achieve the overall objectives of high margins, profitability and market share. Perceived superior services or products, market knowledge, industry contacts, legal advantages (patents, copyrights) perceived high value brands, low overheads, economies of scale and an offensive marketing approach are some of the key factors / elements for sustaining a competitive advantage and indeed promoting the Easyjet family of companies.

How College Admissions Officers Read Recommendation Letters

How College Admissions Officers Read Recommendation Letters SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Sometimes the best way to learn about preparingyour college application is to know how the process works on the other side. When admissions officers sit down to review hundreds, if not thousands of applications, what are they looking to learn about you? More specifically, what do they want to find out from your letters of recommendation? This guide will explore how readersconsider your recommendation letter for college admissions, along with how you can use that knowledge to your advantage. First, what are the requirements for letters of recommendation? What Are the Recommendation Letter Requirements? Almost all four year colleges seek the opinions of your counselor and one or two teachers. They want to gain feedback from people who have supervised and worked closely with you in your school setting. If you’re applying to a specific program or field of study, it’s a good idea to ask a teacher in that subject. Schools that require two recommendations often prefer to hear a range of perspectives and wantyou to ask one humanities teacher and one math or science teacher. MIT, for instance, specifies that they want â€Å"one math/science, one humanities.† Admissions officers usually prefer letters from junior year teachers, since those teachershad you in class recently and for a whole year. Why are these factors important? Because teachers who know you well can add depth to your application by giving insight into your academic and personal strengths. Let’s break down more specifically what admissions officers look for in letters of recommendation. What Do Admissions Officers Look for in RecommendationLetters? Admissions officers want to get to know you better. They’re not looking for hyperbolic or insincere-sounding praise, but rather for a holistic view of your personality, goals, and the challenges and successes you’ve experienced up until this point. When you apply to college, you’re aiming to present yourself in the best light. From your personal essay to how you write about extracurriculars on your college application, you’re plugging yourself as a desirable candidate worthy of admission. Recommendation letters go beyond your self-advocacy and show that your teachers and counselor endorse your candidacy, too. They both provide support and further reveal who you are as a student and person. From your recommendation letters, admissions officerscan learn about your academic interests and motivations, your personal qualities, and your contribution to your school community. These features, added together, present a vision of your future role and accomplishments at college. Let’s break down each of these areas in greater detail and dig deeply to find out why admissions care about your academics, personal qualities, and role in your school community. Quality #1: Your Academic Performance and Interests First and foremost, colleges are institutions of learning and scholarship. They want to accept students who have the academic readiness and skills to succeed in the classroom, to take on innovative projects, and to contribute thought-provoking ideas to the intellectual discourse. Colleges create tremendous value in society by educating and providing opportunities for students, who go on to solve social problems, proliferate new ideas, or invent new technologies. Through challenging courses and discussions, students develop fresh perspectives and grow as thinkers and scholars. Admissions officers want students who will succeed academically at school, spawn new ideas, and elevate the intellectual climatebeyond campus. Your recommenders, especially your teacher(s), can shed light on your interests and attitude toward learning. Their letters go beyond your grades and test scores and talk about what you’re curious about, even whenit’s not assigned in the classroom. Beyond your interests and achievements, they might touch on your effort, collaboration, time management, organization, and accountability. Again, if you’re applying to a specific program, you should obtain a recommendation from a teacher in that field. If you're planning to be pre-med, for example, have yourBiology teacher corroborate your commitment to studying medicineand conducting experiments. Below is some advice directly from college deans and admissions offices about what they want to hear from your recommenders about your academic profile. What Do Admissions Officers Say? Admissions officers are relatively tight-lipped about how they make their admissions decisions. However, some offer tidbits of insight, and the websites of admissions offices also give some helpful suggestions about what officers want to see. Below is some advice from Harvard, Yale, and MIT. While these schools top the list of competitiveness and selectivity, their advice could be applied to your application to just about any school. Harvard dean William Fitzsimmons says, "Recommendations can help us to see well beyond test scores and grades and other credentials and can illuminate...intellectual curiosity, creativity, and love of learning.† In a similar vein, the Yale admissions office states, â€Å"Not only do [recommenders] discuss your performance in their particular class or classes, but they may also write about your motivation, intellectual curiosity, energy...and impact on the classroom environment. It is important that you solicit recommendations from teachers who have taught you in academic subjects, who know you well, and who have seen you at your best.† MIT wants to know, â€Å"Has the student demonstrated a willingness to take intellectual risks and go beyond the normal classroom experience?† Selective and rigorous schools especially, like the ones above, want to find students who have a love of learning and a natural curiosity for deep understanding and exploration. These qualities bode well for your experience at college, and they predict impressive accomplishments and contributions to society in your future life. Schools don’t just want to know about academics, though. For one thing, focusing only on your academic interests doesn’t tell the whole story of who you are and what you’re like. Plus, there’s an excess of academically qualified students for a limited number of spots. In building a diverse, multi-faceted student body, admissions officers want to gain a magnified look into your character and personality. Quality #2: Your Personal Qualities and Strengths Admissions officers want to learn about your personal qualities and strengths from your recommenders. These personal qualities could include integrity, caring for others, thoughtfulness, humor, and passion. Two traits they especially value are demonstrated leadership and strength ofcharacter. Why do admissions officers care about these aspects? For one thing, they’re looking for students who will take advantage of the opportunities they provide at college. They want students who will edit the college newspaper, do research in the labs, or lead volunteer trips to Honduras. They want students who will inspire and be inspired, who will stand up for causes and make an impact among their peers and faculty. In building a student body, admissions officers are constructing a community. They want that community to be made up of students who will thrive, get along with one another, and forge positive, growth-fostering connections. Just as colleges are seeking to nurture the next generation’s thinkers and creators, they’re also seeking to find and prop up leaders and people with strong character who will add to humanity’s forward progress. Let’s take a look at what admissions offices have to say about what they’re looking for in this domain. What Do Admissions Officers Say? Back to you, Dean Fitzsimmons: â€Å"Recommendations are extremely important...and can illuminate such personal qualities as character and leadership.† Note that demonstrated leadership is a compelling characteristic that impresses admissions officers, as mentioned above. Having sustained involvement in a club or sport and advancing into a position of leadership throughout high school will be looked upon favorably. At the same time, admissions officers don’t expect all students to lead a club. You may enjoy individual pursuits, like art, writing, and photography. If this sounds like you, admissions officers will appreciate seeing a sustained commitment as you work towards a sense of expertise and self-expression. MIT's admissions office goes into even greater detail about how your recommender can write about your personal qualities, giving guiding questions that she could answer: â€Å"A well-written letter for an outstanding applicant can highlight impressive characteristics beyond his/her own self-advocacy. We are looking for people who have and will make an impact... Does the applicant have any unusual competence, talent or leadership abilities? What motivates this person? What excites him/her? How does the applicant interact with teachers? With peers? Describe his/her personality and social skills. What will you remember most about this person? Has the applicant ever experienced disappointment or failure? If so, how did he/she react? Are there any unusual family or community circumstances of which we should be aware?† As MIT suggests, it’s appropriate for you or your recommender to share family background or personal challenges if theyshed light on your personal journey and development. Is this all sounding personal? It is. Admissions officers are looking to gain a fuller sense of who you are from your recs. As MIT says, a strong letter can highlight your character traits beyond your own self-advocacy. A third factor that admissions officers seek is the role you play in your school community. While this may overlap with your academic and personal qualities, it also speaks to the actions you’ve taken outside of the classroom. They don’t just want to know about your strengths, motivations, and values. They’re also looking to see how those internal qualities manifest themselves as external action. Quality #3: Your Contributions to Your School Community Admissions officers are seeking to build a diverse class of students who will make the campus a lively, interactive, dynamic community full of artistic, social, andsupportive outlets. Students who are involved in high school are likely to get involved in college. They will seize opportunities and seek to contribute. In a sense, understanding your role shifts focus from your internal interests and strengths to your external actions. What do you choose to invest your energy in, and how do you choose to spend your time (when you aren’t busy finishing assignments or prepping for the SAT)? Letters from teachers and counselors can also give context to your accomplishments by describingthe culture of your school. All of this circles back to the college’s mission to create value in society by educating and supporting the next generation of thinkers, professionals, creators, and leaders. By gaining a clearer picture of who you are now, they begin to have a sense of what paths you might explore in the future. Let’s take a look at the perspectives of admissions officers on this aspect of your identity. What Do Admissions Officers Say? Harvard's Dean Fitzsimmons says thatrecommendation letters should "offer evidence of an applicant's potential to make a significant difference to a college community and beyond." Yale specifically emphasizes your counselor as the person who can speak best to your role in your school community, as well as provide important context to your achievements: â€Å"The counselor recommendation gives us a sense of your place in your high school class and in the larger school community. Your counselor can help us assess the degree of difficulty of your program, tell us what a particular leadership position means at your school, provide information on your background, and, in general, provide the sort of textured comments about you that can help your application come to life.† If your recommender has gone to the college you're applying to or has specific knowledge of the school or program, then she could customize the letter and write specifically about how she sees you fitting in there. MIT emphasizes this idea: "If you have knowledge of MIT, what leads you to believe MIT is a good match for this person? How might he/she fit into the MIT community and grow from the MIT experience?" Even if your recommender doesn't have personal knowledge of the school, she can point to your high school contributions as predictive of the role you'll play at college. Finally, your recommenders should talk about any special skills or talents you have. I mentioned that your letters should focus in on your interests and passions. This is especially true if you're applying to an art or design school, like Juilliard, where admissions officers need to know that you're devoted and ready to take on the challenge of focused, determined study and practice. Quality #4: Your Special Skill, Talent, or Commitment While all letters should speak to your special academic skills or personal strengths, this category is important to touch on for schools that require a great amount of dedication to a specific art form or craft. Juilliard, for example, requires one artistic recommendation: â€Å"A letter from a teacher, conductor, coach, or artistic mentor. Juilliard continues to renew its efforts to identify and educate leaders in the profession, students who can be outstanding performers and also effective advocates, collaborators, teachers, and community partners. In addition to addressing the applicant’s talent and accomplishment, the letter should also discuss the following individual characteristics which indicate potential for success in the field: 1. Perseverance; 2. Dedication; 3. Collegiality; and 4. Leadership.† While many other colleges are looking for a diversity of interests and students who will create value in society in myriad ways, schools like Juilliard are looking for talented, dedicated performers who will carry on as leaders in their profession. Thus recommendation letters can play a vital role in the application by attesting to the student's drive and talent. Now that you have a sense of what admissions officers are looking for in letters of rec, how can you use this knowledge to inform your college planning? How Can You Get Strong Letters of Recommendation? As you read above, schools want meaningful insight into your identity that goes beyond the information on your application. So who in your life can give them that? Counselors and teachers who know you well and with whom you've shared your thoughts, values, and goals for the future. Getting to know your teachers is a process that spans the entire school year. On top of this, you can also open yourself up and share what would go into your ideal recommendation letter. Let's consider these steps individually. Get toKnow Your Teachers and Counselors If you're reading this article as a sophomore or junior, then you're in luck! You can go into the year with a proactive mindset, making sure to participatein class and be open about your interests and goals with your teachers. If you're someone who has trouble participating a lot in class, it's still a good idea to push yourself, but you can also try to share your work and thoughts with your teachers on an individual level. At the end of the year, it's going to be hard to get a strong rec letter if you've barely said two words to your teachers. Ultimately, you want to ask people who know you well, are enthusiastic about advocating for you, and can give an enlightened and revealing perspective. Your recommendations should add depth to your application and further personalize your candidacy. As University of Virginia says, "Get to know your school counselor and teachers. Your school counselor and teachers have years of experience working with students preparing for college. They are a great resource to use as you navigate the college search and application process. They'll also be writing letters of recommendation for you and you want to make sure they have some interesting things to tell your colleges." In addition to considering which teachers know you well, you should try to find out who has a reputation for writing good letters.Rec letters take time and thought to craft. If a teacher uses the same form letter for all her students, word will usually get around so you know to steer clear. Teachers known for writing good letters may get swamped with requests, so ask early before spots fill up. When college app deadlines loom near, hopefully you have teachers and a counselor that have gotten to know you well. Regardless of how well they know you, you should help them out by sharing what you would like to go into your recommendation letter. Share YourThoughts Even though teachers may keep their final letters confidential, it's definitely not cheating to talk to them about should go into your letter. In fact, it shows smart planning and organization. Just as you put time and effort into the other parts of your application, you cando a lot to shape your recommendation letters. You should meet with your counselor and teachers and talk to themabout your plans, meaningful experiences you've had, and academic and personal qualities that you'd like for admissions committees to know about you. If you're applying for a specific program, tell your recommenders. Communicate your thoughts, and in this way you'll both remind your recommenders of interesting anecdotes to include and help them write a detailed letter. Most schools have their students fill out a "brag sheet," answering questions like, "What's a significant challenge you've overcome, and what did you learn from it?" and "What three adjectives best describe you and why?" Take your time with this, and engage in deep self-reflection so you can produce meaningful responses. While you should give your recommenders at least a month ahead of your deadline to write your letter (or ask at the junior year), your work - of reflecting and writing out your brag sheet - shouldstart even earlier than that. Be proactive about getting to know your teachers, and communicate your thoughts on the important elements - academic profile, personal strengths, and community presence - that admissions officers want to see in your letters. Remember that admissions committees want to build a diverse and dynamic class that will take advantage of the opportunities provided at college and achieve great things in the future. As you plan and prepare your application and talk to your recommenders, think carefully about how your rec letters can present you as a desirable candidate to join that class of successful students. What’sNext? Are you deciding between teachers, or feel like you don't have anyone to ask for your letter of recommendation? Read more about who you should ask to provide this important part of your application and how and when to make your request. Sometimes the best way to learn about recommendation letters is by reading examples of them. Check out these bad letters and what makes them so subpar. Then head over these 4 examples of great recommendations that would impress admissions officers. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 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:

