Project Managment - Team work Evaluation Assignment - 1

Project Managment - Team work Evaluation - Assignment Example The group members came up with a substantial project process model that covered every sector of the project. Responsibilities were shared among members of the group to ease management and accomplish the goal of the project. Each stage was critically reviewed and parts that had problems were discussed by all members until an amicable solution was found. This model is important because it facilitates proper communication among different departments in the project (Kivipelto & Yliruka, 2012, p. 3). In addition, individuals are able to work with the allocated budget as resources are not wasted. It also helps to solve problems that are encountered as the project goes on so the project does not come to a standstill. This means that the project is likely to be completed in the stipulated time frame. Team members are motivated to work towards accomplishing the goal of the project since there are clear guidelines to be followed. The model provides a good system for conflict mangers thus the project is not swayed in the wrong direction. It is therefore very important to evaluate a team process model before starting the main

Safety Training Program Development Assignment Case Study

Safety Training Program Development Assignment - Case Study Example Also, it revolves around implementation and careful training to ensure that goals of an organization are effectively reached. This way each phase of the training produces results that are useful in the next phase. Training stands as the best way forward for professionals given that they often make mistakes without ever realizing it. By basically acknowledging them, one can begin to improve performance speedily, without problems and without incurring losses on any new training programs. The learners in this case are the trainees in which case any personality who is required to go into a confined space or a permit required confined space must have to receive this type of training before they may gain admittance to the area. The outcomes of this course include understanding the hazards of confined spaces, learning the responsibilities and duties of the confined space entry participants achieve familiarity with atmospheric testing equipment and entrance equipment and become knowledgeable on safety standards for conservation of confined space entries The learning constraints that exist in the training program include the need for acquiring a permit. In this case, if workers are not to enter and work in permit spaces, employers must take effective actions to avoid them from entering these spaces. If workers are expected to enter permit spaces, the employer must develop in print a permit space program and make it obtainable by employees or their legislative body. To make it easier for the learners, the mode of delivery involves bringing the training facilities close to the trainees. This makes it possible for learners to acquire the skills at the door step. Once the training program has identified resources and milestones, you can structure a timeline. Generally, its a wise idea to work backwards, since it should be known when the project is due. Next, adjustments are made

