Free Essays on Censorship and Banning Books

Over time at one point or another, there has been issues about freedom of speech and censorship. I believe that there are fine lines to where there should be censorship, but not in all cases of what we see, read, or hear in everyday life. Books should not be banned because it goes against everything that our country was founded for, freedom to be what you want to be, to read what you want to read, and say whatever you want to say. I feel that I should not be told what to read and what not to read. People need to think for themselves and not let other people make decisions for them. Question Authority. Think a little more about what people tell you to do. Do you feel it is right? Use your own judgment wisely. Then conclude your own opinions on what you are told. The main reason books are banned from schools is because of sexual content, use of profanity, or the way the book may influence you. People in our society today should be wise enough to think by what they see and not by what they hear. Censorship could be defined as any individual or a group of individuals trying to impose their morality on all of society as a whole. While its important that we live in a moral society, the level of morality would be established naturally by and through the opinions on society as a whole. Not by any individual or small group. Our country was founded, there was something written in the Constitution called the First Amendment. The First Amendment gives us the freedom we have to think, see, speak, hear, etc. what we want to witness. Banning books takes away that freedom of the Constitution. The main purpose of books are to educate. If the book does not serve that purpose, chances are it won’t be used at all. Society should not really be concerned about books with no redeeming value being used in schools. If they have no value to them, chances are they are not going to be used. People need to get a better understanding of things and the purpo... Free Essays on Censorship and Banning Books Free Essays on Censorship and Banning Books Over time at one point or another, there has been issues about freedom of speech and censorship. I believe that there are fine lines to where there should be censorship, but not in all cases of what we see, read, or hear in everyday life. Books should not be banned because it goes against everything that our country was founded for, freedom to be what you want to be, to read what you want to read, and say whatever you want to say. I feel that I should not be told what to read and what not to read. People need to think for themselves and not let other people make decisions for them. Question Authority. Think a little more about what people tell you to do. Do you feel it is right? Use your own judgment wisely. Then conclude your own opinions on what you are told. The main reason books are banned from schools is because of sexual content, use of profanity, or the way the book may influence you. People in our society today should be wise enough to think by what they see and not by what they hear. Censorship could be defined as any individual or a group of individuals trying to impose their morality on all of society as a whole. While its important that we live in a moral society, the level of morality would be established naturally by and through the opinions on society as a whole. Not by any individual or small group. Our country was founded, there was something written in the Constitution called the First Amendment. The First Amendment gives us the freedom we have to think, see, speak, hear, etc. what we want to witness. Banning books takes away that freedom of the Constitution. The main purpose of books are to educate. If the book does not serve that purpose, chances are it won’t be used at all. Society should not really be concerned about books with no redeeming value being used in schools. If they have no value to them, chances are they are not going to be used. People need to get a better understanding of things and the purpo...