How the Myers Briggs Test Can Help You Find a Career

How the Myers Briggs Test Can Help You Find a Career You might know exactly which field you’d most like to work in, but not exactly which sort of position. To be really successful in your job searching, it is important to know your strengths, but also to know exactly how those strengths could best be employed- to the benefit of your potential company and yourself. Here’s how to use myers briggs test  to help you figure out exactly which direction to push yourself in for the best and most productive job search.What is the Myers-Briggs?The most widely popular test is the U.S. is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The test assesses different aspects of your personality through a series of multiple choice questions, with the aim of classifying you as introverted, extroverted, or some blend of both.What the letters tell youThe Myers-Briggs test gives you one letter for each of four categories. Each can tell you a lot about yourself, but here’s an outline for what these letters can tell you about your ideal career:Your w orld: Extroverted vs. Introverted (E or I). This can tell you a lot about the work environment or culture that would suit you best. Are you better at a desk in your own space and working at your own pace? Or in a big crush of people, chatting and constantly exchanging ideasYour process: Sensing vs. Intuitive (S or I). This tells you how you take in information, whether that is through your physical senses, or whether you prefer to take in information, interpret it, then figure things out by more emotional means.Your method: Thinking vs. Feeling (T or F). This tells you how you make decisions. If you’re a data-based hyper rational thinker, then you’re probably a T. And if you take all possible ends and different people’s needs and circumstances into account whenever you make decisions, then you’re more likely an F.Your mode: Judging vs. Perceiving (J or P). Whether you think quickly, make decisions quickly, etc. Or whether you like to take your time and ge t the full picture before making your move.How to use your scoreYou’ll get a four letter â€Å"score† with some combination from the above categories. Depending on your particular combination, you’ll be able to figure out which careers and positions will suit you best.For example:PragmatismIf you’re an ST, someone who likes to take in facts and make decisions based almost entirely on those facts, then you’ll want to focus on jobs that privilege that kind of logical thinking. ES could look for client-oriented positions in banking or insurance. IS could focus on behind the scenes administration or law enforcement. Same use of data, different work environment- with each requiring different kinds of interaction with clients and/or coworkers.CaretakingIf you’re an SF (or even a PF), you might be best suited to be able to use your people-based decision-making for a purpose. ES could work in nutrition or cosmetology, talking to people all day and h elping them to be their best. IS could do more one-on-one jobs like social work or veterinary work. Same people skills, fewer people to interact with.TheoryIf you’re both intuitive and data-oriented (NT), you’ll want to work with data where you take in the information, interpret it theoretically, then apply it. ES could make great managers, salespeople, or real estate agents. IS could do very well in software, engineering, and other technology jobs.EmpathyYou’re a people person. More oriented towards your intuition and your sense of what is going on than hard data or judgments (NF). ES will do great in health care or the service industries. IS could work in library science or design- working more with objects and spaces and ideas than directly with people, but using the same traits.Whatever you turn out to be, it’s always best to know thyself- thoroughly and honestly- in hopes of determining which careers would bring out the best in you.