The Demon in the Free

The Demon in the Freezer Essay I. The Other Side of the Moon 1. Peter Jahrling wanted to work with the smallpox virus because he wanted to be in efforts to create a national stockpile. He could not believe that the vaccine was not enough for a bioterror attack on the United States. He wanted to find a cure for the disease. 2. In April, the Institute of Medicine issued a report saying that if the world wanted to have a new vaccine or an antiviral drug for smallpox then the virus would need to be kept for scientific experiments. President Bill Clinton had personally favored the destruction, but after reading the report changed his mind. The White House now endorsed keeping the stocks. A month later the WHO voted to keep smallpox alive for another three years until June 30th, 2002. II. A Woman With A Peaceful Mind 1.During an experiment, Lisa was holding a pair of blunt children’s scissors with her rubber space suit gloves. She was trying to open a bottle by prying on a tab with the scissors. Suddenly they slipped and the tip of the scissors jammed into the middle finger of her right glove. She felt a stab of pain near her fingernail. III. Nuclear Pox 1.The experiment that the Australians presented was they were trying to use a virus to try to cut down populations of mice. They had been infecting mice with an engineered mousepox virus that was supposed to make the mice sterile. But the engineered mousepox had wiped out the mice. Jahrling and Moyer uneasy about this line of research because the Australians had engineered a pox virus that could overwhelm the vaccine and they had done it by putting a single gene from the mouse into the virus. One mouse gene into the pox. They realized that the virus had taken down immunized animals and bioterrorists could use this. IV. Chaos in Level 4 1.Lisa and her team were inoculating monkeys with different strains of smallpox. They were putting it into the bloodsteams of the monkeys and they used higher doses. Jahrling felt that if a billion particles of the smallpox didn’t give a monkey a disease of some sort, then nature would be telling us that variola was not going to go into any species except man. 2.Lisa worked in a corridor of the sub-subbasement. She was in a Level 4 area because that was where the smallpox and the monkeys were quarantined. 3.The monkey-model team consisted of Peter Jahrling, John Huggins, Lisa Hensley, and an Army veterinary pathologist named Mark Martinez. There was also an animal caretaker named James Stockman and two veterinary technicians named Joshua and Rafael and a biologist named Louise Pitt. 4.First the monkeys were exposed to Harper, then Dumbell 7124 (India strain). 5.First, the Harper smallpox was blown into the air around Monkey C099’s head. Then he got it inserted into a vein in his thigh and he received one billion infective particles of Harper smallpox. 6.Before they had used a lower dose and they had given the virus to the monkeys through the air. This time, they also put it into the bloodstreams of the monkeys. V. Demon Eyes 1.Eight monkeys were given the Harper or India strains. There were seven of them that died (six from hemorrhagic smallpox and one from classical pustular smallpox). Harper was the only survivor. 2.The scientists bonded with monkey C099 because that monkey had been sacrificed as a result of their experiments and unlike the other monkeys, he didn’t die naturally (they put him to sleep). 3.The necropsy room was used to perform a post-mortem exam in privacy so no other animal of the same species can observe. 4. 5.The one monkey that survived was put to death because protocol of the experiment required the euthanasia of all animals in order to gather more data on the effects of smallpox. I would’ve done the same thing because if the virus had spread through the monkey’s body, it would have suffered unnecessarily, seeing how the other monkeys died from being infected just as he was being to. They put the monkey out of his misery. VI. Demon Eyes 1.An anthrax cell is similar to a virus because when it comes into contact with lymph or blood, it cracks open and germinates and turns into a rod-shaped cell. It is different because unlike a virus it is alive. It uses its own machinery to makes copies of itself. 2.Tom Geisbert believed the anthrax spores were man made because he observed that something was clinging to the spores. When he turned up the beam the goop began to spread out of the spores. The spores had something in them like an additive. 3.The anthrax may have infected and killed the postal workers because it was continuously handled by many workers. The envelopes were squeezed through the mail sorting machines which made the anthrax pores start to leak through the letters of the pores. 4.The Daschle letter had gone through the Hamilton facility en route to Brentwood. 5.The Daschle anthrax may have come from Iraq but the samples they’d seen from Iraq were completely different. The Iraqi had been mixed with bentonite and these spores didn’t have clay in them. 6.Ken Alibek defected to the United States from Russia. He revealed to the US Government that a panoramic vista of Biopreparat, as well as an advanced bioweapons program in Russia that was broken into secret compartments. 7.Ken Alibek suggests that biological weapons are more beneficial than nuclear weapons because while nuclear weapons destroy everything, biological weapons are more beneficial because they destroy vital activity (people). 8.The concept of vital activity was demonstrated when he the jar containing a surrogate of a weaponized brain virus called VEE, which traveled easily in the air. Depending on the altitude of the dispersal of the contents, the particles could travel close to fifty miles (this could be used with anthrax mixed with smallpox). 9.Geisbert discovered two extra elements in the anthrax spores: silicon and oxygen. 10.The EPA spent an estimated thirty million dollars decontaminating the Brentwood mail facility. 11.There were five homicides in the Amerithrax case. 12.The difference between a K and Q collected sample of evidence is that a Q sample comes from an unknown source and can be matched to known samples. K samples are reference samples that are fully identified. 13.The Amerithrax (Ames) strain came from a dead cow in Texas in 1981 and it ended up in the labs at USAMRIID. The fact that the Maerithrax strain wasn’t military pointed to a home-grown American terrorist instead of a foreign source. This helped to turn the focus of the investigation to wihin the United States. 14.The FBI still believed that al-Qaeda had something to do with the Ames strain because Mohammed Atta (who was the operational leader of the hijackers), made inquiries at airports in Florida about renting crop-dusting airplanes (he probably wanted to spray something from the air). 15.The investigation of Dr. Steven Hatfill was completely justified, although how the FBI handled it through the media was wrong. Hatfill clearly had a reputation and experience in the scientific community when it came to the knowledge to carry out such an attack. He had a storage facility in Florida and had access to a cabin in a remote party of Maryland. He even had a secret-level security and he was close with Ken Alibek and Bill Patrick (two men with anthrax making experience). Hatfill even commissioned Patrick to write a study on the effects of anthrax mailed in letters. Patrick worked out a scenerio in which a letter containing two grams of dry anthrax spores was opened inside an office building. The FBI had every reason to believe that he was a person of interest, however the leaks to the media were unnecessary, because Hatfill’s career was basically because of being investigated. I strongly feel like there was no need for the media to be present everytime his house or cabin or office was raided and samples were taken out. The FBI wanted to show the public that they were doing their job effectively, but at the same time they didn’t have to use Hatfill as their scapegoat because his life and career were ruined as a result. 16. A bioreactor (also called an STLV) was developed at NASA. You can grow human tissues in it and then infect them. Using a device like this can test new drugs against smallpox and other exotic diseases that could not be tested ethically in people. 17.Dr. Alfred Sommer was enraged about the smallpox research that Peter Jahrling conducted with monkeys because he believes that smallpox could have been eradicated completely if the stocks had been all destroyed. He believes that the biggest danger of Jahrling’s research was it would look suspicious to other countries and would encourage them to do their own experimentation. 18.D.A. Henderson believed Jahrling’s work could not lead to the development of new drugs or vaccines against smallpox because what was really needed was an inhaled dose of smallpox in a monkey to test a vaccine, since people inhale the virus. VII. Superpox 1.A recombinant virus is a virus that has been engineered in the laboratory. 2.Interleukin-4 is produced by the immune system because it fights off an infection by stimulating the production of antibodies. 3.Cellular immunity is provided by numerous kinds of white blood cells. 4.If the gene for IL-4 is added to a poxvirus, it will cause the virus to make IL-4. It starts signaling the immune system of the host, which becomes confused and starts making more antibodies. 5.The genetically engineered mousepox is compared to AIDS because it seems to create a king of instant AIDS-like immune suppression in a mouse right at the moment when the mouse needs this type of immunity the most to fight off an exploding pox infection. 6.There are two ways to vaccinate a mouse against mousepox. One way is to infect it with natural mousepox. The other way is to vaccinate the mouse with the smallpox vaccine. 7.The Australian scientists found that mice immunized with natural mousepox become completely immune to IL-4 mousepox, however it was different because the IL-4 mousepox crashed through the smallpox vaccine, killing the mice they had previously vaccinated. 8.Scientists should definitely be allowed to create a supervirus, as long as they are doing so for scientific reasons. If there was a complete ban on scientific experimentation that may lead to the creation of superviruses, then at the same time there wouldn’t be vaccines created. Before the Eradication began, there were two million people dying every year. Those doctors who ended the virus as a natural disease ended up saving fifty to sixty million human lives. Those who end up getting the short end of the stick (if there is no creation of superviruses and vaccines) are the people living in third world nations, where medical vaccinations are not readily available. On the flip side, if scientists are given free reign to create superviruses whenever they want, then that will ultimately lead to biological warfare with countries threatening each other. This can lead to intimidation and blackmailing of smaller nations, who may not be able to compete and keep up. There need to be strict guidelines governing viruses (like smallpox) that countries create and expand on. Last month, Australia was in the news because scientists there had genetically modified the virus that causes smallpox. They managed to create a new strain that had caused the death of all the animals involved in the study. What makes this different from what I read in the book is that the new virus was done with mice that had been previously immunized. This is a scary possibility because there are countries out there that are still looking to improve on the smallpox virus.