How To Do The Best Content Marketing On A Limited Budget

How To Do The Best Content Marketing On A Limited Budget â€Å"It’s dangerous to go alone.† If you’ve ever played The Legend Of Zelda on the classic 8-bit Nintendo, then you’re probably familiar with this phrase (and if not, please bear with us, because we promise we’re going somewhere with this). For the uninitiated, these are the words Link (the main protagonist) hears from a shopkeeper who grants him his first sword before embarking on a treacherous quest to rescue Princess Zelda. Shortly after, the player is faced with overwhelming challenges, scarce resources, and no single path to victory. Sounds like many of our first journeys into content marketing. In fact, if you’re new to  the content marketing game and working with limited resources, you can probably relate to Link more than you might realize. Squaring off against better-financed competitors across a complex content marketing landscape can often feel like warding off monsters while wandering the desert with little more than your wits. Executing a comprehensive content strategy while under pressure to deliver results without an ideal toolset or a roadmap to victory can be stressful (and less fun than any video game). Fortunately, it s possible to succeed at content marketing on a limited budget. The key is to think like Link by making the most creative and efficient use of what you do have until you’ve got the strength to go toe-to-toe with bigger adversaries. To get there, you’ll need to generate maximum mileage with minimal effort while working smarter instead of harder. The only difference is you’ll be solving business problems instead of puzzles and slaying your competition instead of vicious monsters along the way. Take this guide and let’s begin. How To Do Outstanding #Marketing On A Limited Budget via @Ben_Download Your Free Small-Budget Content Marketing Bundle (See Below) Make the most of your limited time with these free downloadable resources. Your Small-Budget Content Marketing Bundle includes: A Marketing Budget Template to help make the most of your available funding. A Content Audit Spreadsheet to understand your existing blog and website content. A Social Media Content Strategy Template to help you build a time-saving social media plan. A Social Media Campaign Content Template to create and organize social posts fast. A Social Media Editorial Campaign Template to schedule your social posts. A Blog Writing Process Checklist to help you make the most of every blog post. A 101 Marketing Time Management Strategies guide to ensure you use your time effectively. An Email List Building tip sheet to build email subscribers quick with limited effort. Find Your Bearings With A Simple Content Audit If you’re working with an existing website or blog, especially one that has been around for awhile, then your first step is to figure out exactly what content you already have (and how much of it is still useful). Think of it like giving your wardrobe a solid spring cleaning, with boxes for things you'd like to keep, patch up or update, and things to get rid of. An easy way to keep track of your progress is to create a simple spreadsheet. There are a number of ways it can be laid out, but at a basic level, it should list all your URLs, page titles, and the following columns: Keep Consolidate Update Remove Get your very own content audit spreadsheet here via Google Sheets. If you’re working with a large website that has a lot of URLs, a free downloadable tool called Screaming Frog may help speed up this process. This desktop website crawler can be used to quickly generate a list of all the URLs that exist on your domain, which can be helpful for discovering broken links or old pages you might have forgotten about. If you’re short on time, keep in mind that your emphasis here should be on balancing speed with relevancy. Focus on posts or URLs that have the highest relevance to your readers to keep, and those that are objectively outdated or no longer relevant to get rid of. It’s also important not to burn yourself out while sorting through the URLs on your domain. This is especially true if your site features tens of thousands of pages (which is common with e-commerce websites, in particular). If you’re ready for a more in-depth guide on how to perform a content audit, take a look at this thorough guide from Moz. Recommended Reading: How To Improve Your  Blog With A Content Audit Play To Your Strengths And Focus On The Right Channels Once you’ve got a clear idea of what (if anything) is already on your blog or website, your next step is to determine which channels you’re going to create fresh content for. Beyond your site and your blog, you’ll also want to consider which social media are best for your needs. You may also want to consider whether other content channels make sense within your overall strategy. Recommended Reading from Neil Patel: The 6 Types Of Social Media Content That Will Give You The Greatest Value With so many different platforms available, it’s easy to start feeling some option paralysis. If time is at a premium, try to focus only on the channels that will both deliver the most impact for your business and that you have time to comfortably invest in. Concentrated efforts in a few areas may yield stronger returns than splitting your attention between more platforms than you can manage. Social Media Tips Choose the right platforms: In most cases, a Facebook page will be essential. Twitter is also a must-have for brands and  bloggers. From there, think carefully about Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Google+. If you’re unsure whether you might have a potential audience on a particular platform, see what your competitors or other blogs in your niche are doing. Stay within what you can manage: Overextending yourself by committing to every new social media platform that becomes available can be exhausting. Worse than that, letting any of your channels stagnate can hurt your brand. Don’t give into pressure to chase every new flashy object if you don’t have time to spare. Email Marketing Tips Don’t be boring: How many times have you signed up for a company’s email newsletter, only to be let down with horrendous formatting or a lack of any visual styling? This bland approach is boring and provides a poor user experience. Low-cost email marketing doesn’t have to mean low quality. Services like MailChimp offer free entry-level accounts and easy-to-use templates that can make putting together professional-looking e-newsletters simple (and if you’re curious how hard hand-coding emails can be, ask any developer). Reuse blog and social content: Cut time off your email content creation process by linking to your social campaigns and teasing your blog posts. Save time building e-newsletters by  repurposing blog content. #email #marketingEstablish A Consistent Posting Schedule While there aren’t many hard and fast rules for how often you should post on any particular channel, it’s important that you keep them all updated on a regular, predictable basis. If your audience knows when to visit your blog for updates, or knows that you post on a particular social media network regularly, they’re going to be more likely to keep coming back for more of your content. Knowing when you’ll post in advance also helps get more done in less time. Best practices for post frequency vary by market and niche. But  here are a few general guidelines to follow: Be consistent:  Make sure users can reliably expect new content. Be social:  Follow up on user comments and reply. Be persistent:  Don’t allow social accounts to stagnate. Investing in a tool to manage your post schedule can help you get organized and save a ton of time.  That’s exactly what was built for. However, a simple spreadsheet or Google calendar can get you started with scheduling  posts if spending money is out of the question. Work Smarter, Not Harder To Generate Content Ideas Faster Generating ideas for unique and interesting things to write about isn’t easy. However, there are ways to speed up the process while avoiding the time and soul-sucking dread of writer’s block. Monitor Social Media Within Your Topic/Industry What topics are buzzing on Twitter within your industry or niche? What are Facebook fans discussing on your page? Listening in to social media chatter can give you a good idea of what your audience might be interested in reading about, as well as what questions or concerns they may have that you can create content to address. Google AdWords Keyword Planner You know your website and blog content needs to rank in search engines to bring in traffic. Use the Google Adwords Keyword Planner to get an idea of which keywords for your chosen blog or web page topic are generating the most attention. It’s worth keeping in mind that this tool reports how many times a keyword has triggered a pay-per-click ad on Google, rather than the total number of searches it has received in general. Even still, it’s useful for getting a ballpark idea for which keywords you should target for organic traffic as well. Recommended Reading:  How To Make An SEO Content Strategy That Will Improve Your #1–3 Results By 248% Google Trends Creating content that provides an original take on a trending topic is an excellent way to drive traffic to your blog. If you think you’ve got a good idea for a post, or need some assistance coming up with timely posts, try Google Trends. It’s a useful tool for monitoring how many news headlines have appeared around your chosen keyword, as well as seeing which searches are most popular on Google at the moment. Ubersuggest Before you can deliver content people want to read, it helps to know what they’re looking for. Ubersuggest is a free tool that generates lists of actual search terms users have typed into Google’s search bar based on a selected keyword. Do Some Competitive Analysis If you notice a high number of blogs or websites writing about a particular topic, it’s probably because there’s a lot of reader interest around that subject. Check out what other sources are writing about, identify what’s popular, and see how you can make your own post unique or more useful. You can do this by digging deeper into the research, including something that’s missing from other posts, or simply adding your own voice to the conversation. This can help you tap into what your audience wants to read, and drive more traffic by providing a more authoritative resource than your competition. How To Scale Content Creation On A Budget At this point, you know what kinds of content you’re going to create, when it’s going to be created, and where it’s going to be posted. However, without much (if any) assistance, you might quickly find that keeping up with content creation over the long-term can be difficult. But, it doesn’t have to be. By establishing efficient processes, finding ways to reuse content across channels, and maybe enlisting some outside assistance, you can generate more content than you might think. Content Curation If you don’t have much time to create content of your own (and even if you do), then leverage someone else’s. Now, this doesn’t mean you should go out and steal other people’s work. Rather, content curation  simply describes the process of gathering and sharing content around a topic from other sources, and adding your own commentary or insight. Here are a few content curation tips: Share content from authoritative sources. Include your own thoughts and insights. Stick to sharing what’s relevant to your audience. On a weekly or monthly basis, round up the most interesting posts on your subject or industry and put them into a blog post or email newsletter. You can also reshare content on social media. Make sure you always give credit to the original source. Over time, this approach can position you as a valuable resource to your readers by helping them find the best content on your subject. Recommended Reading:  5 Different Content Types That Will Help You Save Time Blogging Find Guest Bloggers To Write For You You might not always have time to write on your own blog as often as you’d like. Fortunately, someone out there probably does, and there’s a chance they might even want to work with you. By cultivating relationships with industry influencers and soliciting guest writers, you can leverage other’s expertise, build connections in your industry, and generate authoritative content while easing your own workload. Here are two  ways to find guest bloggers: Is there a blogger you’ve built a strong rapport with over social media? Or, is there a particular writer or subject matter expert out there you particularly respect? Try sending them a message to see if they’re interested in writing on your blog.You’ll want to be mindful and not overstep your bounds here, though. For example, if your site doesn’t generate much traffic yet, then it’s unlikely that a high-powered influencer will want to work with you (or at least not yet). Add a â€Å"write for us† section to your blog or website. There are a lot of writers out there looking for places to get published. Let them know you’re interested in seeing their pitches for post ideas. Repurpose Your Content Across Channels Have a great idea for a Facebook post? Try adapting it for Twitter (and maybe Google+). Just posted something awesome on your blog? Put that in your email newsletter. By finding opportunities to stretch your content across platforms, you can keep your various channels updated efficiently while giving your content maximum exposure. Don’t Skip Out On Visual Content Creating strong graphics for blog and social media posts  can be tough if design isn’t your forte. If that sounds like you (and you don’t have access to a skilled designer), consider these options: Canva Canva is a free web-based service, which allows you to create images using a wide variety of fonts, backgrounds, and templates. It has its limitations, but its capable of producing some surprisingly strong results in relatively little time. Info.gram People love data. Info.gram is great for data pertaining to Instagram. People loves pictures. Bring the two together with Info.gram. This free infographic tool makes it easy to plug in stats and numbers to create quick infographics and data visualizations easily. Piktochart Piktochart is another freemium graphic design tool. It's perfect for creating posters and infographics. Plus, it's used by some high-profile companies and media outlets, like TechCrunch, Forbes, and Survey Monkey. Shoot Better Mobile Video Video content dominates the Web. In fact, recent Facebook algorithm updates have started to give more weight to video on that platform. However, pro video equipment is expensive, and not much use without the expertise of a skilled shooter and videographer. There is a solution to this problem, however, and it’s probably in your pocket right now. Your phone. While shooting video on your smartphone won’t match the quality of what’s possible with a real camera, it is possible to shoot compelling footage with one in a pinch. Depending on your business, the more raw, unpolished look might even be perceived as more authentic too. If you don’t consider yourself much of a camera person, try following these tips: Fill the whole frame with each shot. Position your subjects slightly to the left or right (rather than right in the middle) of each frame. Consider using a tripod for balance. If you can afford one, try attaching an external microphone for better audio quality. Measure Your Success (And Act On Your Data) Once you’ve got your content machine rolling, you’ll want to measure your results and use that data to help drive better decisions moving forward. If you’re getting a ton of traffic from search engines, then continuing to work on content strategy and search engine optimization is probably smart. Or, if you notice that certain social media channels are driving tons of traffic while others are stagnating, that might be a sign that you should focus on the ones that are succeeding, or alter your strategy on the ones that aren’t. Google Analytics The best content marketing plan in the world doesn’t mean much if you can’t measure the results. Fortunately, one of the best digital marketing analytics platforms happens to be free and fairly easy to set up (at least at a very basic level). While Google Analytics is both free and relatively easy to get started with, it’s also a powerful tool with a lot of advanced functionality. Avoid wasting time drowning in data and analytics by focusing on the following three top KPIs (key performance indicators): Natural/Organic Traffic Bounce Rate Conversion Rate When time is of the essence, these are the most essential metrics to monitor. Cyfe Cyfe  is a freemium custom data dashboard. It connects data from other apps, services, and analytics tools, allowing you to monitor everything in one place. A free account allows for up to five custom widgets, while a paid plan ($19 a month) allows for unlimited data. Between these two tools, you should be more than capable of getting a clear view of how your efforts are performing. Pay Attention To SEO Let’s get one thing out of the way here: search engine optimization  isn’t dead. You will, however, ignore SEO at your own risk. If You're Looking To Save Time: Use An SEO Platform There’s a lot of competition out there for premium SEO software platforms (such as Moz, Raven Tools, and more). If you have enough budget, plans generally start around $99 a month and go up from there for more keywords. These options provide powerful capabilities and will make it easier to get more done faster. Common  functionality typically includes: Keyword rank tracking Content analysis Inbound link monitoring Browse around to find an option that fits your needs and budget. If You're Looking To Save Money: Use Free SEO Tools You’re not totally out of luck if that cost is too high. We’re talking about doing content marketing on a budget here, after all. Premium SEO toolset provider SERPS.com has put together a handy resource of free SEO tools, including a handy rank checking tool and more. Consider this option if budget simply isn’t available. Now You’re Ready To Do More With Less And Win This might seem like a lot of work. Frankly, that’s because it is a lot of work (at least until you get your plans and processes in place). Once you get your content marketing flywheel moving, however, you should find you’re able to get more done in less time on a limited budget with some simple planning, prioritizing, and persistence. Best of all, it won’t cost you much (or possibly anything at all), and you won’t have to cut (too many) corners to get it all done.