How to Save Money in College 12 Expert Tips

How to Save Money in College 12 Expert Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You probably already know that college costs can be pretty intimidating. If you’re on a budget when it comes to paying for your degree (and most people are), knowing how to save money in collegecan make a big difference. Here, I’ll talk a little bit about what college expenses you should be prepared forso that you have a better idea of what to expect. Then, I’ll discuss strategies for saving money before you get there, in addition to strategies for saving as a college student. Let’s get started! How Much Does College Even Cost? Before we get into strategies for how to save money in college, let’s talk a bit about what an undergraduate degreeactually costsfor students in the US. First, some key terms: Cost of Attendance (CoA) -Total amount of money it costs for an average student to attend a particular school for one year. This figure includes everything you could think of: tuition, room, board, transportation, books, personal expenses, etc. You could also call this a school’s â€Å"sticker price† - it’s what a student would pay if she didn’t get one dollar of financial aid.Keep in mind this is an average figure - if a student lives especially far from the school and pays more in transportation cost, for example, his CoA might be higher. Net Price - Total amount of money a student actually pays to attend a particular school for one year. This is what you actually pay out of pocket, after accounting for grants and scholarships.Put simply, Net Price = Cost of Attendance - (Grants Scholarships). This figure matters way more than a school’s CoA because it’s what you actually have to budget for. The lower your Net Price, the better off you’ll be. When students first start research on college expenses, they tend to look at the CoA, or the sticker price. This isn’t necessarily a bad place to start, but a more sophisticated way of looking at prospective schools is to consider your likely Net Price instead of the schools’ CoA. This information will be important when we get into cost-saving strategies. Facts and Figures Now that we’ve gotten that background info out of the way, we can talk about what the current college cost landscape looks like. All the prices in this section are sticker prices, or what costs that make up a school's CoA (so, not the average student's Net Price - don't freak out yet). The biggest expenses you’ll need to consider are tuition fees and room board. Average Tuition Fees For the 2014-2015 academic year, average tuition fee costs were†¦ $31,231 at private colleges $9,139 for state residents at public colleges $22,958 for out-of-state residents at public colleges Average Room Board For the 2014-2015 academic year, average room board costs were†¦ $,188 at private 4-year colleges $9,804 at public 4-year colleges You’ll have to account for some other minor expenses as well - these costs will depend on more variable factors. For more detailed information about expenses, check out our complete guide to college costs. These expenses can be really overwhelming for one year, never mindfor four. The good news is that there are a lot of things you can do to increase your available income and decrease your expenses, both before and during college. 4 Ways to Save Before You Get to College As with most things, saving for college is easier if yougive yourself more time to get started. The earlier you start budgeting for college expenses, the better. More time means more opportunities to tackle and plan for large expenses in your future. There are two main ways you can deal with these big costs: You can work on increasing your income/available cash You can work on decreasing your expenses Both strategies effectively do the same thing. In order to be most effective, you should concentrate on both increasing income and decreasing expenses.Here are the best ways to do that before you matriculate: Increase Your Income #1: Apply for Scholarships There are so many private scholarship programs available, from small local awards to huge national and even international competitions. Scholarships can be based on any number of criteria: financial need, academic merit, sports performance, volunteer work, ethnic background, professional interests, and more. Half the work is finding scholarships that would be a good fit for you. It’s great to apply for those well-known national scholarships (like the McDonald’s, Gates Millennium, and Coca-Cola awards), but they tend to be very competitive, so it’s smart to have backups in place. Look for local or state scholarships (like the Florida Bright Futures scholarship), or for scholarships that match your unique interests and background. Start by checking out our guides to scholarships for high school juniors and seniors. Do your own research by googling any important descriptors - like your location, interests, or sport of choice - + â€Å"scholarship.† #2: Get a High School Job This might be the most obvious way to increase your income before you leave for college. The tough part is figuring out whether a job is right for you - you don’t want to sacrifice your grades or extracurriculars, especially because high school jobs aren’t likely to pay very much. Learn more about figuring out whether getting a job learn more about whether a job might be a good fit for you (link out - should you get a job) If you work full-time during the summers, you can get both professional experience AND a more substantial paycheck to save up for college e.g. If you work full time at $9/hr for eight weeks, that comes to $2880 (before tax). That could cover your personal and textbook expenses for a whole year if you budget carefully Decrease Your Expenses #3: Apply to the Right Schools Different schools will be able to offer you different sized financial aid packages. If you’re strategic about where you apply to school, you’ll do yourself a favor by reducing your costs right off the bat. If you’re applying to public schools, you should focus on those located in your home state. Public school tuitions are often much higher for out-of-state residents. (There may be exceptions to this rule if you think you'd qualify for high amounts of merit aid). Know what schools offer the best aid, whether it’s need-based or merit-based. Even though a school’s sticker price might be high - private schools often have higher CoAs - you might end up with a better Net Price if the school has generous financial aid policies. The most important thing to remember is that CoA isn't very helpful when it comes to choosing cost-effective schools. What you should care about is your estimated Net Price at a particular school. Spend some time doing Net Price calculations (it’s easy - get more info in our article on college costs) to figure out which schools may offer you the best out-of-pocket price. #4: Focus on Your Grades and Test Scores One of the best ways to get a good Net Price is to get into a school that offers generous financial aid, as I mentioned above. So what types of schools give students the best Net Prices? Well, schools that offer generous financial aid are often well-ranked private schools (they tend to offer a lot of need-based aid), or private schools that are trying to attract more competitive students (they tend to offer a lot of merit-based aid). In-state public schools also tend to be affordable for state residents. If your grades and ACT/SAT scores wererelatively high for a particular school, chances are good that you would: Get accepted to the school Be offered need-based financial aid (if any was available) Qualify for merit-based aid (if any was available) You may also qualify for merit scholarships if you were recruitedfor a particular sport. You can see how you stack up to other applicants and calculate your chances for admission for almost any school. All you have to do is Google "PrepScholar [school name] admissions" for more information. 7 Ways to Save Money inCollege I do not recommend saving money by using a belt instead of a backpack. Once you get to college, you’ll have a lot on your plate - classes, friends, extracurricular activities, and more. Managing your finances and saving money should become a part of your daily routine if you want to be successful in the long run. These next strategies will help you manage your income and spending on a daily basis once you’re a student. While you’re reading, think of other ways you can increase your income and decrease your expenses. Increase Your Income #1: Keep Applying for Scholarships As you hone your academic and professional interests, you may be able to find scholarships or grants that are a good fit for yourgoals. You don’t have to be a high school student in order to qualify for many scholarships (the Tylenol scholarship is a good example of this). Check with your academic department and/or career center for more information about possible scholarship awards. Also, Google is your friend!Use both general and specific search terms to catch as many award options as possible (e.g. "healthcare scholarships" versus "dental school scholarships for women"). #2: Get a Job On Campus Campus jobs are great options for college students, especially for those who have work study awards. They’re often conveniently located, pay better than jobs available to high school students, offer better personal and professional connections, and align better with future career goals. If you work 15 hours/week at $10/hr for two 20-week semesters, you’d make $6,000 per year. You could obviously make way more than that if you work during summers or long breaks. For more information, check out or guide to on-campus jobs (coming soon). Decrease Your Expenses #3: Make (and Stick to) a Budget This approach might take some trial and error, but it's totally worth it in the end. Start by thinking - realistically - about how much money you spend each month in different categories (e.g. food, transportation, clothing, personal grooming, entertainment, etc.).Add all of these expenses to come up with a total amount. If this total amount is more than your expected monthly income, start cutting non-necessities from your budget. Read more about crafting a budget on a strict income. Ultimately, budgets only work if you adhere to them. You can manually tally the amount of money you spend each month, but that can get pretty tedious. Free money management tools like Mint can help streamline the process and help you be more successful in saving money. #4: Be Smart About Your Textbook Purchases The average student spends about $1,200 a year on textbooks- yikes. The good news isthere are a lot of things you can do to try to keep your textbook costs well below this average: Shop around - don’t just buy what’s available at your campus bookstore. Check prices on Amazon to see if it’s cheaper to order online. Buy your textbooks used, either from campus bookstores, online, or from a friend or classmate. Take advantage of textbook rentals if they’re offered at your school. Sell books back to the bookstore (or online via Amazon) if you won't be using them again. Alternatively, you can sell to classmates who need to take the class after you're done. Don’t buy books at all! See if they’re offered at the library, and if so, if it’ll be hard to get your hands on them(this can be the case if all your classmates have the same idea). If there’s too much competition for books at the library, it’s better to just buy or rent. #5: Look at Your Rooming Options Living on-campus can sometimes be more expensive than living off-campus, especially in areas where the average cost of living is pretty low. If it’s an option, consider looking at alternative housing options where you can split rent with a bunch of other students. Don’t forget to take other possible expense increases - like paying more for food and transportation- into account when calculating off-campus saving options. #6: Take Advantage of the Summer There are a lot of ways to use the summer months to your financial advantage. If you’re living off campus and are committed to paying rent through the summer (i.e. if you’ve signed a lease), you’ll want to make sure you take advantage of that housing: If you'll be staying somewhere else for the summer, try to find someone to sublet. Students taking summer courses often need short-term housing options. Alternatively, stay in your housing for the summer to take summer classes yourself. By earning extra credits, you can possibly graduate earlier. If you live on campus and have to figure out housing plans for the summer, look into programs that might give you subsidized or free room and board. Summer RA jobs might be a good place to start. #7: Seek Out Student Discounts On and around college campuses, restaurants and retail stores often offer small student discounts to college kids who have their IDs handy. A 10% discount is pretty standard - helpful, but not necessarily huge. You can also check out this list of national retailers and restaurants that offer special deals to college students. This tiponly works if you’re sticking to a budget, as outlined above. Discounts can sometimes entice people to spend money they wouldn't usually spend, so only seek out deals you would purchase anyways. Student discounts are great .. as long as you don't turn into this lady and buy everything you see on sale. Final Points Thinking about saving money over the course of four years is overwhelming, to say the least. Although it'll help to have the above strategies for how to save money in college - especially as you make big financial decisions - it's OKto take things one day at a time. To be honest, the big financial decisions are going to be the ones that affect your finances the most. If you make prudent decisions when it comes tochoosing your school, housing option, and food plans, it'll be much easier to budget for those day-to-day expenses. Finally, just because you're a college student on a limited budget doesn't mean you can't spend money on anything fun. As long as you don't go overboard (and you stick to a budget, asI mentioned earlier), it's OKto indulge in small treatslike a movie, a new sweater, or a night out with friends. Don't forget to budget for college experiences like these! What's Next? Making smart financial decisions before and during college is important when it comes to your financial future. If you want to be even more prepared to tackle your education expenses, check out our complete guide to paying for college - it'll cover some bigger points about how to budget for the next four years. If you anticipate that covering all your expenses will be an issue, you should read our post on how to get student loans. But don't take out any more loans than you have to - see if you can get scholarship awards to help with those costs! Start with our lists of the top scholarships for high school juniors and seniors. 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 Gulf War from the American perspective Essay