African Americans Roles In The Revolutionary War History Essay

African Americans Roles In The Revolutionary War History Essay At the time of the Revolutionary War, the African American population in the colonies was approximately 500,000, which was about 20 percent of the total population. The history of the military roles of African Americans in the War for Independence is one that was rarely acknowledged until several decades after the war was over. The documents detailing how many African American men served, whether they were free or slave, where they served, and what their duties were are incomplete. What research has shown is telling about the culture of the time period and especially telling about the better part of the century that followed. It is difficult to estimate the number of African Americans who fought for both the Continental Army and the British Royal Army. The numbers people get are a general estimate given by what was actually documented and what historians have acquired through analysis of letters, diaries, and similar sources. African Americans participated in the War for Independence from the beginning to its conclusion, they did so in hopes that the freedoms their white counterparts would gain would also apply to them. Even though many knew that would not be the case they still fought praying that one day their efforts then would get them freedom. The right to fight was given and taken away at several points throughout the war. However, when African Americans were granted the right to fight, those willing to fight were never in short supply. Historians have estimated that at least 5,000 black soldiers fought for independence during the Revolutionary War. Among those African Americans that fought for independence would have undoubtedly been Crispus Attucks, a runaway slave living in Massachusetts in 1770. However, years before the first shots of the Revolution were fired, on March 5, 1770, five people were shot and killed, including Crispus Attucks, at the hands of the British Royal Army during what became known as the Boston Massacre. Just over a month before the first shots of the war were fired, on March 5, 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren spoke about the Boston Massacre and how the ideology of liberty was not only thought by whites but by all people: That personal freedom is the natural right of every man, and that property, or exclusive right to dispose of what he has honestly acquired by his own labor, necessarily arises therefrom, are truths which common sense has placed beyond the reach of contradiction. And no man, or body of men, can, without being guilty of flagrant injustice, claim a right to dispose of the persons or acquisitions of any other man or body of men, unless it can be proved that such a right has arisen from some compact between the parties, in which it has been explicitly and freely granted.  [1]   However, it must be noted that Dr. Joseph Warren was from Massachusetts, a hotbed for Patriots and also where only four percent of the population was African American.  [2]  Yet even in Massachusetts the legislature agreed to reject all African Americans from enlisting when the chances of an uprising occurring were extremely slight. Connecticut and Rhode Island followed suit and agreed to reject African Americans, at least for the first years of war.  [3]   For the first part of the war, many citizens operated under the ideology of staying true to their prejudices rather than realizing the practicality of using African American soldiers. Prejudice towards African Americans came from many citizens, including the President George Washington. Early on in George Washingtons life he believed that white blood not only lightened the skin but enlightened the mind, and he preferred to employ yellow-skinned servants within his home.  [4]  Unfortunately, his beliefs mirrored that of many others in the area. Others saw African Americans as savages, and as property so how could they possibly fight alongside actual people?  [5]  On the other side of the coin there were people who saw African Americans as humans but with the conflict at hand taking up so much energy, they did not believe that it was the time to discuss slavery which could cause fighting among the states. Regrettably, that divisive issue only gave the British a leg up in the co nflict. Even though remaining true to ones prejudices was widely practiced, it never stopped African Americans from wanting to fight for the cause. African Americans fought on both sides for many of the same reasons. Freedom was the number one driving factor for the African American slave in which side they fought for, either the Continental or Royal Army. Free African Americans, at times, were recruited but many chose to enlist. African American men, free or enslaved, chose which side to fight on based on what each side offered. The side was chosen by who offered them a better life after the war in many cases. In Massachusetts, the Committee of Safety reported to the Provincial Congress in May 1775 that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Admission of any persons but freemen as soldiers would be inconsistent with principles being supported and would reflect dishonor on the colony.  [6]  That report, however, made no mention of what they would do with free African Americans. However, when George Washington was given command of the troops around Boston, he issued orders to recruiting officers that prohibited enlistment of any Negro. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ In the Continental Congress in September 1775, Edward Rutledge of South Carolina demanded that Washington discharge all blacksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but failed to receive the necessary votes from other representatives.  [7]  On October 8, 1775, the Council of War convened to discuss several issues concerning the Continental Army. Those in the council included such men as Commander in Chief, George Washington, several Major-Generals: Ward, Lee, and Putnam, as well as many Brigadier-Generals: Thomas, Spencer, Heath, Sullivan, Green, and Gates. Among the issues discussed was whether or not to allow African Americans to enlist or re-enlist in the Continental Army, and if they were to allow them to do so, would free men as well as slaves be allowed to enlist. The councils decision: Agreed, unanimously, to reject all slaves, and, by a great majority, to reject Negroes altogether.  [8]  However, there were some dissenting opinions in the council, as was the case with General Thomas. In a letter from General Thomas to John Adams, written in the same month the Council of War convened, Thomas wrote: We have some negroes; but I look on them, in general, as equally serviceable with other men for fatigue; and in action many of them have proved themselves brave.  [9]  Approximately twenty days later, George Washington issued a General Order stating: Any person therefore (Negroes excepted, which the Congress do not incline to inlist again) coming with a proper Order and will subscribe the Inlistment, shall be immediately supplied.  [10]  Again, on November 12, 1775, Washington issued another General Order to make sure all recruiters were aware of his previous decision. The Order stated: Neither Negroes, Boys unable to bare Arms, nor old men unfit to endure the fatigues of the campaign, are to be inlisted.  [11]   Several whites in the Southern colonies held a deep opposition to African Americans (free or enslaved) enlisting in the Continental Army, because they feared the idea of them being armed. Whites in the South also feared armed African American men because of the possibility of a slave rebellion and the possibility of losing their slaves which they saw as property. The British Royal Governor, Lord Dunmore of Virginia, readily saw the weakness in the colonies of slaveholders in the South. In November 1775, he issued a proclamation stating: I do, in virtue of the power and authority to me given, by his majesty, determine to execute martial law, and cause the same to be executed throughout this colony; and to the end that peace and good order may the sooner be restored, I do require every person capable of bearing arms, to resort to his majestys standard, or be looked upon as traitors to his majestys crown and government, and thereby become liable to the penalty the law inflicts upon such offencesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ And I do hereby further declare all indentured servants, negroes, or others (appertaining to rebels) free, that are able and willing to bear arms, they joining his majestys troops as soon as may be, for the more speedily reducing this colony to a proper sense of their duty to his majestys crown and dignityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.  [12]   Lord Dunmore promised freedom to any slave of anyone the Majesty would consider a rebel. However, similar to the colonies, allowing African Americans to enlist in the British Royal Army was not completely unanimous. Many of the free or runaway African Americans who had joined the loyalists, at least those who had not already died, were discharged from their positions. However, a month and a half after Washingtons General Order was issued and Lord Dunmores game changing proclamation was issued, Washington wrote a letter to the President of Congress, John Hancock: It has been represented to me, that the free Negroes who have served in this Army, are very much dissatisfied at being discarded. As it is to be apprehended that they may seek employ in the Ministerial Army, I have presumed to depart from the Resolution respecting them and have given licence for their being enlisted, If this is disapproved by Congress I shall put a stop to it.  [13]   In September of 1776, the Continental Congress required states to come up with 88 battalions to assist the Continental Army. At that point their resources where almost completely exhausted and when the Continental Congress requested another 16 battalions, recruiting African American became a crucial necessity. The Revolutionary War set a precedent for allowing African Americans to enlist or be recruited only in times of dire need. As the war went on officers easily recognized the need to enlist African Americans, otherwise their troops would continue to dwindle and that would ultimately mean the war would be lost to the Tories. Clearly, that was not an option. African Americans, for the most part, took on the beliefs of the cause as their own. Just because the color of their skin was different did not mean they did not believe in liberty, quite the contrary in fact. Lemuel Haynes, a free African American man from New England, who was also one the minutemen at Lexington and Concord, wrote to Congress in 1776 on the matter of liberty. In his letter, Haynes writes: To affirm, that an Englishman has a right to his Liberty, is a truth which has Been so clearly Evinced, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ But I query, whether Liberty is so contracted a principle as to be Confind to any nation under Heaven; nay, I think it not hyperbolical to affirm, that Even and affrican, has Equally as good a right to his Liberty in common with Englishmenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Consequently we may suppose, that what is precious to one man, is precious to another,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Therefore we may reasonably Conclude, that Liberty is Equally as precious to a Black man, as it is to a white one.  [14]   Haynes, like many other African American men, hoped that his faithful service to the Continental Army would prove to whites who were in disbelief that they, too, deserved the unalienable rights listed in the Declaration of Independence.  [15]  Haynes later went on to become the first African American clergymen to be formally ordained, as well as marry a white woman and have nine children.  [16]   African Americans experienced greater racial equality while serving in the Continental Navy than they did while serving in the army. That being the case, many African American men served in the navy during the Revolutionary War, doing so for several reasons. The ever present manpower shortages of the time, not only on land but also at sea, caused both the Continental Navy and Royal Navy to enlist African Americans into the navy. Different from the Continental Army, the Navy recruited both free and enslaved African American from the start of the war. The Navy did this mostly because they were in need of sailors, no matter what color they were. To both the enslaved and free, privately owned ships were more attractive than the Continental or state navies. For runaway slaves, there was less chance of being caught, and in general, the pay was much better than the army. However, African Americans still served in and on both because the pay was good, being roughly equal to the pay for white sailors. Not only was the pay generally equal, the majority of the Navies ships had crews that were integrated.  [17]  On ships African Americans gratefully accepted roles whites were not willing to accept. Some of their duties included cooking, cleaning, managing the ships sails, mending any damages the ship sustained in battles.  [18]  However, there were also African American sailors that served in marine units from Pennsylvania and Connecticut for example, and as ship pilots, mainly coming from Maryland and Virginia.  [19]   The First Rhode Island regiment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Peter Salem was born into slavery; however, one of his owners freed him so he could enlist in the Continental Army.  [20]  He became one of the Minutemen; he fought at Concord, Bunker Hill where he was credited for firing the shot that killed a British Major, Saratoga, and Stony Point. (CITE) Salem Poor who was born free, is another excellent example of bravery and willingness to fight on the part of African Americans. Salem Poor fought at Bunker Hill where he shot a British Lieutenant. It was there at Bunker Hill where Poor earned the respect of several white officers who stated: That a negro called Salem Poor, of Col. Fryes regiment, Capt. Ames company, in the late battle at Charlestown, behaved like an experienced officer, as well as an excellent soldier, to set forth particulars of his conduct would be tedious, we only beg leave to say, in the person of this said negro centers a brave and gallant soldier. The reward due to so great and distinguished a character, we submit to Congress.  [21]   Without a doubt there are many other stories expressing great examples of gallantry and courage from African Americans that served in the Revolutionary War, unfortunately, the color of their skin, at the time, dictated what and how much was documented about them. Public acknowledgment for their service to the country did not come out until well over half a century after the war had concluded and while another war was in full swing. The Army and Navy Journal published an article in September of 1863 on Negro Soldiers in the Revolution. The article stated: The record is clear, that from the beginning to the conclusion of the war of the Revolution, Negroes served in the Continental armies with intelligence, courage, and steadfastness; and that important results in several instances are directly traceable to their good conduct.  [22]   For their service in the military, only a few African Americans received some kind of acknowledgment. The great majority, even though serving their country with courage and bravery, stayed out of the spotlight. Without the participation of African Americans in the Revolutionary War, especially on the side of the Patriots, the outcome may have been drastically different. African American soldiers of the Revolution served with the same bravery and courage as their white brothers. They served that way even knowing that they might not be able to enjoy the freedoms over which the war was fought.

