How to Study for the SAT

How to Study for the SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The SAT is an extremely important test for those planning to attend college. It's definitely not one to neglect or ignore until the last minute. Preparing for the exam is the only way to make sure you're doing your best on test day. Well, that's all well and good, but how exactlydo you study? It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the prospect, or else overloaded by information from a number of different sources all claiming to have the answer to every one of your testing woes. Read on for myvery best suggestions on how to study for the SAT, based on my extensive experience as a tutor.I'llcover eachstep you need totaketo improve your score, from finding the best SAT practice tests to setting a goal to fine-tuning your section strategies. After reading this article, you'll know exactly how to prepare for the SAT. The 3 Guiding Principlesof SATPrep While we've gotplenty of specific advice on how to studyfor the SAT, there are also some more general concepts that underlieall aspects of theprocess. #1: Personalize Your Program It's crucial that you individualize any plan to fityour needs. We might be the experts on the SAT, but you're the expert onyou.All the suggestions in this guide should be looked at with the understanding that you can tweak them to fit what you, individually, need. If, for example, you need to study three times a day for a shorter period of time rather than knocking it all out in one chunk in the evening, that's fine. If the opposite is true for you, that's fine, too. Do what will work best for you. #2: Leave Plenty of Time to Study If you're looking for an improvement of 100 points or thereabouts, three months is a good amount of time. If you need something significantly more substantial, though, you might want to stretch that timeline out to six months.This means you should have a good idea of your goal at least six months before the SAT. This ensures you'll have time to takeappropriate action, even if that action is letting it rest for three months. Get that test date on your mental calendar. #3: Do What You Can With What You Have It's always better to do something than it is to do nothing. For instance, if you don't have the aforementioned three tosix months, use what you do have to your best advantage.If you simply can't take a practice exam in one sitting without getting interrupted, take it in several sittings. Not having ideal circumstances is not an excuse to sit on your hands and do nothing. SAT Study Plan: 10-Step Process Now that we've established the basic ideas you need to keep in mind, let's coverthe actual steps of how to study for the SAT. Step 1: Read Up on the SAT Find out any information you're not sure about. What is the SAT? How is it scored? What score do you need to maximize your chances of getting into your dream school? Find the answers to all these questions (and more) on our extensive SAT blog.In short, spend time learning what to expect from the test so that you'll be prepared for what it looks like and how to approach each section and question type on test day. Step 2:Take Your First Practice Test This first attempt should definitely be anofficial practice exam.This is the closest you can get to an actual SAT without taking it. Published by the College Board, official practice SAT tests are extremely representative of the SAT. Do your best on this first run-through;itwill serve as your baseline, indicating how well you are currently able to perform on the SAT. In the same vein, it's important totake this test under actual exam conditions. Sit in a quiet, well-lit room and time yourself using official time constraints. This will help your practice score be as accurateas possible. Step 3:Score Your Practice Exam Spend some time reflecting on your results. Review every question you got wrong,determining why it was wrong and why the correct answer was right. If there are any questions you got right by guessing, try to nail those down, too.Most official practice tests includeanswer explanations, which area great tool you can use to aid your studying. You can also try plugging the right answer back into the problem and working through it with the end in sight. Does it make any more sense this way? Don't ignore outside resources,such as your teachers, tutors, or parents.Ask someone when you need help figuring something out. Once you've got a grip on your answers, use this information to determine your strongest and weakest areas of the test. The SAT includes subscores, which will help you zero in specific types of problems, so don't forget to pay attention to those results, too.The areas in which you struggle more consistently are the areas you're going to focus on in the coming weeks. Your results might not look like this the first time through. Step 4:Set a Goal Score You know what the SAT is like, and you know how you perform on it. Now, take time to consider what a reasonable goal score might be for you. This goal should be achievable: don't expect a 600-point increase over your practice score. It's fine to set a goal that's a stretch,though. Don't give up on your dream school just because one practice exam didn't come back in the full glory you'd hoped for. To set a specific SAT goal score, you'll need to know the average scores of admitted applicants to the schools you're applying to. Your goal score must be higher than these averages to give you the best chance of admission. For more info, take a look atour step-by-step guide on how to set an SAT goal score. Step 5:Decide What Tools You'll Need to Use Consider how far you have to go to reach your goal score as well as what resources are available to you. The more of a gain you need to make, the more intensive your methods will need to be. Consider whether it's reasonable to think you can afford individual tutoring, a group class, or an online prep program. The SAT is important, no doubt, but there's no use in overstepping the bounds of your means for it. Do what you can with what you have. As you gather resources, be savvy about evaluating them. Are they official (endorsed by the College Board) or unofficial? Official resources are best becausethey mimic the test as closely as possible. If you're looking at an online program or tutor, what kind of credentials do they boast? Have students who've used them seen a lot of improvement? These are the sorts of questions it's important to ask yourself. Now, you can always work solo.There are plenty of resourcesyou can use to correct any issues that come up, including SAT