The Gulf War from the American perspective - Essay Example In any case, once thing is clear; the publicly stated reasons of Iraq war were not digestible to many people. This paper analyses Gulf War from American perspectives. George Bush thought that Gulf War may help him to win the presidential election once again. He thought that this war might help him and his party (Republicans) to increase the popularity and hence he may get an easy walkover in the coming presidential election. However, Bill Clinton proved that such beliefs were wrong. â€Å"Clinton successfully made the economy the issue in the next election and managed to win it†1. â€Å"For years Saddam received US support while committing atrocities. His was not the only government committing atrocities. His atrocities were never publicly discussed until he invaded Kuwait†2. The invasion of Kuwait brought Saddam Hussein into the public lime light. It was difficult for America to justify Saddam further. It should be noted that democracy is prevailing in America and Amer ica believes themselves as the saviour of human rights. Under such circumstances, it was impossible for America to stay blind while Iraq was questioning the sovereignty of an independent country. Moreover, many Americans thought that Saddam is trying to become another Hitler. Increased influence of Saddam in the Middle East was not good for the American interests. â€Å"Saddam was repeatedly compared to Hitler. Then he was publicly defied and demeaned. The president said he has "had it" with "Sad'm" Hussein. Under U. S. leadership, the world was mobilized against him†3. America suspected the possibility of another world war unless they prevent Saddam from conquering neighbouring countries. It should be noted that the military power of other gulf countries were negligible in front of Iraq’s military power at that time. In short, many people believe that America attacked Iraq to save the world from the possibility of another world war. Another argument claims that Americ a attacked Iraq to control the oil resources. However, this argument seems to be far from reality since America’s oil imports from Iraq account only 5% of the total energy needs in America. There are plenty of other countries in this world which rely heavily on Iraqi oil resources for their energy needs. â€Å"So oil is not the whole answer. Other possible aspects of the answer include "a new world order," collective security, interdependence, prevention of regional hegemony, and reversal of American decline†4. Even though Iraqi oil does not cause much direct problems to America, it has the potential to cause indirect economic problems in America. If Saddam Hussein had raised oil prices to $27 a barrel, the increase in our import bill would have been about $20 billion a year, or less than one half of one percent of GNP. The greater harm comes when sudden rises depress the economy, but this effect is harder to estimate. Some economists believe that a temporary oil price of $40 a barrel, for example, helped to trigger the recession, which represented a loss of several percent of GNP5. â€Å"U.S. policy toward the Middle East is characterized by an intention to ultimately control the oil there, and keep other powers--not just the Soviet Union, but also Britain and France--away, if not dependent on the United States6. It is a fact that oil resources in America are rapidly exhausting even though the demand for oil increases. The oil needs or the energy

Proposal Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Proposal - Dissertation Example From this we derive that dating is basically an activity of knowing each other over a longer period of time to see if a romantic relationship that is built within themselves should extend further or not. Online Dating An  internet dating service, commonly  known as  online dating, is a  dating system that gives the platform to people seeking for a romantic relationship. The individuals are able to meet their date online and can start a new romantic or sexual relationship through this online service. The online dating service provides its services through the help of  personal computers, the  Internet, and phones. It allows people to give their personal information, and requirements so that they can search for the individuals accordingly. The criteria they are asked to share include gender, age bracket, location and much more. There is also an option to upload one’s own photos on the website so that the other members of the website can view the photo. There are othe r services offered by the sites including  online chat, message boards, webcasts etc. There are various sites that do not charge for its registration whereas some require a monthly subscription fee. Usually the concept of online dating fills the distance gaps and that is the reason most of the members belong to a variety of backgrounds seeking a different types of relationships. But there always some sites that are more specific about the type of members, their interest, location, background or relationship. Aim of Research Project The topic of the research is well introduced. The following are the aim of this research paper: To analyze the concept and trend of online dating. To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of online dating. To see its effects and results, by closely monitoring and surveying the direct consumers. To have the insight of people involved in this business. To evaluate it from both a consumer and a business point of view to judge the practicability and feas ibility of this particular e-business. Background of Online Dating The online dating and its trend originated from a basic part of North American culture as the internet itself. Gradually the process and practice caught the eye of millions of people globally and hence the trend was spread. For Emily Livingston from  Match.com, one of the largest matchmaking website, the 1998 film, â€Å"You’ve got Mail†, became the inspiration and one step towards the global acceptance, as the film was a story of online romance. Talking about the native place of online dating today in North America, the membership of internet-based dating organizations are over 50 million. Refining itself over time and meeting the requirement, the service of online dating became more inclusive and sophisticated as it was a platform to initiate the relationships. Lately, the most practiced or the famous ritual was to approach someone you like through friends, bar encounters, blind dates, singles clubs , etc. Today, these practices are considered as outdated styles of the â€Å"bad old days† by many of us. In  2002, a  Wired  Magazine  article forecasted that, â€Å"Twenty years from now, the idea that someone looking for love without looking for it online will be silly, similar to skipping the card catalog to instead wander the stacks because the right books are found only by