Pretty Woman Vs. Pillow Talk :: essays research papers fc

The marriage plot has been quite prominent in the film industry over the past few decades. The plot that is characterized by its lead woman â€Å"getting† the lead man and vice versa, has contributed to such movie blockbusters as Pretty Woman and the classic film, Pillow Talk. While both films can be classifies as containing marriage plots, the films share other similarities as well. However, in regards to the marriage plot, Pretty Woman follows the pattern much more fluently and precisely that does Pillow Talk.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both Julia Robert’s and Doris Day’s characters, Vivian and Jan, respectively, are strong women in their films. They both contain quite a few characteristics such as boldness, confidence, and intelligence that make them very attractive and desirable to their male counterparts. While their professions are quite opposite, the women are similar in their personalities. Jan is an interior designer and her history with men is not troublesome or lacking, but like Vivian, the prostitute, she finds that men are sometimes after only one thing. I noticed that both women are extremely confident when it comes to dealing with men; they both know what they want and what the are looking for in a male companion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The men in these two movies are quite similar as well. Both Rock Hudson and Richard Gere play two powerful men who are popular with the ladies. Although Hudson’s career, a musician, is not typically â€Å"powerful† it does contain benefits and certain contacts that could be considered powerful. These two men both start out with the women practically chasing them. Vivian is paid to be Edward’s (Gere) â€Å"beck and call† girl, and does so willingly not just for the money, but because she is also mesmerized by his coyness, charm and good looks. Jan is attracted to Rex (Hudson) because he is also shy and coy and very handsome as well. Both women are interested in their counterparts for the particular reason that they are not men they typically meet. These men are respectful and somewhat quiet and shy. Each plot takes a turn towards the end of the movie when the women leave them, each for different reasons. Ironically and typical of the mar riage plot, it then become the man chasing the woman. He is to prove his worthiness to her and to dismiss her conclusion that he, in fact, is like all other men they have encountered.