Company analysis - Sears Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Company analysis - Sears - Term Paper Example Henceforth, the study attempts to determine the recent corporate governance issues that are currently affecting the company's decisions and to report how the company is or should be handling the issues. Mission, vision, and primary stakeholders: The most important mission of the company is to build customer relationships by providing better qualities of wide ranges of goods and services, like clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, appliances, housewares, tools, and electronics. Profitability or the policy of making more money is another important mission of the company. The final mission of the company is to make improvements in each and every day in the business domain and also in the market and to the customer through achievement of greater customer satisfaction. The most important vision of the company is explained by the company itself which is: â€Å"Sears is committed to improving the lives of our customers by providing quality services, products, an d solutions that earn their trust and build lifetime relationships† (Vision, mission, values, 2012, p. 1). The company was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in 1886. From its beginning, the primary stakeholders of the company were Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck. In 2005, the company was merged with Kmart and created Sears Holdings Corporation. Since then, the owners of Kmart also become the primary stakeholder of the company (Corporate History: A retailing legend is born, 2012, p. 1). Five forces of competition and its impacts on the company: Threat of new entrants: The large size of the company, the large size of the market share of the company, the high level of customer satisfaction, cost-effective business strategies, as well as high level of profit making ability are creating potential threats for new entrants to enter into competition with the company. This is in effect raising the level of profit and market share of the company. Thr eat of Substitute Products: Since the company is only a departmental store of various goods and services which are products or services of other production houses, therefore, the theory of substitute is not directly related to the company. However, the company faces competition from other departmental store like WalMart. In this case, the company takes strategies like lowering prices of various products and/or increasing the quality of these products to create treats to substitute companies and their products. These strategies are helping the company to increase the share of the market and also to make more profits. Bargaining power of suppliers: The bargaining power of the suppliers of various goods and services supplied to the company depends upon the markets for those products and services. Since the markets for various products sold by the company are very large, therefore, these suppliers are also gaining little bargaining power in the market and, hence, the amount of earned pr ofits of the company is very high. Between 1950s and 1970s the high quality of products sold by Sears and greater volume of profits gave the company’s suppliers negligible amount of bargaining power. Bargaining power of customers: The greater level of customer satisfaction is the most important part of the success story of the company. In this regard, the level of bargaining power of the customers of the company is also low. However, this does not mean that the company implements whatever policies it wants to

Managing Relationships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managing Relationships - Essay Example It all begun when I joined high school, this man came my way as I was looking for a place to print my documents. Being that I was new to this school, I asked him to show me where I could print my documents. The man gladly volunteered to deviate from his journey to where he was headed initially, just to make sure he takes me to the printing place. He directed me to a certain cybercafà ©, just by the gates of the school compound. Here, all services were offered at a student-pocket- friendly prices. I liked it, and after I was done, I asked the young boy to tell me who owns the cybercafà ©. At my surprise, the man told me he did. The man was the owner of the cybercafà © and he was a student as well. I had always thought of doing the same thing. So I told this young man my interest and he allowed me to join him in the business. It is now three years since we met and became business partners with John. Our business has expanded since we now have a wider customer base and a lot of cumulated assets. Our short-term attraction to work with each other each was dependent on interest. I was very interested and impressed with the fact that one can actually run a cybercafà © very well as they study. In addition, John did not have enough capital to expand his business, so he wanted a trusted partner to work with. On the other hand, after working for some time together, we acquired a lot of assets together with the money we jointly owned. This is a fact that made our relationship develop further and make it now to be a long-term one. We are long-term partners since we have established the business to a bigger one right now and even opened up a branch in a nearby town. Our relationship is one that is guided by several types of power. For instance, there is the use of reward power, legitimate power, expert power as well as referent power. In this case, reward power since we