books, prep websites, apps, and the SAT's partner siteKhan Academy. These resources can be very helpful, and many of them are free. Realize, though, that working entirely on your own with resources like these might not be enough. Think about what other resources you can access if possible. You can also work with an online prep program. These are great because they personalize their recommendations based on your performance, provide plenty of personal attention to tracking trends in your work, and are generally more affordable than in-person options. Unfortunately, you're missing that in-person contact that can be sovaluable. Another option is to work in a group class. These courses are a great way to get the support of both peers and an instructor. You can ask questions and review the content that's most important to you. Classes are also more affordable, in most cases, than individual tutoring. The degree of personalization, however, suffers because of the group format. Finally, you can work with an individual tutor, eitheronline or in-person. This option maximizes the individual and purely custom attention you get;you get an expert walking you, personally, through every step of the way. That being said, prices are frequently prohibitive,and your time with your tutor will probably be limited week by week. Whatever tools you're using, make sure they help you learn. Step 6:Set a Pattern of Practicing Generally, if you've given yourself plenty of time, you should be looking at somewhere between30 minutes and three hours a sitting- closer to 30 minutes if you're practicing daily, and closer to three hours if you're only practicing a couple times a week. YourSAT study plan is something to personalize.Small, manageable, regular chunks of time are ideal, but listen to your own needs. Don't cheat yourself out of study time in the name of personalization! Plan to use a combination of books and videos,as well as any class or tutor available to you (the College Board has a free Question of the Day app to look into, too). Set these resources into your regular schedule;don't plan to study for three hoursthe same day as your three-hour SAT class. Step 7:Take Another Practice Exam Ideally, this should take place about a month after you start studying. Otherwise, take it when you can, even if that's two weeks after you start or two months after you start. Just don't take it within a few days before the actual test. Frying your brain completely isn't going to help you reach your goal score on test day. Once again, score your practice test carefully,checking the explanation forevery question you got wrong. See where you've grown, where you've stagnated, and where you've backslidden. Figure out where you need to redouble your efforts and where you can ease off a little. Step 8:Adjust Your Study Plan Based on Your Progress Don't forget to stillstudy areas of consistent strength- just brush them off periodically,though, rather than dwelling in your comfort zone. With areas of persistent weakness, make sure to studythese areas using a variety of angles,and drill the problems you've already worked through until they become second nature to you. If you're backsliding, increase your attention to that topic.If you're growing, stay on course. Continue to make use of the resources that are working well for you. Step 9:Repeat Steps7 and 8 In the early stages of a more leisurely plan, take a practice test every month or so.In the later stages, bump it up to every week or so. If your study plan is more compressed, you might need to start straight away with a test every week or every other week. Try to maximize the number of practice tests you take without totally burning yourself out.Four or five practice tests is a great number to shoot for, roughly. Don't forget to adjust your study plan after each practice test based on your results. Hopefully the cycle of studying will be more stimulating than this fellow's treadmill. Step 10:Maintain Self-Care The week before the SAT, start putting the brakes on studying by slowingdown your pace. A day or two before the test, stop studying altogether.Your know what you're going to know, so there's no use stressing at this late point in time. Instead, make sure you're resting up and putting things in order for test day. Get a solid amount of sleep for at least three nights before the test.Gather your supplies prior to the morning of. Plan to eat a healthy breakfast on test day, lay out your outfit the night before, and know what time you need to leave so you'll arrive in time for the test. Reminders for Your SAT Studying When you take your practice tests, use them as an opportunity to get familiar with the format and instructions. Pay solid attention to these aspects of the exam so you don't waste valuable time on test day rereading them. In your studying, don't forget the worthof simple, active reading.It's invaluable. Try to read challenging literature across genres, and actively engage with what you're reading. This will help you do even better on the SAT Reading and Writing sections. Set minor goals as a way to achieve your major goals. For example, if your goal score is pretty far from your baseline score, aim for smaller increases in-between practice tests and try to hit those instead. Most importantly, acknowledge the progress you're making. Lastly, find a buddy- a friend, parent, guidance counselor, etc.- who can encourage you, make suggestions in your process, and hold you accountable to your goals. Conclusion: How to Study for the SAT Studying for the SAT can be daunting, but it's less daunting if you head into it with a plan. Remember to leave yourself plenty of time,assess your strengths and weaknesses, and consider all the resources available to you. Allot plenty of time for studying and doing practice tests so that you can get used to the SAT format and learn what to expect on test day. Finally,remember to breathe and take care of yourself.The SAT is a tool to get you into the college you want to attend- it's not anything that should own you. What's Next? Not sure when to start studying for the SAT?We've got a detailed discussion of the benefits of starting early. Be sure to also check out our complete SAT study planfor more tips on when to start prepping. Want to learn how to build an SAT study plan? Look no further. We've gotfour sample SAT study plans you can use as well as a four-step guide onhow to study for the SAT in a month. Are you aiming for a perfect SAT score? Read aboutthe steps you can take to get there, written by our resident full scorer. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today:

Summary of Homers Iliad Book XXIII

Summary of Homer's Iliad Book XXIII Achilles orders the Myrmidons to drive their chariots in battle formation, and they go three times around the body of Patroclus. Then they have a funeral feast. When Achilles falls asleep, the ghost of Patroclus tells him to hurry up and bury him, but also to make sure their bones are interred in the same urn. The next morning Agamemnon orders the troops to get timber. The Myrmidons cover Patroclus with locks of hair. Achilles cuts one long lock he had been growing for a river god back home, but since he will be dying soon, he cuts it for Patroclus, instead, and places it in his hands. After the men have brought the lumber, they go off to prepare a meal while the chief mourners deal with the pyre cutting piece on fat from sacrificed animals to cover the body. Various animals, including two of Patroclus dogs, and stallions, honey, oil, and the 12 young Trojans are killed and added to the pile. Achilles has to plead with the gods for adequate wind for the pyre, but he gets it and the fire doesnt die down until morning. They douse the fire with wine and then Achilles picks out Patroclus bones and puts them in a golden urn, with a protective layer of fat. Achilles faces the army in a circle and says its time for funeral games. The first game has the most elaborate prizes and is for chariot racing. Achilles says he will not compete because his horses are immortal, and so the competition would not be fair. The contenders are Eumelus, Diomedes, Menelaus, Antilochus, and Meriones. The other men make bets. Diomedes wins, but there is debate over second place because Antilochus fouled Menelaus. The next event is boxing. Epeus and Euryalus fight, with Epeus winning. Wrestling is the third event. Fairly typical, the prizes are a tripod worth 12 oxen for first prize, and a woman worth 4 oxen for the loser. Telamons son Ajax and Odysseus fight, but the result is a stalemate and Achilles tells them to share. The next event is a footrace. Oileus son Ajax, Odysseus, and Antilochus contend. Odysseus is behind, but a quick prayer to Athena brings him to first place, with Antilochus in third. The next contest is for the armor Patroclus had taken from Sarpedon. The fighters are to be in full battle gear and first wound wins. Telamons son Ajax fights with Diomedes. Again, there is a draw, although Achilles gives Diomedes the long sword. The next contest is to see who can throw a lump of pig iron the farthest. The prize is enough iron to last a long time making weapons and chariot wheels. Polypoetes, Leonteus, Telamons son Ajax, and Epeus throw it. Polypoetes wins. Iron is also the prize for an archery contest. Teucer and Meriones compete. Teucer forgets to invoke Apollo, so he misses. Meriones makes appropriate promises and wins. Achilles then sets up more prizes for spear throwing. Agamemnon and Meriones stand, but Achilles tells Agamemnon to sit down because there would be no contest since no one is better than he is. He can just take the first prize. Agamemnon gives the prize to his herald. Major Characters in Book XXIII Achilles: Best warrior and most heroic of the Greeks. After Agamemnon stole his war prize, Briseis, Achilles sat out the war until his beloved comrade Patroclus was killed. Although he knows his death is imminent, Achilles is determined to kill as many Trojans as possible, including Hector whom he blames for Patroclus death.Myrmidons: Achilles troops. Their name means ants and they were called Myrmidons because it is said that they were originally ants.Ajax: The son of Telamon and Periboea, this Ajax is the one most people refer to when talking about Ajax. He was one of the foremost fighters in the Trojan War.Ajax: Of Locris, son of Oileus. Bound by the Oath of Tyndareus and one of the Argonauts, he was in the belly of the Trojan Horse.Antilochus: A son of Nestor.Epeus: A son of Panopeus. A champion boxer.Euryalus: A son of King Mecisteus. Under Diomedes and Sthenelus.Odysseus: From Ithaca. One of the leaders of the Greeks who will vie with Ajax for the status of most worthy after Ac hilles. Patroclus: Loyal friend and companion of Achilles in the Trojan War. The son of Menoetius.Menelaus: Helens Greek husband. Menelaus is not considered a good fighter.Meriones: Son of Molus, a Cretan and the charioteer of Idomeneus.Teucer: A half-brother of Ajax and a son of Telamon.Polypoetes: Son of Pirithous. Co-commands the Lapiths.Sarpedon: King of Lycia, son of Zeus.Agamemnon: Lead king of the Greek forces, the brother of Menelaus.

Use of Robot in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Use of Robot in Business - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that robots are performing task allocation and bridge building work which can be compared with the algorithms of ants. For this purpose swarm bot has been implemented in the business industry. Swarm bot is nothing but the collection of simple robots which are using to carry heavy weighted objects and these are also helpful in planetary exploration and search & rescue operations. This essay outlines that robots are used in manufacturing cars. Apart from that it is used in many other types of electronic goods which are used for domestic purposes. For example this is used in vacuum cleaner which is required to clean the rooms. Now the automobile manufacturing companies and the vacuum cleaner manufacturing companies are using these robotic equipments in a wide range so that they can provide improved item to its customers. In the hospital business and in the medicine field robot plays a very important role. For example – Neuro Arm is such kind of robotic equipment which can do both biopsy-stereotaxy and micro surgery. This will bring success to generate more business in a modern hospita. Foxconn, the famous i-phone manufacturing company in Taiwan expanded the automation in its manufacturing plants and is going to implement more than one million robots in next three years for improving the productivity. There are so many benefits for using robot in the busi ness activities. Robot can increase the quality of products and services. It can improve the standard of supplier materials; create more efficient and effective manufacturing units and plants.

Analysis on a Marketing News Story which was published in 2013 Essay

Analysis on a Marketing News Story which was published in 2013 - Essay Example This means that in 2014, organizations that do not employ effective marketing techniques may fail to sell their goods because of inefficient communication. According to Demers (2013), social media and mobile usage has increased in the society, signalling that customers are developing preferences for goods that are advertised on these devices. Kurtz (2013) also argues that the high usage of social media is influencing purchase patterns meaning that the assumption may be applicable; although there is need for further research to test whether this tenet is applicable in real life. Consumer behaviour is also monitored through online techniques such as advertisement tracking, which traces sites that are preferred by numerous internet users. The author has analyzed each online marketing technique while stating how it is perceived and preferred, and the value it creates to consumers and marketers. Consumer Behavior and Corporate Communication Demers (2013) analysed the increase in the usage of the World Wide Web and found out that it may guarantee large market shares for products that are advertised through the internet. ... Images are used widely on the Internet because they are attractive and catch the attention of both current and prospective product users; scientists have proven this assumption, meaning that it is applicable to more than fifty percent of the members of the society (Doster, 2013). The author also argues that users prefer simple images with short descriptions. Table 1: showing the trends in the usage of the internet from 2008 to 2012 (http://www.kpcb.com/insights/2013-internet-trends) The trend in the table indicates that consumers in the United States are the most frequent users of the Internet while India has the least number of internet users compared to other countries. This means that organisations should shift their marketing techniques from outbound to online as indicated in Appendix 2. The author advises organisations to penetrate more than one social media platform meaning, advertising goods on these platforms appeals to consumers and captures large markets for different firms (Heaton, 2012). Essentially, marketers should adopt the integrated communication methods in order to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage. Demer (2013) also argues that consumers are shifting their preference to goods that are advertised by the sales persons of the selling companies. This is because customers believe that the selling companies convey true information about goods more than television and radio (Doster, 2013). This is additional evidence that stresses the significance of online marketing, which is conducted directly by the selling company. Companies that use the radio and television may not reap high benefits in 2014 because