Abandoning the Constitution in the Fight Against Terrorism Essay

Abandoning the Constitution in the Fight Against Terrorism    During his terms as governor of Texas, George W. Bush made it clear that he was ignorant of the Constitution by denying due process to the people he executed and refusing effective counsel to indigent inmates.   As president, Bush, terrorized by terrorists, is abandoning more and more of the fundamental rights and liberties that he-and his subordinates-assure us they are fighting to preserve. On Thursday, November 15, William Safire-The New York Times' constitutional conservative-distilled Bush's new raid on the Constitution: "Misadvised by a frustrated and panic-stricken attorney general, a president of the United States has just assumed what amounts to dictatorial power to jail or execute aliens. . . . We are letting George W. Bush get away with the replacement of the American rule of law with military kangaroo courts. . . . In an Orwellian twist, Bush's order calls this Soviet-style abomination 'a full and fair trial.' " What Bush has done by executive order-bypassing Congress and the constitutional separation of powers-is to establish special military tribunals to try noncitizens suspected of terrorism. Their authority will extend over permanent noncitizen American residents, lawfully living in the United States, as well as foreigners. The trials will be held here or in other countries-like Pakistan or "liberated" Afghanistan-and on ships at sea. The trials will be in secret. There will be no juries. Panels of military officers will be the judges-with the power to impose the death penalty if two-thirds of these uniformed judges agree. There will be no appeals to any of the sentences. (Even in regular court martials, judges must rule unanimous... ... Supreme Court (Olmstead v. United States, 1928), foreshadowed the advent of George W. Bush: "Our Government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the Government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. . . . To declare that in the administration of the criminal law, the end justifies the means . . . would bring terrible retribution. Against this pernicious doctrine this Court should resolutely set its face." In 1928, the Supreme Court agreed with the government's subversion of the Fourth Amendment's privacy protections-setting the initial stage for the current vast expansion of electronic surveillance by the Bush administration-and not only over suspected terrorists. The Court has another

Sutra for Long Life Essay -- Sutra, Mahayana, Religion

After closer study of the Sutra for Long Life and the World Universe as a Sutra it seems evident that, although Mahayana Buddhism is based on the teachings of the traditional Pali Canon, it places a larger emphasizes on philosophical inquires; while still managing to create a more accessible Buddhism for all. In their own way both Sutras highlight the fact that Mahayana Buddhism is more lay people friendly than the traditional Pali Canon, while still maintaining an important role for monks and nuns. Perhaps the most obvious example of this is presented in the â€Å"Whole Universe Sutra†. According to the Sutra, all beings possess the knowledge and enlightenment of Buddhahood within themselves. This pure core is simply buried beneath or wrapped in the deluded minds of the imperfect being (107-World). In other words, every being is capable of reaching Buddhahood as the truth resides within each individual, however, it can only be reached when â€Å"they abandon their deluded, contrary views†. It is only then that the â€Å"unimpeded knowledge† will arise within them (107,108-World). The sutras also make clear the idea of the Bodhisattva, those who have reached awakening and refrain from entering Nirvana in order to help others along the path. For example, the TathÄ gata is described as a person with â€Å"penetrating wisdom, and was endowed with a perfectly pure divine eye† (109). The TathÄ gata has already found the knowledge and truth within him and is also able to see that the same wisdom is present within every being. He finds it strange that every being cannot see the truth within, and therefore, takes it upon himself to â€Å"teach these beings so that they may fully awaken within the Noble path† (109-world). This is known as the â€Å"tenth intuition o... ...tiness, the Mahayana tradition as a whole is more philosophical than the Pali canons. The Mahayana introduces the idea of celestial Bodhisattvas, who are able to do extraordinary things. In the Sutra for Long Life, Buddhas become a teacher of â€Å"gods and humans† while living in a realm in between nirvana and samsara: the Buddha-fields (424-425-long life). Mahayana Buddhism stretches the notion of traditionally accepted reality. It is for this reason that the â€Å"Whole Universe Sutra† presents the knowledge of Buddhahood as the core within a deluded being (109-world). In other instances it is compared to as a womb wrapped inside defilements that must be ripped open. The Pali Canons may be a fundamental part of Mahayana Buddhism, but Mahayana sutras go a step further in asking philosophical questions and re-interpreting teachings and ideas present within the tradition.

Leadership Learning Journal Essay

As I reflect upon the readings of our text book and the leadership self-assessments I have learned a great deal about myself in regards to leadership. I have a lot of leadership experience but there are some areas I need to work on and improve. I’m not as resilient as I thought I was because one of the outcomes of the tests was that like most people I cope well with some type of adversity, but not others. Naturally I don’t agree with that outcome because I feel I handle almost everything but as I dig deeper into it and keep an open mind I can kind of see that. According to DuBrin (2010) most of my leaders have been transformational leaders based on the definition and the self-assessment results (p. 77). I’m a participative leader, with average situational perspective, have a high quality leader-member exchange, and works well by myself but also works well with others. Another trait that I learned I need to work on is I’m only average when it comes to the knowledge and skill to motivate others whereas I thought I excelled and continually motivated others. While reading the chapters we have so far and the various discussion boards I have learned that there are many ways to be an outstanding leader and that there isn’t really one style that works for everyone and all of the time. As a leader you have to consider the people your leading and what their abilities are when choosing the best style because a style that might have worked at your last company might not work at your next one. One of the biggest eye openers so far was when we had the discussion assignment on path-goal theory. I thought that there was no way that method would work. Boy was I dead wrong because when it was stated by Vandegrift & Matusitz (2011) that they conducted an analysis that applied the principles of path-goal theory to a renowned music recording company, Columbia Records and that this theory was used by them and was credited to their success I knew then that I had to stay open to any and all theory’s (p. 350). I don’t typically like to read other then article on sports but so far this course has been very informative and will help me in the future to hone my leadership skills.