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Essay Example for Free

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Essay In the early 1960’s there was a drift towards Cognitive Behavior Therapy as people turned away out of disappointment in the psychodynamic theory for psychotherapy. Also at this time social learning theory was the new and upcoming study. This is when Cognitive theory emerged with Alfred Adler. He was the first Cognitive therapist who came up with the idea that an individuals beliefs and ideas is what makes up their behavior (Lantz, 1996). He believed that this type of psychotherapy would allow the clients to make changes in the way they think to change their behavior and solve their problems. Alfred Adler was not the only contributor to Cognitive theory. Between the late 1950’s and early 1960’s Albert Ellis came up with dysfunctional thinking or emotions that come from irrational beliefs. He sought out to change these unclear emotions with psychotherapy and by challenging these beliefs. His books are very well known and used a lot of by different therapist. He is basically considered the grandfather of Cognitive Behavior Therapy and his ABC model is used widely. Albert came up with Rational-emotive therapy, which was later on changed to Rational-emotive behavior therapy because Ellis wanted his clients to act upon their new beliefs by putting them into practice (Wilde, 1996, p. 9). Others who have contributed to Cognitive theory have been William Glasser, Arnold Lazarus, Don Tosi, Victor Ramy, Maxie Maultsby, Aron Beck and many more. William Glasser used effective psychotherapy to help his clients find courage to change their life style and become more responsible of their goals. He did this by pointing out the worth of self and the basic human need to be loved. His ‘reality therapy’ consisted of his clients focusing on personal responsibility to understand their own reality (Lantz, 1996). Arnold Lazarus came up with the seven modes of the client that help assess their functioning. These seven modes are sensation, imagery, cognition, behavior affect, interpersonal living and drugs (Lantz, 1996). These modes, according to Lazarus, would help come up with a treatment plan that would help the client in all areas of their function lives. Don Tosi contributed to Cognitive theory by intergrading hypnosis with the therapy. Hypnosis is used to help the clients picture their thoughts in a healthy way through exploration and redirection (Lantz, 1996). Victor Ramy focused his work on helping clients change their self-concept. His books show how to help a client work with and change the cognitive misunderstanding of themselves. Maxie Maultsby used the ABC model as used by Albert Ellis but he also contributed by using rational behavior therapy with youngsters, for self-help groups, and group therapy. Aron Beck was a psychiatrist who used cognitive treatment to help his clients who had anxiety and personality disorders. He did extensive research on effective Cognitive therapy and how it helps clients with a range of individual problems from suicidal patients to those who have borderline personality disorders. Many of those who contributed to Cognitive therapy were not social workers. The first social worker that used Cognitive therapy was Harold Werner. Werner struggled early on when he tried to bring Cognitive therapy to social work as those who had a psychoanalytical point of view attacked him. His efforts allowed the theory to be accepted in the social work arena. Howard Goldstein also helped bring Cognitive therapy into the social work profession. Behavior theory is a mixture of different theories combined and it first came about in the first quarter of this century. The work of Ivan Pavlov and his classical conditioning theory, the work of B.F. Skinner and J.B. Watson and their operant condition theory and the work of Bandura on the social learning theory is all combined in the behavior theory. The classical conditioning theory states that a conditioned stimulus can cause a conditioned response with the famous example of Pavlov and the salivating dog. This is a behavior that is learned and that can be used to help clients during therapy especially those who have anxiety disorders. The operant conditioning uses human behavior and examines it. Skinner believed that behavior was measurable and that certain situations cause human to react is certain ways. Once these behaviors are learned through the scientific method we can predetermine a clients actions and help them with either negative or positive reinforcements. This will either increase or decrease the client’s behavior depending on if the behavior is punished or positively reinforced. In the late 60’s is when behavior theory became a front-runner with clinical social work. At this time the psychodynamic theories were under attack and a new theories were sought out. Social learning theory focuses on using the ABC model that Albert Ellis used to help clients. This involves finding the antecedents, target behaviors, and consequence in ones problematic behavior. Antecedents is what the client was doing before the situation occurred, target behavior is the behavior that needs to be changed or focused on and the consequence is the result because of their target behavior (Thomlison Thomlison, 1996). These three are analyzed to figure out what needs to change in the behavior to get an alternate positive consequence or to see how the situation can be avoided. Principles and Concepts: There are four basic concepts to Cognitive theory. The first uses Albert Ellis’s ABC model to deal with the emotions we feel and the way we think about our situations and ourselves. The ABC model helps us identify our thoughts and then helps us control our emotions (Lantz, 1996). If what we are thinking during a situation is irrational then our emotions are going to be uncontrollable and irrational also. If we have rational thoughts then our emotions will be functional. If our trigger behavior causes irrational emotions then we need to find rational emotions to replace the irrational belief (Wilde, 1996, p. 33). The second basic concept to Cognitive theory is that these irrational beliefs are in our unconscious and we are not aware of them. This may make it difficult to find out what the thoughts are and why we have dysfunctional emotions. To help our clients notice their irrational beliefs we have to allow them to learn misconceptions about themselves so they are more aware of their thoughts. Irrational believes lead to illogical emotions, which causes the client to react in an unreasonable way, but there are exactions to these types of situation, which is basic concept three (Lantz, 1996). Sometimes the way we feel has nothing to do with our irrational beliefs. What we are feeling is really true or there could be a neurological or other health problem, which can make an individual feel down or angry or upset. A disparity in the brain chemistry can cause dysfunctional emotions. Lastly all irrational emotions are not always dysfunctional which means a rational belief can be dysfunctional also. A client might get sort of ‘high’ or excited from something dangerous such as a gun. Playing with a gun might give a client a feeling of excitement and happiness but it is not safe to play with guns. Feeling happy or excited is not considered a dysfunctional emotion but in this case we would have to teach the client about the misconception in their mind that playing with guns is safe or fun. Cognitive theory allows a person to recognize their environment and their situation both physically and communally and it allows them to work through and change it (Lantz, 1996). A basic concept to Behavior theory is that all behavior is learned and that individual have problematic behaviors. According to Skinner our social problems can be measured through our behavior. By changing the environment and reinforcing the client with either positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement we can get them to change their behavior. The stimuli from the reinforcement will allow the client to either change or remove the behavior (Thomlison Thomlison, 1996). Social learning theory, which involves the ABC model, shows us how behavior can change for the better. Similarities and Differences: The biggest similarity between Cognitive theory and Behavior theory is the intertwining of the Social Learning Theory. They both use the ABC model and look at the antecedents, behaviors, and consequences of each situation. With Cognitive theory, the trigger behavior comes with an irrational belief that needs to be changed. Clients often times have irrational beliefs during their behavior. After the consequence takes place the ABC model will help us show them their irrational beliefs and teach them that with a rational belief a different consequence could have taken place. With Behavior theory a similar pattern is used. The problem is identified and the target behavior is observed by the social worker other wise known as ‘behavior analysis’ (Thomlison Thomlison, 1996). The social worker then works with the clients on changing both the antecedents and the consequences to attain a different behavior. Changing the antecedent is known as manipulating the environment condition (Streff, Geller, 1986). The antecedent is changed to increase a positive behavior in the situation. The consequence is used as reinforcement either positive or negative. The reinforcement allows for a change in behavior. The difference between the two theories is that one focuses on the beliefs and emotions that one has about themselves and the behavior that comes from these beliefs and the other focuses on problematic behavior and the reinforcements that change this type of behavior. Behavior therapy uses both positive and negative reinforcements and Cognitive therapy focuses on eliminating the negative behavior or emotion and replacing it with positive rational behavior. A belief scale that serves as a measure from one to ten, is used to see how irrational the clients beliefs really are (Watson, Morris, Miller, 2001). With Behavior therapy reinforcements are used to encourage clients but with Cognitive therapy rational beliefs are used to encourage clients. The clients are questioned on their beliefs and often times humor is used to show the clients how irrational their beliefs can be (Wilde, 1996, p. 61). A limitation of behavior therapy is that reinforcement don’t always work for everyone. A stimulus for reinforcing someone depends on that person’s perception of the stimulus (Wilde, 1996, p. 18). If an individual is having behavior problems and the negative reinforcement is to stay after school, the individual might not think of it as negative reinforcement if they don’t like going home. Their situation at home might be worse then staying after school for detention. Another issue is that behavior theory only deals with the exterior of the problem and does not investigate the deep down root of the problem. Because behavior therapy doesn’t focus on the internal process of the client, the reinforcements are only successful if they bring change in the client’s life for the better. Although Cognitive theory may look at the root of the problem by focusing on automatic thoughts and core beliefs, it also has limitations. It is argued that Cognitive theory only looks at the problem for that one situation that occurs. One incident takes place where the client has inappropriate behavior with irrational beliefs (Atherton, 2007). Other aspects of the client’s life may or may not come up while discovering their irrational beliefs. Another issue is that with Cognitive theory, treatment is not emphasized with family members, the environment, and other interventions (Lantz, 1996). Both theories are culturally sensitive and work with all different backgrounds. Because different races and cultures have different social misconceptions, irrational beliefs may vary from culture to culture; but all cultures have irrational beliefs (Lantz, 1996). What is considered positive or negative reinforcements in one culture may not be considered so in another culture. These types of things vary but both types of therapy work with all different sorts of people. Both theories are compatible with the NASW code of ethics. Cognitive therapy and Behavior therapy both value the client and humanity. Cognitive therapists emphasize the use for rational thinking, which is not only for the client but also for society. The worth of the client is maintained and it is important to make sure that the client doesn’t feel threatened or ashamed by these techniques and it is up to the social worker to maintain these techniques. Blending The Two Theories: Research shows that when blending Cognitive therapy with Behavior therapy there are no proven results that the outcome is better for the client right away. The research does show however that there are more long term results when combining the two theories as apposed to just using one therapy or the other (Thomlison Thomlison, 1996). Behavior theorists such as Skinner argue that when combining Cognitive theory to Behavior theory, the focus on behavior gets diverted and so the therapy is not as effective. Research is not conclusive on this matter but it shows that efficacy to the therapy depends on the problem that the client is having. As time goes on most social workers use Cognitive Behavior Therapy and not just one or the other. By blending the two theories we can focus on the client’s behavior, reinforce their positive behaviors and allow them to recognize their ideas and beliefs about their behavior to allow them to make rational choices and have rational emotions.