Home Depot Essay Example for Free

Home Depot Essay It is not common for an enterprise to rise from the level of start-up to market domination in less than 3 decades, but Home Depot has this special distinction. With annual sales in excess of $80 billion from over 2 thousand retail stores (A Portrait of Growth, 2007) this remarkable corporation did not even exist until 1978. This stunning growth, which has an impressive record of profitability as well, has been largely achieved in North America, during the less than dynamic times of the last quadrant of the 20th century. The Home Depot success story is not in mere commercial or financial terms alone, but is also a powerful symbol of the spirit of free enterprise: the company was founded by a team of just 2 entrepreneurs, and has made deep inroads in all the communities it serves (Roush, 1999). This document combines both internal and external views and accounts of the functional histories and accomplishments of Home Depot, and concludes with observations about the possible future prospects of the corporation in the global markets which have begun to unfold. Company Analysis Home Depot has been built on a triad of platforms, which can be used to analyze its performance in qualitative terms (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). The first of these planks has been to build on a core business, which the company has executed with finesse and with impressive results. The corporate brand has become virtually synonymous with all do-it-yourself and do-it-for-me home improvement activities in the United States. The company is present in all 50 States, and has a comprehensive package of products and services for all categories of individual home owners. The company brand is an assurance of quality and value-for-money for an entire generation of U. S. citizens. Easily accessible customer advice (Roush, 1999). and strong cultural roots in the multi-racial values of modern America are inextricably linked with all phases of company operations. A second dimension of Home Depot has been to extend business (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). The management has been relatively conservative in this respect, adding wholesale and electronic business lines, but without the kind of aggressive expansion that was a hall-mark of its early years of store expansion. Indeed, it is also interested to dispose off its wholesale business. It is possible to think of many extensions of the original home improvement business in a retail format, which the company seems to have ignored. However, business extension remains a key stated aim of Home Depot. The third plank of Home Depot is to enter new markets (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). Implementation, being restricted to Canada, Mexico, and China, has been poor. Russia, India, the European Union, Brazil, the Middle East, and South Africa, are some of the potential markets which Home Depot has ignored. There seems to be no systematic effort to exploit the Internet and establish a strong global presence, as many other U. S. based corporations have done. The overall qualitative company analysis of Home Depot shows excellence in and focus on growing the core business, with limited forays in diversification, and weak attempts to extend the business to all available markets. Quantified company analysis leads to the same conclusion: Home Depot yields high short-term cash, but seems to be low on initiatives for new investment. 2005 Gross Profit, at over $27 billion, is more than a third of sales revenue. This is quite extraordinary for a business without proprietary products or technology. It reflects the success of the company’s basic philosophy of achieving economies of scale (Roush, 1999). The 2005 achievement is no ‘flash in the pan’ for the company has an impressive record of 5 years of operating margin expansion. Long term debt is less than 10% of equity, indicating some possible diffidence of company management about future prospects. It does not augur well for investors who look for superior growth opportunities. The 2005 Quick Ration is below 0. indicating efficiency in purchasing and logistics, with due leverage of its commanding market share and brand strength. It is clear that Home Depot is a successful and profitable enterprise, though it is inadequately geared to exploit new opportunities and emergent market trends. The company’s financials and business structure indicate that it may have already crested its best years, especially with respect to the limitations to further growth in North America. Segregated accounts for operations in China are not available in the public domain, but it appears that the company has not matched its historical success in a new continent. The entrepreneurial origins of Home Depot may not be entirely relevant for the professionalism demanded by a global market environment. Economics High volumes at low prices are at the heart of the business model (Roush, 1999). The network of over 2 thousand retail stores, with national spread in the United States, and enviable brand equity, combine to attract a plethora of suppliers with apparent deep discounts for the company’s endorsement. The economics of Home Depot act as an entry barrier, preventing regional competitors from attacking its market share. High cash generation puts Home Depot in a formidable bargaining position, and with the power to sustain predatory pricing offers. The Home Depot economic model has deeper roots in people than in numbers! Decades of intensive training and close interaction between the founders and front-line employees (Roush, 1999) make the company’s stores more than mere warehouses of branded goods. Home Depot emphasizes customer education, which attracts middle-class first time home buyers in sustained and large numbers. The company has carved a large segment in the U.  S. market with such deep footprints that they are almost impossible for newcomers to erase. Accounting Home Depot is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (Home Depot Inc, 2007). It has met all reporting and disclosure requirements without any exceptions on record. Auditor comments on its financial statements show adequate compliance with statutory accounting standards. It is apparent that the company has an adequate accounting system, which is able to capture details of millions of transactions in reliable manner. Though the Management Information Systems of Home Depot are not in the public domain, it is possible to observe that even statutory treasury functions are advantageous for the company. The control of such a large number of sales items spread trans-nationally over such a large number of locations, would itself serve as an entry barrier for a new entrant. The company must excel in systems development, even if some parts are outsourced, to account correctly for such a large number of daily transactions. The Home Depot accounting system is therefore a significant non-financial asset of the corporation. Such systems have large future profit potentials if the company diversifies and enters new markets. Finance Earnings have grown by more than 20% for 4 consecutive years (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). Cash generation exceeds $7 billion. Total assets are about $44 billion. The equity base is stable at just over 2 billion shares, but long term debt is just 9. 9% of equity. The company is amazingly liquid for a business, which on paper should be most vulnerable to the vagaries of customer demand. The Current Ratio is just 1. 7, which is remarkable for so many items on sale across more than 2 thousand depots. Return on Investment in 18. 