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 25

Business law - Essay Example Days earlier, Ander took his car to Bob’s Repair Shop for lubrication and even though Bob noted a problem with a pin in the brake system, he did not inform Andrew of the same. Negligence involves a breach of care that a party owes to others, occurrence of which leads to a legal damage. The plaintiff needs to prove existence of a duty of care, which might also be evident per se or might be considered under tradition, breach of the duty of care, and occurrence of the damage. There must also be proof of causation that is based on the defendant’s ability to foresee the ultimate danger. Identifying the elements establishes the plaintiff’s legal right in a negligence case. The doctrine of foreseeability also identifies proximate cause to the effect that a defendant may not be the immediate cause of the event into harm but still bears responsibility. The case of Tyson Foods v Cuzman explains this (Twomey and Jennings 178). Failure to warn of dangers in usage or of dangers of misuse also induces liability, as long as the danger is not trivial (Beatty and Samuelson 488). In the case, Andrew owed a duty of care to other road uses but he breached the duty because of over speeding at a location with pedestrians. In addition, Andrew had coffee as he was driving and allowing spilled coffee to divert his attention, meaning that he disregarded interest of other road users, identifies breach of the duty of care into Peter’s injury. The doctrine of proximate causes and responsibility due to failure to warn also induces Bob’s breach of duty of care to people who could be affected by the Andrew’s car. Andrew and Bob had a duty of care to road users that they breached and that led to Peter’s injury. Consequently, Peter has a legal right to compensation due to negligent tort, against both parties. The compensation may relate to

Building a Foundation for the Persuasive Speech Essay

Building a Foundation for the Persuasive Speech - Essay Example A speech that is accompanied by evidence drawn from credible sources helps to improve its credibility. In this case, I will utilize credible sources that can also be easily accessed by the targeted audiences to that they can prove or refute my claims on their own. Essentially, I will strive to use the best sources in order to convince the speakers about the subject presented. A successful speech is capable of keeping the audience thinking and learning about the topic presented. I will achieve this through appealing to the emotions of the people so that they can use their intellect to think deeply about the topic. I will present current evidence drawn from the media in order to comprehend my argument. This will help the targeted audiences to keep on thinking and learning about the topic presented. The third aspect I will take into consideration when building my speech is to ensure creativity. I will carefully develop my speech in a creative way such that it would appeal to the interests of the targeted people instead of presenting it as a plain speech. I will add some humour in the speech in order to avoid monotony. I am convinced that the speaker should avoid boring the listeners since they would easily lose interest in the speech. The fourth step I will take into consideration is to demonstrate that this topic is relevant to the audiences’ needs and interests. The portrayal of women in different media has a significant impact on their behaviour and these images cannot be ignored. I need to demonstrate to the targeted audiences that the media is a powerful tool and it can significantly influence the behaviour of the people in many ways. This topic is relevant to the targeted people since they often find themselves developing negative perceptions about their own appearances. The main reason is that their attitude has been changed by the media but the truth is that these people only need to be self confident. The fifth step I will take into

The relationship between SC35 and E2F1 in the apoptotic response of Research Paper

The relationship between SC35 and E2F1 in the apoptotic response of head and neck cancer cells following cisplatin treatment - Research Paper Example The impact of head and neck cancers on the health care system can be gauged by the fact that each year almost 500,000 new cases of head and neck cancers occur globally, with almost two thirds of the cases occurring in developing nations (Marur & Forastiere, 2008; Lung, Tascau, Almasan, & Muresan, 2007). There are several risk factors for the development of head and neck cancer but amongst those, the most important are tobacco use and alcohol consumption (Forastiere, Koch, Trotti, & Sidransky, 2001). Studies have revealed that the consumption of tobacco and alcohol has the strongest association with these cancers and these factors have a synergistic effect in the causation of head and neck cancers (Leemans, Braakhuis, & Brakenhoff, 2011). It has been found that tobacco usage increases the risk of developing head and neck cancer from five to up to twenty five-fold (Marur & Forastiere, 2008). Moreover, the use of both tobacco and alcohol leads to a forty times greater risk for these can cers (Marur & Forastiere, 2008). ... Over the last few years, there has been an increase in the incidence of cancers occurring at the base of the tongue and the tonsils. This changing trend has been attributed to the increase in the occurrence of HPV-associated squamous cell carcinoma (discussed above) which occurs due to HPV infection following oral sex, which has become an increasingly popular practice amongst the younger generation (Marur & Forastiere, 2008). More recently, it has become common practice to classify head and neck tumors into two main subcategories based in the underlying aetiologies and risk factors, viz. HPV-positive and HPV-negative head and neck tumors. Studies have revealed that these tumors belonging to these two categories differ in not only the aetiology and causative factors but also have different underlying molecular mechanisms, which cause them to have different levels of tumor severity and prognosis (Leemans, Braakhuis, & Brakenhoff, 2011). Head and neck cancer is a heterogeneous disease, which can arise due to several different molecular mechanisms, each of which have different implications for the cancer invasiveness, severity, response to treatment, prognosis and patient survival rates (Leemans, Braakhuis, & Brakenhoff, 2011). Cancers are shown to be clonal replications of cells that have acquired certain genetic alterations which cause them to undergo unchecked cellular proliferation. These genetic alterations can occur in two main classes of genes which are important in the cell cycle, viz. proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes (Forastiere, Koch, Trotti, & Sidransky, 2001) In the case of tumors of the head and neck, studies have revealed that the most commonly implicated genetic change in tumors of this region is the loss of region 9p21

Building a Foundation for the Persuasive Speech Essay

Building a Foundation for the Persuasive Speech - Essay Example A speech that is accompanied by evidence drawn from credible sources helps to improve its credibility. In this case, I will utilize credible sources that can also be easily accessed by the targeted audiences to that they can prove or refute my claims on their own. Essentially, I will strive to use the best sources in order to convince the speakers about the subject presented. A successful speech is capable of keeping the audience thinking and learning about the topic presented. I will achieve this through appealing to the emotions of the people so that they can use their intellect to think deeply about the topic. I will present current evidence drawn from the media in order to comprehend my argument. This will help the targeted audiences to keep on thinking and learning about the topic presented. The third aspect I will take into consideration when building my speech is to ensure creativity. I will carefully develop my speech in a creative way such that it would appeal to the interests of the targeted people instead of presenting it as a plain speech. I will add some humour in the speech in order to avoid monotony. I am convinced that the speaker should avoid boring the listeners since they would easily lose interest in the speech. The fourth step I will take into consideration is to demonstrate that this topic is relevant to the audiences’ needs and interests. The portrayal of women in different media has a significant impact on their behaviour and these images cannot be ignored. I need to demonstrate to the targeted audiences that the media is a powerful tool and it can significantly influence the behaviour of the people in many ways. This topic is relevant to the targeted people since they often find themselves developing negative perceptions about their own appearances. The main reason is that their attitude has been changed by the media but the truth is that these people only need to be self confident. The fifth step I will take into