Being A Good Parent :: Parenting

There are many different things that I take into consideration when it comes to parenting. Parents have many different responsibilities but there are three in particular that I think are very important. Being a good role model is important, as well as listening to your children and disciplining them appropriately. If you want to be a good parent you have to put your kids first. The first responsibility that I think is very important is being a good example for your kids. Parents are examples for their kids whether they like it or not. My boys watch and copy everything that I do, and even if I don’t think their listening they are listening. If they see me finishing school and working a good job that’s what they will expect to do themselves because that is all that they know. Children are like sponges. I want to show my kids how to be a good person by being a good person myself. As a parent I want my children to know that they can be anything they want to be, but at the same time I am controlling their physical and moral environment so that they can be good people. I want them to be in an environment where they can develop habits of honesty, generosity, and responsibility. I think that one of the greatest things that I can do for my kids is to take them seriously and listen to them. My five year old is constantly showing me everything that he learns and it’s very easy to tune him out sometimes, but I think its very important not to. It is important to listen because if you don’t give your kids enough attention they might try and seek it in a negative way. It is important to listen to your children when they have learned something new or want to tell you something that they are proud of. Children seek your approval, and that gives them confidence. Lastly discipline is another very important responsibility. The best thing to do is to pick your battles, because if you are constantly saying â€Å"no† your child will tune it out. You also have to be consistent. For example, you can’t let your child eat candy before dinner one night and then tell them not to the next night, you will be sending them mixed signals.

Financial Crisis Is a Man Made Catastrophe

What is Financial Crisis? The term financial crisis is applied broadly to a variety of situations in which some financial institutions or assets suddenly lose a large part of their value. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many financial crises were associated with banking panics, and many recessions coincided with these panics. Other situations that are often called financial crises include stock market crashes and the bursting of other financial bubbles, currency crises, and sovereign defaults. Financial crises directly result in a loss of paper wealth; they do not directly result in changes in the real economy unless a recession or depression follows. TYPES Is financial crisis really a man-made disaster? Let’s take example of Late 2000’s financial crisis also known as Global Financial Crisis. The financial crisis was triggered by a complex interplay of valuation and liquidity problems in the United States banking system in 2008. The bursting of the U. S. housing bubble, which peaked in 2007, caused the values of securities tied to U. S. real estate pricing to plummet, damaging financial institutions globally. Questions regarding bank solvency, declines in credit availability and damaged investor confidence had an impact on global stock markets, where securities suffered large losses during 2008 and early 2009. Many causes for the financial crisis have been suggested, with varying weight assigned by experts. The United States Senate issued the Levin–Coburn Report, which found â€Å"that the crisis was not a natural disaster, but the result of high risk, complex financial products; undisclosed conflicts of interest; and the failure of regulators, the credit rating agencies, and the market itself to rein in the excesses of Wall Street. Causes of Financial Crisis Macroeconomic conditions: Low interest rates made bank lending more profitable, while trade deficits resulted in large capital inflows to the U. S. Both made funds for borrowing plentiful and relatively inexpensive. The U. S. housing bubble: The falling prices of houses and low interest rates to finance or refinance the house s were easily available. As such home loans were very easily available. But when time came to pay back the loan many defaulted which led to bursting of housing bubble and its impact led to financial crisis. Relaxation in rules led to large banks to increase their financial leverage and expansion of issuance of mortgage backed securities. Inaccurate credit ratings: Credit ratings were awarded inaccurately which led to an inflated balloon and when it busted it led to financial crisis. Technological factors: The cause of the crisis can be seen also in principles of technological development and in long economic waves based on technological revolutions. Crisis and stagnation were a result of the end of the long economic cycle originally initiated by the Information and telecommunications technological revolution in 1985-2000. The market had been already saturated by new â€Å"technical wonders† (e. g. everybody has his own mobile phone) and – what is more important – in the developed countries the economy reached limits of productivity in conditions of existing technologies. Boom and collapse of the shadow banking system (SBS): The shadow banking system is the collection of financial entities, infrastructure and practices which support financial transactions that occur beyond the reach of existing state sanctioned monitoring and regulation. The core activities of investment banks are subject to regulation and monitoring by central banks and other government institutions – but it has been common practice for investment banks to conduct many of their transactions in ways that don't show up on their conventional balance sheet accounting and so are not visible to regulators or unsophisticated investors. The shadow banking system saw a boom but once investors started losing interest and no more wanted their funds to be used in SBS and changes in business policies led to its collapse which ultimately led to financial crisis.