31, which exceed expected performance for a business without patents and proprietary technologies. Home Depot has a sterling financial performance, and is extremely sound by all financial yardsticks. However, the equity is not adequately leveraged. It appears that the management does not have new ideas about the future, though the business segment in which it operates is full of technological, economic, spatial, and demographic changes. Even the Current and Quick ratios, while admirable from an accountant’s perspective, may be questioned in terms of inventories of scare materials such as wood. Overall, finance has opportunities to excel as a function when a company grows aggressively, makes ambitious expansion plans, and deals in multiple currencies. The financial waters of Home Depot are placid! Marketing The Finance function of Home Depot may be a quiet place, but Marketing is a dynamic function for the company! Excellence in customer service is a founding value of the company (Roush, 1999). Much of this is achieved through intensive training programs, and by innovation in store design. It is hard to match the incomparable product and service combination of Home Depot and it is apparent that the company has a strong understanding of middle-class Americans as a customer segment. All home improvement needs can be met at the company’s stores, and customers have come to rely on the company’s pricing for a wide variety of tools and fixtures. The company brand enjoys top-of-the-mind recall, and has strong associations with the generic product category of retail home improvement. The do-it-yourself product category is very large in most sections of U. S. society, so Home Depot has a durable line of revenue by dominating this market. The business calls for deep understanding of the multi-faceted needs of home owners, and Home Depot has nurtured a special bonding with typical customers ever since its inception. The brand loyalty is extremely strong and has not been broken by any competitor as yet. The company has such a strong hold on the market that new manufacturers of appliances, fittings, and surfaces, are forced to enter the market through Home Depot stores. Customer education is a key consideration at Home Depot (Roush, 1999). This serves to protect the company’s market shares for even the most generic product lines, because no one else matches the information needs of new home owners, or older ones who encounter new problems in their properties. Since the company also offers favorable pricing, customers have little motivation to switch loyalties. Repeat custom is ensured through universal customer satisfaction. There is also plenty of space devoted to do-it-for-me market segments, which combines well with the wholesale business (now on the block for sale) to bring in valuable endorsements from experts in the professional home repair and redecoration businesses. Customers routinely visit Home Depot without any specific product in mind, or even without fully knowing what exactly they need to buy. The friendly advice which is easily and freely available at Home Depot serves to hook customers and has them returning for all home improvement needs. The service also serves to expand the overall market for home improvement, encouraging home owners to take on tasks which they may have left unattended or passed on to service providers, were it not for the guidelines forthcoming from the stores of Home Depot. The encouraging ambience in the stores of Home Depot is reinforced by wise and timely mass media communication. By advertising on a NASCAR theme on television (A Portrait of Growth, 2007) the company shows deep appreciation of its typical customer cluster, and their preferences. Home Depot is also an official NFL sponsor, which is most appropriate considering the profile of the typical customer who shops at Home Depot, and who is responsible for the vast majority of home improvement decisions. Home Depot excels in all aspects of Marketing with sharp focus on a targeted segment. The Marketing Mix is a coordinated mix of product and service elements guaranteed to ensure repeat custom and durable brand loyalties. Though Home Depot has not slackened its intensive marketing efforts to this day, the residual effects of the goodwill it has generated can stand it in good stead for years. It is considered to be one of the best retailers in North America by customers, associates, and peers alike. Management The Chief Executive Officer and senior Legal and Human Resources personnel have left the company in the last 3 months ending February 2007 (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). All the vacancies have been filled by internal promotions. Such moves would indicate strong management resistance to proposed changes of basic direction, and a determination to persist with established business patterns. The implications are even clearer for a company such as Home Depot, with strong traditions for developing and depending on people. The possible power struggle may have left significant sections of the remaining staff in turmoil, and perhaps now actively searching for alternate jobs. The former Chief Executive Officer is bound by a year’s no-compete clause, and cannot solicit employees to leave and join in his other ventures for the next few years: such clauses in separation contracts also suggest that many people in Home Depot may want to search for alternate jobs as soon as they have options. There is no merit in this matter as far as Home Depot’s future prospects are concerned. There is worse conflict with a major share-holder as well, over strategic direction (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). The share-holder entity, which is professionally managed, has merely asked for an independent strategy review, which is not something against the best interests of Home Depot. However, the Board has decided to oppose the constructive resolution. Reviews by outsiders are never binding on clients, so the management’s intransigence in this matter leaves room for doubt about cohesion at the top of the hierarchy. It is apparent that the company is divided between proponents of change, and a powerful group which favors the status-quo-ante. Though Home Depot has a spectacular performance record, it is true that the 21st century global market is quite different from domestic USA towards the end of the last millennium. New demographic segments of the wealthy, and of some immigrants, have emerged even within the strong hold of the home market, so a recasting of strategy seems in order, even if such an exercise were to conclude that the company is already on the right course. Hands on Human Resources Management, with emphasis on training (Roush, 1999) formed the template of the early success of Home Depot. However, a modern corporation cannot survive on breakfast meetings between employees and founders alone! Diversity concerns have certainly altered the composition of the work force, so new ways of managing people and deploying resources are inevitable. The present Home Depot management may have become prisoners of past achievement, preferring to stay with a course which may not be appropriate any longer. While internal promotions are creditable to a certain extent, Boards also need infusion of new perspectives from other successful companies. By filling all the recent vacancies internally, Home Depot may have deprived itself of valuable perspectives from the street. The company’s close association with middle-class America may become a limitation as it is forced to engage with unfamiliar markets and new customer types. Overall, serious discontinuities are evident in the highest echelons of Home Depot.