Best Practice

What is a best practice? 1. It is the most efficient quantity and quality 2. A previously successful method 3. labor/appropriate use of materials 4. Money goes up (owner) 5. Replicable (everyone) 6. Defines goal (making money while maintaining guest satisfaction) 7. High guest satisfaction 8. Efficient 9. Ethical Stake Holders Employer/Owner Employee Guest Environment BONUS QUESTION: Jay Westerweld in 1987, invented Green Washing which is a deceptively used method to appear â€Å"eco-friendly† to increase profits or gain political support STOP: Standard Operating Procedure (Used by corporations)QPI: Quality Performance Indicators ROI: Return of Investment Q: What is the difference between an independent and corporate chain? (INDEPENDENT HOTELIERS SHARE BEST PRACTICES by ERIC STOESSEL) Independent: * They are not branded and as well known * Customers tell the Independent hotels if something is wrong, not the brand * â€Å"Can do what they want when they want† * Biggest C hallenge: Online Travel Agencies – reduced rates and high commission = losing money but you get exposure * 25% rate for product purchasing while corporate pay less than 17% * BP: â€Å"Capture and Keep† customers from OTA BP: Using online websites for bulk products such as Alibaba. com or Amazon. com * BP: Loyalty Program * BP: Call other property owners for advice * BP: Incentives for front desk staff of 20% – 50% commission for every room upgrade, early check in or pool pass sold instead of hiring a director of sales * BP: ? Charge guests property tax in times of trouble INDEPENDENT HOTELS: The drake hotels, Windsor Arms Hotel, Hotel Victoria What are best management practices for natural resource conservation? (29 BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND CASE STUDIES AT NRPA.ORG/CONSERVATION) * Rain Barrels: Conservation education and fun with a 1,000 gallon rain barrel * Rain Gardens: Can slow stormwater, conserve water, and create a wild life habitat and landscape bea uty * Wind and Solar Energy (WESTIN HOTEL IN TORONTO: GREEN ENERGY, ONLY HOTEL WHO’S LOBBY RESTAURANTS ARE POWERED 100% GREEN ELECTRICITY, FOR RECYCLING: ALL ORANIC WASTE MATTER IS SENT TO A COMPOST OF SITE. HOTEL IS EQUIPPED WITH RECYCLING BINS IN ALL AREAS & FOUR SEASONS INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATES IN TREE PLANTING DAY) Best practice in Hospitality Maintenance BP: Management can remind housekeeping staff of the three basic rules: Clean, Disinfect, and Deodorize * Cleaning: Wipe surface from one side to another, and dirt removed first before disinfection. * Bucket of solution should be changed frequently eg. Every 3 rooms. * When Cleaning hard floors, use two bucket moping techniques * Use a cleanser appropriate for multiple surfaces * Dilution Control saves time and money- bulk * Shiny floors and vases – use metal polish daily * Provide incentives to staff who pick up trash, sweep corridors, wipe counters and tables (BEST PRACTICES IN HOSPITALITY MAINTENANCE – H2E CORNER) ARUBA MARRIOT CARRIBIAN RESORT PROVIDES HOUSEKEEPING STAFF A FULL WEEK OF FUN WITH BREAKFASTS, DINNERS, GAMES AND PARTIES ON AND OFF PROPERTY TO SHOW APPRECIATION AS AN INCENTIVE) Q: Name five different ways of being able to tell whether you have pests 1. Gnaw Marks 2. Droppings 3. Wall Marks 4. Smell 5. See the Animal 6. Skin Q: What do you do to eliminate them? 1. More air flow where there the air makes the flies go out 2. Fly Lights – sodium lights which keep them off instead of killing them 3. Automatic or spinning doors 4.Weather stripping (the thing at the bottom of the door) 5. Gravel barrier or a grate because pests don’t like uneven surfaces 6. Training staff to understand the importance of closing the door behind them such and pest control Best practice of water management * EPA – began a label called Water Sense that helps the end user identify water-saving products. * Managers being trained and aware of making sure only the best when buyi ng the products * Utilize the service of performance contractors * Minimize water waste and expense has started to become on the best practices.