Apple a Day Keeps a Doctor Away

Pet a Day Keep the Doctor Away! INTRODUCTION: A. Attention-Getter: They say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but how much better would you feel if the apple was being presented to you by a cute dog or cat? B. Tie to the audience in this persuasive speech topics outline: If someone that you care about is dealing with encroaching old age, spending some time with an undemanding, loving animal can be something that is important for you in more ways than one. C. Personal experience: For example, my granddad was in dire straits after my granny died.After thirtyfive years together, he didn't know what to do with himself until he ended up adopting an older Labrador Retriever. The change was immense, and suddenly we had a familyman who was interested in the world around him and reaching out again. The change was amazing! D. Thesis Sentence of this persuasive speech topics outline: Pets make an impressive positive change in the mental and physical health, and if you are concerned wit h the issue personally, consider the health benefit potentials for a beloved older person in your life. E.Preview of the main points of this persuasive speech topics outline: First, I will discuss the ways an animal is capable of making an elder person feel connected to the world at large. Then, I will show how the company of a loving cat or a dog makes the difference in a person's mental and physical outlook. And then, I'll tell you what to keep in mind when you are considering what pet might be appropriate for someone in your family. Transition sentence of persuasive speech topics outline: As people get older, there is very much a concern of not being needed.BODY OF THE PERSUASIVE SPEECH TOPICS OUTLINE MAIN POINT I: A human-companion animal is capable of making the elderly feel connected to the world at large. 1. Elderly people who have had their adult children leave home and who have lost spouses often find that it is difficult to connect with other people and because of this, th ey end up feeling a great deal more introverted and isolated. 2. Pets can make a huge difference when it comes to how well they cope with change and how they react to the world. An animal will depend on them, and give them that essential feeling of being needed again. . Elderly people also often find that they are living their lives without much tactile contact. Spouses might have passed on, and they might not be comfortable looking for tactile comfort from the people around them. This is where dogs and cats come in. 4. Cats and dogs love physical contact, and because of this, they are willing to go seeking it. A cat may love to sit in your lap or to sit down next to you for petting or you may find that a dog loves to roll around with and sit leaned up next to your legs†¦Transition sentence of this persuasive speech topics outline: Elderly people often develop feelings of being unloved or lonely; an animal who is concerned with them and who loves them can make a huge difference in the way that they feel. MAIN POINT II: Pets can help improving their mental health; animals seem wonderfully intuitive when it comes to responding to how their humans feel. 1. A cat or a dog, especially one that is closely bonded to you, can feel in tune with your emotions. If you have ever been upset and had an animal come to cuddle you or to check on you, you know how soothing this can be.Rhetorical persuasive speech topics outline questions: o Have you ever felt more relaxed when a cat walks up and demands to be petted? o Have you ever not been able to resist a smile when a dog comes up and wants to play? These feelings are not merely happening in isolation. 2. There are plenty of scientific studies that show us that having pets around can lower the blood pressure and help us relax. When you think about how many elderly people are often beset by feelings of stress and how this can lead to things like heart disease or impaired functioning: looking into how pets can help is ess ential! . Pets are company that is very low stress and the truth is that when you give them what they need, they reciprocate with a great deal of love and joy! At the most basic level, pets can be very non demanding company. When you mess up, they are willing to forgive you, and they do not ask for much. They need food, attention and care, but they are not going to ask for things that you cannot give them. Transition sentence of this persuasive speech topics outline: If you're interested in making sure that a beloved older person stays active and social, it is time to take a look and see what a pet can do.

Growth in Alice in Wonderland essays

Growth in Alice in Wonderland essays Alice: The Naive Girl Turned Educated Woman... Next, On Jerry Springer The entire novel Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, revolves centrally around Alices growth through the reception of knowledge. Analyzing these references of comprehension allows the reader to gain an understanding of how indirectly gaining outside education and know-how will prove positive in an enclosed society. Through Alices encountering with the mouse and caterpillar, she becomes better equipped to succeed in her ultimate test of knowledge, the courtroom. Alice displays her naivety and shows what an undereducated and uncompassionate lass she amounts to, with her experience with the mouse as she swam in her tears. Before she had a true interaction with the mouse, Alice said, I daresay its a French mouse, come over with William the Conqueror (13). Since the mouse would not respond to Alice at first, she thought it foreign; she tried to put the knowledge she has to work, but it simply proved to amount to less then assumed from the quote. Seeing how impossible it could have been for the mouse to have ventured over with William the Conqueror, since his time had passed many hundred year prior, the author made a prime example of demonstrating Alices elementary thought process. While trying to strike up conversation with the mouse, Alice speaks of her cat Dinah, which frightens the mouse, resulting in Alice stating, I quite forgot you didnt like cats (13). One would think it near impossible to actually forget that a mouse would have a fear associated with cats, yet Alice finds this an easily excusable mistake. Carroll uses this to represent, yet again, Alices child-like knowledge and limited common sense. Alices unpretentious innocence and restricted comprehension now have nothing else to do except develop and expand. After more interaction with unique characters, Alice begins t...