Morrisons Bluest Eye Essay: Migration -- Toni Morrison The Bluest Eye

The Bluest Eye:   Migration  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Morrison depicts a large part of African American culture when she places the characters in an urban area. The change of environment from the north to the south plays a key role in the loss of communal ties. African Americans are extremely affected given that they are displaced and are attempting to conform to northern cultural standards. The emphasis in the north is on material wealth and beauty, whereas the south is more family oriented. The migration may have displaced many people, however it does provide job opportunities as well as economic gain. Pauline and Cholly were migrants from small rural towns. Upon getting married, Cholly suggested a move "`way up north. . .where steel mills were begging for workers" (92). The surge of industrial workers created a strong working class, allowing African Americans to purchase homes. The open job market made owning property attainable for many African Americans. New wages and job opportunities enhanced the quality of living for the new residents. Purchasing power took on significance in the African American home, and love is replaced with material items. Love is replaced with gift giving, and the gifts must conform to white ideals. Claudia experiences this phenomenon at Christmas when she receives a "big blue eyed baby doll" (19). Claudia reflects on how she felt about the doll when stating, "I had only one desire: to dismember it. To see what it was made of to discover the dearness, to find the beauty" (20). In Susan Willis' critical essay "I Shop Therefore I Am" she discusses the reasoning behind Claudia's anger towards the doll. Upon receiving the doll, Claudia's main purpose is to discover the rootedness of white domination. The onl... ...ass citizens in white America, given that they were brought over as slaves. The enslavement of African Americans by whites severed any cultural ties and dehumanized the slaves. Masters convinced African Americans that they were incapable of culture in order to create a paternal relationship. The loss of identity forced the slaves to act as their masters deemed appropriate. African Americans' migration to the north parralled this concept-they must conform to the standards of white culture that they are trained to obey. Identifying with their own culture in a new environment is difficult, because conformity is essential to fit into white society. The migration from the south to the north changed African American values from community to commodity, destroying cultural ties. Works Cited: Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1993.

Littlest Tigers

With rapid increase of GDP (Gross Domestic Product), the economies of Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea have earned the reputation of being the â€Å"Four Little Tigers† of Asia. These four countries, primarily under the influence of Chinese culture had shown rapid industrialization in the decades of 1960s and the 1990s. Since the twenty-first century these four states have come under the category of ‘developed’ states. These countries, which are now developed, had adopted an export-oriented pattern of development. Production for domestic use was discouraged by way of high tariffs. This, accompanied by emphasis on public education, went a long way in ensuring sustained rate of double-digit growth for many decades. Education enabled these countries to produce cheap, but productive workforce, which became their strength. Egalitarianism was encouraged by way of land reforms, which ensured that peasants were never left dissatisfied. The above-mentioned measures brought a lot of economic benefit to these countries. They soon discovered that they had a favorable balance of trade. Though these countries had mostly non-democratic political systems in the initial years, yet they managed to ensure high rate of savings amongst their citizens. This was possible by focusing exports mainly to richer industrialized countries. ‘Tigers’ symbolize freedom, strength and bravery. These four nations, in spite of poor economic conditions, had been bold enough to allow a completely free economic system. Their openness and manpower produced great results. Ranked according to GDP; South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore are placed at 12th, 21st, 36th and 44th respectively. According to the Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom published in 2007: Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea hold the 1st, 2nd, 26th and 36th ranks respectively. References Asia's Four Little Tigers: a comparison of the role of education in their development http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/cced/1996/00000032/00000001/art00006 Industrialization and Welfare: The Case of the Four Little Tigers by James Midgley http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-9515.1986.tb00253.x `Four Tigers' offer varied opportunities for U.S. firms http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/1996/09/30/focus2.html   