Developing work with children and young people Essay

Developing work with children and young people - Essay Example .. is underpinned in working with the youth. Compassion entails the possession of both sympathy and empathy; sympathy makes the compassionate worker deeply aware of the plight of others, while empathy is the aspect of willing to relieve the plight. This study will discuss this quote in relation to the values central to working with children and the youth. This will be in terms of both theory and practice in several aspects of child and youth work. One of the values of modern care work with children and youth is the person-centered practice (National Services Framework 2004). This value is a response towards the failures in previous welfare and social services work which approached the practice from a top-down approach. In the previous approach, all the power rested in the care system and policy makers, with the service users themselves relegated to mere recipients. Decision making and execution alongside policy formulation happened without their input. However, contemporary care work appreciates the importance of making services more responsive to the user’s needs. Hence, empowering the service user - in this case children and youths - to contribute constructively is essential. This shift involves gathering insight from the user and providing them with the relevant information. The shift towards person-centered practice places a great deal of weight on the interaction happening between the worker and the child/youth; i t is the point of interaction that proves indispensable for the success of the person-centred approach. The worker has to discern the needs, challenges and strengths from the perspective of the user. Hence, it is absolutely necessary for the care worker to be compassionate so as to maximise the value of the interaction and understand the child’s world. As already stated, compassion involves being aware of the experiences of others; hence the compassionate worker is a strength to the

Macbeths Crimes Essay Example for Free

Macbeths Crimes Essay Macbeths crimes are blood, appalling and pitiless. Does Shakespeare present this butcher, hell-kite and fiend as a monster or as someone with whom it is possible to feel sympathy? The play Macbeth was written by William Shakespeare. It was written for the successor of Elizabeth I, James I of England. James I of England, who was James VI of Scotland, was a descendent of Banquo, and for this reason Shakespeare changed his play from the way this event actually took place in history. In history Banquo actually aided Macbeth in the killing of Duncan, this would have upset the king and may have got Shakespeare in a lot of trouble. Therefore Shakespeare changed it so that Banquo was not part of the plan to murder the king and was against the idea totally. Shakespeare added the witches into the play, as James was deeply interested in witchcraft. This would make the play more appealing to the king. James was a firm believe of The Divine Right Of Kings, this was a way of thinking that kings were hand picked by God and that they were, second in the hierarchy of the whole universe underneath God. As James believed in this way of thinking it made the murder of Duncan a lot more dramatic. When Duncan was murdered there was dramatic affects on Scotland. Shakespeare showed this unnatural affect over Scotland by things happening that would not happen normally. Such as horses eating each other and earthquakes happening. In the play Macbeth is shown as a tradgic hero. A tradgic hero is when a great heroic man has a weakness in his character, for Macbeth the flaw in his character is his great ambition. His flaw has come from the witches telling him the 3 prophecies. This turned his whole perspective around and that was when his ambition took over. As the play starts we see do not see Macbeth but we hear of how great a man he is and how much of a great brave worrier he is highly respected by all of his fellow Thanes and he also commands high respect from the king as well. There seems to be a connection with him and the witches in the first scene as the witches say Fair is foul, and foul is fair (act 1, scene I) This quotation show that things are not exactly what they seem. Macbeth repeats these words later on in that act. So foul and fair a day I have no seen (Act 1, scene III) When Macbeth says this there is a sense that the witch has already got some power over him, even though they have not met each other yet. At the battle the sergeant seems very happy that they had Macbeth on his side. The sergeant shows that he has great respect for Macbeth by complimenting him. Except they mount to the battle in reeking wounds; or memorize another Golgotha (Act 1, scene II) This phrase means that the sergeant was not sure if Macbeth and Banquo wanted to swim in blood or make another Golgotha, which was when Jesus was sacrificed. King Duncan also shows his respect for Macbeth when he says: O valiant cousin! Worthy gentlemen! (Act 1, scene II) Duncan is showing that he has great amounts of respect for Macbeth. After the battle has taken place Macbeth and Banquo are on their way home when the come across the 3 witches. The witches great Macbeth with 3 prophesies: 1. All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! 2. All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! 3. All hail Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter. As Macbeth is told he will be king hereafter there is a thought in the back of his mind to kill the king. These prophecies have shocked Macbeth and when the witches start to leave he tries to make them stay. He tries to make them tell him more about the prophecies. When Ross tells Macbeth that he has become Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth has the thought of killing the king again. Banquo says to him self in a soliloquy What can the devil speak true? (Act1, scene III) Banquo is stunned at the news, as is Macbeth. Macbeth asks them where they got this information as the Thane of Cawdor lives. Ross says that the Thane of Cawdor has been a traitor and that he is to be hanged. In Macbeths first soliloquy he says Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor: The greatest is behind. (Act 1, scene III) This shows that Macbeth has great trust in the prophecies and is contemplating weather or not to kill the king. Macbeth also shows that he doesnt really want to kill the king when he says If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, with out my stir. (Act 1, scene III) Macbeth is showing resistance to killing the king as he thinks that if he doesnt do anything then maybe he will have a change of being king. This shows that Macbeth does have a conscience and that he knows the difference between right and wrong. There is a great contrast between Banquo and Macbeth when they are told about each of their prophecies. Macbeth looks a lot in to them where as Banquo doesnt really look into them much. Banquo also warns Macbeth that the witches prophecies may not be the whole truth and may cause a lot of damage to him, despite this Macbeth still wants to be king. This shows Macbeth has ambition and this is the flaw of his character. Macbeth is not at all happy with Duncans decision to make Malcolm, The Prince of Cumberland his heir to the throne. Macbeth is so angry with the decision in his soliloquy he says Stars hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires (Act 1 scene III) Macbeth has reached a turning point he wants to kill Duncan because now there is now way the he can become king unless he kills Duncan. The quotation shows that he knows what he is going to do is wrong so he wants to make no one can see what he is doing. In act 1 scene VII Macbeth has another soliloquy in which he faces a real dilemma. He is stuck with the decision weather or not to kill the king. His say He is here in double trust: First as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door (Act 1, scene VII) Macbeth is really confused at this point he is not sure if he wants to kill Duncan or not. The quote above shows if he does then he is going against his morals and conscience. I think Macbeth knows the full consequences of what he is about to do, this is why he has some doubt in his mind, as the consequences are terrible. Macbeth then talks to his wife about his plan to kill Duncan, and how he is having second thoughts about killing Duncan. Lady Macbeth teases him, so out of pride Macbeth is forced into killing Duncan. In Act 2 Scene I Macbeth is all alone when he sees a dagger in front off him. Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee: I have thee not (Act 2, scene I) I think that there is a large significance of this dagger being there. The dagger is blood soaked and is pointing towards the chambers of the king. I think that the dagger is a way of his mind showing us that he has a guilty conscience and that he has become possessed by evil. All of the forcing from his wife has passed him over to the evil side and now he is dead set on killing Duncan. There is also an element of ambition, as he wants to kill Duncan to show he is capable and also for himself to show that he is a real man to his wife. Once Macbeth has murdered Duncan he acts very strange almost like he is in a daze. He looks very disturbed, he says This is a sorry sight (Act2, scene II) He says this as he is looking at his hands as if he was disgusted with himself and that he couldnt believe he had done such a terrible thing. While Macbeth was killing Duncan he heard voices saying Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep (Act 2, scene II) This really got to Macbeth, he didnt know where the voice came from and it really startled him. Lady Macbeth just told him to take no notice of what the voices had said. But wherefore could not I pronounce Amen? I had most need of blessing, and Amen stuck in my throat. (Act 2, scene II) This also scared Macbeth has when he was about to kill Duncan he wanted to say a prayer but the word Amen was stuck in his throat. These two affects were the first few consequences of killing Duncan. Will all great Neptunes ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous sea incarnadine, Make the green one red (Act 2, scene II) This quote shows Macbeth is starting to feel guilty about his actions. When Macbeth says will great Neptunes oceans wash this blood clean from my hands he is conveying that it is such a bad thing that he has done nothing in the universe can clear him of his sins. Macbeth shows regret for him killing Duncan when he says Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst! (Act 2, scene II) Macbeth is becoming unstable mentally and is regretting killing Duncan. In act 3 Scene 4 Macbeth is having a banquet. At the start Macbeth is called away to see on of the murderers who gave him a report. Macbeth wanted Banquo and his son Fleance to be killed, the murderers only killed Banquo but Fleance got away. Then comes my fit again: I had else been perfect; Whole as the marble, founded as the rock, As broad and general as the casing air: But now I am cabind, cribbd, confind, bound in To saucy doubts and fears. (Act 3, scene IV) Macbeth is very frustrated that the killers did not kill Fleance as it has ruined his plan but he believes he can get around this hiccup. Once Macbeth has returned to the banquet he is asked to join the Lords. Lenox says to Macbeth here is a place reservd, sir. Macbeth asks him where? Lenox says here my good lord. What ist that moves your highness? Macbeth goes into a rage and starts to scream Which of you have done this? (Act 3, scene IV) Macbeth sees Banquos ghost in his chair, now Macbeth is going insane. All of the guests start to worry about the king but lady Macbeth tells them Sit worthy friends: my lord is often thus, and hath been from his youth: pray you keep seat; the fit is momentary; upon a thought He will again be well. (Act 3, scene IV) Lady Macbeth is trying to cover for Macbeth by saying that he is disturbed because of a childhood drama. Lady Macbeth does this out of panic so that none of the lords are worried about the king. This could also affect his respect and reputation with the lords as they may think he is delusional. Lady Macbeth covers for Macbeth very well. Lady Macbeth then asks the lords to leave, as Macbeth is very sick. Once the lords had left Macbeth tells lady Macbeth that he has a spy in every house. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to get some sleep as he is become mentally unstable. Macbeth is suffering from all of the killing that he has done and it is not only affecting him it is also affecting his marriage to which seems to be deteriorating as the play goes on. In Act 4 scene I Macbeth goes to visit the witches, which shows he firmly trusts the witches as he has gone to them which gives a sense that they hove power over him where as if he waited and let them come to him he would not have given the impression that he was desperate. Macbeth is told 3 prophecies the first is: Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff; Beware the Thanes of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough (Act 4, scene I) The first apparition says this; it is a warning to Macbeth simply telling him to beware of Macduff, as he is dangerous. Macduff was never happy about Macbeth becoming king as Macduff never attended Macbeths crowning and he also suspected Macbeth of killing Duncan. The second prophecies is: Be bloody, bold and resolute; laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of women born shall harm Macbeth (Act 4, scene I) This prophecy made Macbeth relax a little, as he didnt think that there was any one in the world that could not be of women born. Which made him feel much more safer and almost invincible. The third prophecies is: Macbeth shall never vanquishd be until great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane Hill; shall come against him (Act 4, scene I) Macbeth was very happy with this prophecy as for him this meant he was invincible, as he believed that Burnam wood would never come to Dunsinane. He shows that he is very happy about his prophecies when he says: That will never be: Who can impress the forest, bid the tree Unfix his earth bound root? Sweet bodements! Good! (Act 4, scene I) Macbeth has decided to kill the Macduffs as Macduff has flied to England and Macbeth sees this as the perfect time and way to kill them. If they are killed Macduff will be distort and will want to kill Macbeth but Macbeth thinks he is invincible. This is the perfect time as there is no one to protect his family. In Act 5 scene I Macbeth is getting ready for battle when he hears a women screaming he sends his servant to investigate. He returns and tells Macbeth that his wife is dead. Macbeth responds to this by saying: She would have dies hereafter; There would have been a time for such a word. To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this pretty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; and all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, gull of sound and furry, signifying nothing. (Act 5, scene V) This speech is said by Macbeth as he thinks life is not worth living for any more. He tries hard to make his life better but in the end he is going to die so what is the point. That is the kind of attitude he is taking. Macbeth is then told that Burnam Wood is moving to wards Dunsinane. Macbeth reacts very badly to this he calls the messenger a Liar and slave (Act 5, scene V) Macbeth cannot believe it, the wood is moving, he is in such anger as the prophecies are not holding up to their word. Macbeth has his armour put on so he is ready for battle. In the final scene Macbeth and Macduff have a battle, Macbeth is very full of himself until Macduff says Despair thy charm: and let the angel whom thou still hast servd tell thee, Macduff was from his mothers womb untimely rippd. (Act 5, scene VII) Macbeth is in shock he cannot believe it, all the prophecies have been untrue. Them Macbeth is killed bye Macduff and Macbeths head is stuck on a poll and paraded around. This was a way of showing the people that if they betray the king this is what will happen to them. The witches have influenced Macbeth, if they had not shown him the 3 prophecies then he would never have killed the king and he would still be a noble man. The witches were agents of evil so they were bound to tempt Macbeth. The witches simply showed Macbeth what he could be if he listened to them they did not force him they gave him the option and Macbeth choose their way. The witches have no power so they simply temp and try to push Macbeth in the direction they want him to go. Their influence is fair great on Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is a very possessive woman and has a great amount of ambition about her. When she read the letter from her husband in Act 1 scene V she was determined on making Macbeth the king. She wanted him so badly to become the king. She showed her determination in Act 1 scene VII when she said she would: I have given suck, and know how tender tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling up in my face, Have pluckd my nipple from his boneless gums, and dashd the brains out, had I so sworn as you have to this. (Act 1, scene VII) She is so determined she would kill her own baby while she was feeding it, this shows that she is a very strong women. Lady Macbeth wants to become purely evil she shows this when she says Come spirits that tend on mortal thoughts! Unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty; make thick my blood. (Act 1, scene V) Lady Macbeth also says TH effect and it! Come to my womens breasts, and take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, wherever in your sightless substances Lady Macbeth wants very thing that is feminine about her taken away from her so she can be purely evil. Lady Macbeth shows she isnt purely evil in Act 2 scene II when Macbeth asks her why she didnt kill Duncan she says Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had donet. (Act 2, scene II) As the play goes on lady Macbeth and Macbeths relationship starts to fall apart. At the beginning of the play Macbeth tells his wife every thing as the play digresses they lose faith and trust in each other. They do not tell each other anything. Lady Macbeth was not told by Macbeth that he was planning to kill Banquo or the Macduffs he simply just didnt communicate with her anymore. I believe that Shakespeare has presented Macbeth as some one who you can feel sympathy for, as he seems to be pushed in to killing Duncan by Lady Macbeth. I think that he never had any intentions of killing Duncan it was because his wife drove him so that he could gain power. He was not as strong as he seems, his wife bullies him into killing Duncan but he is a hero on the battlefield. Also if he had not seen the witches then I do not think that he would have any thoughts of killing the king.