Seven Sisters Colleges Should You Go to One

Seven Sisters Colleges Should You Go to One SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're looking at applying to elite liberal arts colleges, you've probably come across the Seven Sisters schools. But what schools are Seven Sisters colleges, and what makes them so special? In this article, we explain what the Seven Sisters schools are, which of them still exist, and which of them are still all-women's colleges. I'll also use my expertise as an alum of a Seven Sisters school to break down what the benefits are of applying to a Seven Sisters school and five tips for getting admitted. Feature image credit: Nicholas Knouf/Flickr What Are the 7 Sisters Colleges? When people refer to the Seven Sisters colleges, they're talking about this specific group of seven historically all-women's colleges in the Northeastern United States: Barnard Bryn Mawr Mount Holyoke Radcliffe (now part of Harvard) Smith Vassar Wellesley The name of the group comes from Roman mythology, where the Seven Sisters were the seven daughters of the god Titan and the nymph Pleione. All of the Seven Sisters colleges were founded in the 19th century between 1837 (Mount Holyoke) and 1889 (Barnard), with the goal of providing post-secondary education opportunities for women that were of similar caliber to what men were getting at colleges like Harvard and Yale. The Seven Sisters schools not only sought to give women access to a high-quality education but also actively searched for female faculty and administrators so that the schools were also led by women. These values continue through to today, with at least one of the Seven Sisters (Wellesley) never having had a male president. In the 1970s, when top formerly all-male schools like Harvard and Amherst were going co-ed, some women's colleges began to think about the same question. Radcliffe made the decision to merge with Harvard and no longer exists as an independent undergraduate college. While Vassar was offered a similar partnership with Yale, Vassar turned it down and decided to go co-ed on its own (a story which you'll definitely hear told on the campus tour). The rest of the Seven Sisters schools remained more or less women's colleges, but each of the five remaining non-co-ed Seven Sisters colleges has exchange programs with nearby co-ed schools that allow students to take classes outside of their own college. How much these intercollegiate academic programs affect life on campus vary widely from school to school. For instance, because of Barnard's close partnership with (and physical closeness to) Columbia University, there's a lot of crossover between the two schools. On the other hand, while Wellesley has an exchange program with MIT, Babson, and Olin, there aren't usually a lot of non-Wellesley students in classes, probably because of having to bus or drive between schools. There's a good bus system that allows students to take classes at Smith (pictured here), Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, Amherst, and UMass Amherst. Rusty Clark ~ 100K Photos/Flickr. List of the 7 Sisters Schools We've created a table for you to compare the names, locations, admission rates, sizes, and co-ed policies of the original Seven Sisters colleges. Name Location Admissions Rate Total Undergrad Enrollment Co-Ed?* Barnard New York, NY 13.9% 2,562 No Bryn Mawr Bryn Mawr, PA 34.1% 1,360 No Mount Holyoke South Hadley, MA 50.9% 2,208 No Radcliffe Cambridge, MA n/a n/a n/a Smith Northampton, MA 31.0% 2,502 No Vassar Poughkeepsie, NY 24.6% 2,456 Yes Wellesley Wellesley, MA 19.5% 2,534 No *Note: For the most part, the policy of the Seven Sisters schools is that anyone who identifies as female or who was assigned female at birth and doesn't identify as male may apply. If you're concerned you may not qualify, you should check with the individual school as to the specifics of their policy. RIP, Radcliffe College. Boston Public Library/Flickr. Why Apply to a 7 Sisters College? As someone who applied to and ended up choosing between Vassar and Wellesley for college, I have thought about this question a lot. Five reasons really stand out to me for applying to and attending a Seven Sisters college. #1: Get a Good Liberal Arts Education By going to a Seven Sisters college, you'll get a lot of the benefits you'd get from a good small liberal arts school, including... small class sizes good student-faculty ratios a strong focus on academics You'll also be encouraged to take classes outside your own school to broaden your academic horizons. Every one of the Seven Sisters schools has partnerships with nearby schools that allow you to take classes there. Whether you just want to take some co-ed classes or you're interested in a different learning environment, the net result is that you'll get a more diverse academic experience. Barnard's affiliation with and nearness to Columbia University means that Barnard students can easily cross-register to take classes there. Boston Public Library/Flickr. #2: Have a Higher Chance of Admission The Seven Sisters colleges are much less selective than comparable co-ed schools. This is illustrated in the table below, which lists five of the top liberal arts colleges in the country and their admissions rates. School Name Admission Rate Amherst 12.8% Bowdoin 10.3% Swarthmore 9.5% Wellesley 19.5% Williams 13.0% Despite being one of the top colleges in the country, Wellesley has 1.5 times to nearly double the admissions rate of comparable colleges. This is true across most of the remaining Seven Sisters colleges. Why are the admission rates higher for Seven Sisters schools? Well, since all of the remaining Seven Sisters colleges (except Vassar) do not accept male applicants, the pool of potential students is basically cut in half. Instead of competing against 8,000 students for 1000 spots, you might only be competing against 4,000 other students, which means you'll have a better chance of getting in. The comparatively decreased selectivity of the Seven Sisters schools has nothing to do with the quality of the schools - Wellesley and Smith in particular are known for their academic rigor. But by simple math, you have better chances of getting into a Seven Sisters school than you do an equally academically-rigorous co-ed school. #3: Gain a Life-Long Network The counterpart to the "good ol' boys" network of the Ivy League schools is the network created and fostered by graduates of the Seven Sisters colleges. If you go to a Seven Sisters school, you will gain access to a strong and supportive alumnae network that stretches beyond whatever individual school you attended to include all those who attended Seven Sisters schools. The benefits of this network range from having an advantage when job-searching because you have that inside connection, to getting tips on housing and settling in a new location after college or grad school, to connecting socially in a place where you might not know anyone. Become part of the interconnected network of Seven Sisters alums (ivy garland not included). Above: 1917 Smith College Graduation. Richard/Flickr. #4: Learn in an All-Women's Environment That most of the Seven Sisters colleges are all-women's schools is often a deciding factor for students considering whether or not to apply. For some, the idea of going to an all-women's college is unthinkable and may even seem archaic in the 21st century. However, one of the most valuable features of all the Seven Sisters schools (including Vassar), particularly in this day and age, is that they all promote the importance of women taking leadership roles and succeeding in the world. I personally didn't place a huge amount of importance on this factor when I was applying to colleges- in fact, Wellesley was the only all-women's college I applied to. But as a Wellesley student (and now alum), I found that being almost entirely surrounded by smart, driven, and confident women meant I felt compelled to rise to meet those standards myself. #5: Be in an LGBTQ+ Friendly Environment All of the Seven Sisters lean socially liberal to some extent, which includes having robust LGBTQ+ cultures on campus. The degree to which this is the case varies from school to school, and this is not to say that there aren't socially conservative students at Seven Sisters colleges, because there are. However, the overall environment at the Seven Sisters schools is generally social progressive and LGBTQ+friendly. If this is something you don't care about much one way or the other, you'll still be able to have a great experience at any of the Seven Sisters schools. And if being at a school where being LGBTQ+ is not just safe, but celebrated and part everyday normal life, then you should definitely consider applying to a Seven Sisters college. On the other hand, if you do not want to attend a school where LGBTQ+ students and culture are a significant part of campus life, a Seven Sisters school is probably not going to be a great fit for you. 5 Tips to Get Into the 7 Sisters Colleges Now that you've learned more about the Seven Sisters schools, you're probably champing at the bit to find out how to get accepted. I've gathered up five top tips for getting into a Seven Sisters school below, based on my experience as a prospective (and then admitted) student. Tip 1: Excel in School Just because the Seven Sisters colleges are relatively less selective doesn't mean that you can slack off academically. You'll still need a top GPA and test scores and strong letters of recommendation to have a good chance of getting in. Letters of recommendation are particularly important for Seven Sisters schools because of the value that those schools place on how you can contribute to their community. Because the alumnae networks are so central to the Seven Sisters colleges, the expectation is that if you are accepted and attend one of the schools, you'll be part of the community for a long time. Admissions officers at Seven Sisters schools want to be sure you're someone who exemplifies the quality of a Seven Sisters student, which means they don't just care about your grades; they also care about how you interact with teachers and other students. The bottom line is that to get into a Seven Sisters school, along with good grades, test scores, and GPA, you want your recommender to be able to describe your leadership, your personality, or your ability to work well both individually and as part of a group. You do not want them to write something impersonal like "Laura was a good student who succeeded academically in my class." Tip 2: Interview With an Alum Depending on where you're located, it might be tricky to set up an alumnae interview, and so it's not a required part of the application process. If at all possible, though, you should make sure to interview with a representative of the college, ideally with someone who attended the college themselves. Not only will interviewing with an alum give you a better idea of what the environment is like at that particular school, but it will also provide another data point for the admissions office about what you're like beyond a set of numbers. As I stated in the previous tip, the Seven Sisters colleges place a lot of value on choosing students who will flourish in their particular environments. Because of the strength of the alumnae network and the connection many alums feel to their alma maters, alumnae interviewers are as invested as you are in making sure not just that you're the right choice for the school, but that their school is the right fit for you. I honestly believe that my interview with an alum is what clinched my acceptance at Wellesley. Yes, I had a strong transcript and good SAT scores, but without the alumnae interview I did (that ended with the interviewer saying "You're the most Wellesley applicant I've seen in a while"), I don't know how things would have turned out. And just as importantly, that interview made me realize "Oh. Yeah. This school seems like a really good fit for me." Bryn Mawr. Mark Goebel/Flickr. Tip 3: Research the School All the Seven Sisters schools have a "Why [school name]?" component to their application. The question of why you want to attend the school isn't there just to boost the schools' egos; it's there because the admissions officers genuinely care about your reasons for applying and wanting to be part of those schools' communities. Because of this requirement, you need to thoroughly research whichever of the Seven Sisters colleges that you apply to. Don't just write an essay for Barnard and expect it to work for every Seven Sisters school. Instead, look into what makes each school unique and highlight the aspects that you value in your "Why [school name]?" essays. As with setting up an alumnae interview, the benefits of researching the school are not just that you'll increase your chances of getting in because you'll demonstrate your interest to the college, but that you'll also learn more about whether or not the specific school is the right fit for you. For instance, if you research Vassar, you'll learn that the campus is a designated arboretum and also gorgeous. Adam Jones/Flickr. Tip 4: Embrace That You're Applying to a 7 Sisters School It might feel like you're being too enthusiastic or overselling it if you emphasize the fact that you're applying to one of the Seven Sisters and that that's important to you. While you don't want to overemphasize it ("I truly believe that Smith, one of the Seven Sisters, is a great fit for me. From the first time I visited the women's college Smith, I knew I wanted to attend it"), you should not shy away from directly stating that attending a historically women's college is something that appeals to you. It's not some big secret that the Seven Sisters colleges were traditionally women's colleges that promoted women's education and women's success in the world; the schools are well aware of their own history and what they stand for. Even for Vassar, stating that you value the history of the school and the long tradition of valuing women's education will only help you (assuming you don't come off as insincere). You can be honest about doubts you have about applying to a non-co-ed school, but you still need to show that you appreciate the value of attending a college with a tradition of high-quality education for women. For instance, I'm pretty sure that in my "Why Wellesley?" essay, I wrote that I hadn't considered applying to a women's college until I visited Wellesley, but that after I visited campus and learned more about it I knew I wanted to apply (which was all true). If you can't come up with a way that you value that the school you're applying to is a Seven Sisters school, then you shouldn't be applying to a Seven Sisters school. Mount Holyoke. Barry Stock/Flickr Tip 5: Don't Call It an All-Girls School When you write your personal statements or your "Why [school name]?" essays for one of the all-women's Seven Sisters, do not call the school an "all-girls school;" call it a women's college. This might seem like a relatively minor point compared to the other things I've mentioned, but it's actually a really useful tip to keep in mind if you're applying to any of the all-women's Seven Sisters schools. The term "all-girls school" is not one that the schools ever use to refer to themselves, so using that term demonstrates that you have done pretty much no research into the school. It also implies (even if you don't mean it to) a certain disdain for the school, as if attending a non-co-ed school is for children. So make sure to check all of your application materials and change any instances of "all-girls school" to "women's college." It's a simple change that will create a positive, or at least neutral impression if you do it, but will leave an extremely negative impression if you don't. Boston Public Library/Flickr. What's Next? Planning out your college visits but not sure where to go? Our guides on how to choose a college and what colleges you should apply to will help you organize your trip. What do I mean when I say that the Seven Sisters schools are top liberal arts colleges? Find out what a liberal arts college is with this article. Do you have what it takes to get into the most competitive schools? Get the inside scoop on the most selective colleges and which colleges have the highest SAT and ACT scores. 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 Unnecessary Cost of the War in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Unnecessary Cost of the War in Iraq - Essay Example The Bush administration, along with the urging of then Defense Secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld, woefully underestimated the number of soldiers it would require to secure Iraq after the initial invasion. Their number of approximately 125,000 troops was far too few to occupy the country and restore order. Paul Bremer, senior civilian administrator in Iraq during the first year of the occupation says he, "complained to President Bush and other officials that far too few troops were committed to the occupation in the first year after Saddam Hussein was ousted" (Shanker, A6). Bremer even wrote a formal letter to Secretary Rumsfeld requesting two additional divisions, but Bremer contends, "he had never heard back from Mr. Rumsfeld" (Shanker, A6). The fact that the Defense Department would not even respond to the senior administrator on the ground in Iraq shows the degree of arrogance, if not incompetence, that has led our country into a quagmire of ill-advised decisions. The decisions made at the White House have resulted in the unnecessary deaths and maiming of many of our finest young men and women. The death toll stands at almost 2,800 killed and another 10,000 wounded so severely that they will never be able to return to active duty (Shanker and Cloud, A14).