The Poem Because I Could Not Stop for Death Explained

Death Stops for No One Jaime Hayes Death Stops for No One The poem â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death† by Emily Dickinson is an extended metaphor on death, comparing it to a journey with a polite gentleman in a carriage taking the speaker on a ride to eternity. Through unusual symbolism, personification and ironic metaphors Dickinson subjugates that death is an elusive yet subtle being. Dickinson portrays death as an optimistic endeavor while most people have a gruesome perspective of death. This poem’s setting mirrors the circumstances by which death approaches, and death seems kind and compassionate.This poem is written in six quatrains. They are broken up into when she first meets death, through their carriage ride observing different stages of life to death and ultimately, to eternity. These quatrains give the poem unity and make it easy to read and interpret. The cadence of this poem, which is sneakily undulating, is lulling and attractive; you can almost ima gine it being set to the clomping of the horses’ hooves. Although the conversation is set between the speaker and Death, the horses’ hooves always seem to be in the background.The first quatrain starts out with the speaker communicating in past tense about death being a kind gentleman coming to stop for her, implying that she is already dead. Death is personified and introduced as one of the leading character and is also the focus of the poem; â€Å"Because I could not stop for death/ He kindly stopped for me. † (Dickinson, 1863, 1-2) By endowing death with human characteristics it becomes less frightening to the speaker as well as the reader. The fact that he â€Å"kindly† stopped is both a reassurance that his arrival was not unpleasant and an expression of the poet’s wit.It is ironic in a humorous way that death is kind. The speaker could not stop for death, meaning she is not ready to die, but death came anyway. Here, it becomes clear that deat h is inescapable and arrives on its own time. Death stops being an end and becomes instead the beginning of eternal life. When Death stops for her, he is accompanied by Immortality inside their carriage; â€Å"The Carriage held but just Ourselves/And Immortality. † (Dickinson, 1863, 3-4) The carriage is a metaphor for the way in which we make our final passage into death; a mode of transportation to the afterlife.At the time the poem was written a man and a woman were typically escorted by a chaperone, in this poem, Immortality is their chaperone. Immortality is also the reward or reason for the two, the speaker and Death, coming together. If the promise of immortality did not exist, one would never go along willingly, nor would one welcome death without fear. Dickinson begins the second quatrain as death’s journey, which is a slow, forward movement, which can be seen through the writing; â€Å"We slowly drove – he knew no haste. (Dickinson, 1863, 5) The slow r ide emphasizes the seriousness and solemn nature of this carriage ride or perhaps implies a slow and painful death by a debilitating disease. A sense of tranquility is felt here, as though the speaker is well acquainted with the fact that this ride will be her last. The speaker does not resist this ride but instead gives up her labor and leisure and succumbs to death; â€Å"And I had put away/My labor and my leisure too/For his civility. † (Dickinson, 1863, p. 6-8)The cadence of the poem begins to speed up as Death, Immortality and the speaker continue on their journey; â€Å"We passed the School, where Children strove/At Recess – in the Ring-/We passed the Fields of Grazing Grain/We passed the Setting Sun. † (Dickinson, 1863, 9-12) All three of these images suggest different stages of life; the children in the school yard at recess depict the early stages of life, the fields of grazing grain represent the middle stages of life and adulthood, the setting of the sun is the final stage of life.She notices the daily routine that she is leaving behind, but continues not to fight with Death. In this quatrain, Dickinson uses an anaphora â€Å"We passed† in order to help the poem progress as well as tie it together to reinforce that the different stages of life are passing them by. Here, one can assume the trip takes a while, as it was light when the journey began and now the sun is setting and night begins. The poem slows back down again as the fourth quatrain begins and death seems to be setting in; â€Å"Or rather – He passed Us. † (Dickinson, 1863, 13) This line refers to the setting of the sun from the previous quatrain.This symbolizes the transition from life to death, the sun passes them referring to how she is beyond the concept of time and she descends into eternity. There is a reference to the change in temperature and how the speaker is not dressed appropriately for this change; â€Å"The Dews drew quivering and c hill-/For only Gossamer, my Gown/My Tippet – only Tulle. † (Dickinson, 1863, 14-16) This quatrain suggests not only the literal coldness that comes from not dressing appropriately, but also the emotional coldness that occurs when dealing with ones death.The only physical entities that hold value to the speaker anymore are now her Gossamer gown and her tippet made from tulle. The fifth quatrain describes the grave or tomb the carriage has arrived at, relating it to a house; â€Å"We passed before a House that seemed/A Swelling of the Ground/The Roof was scarcely visible/The Cornice in the Ground† (Dickinson, 1863, 17-20) The way the grave is being described implies a sense of comfort for the speaker. Metaphorically, cornice in the ground is the speaker’s coffin, or more specifically the molding around the coffins lid. Here, it is the only visible part of the house itself.The graves description and the fact that there is no door, only a roof, suggests that t here is no escape from death once she enters the house. The poem ends with what seems like the speaker looking back on her life from her final destination in eternity. Time suddenly loses meaning, hundreds of years feel no different than a day; â€Å"Since then – ‘tis Centuries – and yet/Feels shorter than the Day (Dickinson, 1863, 21-22) The setting shifts in this last quatrain when the reader finds out the place in the beginning of the poem is from long ago and the speaker is telling this story long into the afterlife.Immortality is the goal hinted at in the first quatrain where â€Å"Immortality† is the other occupant in the carriage, yet it is not until this quatrain that we see the speaker has obtained it. As the speaker is looking at the past events through an eternal looking glass, she says that life, like the â€Å"Horses’ Heads† that picked her up, leads toward â€Å"Eternity. † In this last quatrain death ceases to be what d eath is, an end, but instead becomes an eternal journey of immortality.By ending with the word â€Å"eternity† the poem itself performs this eternity trailing off into the infinite. It is shown through Dickinson’s use of unconventional metaphors that no matter what one thinks about life and how busy one may be; death is never too busy to stop for anyone. Dickinson’s feelings are expressed through unusual symbolism to the reader; comparing death to a carriage ride with a kind gentleman and immortality. It is through the promise of immortality that fear is removed and death not only becomes acceptable, but welcomed as well.

vasco de gama essays

vasco de gama essays All throughout time Religion has been a significant aspect of all cultures. Religion has been the motivation for many great things, and for many more not so great things. Religions spread and brought in new believers and others converted from one religion to another. For most religions, spreading the word of God is undertaken by missionaries. This also goes for Christianity. The role of the Christian missionary was to spread the word of God to all. The motivation of spreading the word of God was a very large part of western exploration. In addition to spreading the word of God, the accumulation of wealth and thus power were also great factors in motivating people to explore the western world. Portugal took the initiative of western exploration after they successfully expelled the Muslims from the country of Portugal. The power created by such a successful expulsion of outsiders and the religious fervor of missionarys encouraged the rulers of Portugal to seek conquests in Africa. The Portugese rulers were drawn to the possibility of causing harm to the Muslim world and a hunger for wealth(Stearns 34). In 1498, Vasco Da Gama, a mariner from Portugese, left Portugal and set sail for Calicut, India. He was asked why he did so and replied Christians and spices. The mass conversion of people to the religion of Roman Catholicism and the accumulation of spices, fine textiles, and other Asian goods were what drove him to Calicut, India. Vasco Da Gamas desire for Christians and spices was typical for most explorers of the time. Either people went to convert the masses or to find riches or even both(Stearns 150). Not all countries were interested in the spreading of Roman Catholicism as other countries were. The English and Protestant Dutch had little interest in gaining converts to Christianity. Yet the spread of Roman Catholicism was a essential part of the worldwide operation of the Portu...