The National Drugs Campaign Media Essay

The National Drugs Campaign Media Essay The National Drugs Campaign (NDC) was created by the Australian Government to decrease the drug use amongst the Australian population. They achieve this purpose by spreading information about the dangers of drug usage and encouraging the public to abstain from drugs. A campaign has been launched since 2001 for this cause, which included 4 phases to be launched at different times within a ten year span. It is one of the longest-running public education campaigns on illicit drugs in Australia. Although illicit drug usage may be decreasing due to NDCs campaign, ecstasy usage remains stagnant. According the Mental Health Minister, Helen Morton, The latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey showed 4.1 percent of Western Australia survey participants had used ecstasy in the past year, similar results to 2001 and 2004 (Morton). In fact, according to the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre of Australia, ecstasy has been used by approximately 8% of the entire Australian population, with approximately 3% having used in the preceding 12 months. (Ross). In order to reduce these statistics, the NDC started a new campaign targeting ecstasy in January 2011 called the Ecstasy. Face Facts campaign. I feel that this was a successful approach to use in order to fulfill the needs of their overall campaign. One of the NDCs main objectives is to reduce illicit drug usage, and since ecstasy was not in decline, it only makes sense to focus the next campaign specifically on ecstasy. As part of their communication model, they created objectives of this particular campaign. These includes increasing the knowledge to their audience about the perilous facts of ecstasy, reducing the usage of ecstasy and other illicit drugs these users may have tried, preventing anyone from ever trying illicit drugs, and supporting them to refrain from any drug usage. The NDC released several public service announcements, which was their entire campaign, in order to promote positive consumer behavior. According to the National Drugs Campaign, there are four overall messages that need to be conveyed to the audience. These messages include the following: There are specific risks and harms associated with using ecstasy; There are real risks and harms associated with using illicit drugs; There are real benefits to not using ecstasy and other illicit drugs; and There is a range of information available on the facts about using ecstasy and other illicit drugs. The communication channels of this government advertising campaign consist of integrated media activity with radio, print, outdoor, online, and in-venue advertising, public relations and promotions, and information resources such as National Drugs Campaign website (australia.gov.au/drugs) and the 1800 250 015 information line. Some public relations activities include sponsorships of the  In The Mix  website, popular radio programs on Nova FM and Austereo, the Future Music Festivals, the  Rock the Schools  and  I Am With The Band  initiatives and National Youth Week 2011. The communication channels in which to reach NDCs target audience is an important factor to get their message across. I feel that the chosen mediums of advertising, especially through print and radio, are a fast and easy way to reach a mass audience while still grabbing the attention of the target market. Having online tools such as the website, and interactive in-venue advertising also incorporates new ways of reaching and communicating with the youth of Australia, which research shows us is how they want to be informed of these issues. Finally, having PR activities that include sponsorships that young people idolize and are familiar with will help to better relate to them. Youth marketing and public relations activities that are aligned with music further engages youth in ways that are meaningful to them. It was also an important decision that the NDC chose to use print media other than television to get their point across. They chose to advertise more in magazines that teenagers would read, such as Cosmopolitan. This way they would reach their target audience. They also were able to have a more personal impact on their viewers through their visual communication. The entire layout of the advertisement, including the typography, pictures, and colors were all put together meticulously. Since there is only a few moments before the onlooker of the ad decides whether or not they will continue reading, it needs to have all aspects of the print to be attention-grabbing, which it is. Research conducted by drug and alcohol experts and the Australian National Council on Drugs led to the development of the target audience. It was decided the campaign would target the youth aged 15-21 years who are at risk of using ecstasy and/or other illicit drugs and parents of 13-17 year olds. According the research conducted by the National Drug Strategy Household Survey, 38.1% of Australian over the age of 14 had tried illicit drugs. . This is the key transition time in young peoples lives. Since they are highly influenced by their environments and their social stimuli, they are more at risk. Since teenagers in Australia are using drugs at such an early age, the target audience should be 15- 21 years, and it is also necessary for parents to start worrying about the safety of their children as well. Thus, the target audience for the advertisements is a logical age. Before the advertising campaign was made, a creative brief was formed which highlighted the consumer insights as well as the creative strategy that NBC would use. Formative research was conducted with people aged 12 -25 to explore youth attitudes and behaviors to illicit drugs. They examined positive and negative perceptions of drug use, key drivers and barriers to trial, and identified effective channels with which to communicate with young people in relation to drugs (National Drug Campaign). The research results indicated that young Australians had previous knowledge between the image or specific drugs and perceived effects of them. These finding encouraged NBC to target communication about particular drugs, rather than simply grouping all drugs together. This research also identified different segments of young people, defined by clusters of particular attitudes to drug use and their lives, which have been critical to the formulation of the campaigns creative strategy (National D rug Campaign). Two main visuals that have been used in outdoor advertising such as posters and billboards are called the Ecstasy Girl advertisement and the Ecstasy Lab advertisement (National Drug Campaign). The Ecstasy girl features a visual of a haggard, disheveled girl who looks like she is clearly a drug user. The caption above says Insomnia, memory loss, or psychological problems. The second advertisement features an ecstasy lab which consists of a visual of a repulsive bathroom and tubes attached to the inside of a toilet going into beakers. These beakers imply that the drugs are made in this kind of setting, with unknown contents. The caption above reads Made using drain cleaner, battery acid or even hair bleach. Then popped in your mouth. The second of these advertisements is more widely known, and the message of the contents of ecstasy was used in other forms of media such as video and radio. The cultural setting of the Ecstasy Girl advertisement is an illustration of all teenagers. Though it may show a young, blonde, Caucasian women, it still represents all of the youth that is having problems due to drug usage. It is a physical depiction of the entire target audience. Even the Ecstasy Lab advertisement with a picture of a lab may only show the setting of one place where the drugs are made. However, it is still a physical depiction of what contents go into ecstasy, and illustrates that the contents of drugs are never pure. In the fourth stage of the communication model, the message that is being sent is interpreted by the audience. The way that teenagers would interpret these public service announcements is critical to make sure the objectives of the NDC are being met. Thus, in order for these advertisements to have any impact on it audience, it needs to pass the hierarchy of effects model. This means it needs to stimulate their attention, interest, desire, and action. I feel that this advertising campaign does create attention since the visual depictions are both extreme and invoking. The colors (yellow, blue, white) are eye-catching. Even the font they use for the words is large and capitalized, demanding attention. By reading the copy, the audience would then gain interest, since the copy in the advertisements is thought-provoking, harsh, and blunt. Then they would look at the pictures again and associate with the words to realize what the message is trying to convey. When they finally put it all to gether, it would create the desire to listen to the message, and abstain from trying drugs, which is the action that the NDC is trying to invoke. Since the National Drugs Campaign is run by the Australian Government, it is government advertising which is a public service that promotes good behavior. It is not in competition with other brands or companies. However, it does have other organizations that support the campaign, even if they have their own strategy for trying to decrease drug use. For example, Drug Aware, a drug prevention program in Western Australia took its own approach to handling the ecstasy escalation in their region. Instead of using print advertising, they did everything online. They created a new youth-oriented ecstasy campaign website interface on the Drug Aware website, where visitors can watch videos featuring the Ecstasy experts, read up on the facts, or chat live and confidentially with a qualified drug counselor (Drug Aware). Other smaller drug awareness campaigns dont always take the harsh approach of the NDC either. However, I feel showing the youth the more daunting facts of drugs first will grab t heir audiences attention and keep it, which is what they need to do to portray their message. In order to measure the feedback of the advertising campaign, the NDC would need to test the audiences reactions after viewing it. There are several ways of evaluating whether or not the campaign is effective. NDC could investigate the audiences campaign awareness and reach by testing campaign recognition and recall, credibility of the advertising for ecstasy, whether attitudes and behaviors in relation to illicit drugs has changed, and if people start getting more informed and abstain from drug use. Past campaigns have resulted in high outcomes for effectiveness. For example, in the previous campaign in 2010, 70% of ecstasy users and 44% of young people said they had recently seen, read or heard advertising about illicit drugs (National Drug Campaign). Since the creative strategy for advertising is being used from previous campaigns, these results could be a reflection for the current campaign effectiveness results. Since this campaign is an improvement on the previous one, we can h opefully expect even better results, especially since the current one has more of a focus on ecstasy users. Unfortunately, there are still some setbacks to the current campaign. There are no actual television commercials for the campaign. Though they may have radio spots and some online videos, NDC has underestimated the influence of television. A small glance at a poster, or a 20 second radio spot may not be enough to capture to attention of someone, if looked at just once. Fortunately, this problem has been moderated due to the saturation of posters and outdoor advertising of the NDC. This way, if the poster didnt catch someones eye once, seeing it several times will cause them to actually read it. Though the NDC has not put money into television spots, they did allocate their marketing to enough outdoor advertising to make up for this. Though we may not be able to measure the post-campaign evaluations yet, since the campaign has only just come out, we could still critique what NBC has done so far. The two advertisements that have been their main focus both appeal to the audiences emotions and fears. I think this is an appropriate approach because showing the audience appalling facts about drugs will alert them into abstaining from them. Sometimes messages need to be harsh, especially to the youth, to hinder them from using drugs. Also, since the government and the National Drug Campaign is a credible source, the audience will be able to trust the messages that they are seeing. I feel this campaign will really make a difference to NDCs target market. The exposure to this campaign will help NDC in reaching their objectives. , http://www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/publishing.nsf/Content/17B917608C1969ABCA257317001A72D4/$File/mono-63.pdf. http://www.wa.liberal.org.au/item/3681 http://www.thenewspaperworks.com.au/go/news/-ecstasy-face-facts-press-ad http://www.health.gov.au/internet/drugs/publishing.nsf/content/news-7feb11-ecstasy http://www.tanglewood.net/projects/teachertraining/Book_of_Readings/Dusenbury.pdf