Science of Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Science of Sustainability - Essay Example Societies in the past have completely deprived themselves of natural resources they needed to survive, such as deforesting islands (Diamond 93), and with the human population topping 7 billion people, we need to ensure that we sustain the natural resources we need to survive. Question 2: The difference between short-term sustainable development, for instance, attempting to develop sustainably for 100 years, and long term sustainable development which can work forever, is the understanding of the fact that some resources are truly finite, and will not realistically be replenished (short of looking at the earth on geological time scales). The best examples of this are probably oil and coal. If one talks about the century from 1900 to 2000, oil was used in a sustainable way – it did not run out during that period. However, that does not mean that the use was truly sustainable: it could not be kept up for another 100 years. Coal is in a similar situation at the moment, with many p eople predicting it could last anywhere from another hundred to four hundred years (Energy Watch Group). This lulls us into a sense of security regarding these resources. The problem, however, is that this is not truly sustainable. The only things that are truly sustainable are those that are consumed at the same rate as the earth produces them or slightly slower – and things like coal and oil will never fit this description. True, long-term sustainability must come from renewability, while short-term sustainability can come from almost any resource, depending on the time frame. Question 3: Many things can be done at a variety of levels in order to promote sustainability. In some ways, all of this comes down to personal choices – if everyone on earth lived in a sustainable way, the human population would be sustainable. On the individual level, the easiest things to do are conserve, reuse and recycle. However, it is important at every level to interact with the levels above you, so for an individual it is also important to combine with your community to promote sustainable lifestyles, engage with politicians and so on. I believe that communities have a role in creating sustainability especially through food production and coming together to support local agriculture. In the upper echelons, the state, federal, and international levels, much of sustainability comes down to money and willingness to use it in the right ways: giving tax breaks to companies that function sustainably or develop techniques to others who do so while taxing and regulating industries that fail to. Governments also need to fund research and development into sustainable technologies and fuels. Question 4: Human innovation has done a great deal to increase human standard of living in a variety of ways. Large-scale food production and transportation networks have let to more nutritional availability (though some people refuse to use this, while others abuse it and overeat). Med icine and information technology have especially led to improved standards of living – only a couple of hundred of years ago people died