What Antimatter Is and Where to Find It

What Antimatter Is and Where to Find It You may have heard about antimatter in the context of science fiction or particles accelerators, but antimatter is a part of the everyday world. Here is a look at what antimatter is and where you might find it. Every elementary particle has a corresponding anti-particle, which is antimatter. Protons have anti-protons. Neutrons have anti-neutrons. Electrons have anti-electrons, which are common enough to have their own name: positrons. Particles of antimatter have a charge opposite that of their usual components. For example, positrons have a 1 charge, while electrons have a -1 electric charge. Antimatter Atoms and Antimatter Elements Antimatter particles may be used to build antimatter atoms and antimatter elements. An atom of anti-helium would be comprised of a nucleus containing two anti-neutrons and two anti-protons (charge -2), surrounded by 2 positrons (charge 2). Anti-protons, anti-neutrons, and positrons have been produced in the lab, but antimatter exists in nature, too. Positrons are generated by lightning, among other phenomena. Lab-created positrons are used in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) medical scans. When antimatter and matter react the event is known as annihilation. A great deal of energy is released by the reaction, but no earth-ending dire consequence results, like you would see in science fiction. What Does Antimatter Look Like? When you see antimatter depicted in science fiction movies, its usually some weird glowing gas in a special containment unit. Real antimatter looks just like regular matter. Anti-water, for example, would still be H2O and would have the same properties of water when reacting with other antimatter. The difference is that antimatter reacts with regular matter, so you do not encounter large amounts of antimatter in the natural world. If you somehow had a bucket of anti-water and threw it into the regular ocean, it would produce an explosion much like that of a nuclear device. Real antimatter exists on a small scale in the world around us, reacts, and is gone.

Landlord and tenant in the uk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Landlord and tenant in the uk - Essay Example The paper starts by distinguishing empowerment from participation, and makes a number f comments relating to the recent literature on tenant participation in particular. It is argued that there is a need for a more rigorous examination f empowerment processes, and in the following section an attempt is made to devise a typology f such processes which is completely different from any typology f tenant participation processes. This typology is then applied in the following sector to important recent developments in Britain which have involved, or have been claimed to involve, the empowerment f residents. Specific means f empowerment which are considered include the provision f information, the passing f legislation, the commitment f resources, and the transfer f management functions. The final section f the paper then briefly discusses the implications f the arguments on empowerment for the development f communities and the changing role f housing management. As Harrison (1995,p. 22) points out, "empowerment clearly means more than ... participation", but it may be worth considering just how much more empowerment does involve. People may participate individually or collectively in an activity without thereby experiencing any increase in their control over their lives. This can happen if those who control that activity simply want to use the participation for their own ends. For example, they may want to make themselves hefter informed on a subject f which the participants have special knowledge, or they may merely want to go through the motions f participation without taking seriously the participants' contributions. They may want to promote an image f themselves as "listening to the people" but without any real commitment to the empowerment f those people. Participation without empowerment is therefore a confidence trick performed by the controllers f an activity on participants in that activity. To the extent to which the trick works, it must be disempowering rather than empowering. Those who take this cynical approach, however, should bear in mind the arguments f Foucault (1980), to the effect that simply entering into discussion about what can or cannot be done is itself an empowering process, so that those who initiate participation, even with disempowering intent, may find themselves forced or influenced to act in ways which they had not originally intended. Bearing in mind the above caveat, there is in fact a good deal f overlap between participation and empowerment. For example, mechanisms for consultation clearly involve the participation f those consulted, but the participants are also empowered to the extent to which attention is paid to their views and concerns. This argument is obviously stronger with regard to the forms f participation where participants can hold decision makers to account for what they do and where participants have some say in the decision making process itself. In these cases, the specificity f

Consider how a currency appreciation might affect national income Essay - 2

Consider how a currency appreciation might affect national income - Essay Example If an economy of a nation presents a favorable environment for investments that are relatively better than other nations, then the nation will experience inflow of capital. With flexible foreign exchange rates, this capital inflow will tend to increase the value of the country’s currency. Factors such as relative product prices, monetary policy, inflation rate differences and income changes influence the appreciation of a country’s currency (LIPSEY & CHRYSTAL, 2011 p 167). The effects of these factors are discussed below: Suppose that the income of major trading of a country increase to a greater margin, there will be greater increase in domestic income which is associated with increased consumption of the imported goods. The nation’s trading partner demand for the local goods will increase; thereby the demand for local currency will exceed quantity supplied hence appreciation. Deflation is always associated with appreciation. Suppose the price levels of a nation’s commodities decreases while that of its trading partner remains the relatively stable. The local goods will seem cheap to foreigners hence increasing the demand for local goods. This will increase the demand for money hence appreciation of the local currency. Countries that implement restrictive monetary policies will be decreasing the supply of their currency hence currency appreciation. The appreciation of a country’s currency is relative to the currencies of its trading partner. Higher rates of interest make it more attractive to save in a nation. This is because there is a better rate of return on saving accounts. Therefore there will be inflow of money in country hence appreciation of the currency. Stronger economic growth tends to cause an appreciation in the forex market. This is so due to the fact that with higher economic growth, there is likelihood that the nation might experience increase in interest rates (DAÃŒ ¨BROWSKI 2001, p 10).