Ap World History Curriculum Framework Questions

1. In what way do we see the expansion of the Byzantine Empire (or the Muslim Caliphates) facilitating Trans-Eurasian trade & communication? answer: give examples of conquered people being drawn into their conquerors’ economies & trade networks) * Byzantine Empire – use of the gold coin, the bezant, facilitated trade and communication by creating a standard currency by which all peoples could expect to trade with; Balkan Slavic peoples came under Byzantine rule and was drawn into the trade network; became trading partners with other towns that were smaller in size such as Florence of Italy, facilitating long-distance trade * Muslim Caliphates – everywhere, there was a huge incentive to convert to Islam because of the massive trade arena that was created as a result of the religion – in various countries, Islamic religion provided links for trading partners (such as in West Africa); when Islamic empire conquered India, new products were introduced (crops) w hich later spread into Africa and Uerope 2. What examples do you see of cross-cultural interactions resulting in the diffusion of scientific & technological traditions? Byzantine Empire – when China finally opened its doors, many Europeans such as Marco Polo visited there and absorbed many ideas about Chinese culture, writing about them and eventually bringing those ideas back to Europe * Muslim Caliphates – Greek thinking (science and medical texts, as well as philosophy) contributed towards Arab scholarship, and its thinking about the natural sciences and philosophy 3. Following the collapse of empires (most notably Roman), the Byzantine Empire constituted a new government. Give examples of the way that traditional sources of power & legitimacy combined with innovations in governance to produce a gov’t better suited to its circumstances (ie: patriarchy, religion, or land-owning elites combining with new methods of taxation, tributary systems, or adaptation of religious institutions). Byzantine Empire – it maintained a Roman style of centralized imperial court that was based in Constantinople; it set up a caesaropapism where the emperor was both the head of the state as well as the head of the church as appointed by God; maintained many social systems such as taxation and the church; in the 11-13th centuries, there was a leap in urbanization and economic growth, which led to many new chances for women to leave their domestic lifestyles to seek more urban professions * Western Europe – the Roman Catholic Church was separate from the state; the pope held religious authority while the emperor headed the state – system of feudalism ensured loyalty in the chaos-ridden world of that time * China – centralized, individual cities; landowners were given privileges by the government rather than merchants, as merchants were viewed as lazy people who gained profit through the works of others 4. Do you see any examples of i nnovations in agriculture or industrial production? ie: foreign luxury goods & crops like sugar & citrus being grown in new regions) * Byzantine Empire – adopted various mathematical, scientific and philosophical theories of the Arabs and India; adopted the technology from China – papermaking, gunpowder, as well as the compass and much nautical technology; heavy wheeled plow that was adapted to suit the environment – could handle the thicker soil of Northern Europe; relied on horses and used horseshoes probably from China or Central Asia; system of three field crop rotation; adopted silk making techniques and became one of the main producers of silk; developed cannons as a result of the introduction of gunpowder * Muslim Caliphates – new crops introduced in India which were spread around the empire such as cotton and sugarcane (two crops had a very complex production process, and in the rush to produce it, slavery quickly intensified; adopted ancient Pers ian water-drilling techniques, rockets from China, and papermaking techniques all from China; developed a series of math concepts such as algebra, scientific advances such as in medicine and pharmacology 5.What factors do you see that contributed to the decline of urban areas (possible answers: little ice age, invasions, disease, decline of agricultural activity – give examples of this) * western Christendom – around 476, much that had characterized Roman civilization also weakened, declined or disappeared in the several centuries before and after; any semblance of large-scale centralized rule vanished, disease and warfare reduced Western Europe’s population by more than 25%; land being cultivated shrunk, while wasteland expanded; urban life diminished as Europe reverted to a largely rural existence; buildings crumbled from lack of care, and outside Italy, trade routes died out * eastern Christendom – decline in urbanization because of the threat of attac k of outsiders; slavs, arabs, latin crusaders and turks progressively disrupted the empire through simple penetration or military conquests – swelling of Constantinople’s population was not growth, but because many people chased from their region by Byzantium’s enemies sought refuge in Constantinople 6. Do you see continuities & changes in social structures, labor management? (labor: free peasant agriculture, nomadic pastoralism, craft production, guild organization, unfree labor & gov’t enforced labor taxes, military obligations? * China – built a bureaucracy that managed public works; Tang and Song dynasty experienced a revolution that made it the richest, most skilled and most populous country on earth; industrial production soared in both small and large scale enterprises, China’s iron input increased dramatically; produced things for the market rather than for local consumption; growing use of paper money led to the increase in output, population, skills and led to a burst of inventiveness * Byzantine Empire – agriculture – production arranged around two centers – estate and village; distinctions between landholders and tenant farmers; guilds of specified jobs introduced a new and more productive division of labor * Roman Empire – coercive labor system (slavery) 7. Give examples of new forms of coerced labor. Give examples of free peasants resisting attempts to raise dues & taxes (ie: revolts in Byzantine empire or China). Give examples of the increased demand for slaves (for both military & domestic purposes) within Central Eurasia, & Eastern Mediterranean. within the new, fragmented and decentralized kingdoms of the Western Christendom, a social system known as feudalism emerged – lesser lords and knights swore allegiance to greater lords or kings; Roman style slavery gave way to serfdom – unlike slaves, serfs were not the personal property of their masters, couldnâ€⠄¢t be thrown off land and were allowed to live in families, but they were bound to their master’s estates as peasant laborers and owed various payments and services to the lord of the manor * Byzantine Empire highly regulated slavery – natural state of humanity is freedom, but law of nations may supersede natural law and reduce certain people to slavery – basic definition of a slave was – anyone whose mother was a slave, anyone who has captured in battle, and anyone who has sold himself to pay a debt, but it was possible to become free * Abbasid Empire had an army dominated by slave soldiers – mamluks – originally soldiers captures in central Asia, but later boys specifically taken or bought to be trained as soldiers – later dissolved their loyalty to their masters and established themselves as the ruling dynasty * Islamic slaves directed at the service sector – concubines, cooks, porters and soldiers – form of consumpt ion rather than a factor of production – many more female than male slaves 8. In what ways do we see gender relations and family life being affected by religious conversion? may not be many examples in Europe, but several in other areas we’ve already studied) * Song dynasty, reviving Confucianism tightened patriarchal restriction on women to emphasize images of female submission and passivity; emphasized the subordination of women and men and the need to keep them separate * Spread of Christianity opened new opportunities for women – to become nuns/join a convent, offered relative freedom from male control; where women could exercise authority and gain some semblance of education * What rise of Islam meant for women is highly controversial – on a spiritual level, the Quran states explicitly that women and men are equals, but on a social level, they were viewed as subordinate, especially in marriage; sometimes it helped women – banned infanticide, g ave women control over property/inheritance, required a women’s consent for marriage etc. , but also diminished their social roles as there were growing restrictions on women

Beating essay-writing block, Nursing Standard - Emphasis

Beating essay-writing block, Nursing Standard Beating essay-writing block, Nursing Standard In his second article on writing skills for nursing students, Rob Ashton explains what to do when inspiration doesnt strike. D-Day has arrived. And the essay youve sat on for weeks is due tomorrow morning. Its not that you havent put pen to paper yet. In fact, youve done lots of research and written copious notes. But bringing them all together into an even semi-coherent essay has become what seems like an insurmountable task. Now youre staring hopelessly at a blank screen with a feeling of panic in the pit of your stomach. It threatens to overwhelm you. Fear not though. The first thing to understand is that youre certainly not alone in feeling this way. Writers block affects everyone at some time even famous authors. Biologically, it occurs because your brain perceives a harmless task as a dire threat, and starts to do everything it can to keep you away from it. An essay, though not exactly fun, cant actually harm you of course. But youre dealing with millions of years of evolution here, and mere logic may not be enough to beat the problem. The secret to blasting through it is to arm yourself with a set of techniques that will enable you to blast through those blocks. Put on your thinking cap Grab a pencil and paper and brainstorm what you want to include in your essay. Write down everything you can think of, including scientific studies, ideas, arguments and counter-arguments. Take a series of coloured pencils and group together the points that have elements in common. Then rank these groups in order of importance. Build an effective structure Next, write headings that relate to the groups in your brainstorm. For example, if your essay is to evaluate the clinical treatment of diabetes, you might write Medical model of diabetes and Social psychology of sugar consumption. You wont necessarily keep these headings in your final essay. Instead, think of them as guide posts to keep you on course. Find your flow Now and only now its time to put fingers to keyboard. But forget settling down for an all-nighter. Instead, set an alarm for five minutes from now, and write until it goes off. This will be far less daunting than seeing a marathon writing session stretching out before you. After all, how bad can five minutes be? Yet what youll probably find is that you start speeding up to try to beat the clock. And in doing so, youll start to create momentum. Three or four of these five-minute burst are normally all it takes to get things moving. For it to work, you have to be honest with yourself and stop at five minutes if its just not happening for you. But when you do, make sure you reset your alarm and start another five-minute session five minutes from now. Forget your grade Although your heart may be set on producing a first-class essay, put these thoughts aside while youre writing. Focusing fully on answering the essay question gives you the best chance of scoring top marks. Pay attention to detail Once you have your first draft, carefully comb through it and weed out any meaningless words. Make sure your opening paragraph directly answers the question and that youve fully explored your arguments. Finally, proofread carefully by stopping a pen at each word to make sure there are no typos or spelling mistakes. You dont need the mad panic of an imminent deadline to get started. So dont delay the writing process by doing too much research. Just take a deep breath, begin your brainstorm and write your way to essay success.

Freelance Editors for Indie Authors

Freelance Editors for Indie Authors Do you want to make your book the best it can be? Of course you do. But how do you do that? If you are an indie author, as so many of us are these days, it is essential that you work with both a professional editor and an experienced cover designer. The process for finding these pros is pretty similar but today we are going to take a look at how to find the perfect-fit editor for you and your book. Editors come in two general categories: a.) developmental editors who work with you right out of the gate to help you understand your market, conceptualize your book, organize the material, avoid repetition, keep it moving, engaging, fresh and original, and b.) copyeditors and proofreaders who make sure your completed manuscript is error-free and professionally designed. How Do You Find A Good Developmental Editor? Good is the key word here. A good editor is likely to be a professional editor who has had lots of experience in the traditional book publishing world. Once you have located an editor you feel may be right for your book, find out where she has worked and what published books she has worked on. Make sure she has had experience editing the kind of book you are writing. This is very important. And where do you find this person? = Get a referral. Check around, ask other writers, your friends, agents at writers conferences. = Look online. Go to Google and type in Freelance Editors.   Of course, you can type in Freelance Copyeditors and Proofreaders or Freelance Book Designers, too, if thats what you happen to be looking for. Also, you can check out our recently published guide The Self-Publishers Ultimate Resource Guide www.bookdocs.com The Independent Editors Group (full disclosure, Im a member of this group. www.bookworks.com The Self-Publishers Association www.bibliocrunch.com Bibliocrunch www.consulting-editors.com Consulting Editors Alliance www.digitalbookworld.com Digital Book World www.elance.com Elance www.the-efa.org Editorial Freelancers Association www.mediabistro.com Media Bistro www.publishersmarketplace.com Publishers Market Place = Chat with the editor. Define your goals. Feel free to ask him for his credentials and for the titles of a few of the published books he has worked on. If he has not worked on any books that have been published = Be clear about the fee structure. Does she charge = Ask about the time line. How long does she expect the editing process to take? This depends on how quickly you get the revisions back to her, but make sure you both agree on what is a reasonable amount of time for this project to take. = Ask if he has had experience with self-publishing. This is not essential, but sometimes an editor who knows his way around self-publishing, or who can at least refer you to others who do, can be a big help for first time indie authors. Always remember, this is your book. You are the creator, the artist, and your name is on the cover. When you disagree with your editors suggestions, trust your instincts and go with what you feel is right. You are the boss and thats as it should be.

Rates of Change Worksheets with Solutions

Rates of Change Worksheets with Solutions Prior to working with rates of change, one should have an understanding of basic algebra, a variety of constants and non-constants ways in which a dependent variable can change with respect to changes in a second independent variable. It is also recommended that one has experience calculating slope and slope intercepts. The rate of change is a measure of how much one variable changes for a given change of a second variable, which is, how much one variable grows (or shrinks) in relation to another variable. The following questions require you to calculate the rate of change. Solutions are provided in the PDF. The speed at which a variable changes over a specific amount of time is considered the rate of change. Real life problems as those presented below require an understanding of calculating the rate of change. Graphs and formulas are used to calculate rates of change. Finding the average rate of change is similar to a slope of the secant line that passes through two points. Here are 10 practice questions below to test your understanding of rates of change. You will find PDF solutions here and at the end of the questions. Questions The distance a race car travels around a track during a race is measured by the equation: s(t)2t25t Where t is the time in seconds and s is the distance in meters. Determine the car’s average speed: During the first 5 secondsBetween 10 and 20 seconds.25 m from the start Determine the instantaneous speed of the car: At 1 secondAt 10 secondsAt 75 m The amount of medicine in a milliliter of a patient’s blood is given by the equation:M(t)t-1/3 t2Where M is the amount of medicine in mg, and t is the number of hours passed since administration.Determine the average change in medicine: In the first hour.Between 2 and 3 hours.1 hour after administration.3 hours after administration. Examples of rates of change are used daily in life and include but are not limited to: temperature and time of day, rate of growth over time, rate of decay over time, size and weight, increases and decreases of stock over time, cancer rates of growth, in sports rates of change are calculated about players and their statistics. Learning about rates of change usually begins in high school and the concept is then re-visited in calculus. There are often questions about the rate of change on SATs and other college entry assessments in mathematics. Graphing calculators and online calculators also have the ability to calculate a variety of problems involving the rate of change.

Historical Poems of Social Protest and Revolution

Historical Poems of Social Protest and Revolution Nearly 175 years ago Percy Bysshe Shelley said, in his Defence of Poetry, that â€Å"poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.† In the years since, many poets have taken that role to heart, right up to the present day. They’ve been rabble-rousers and protesters, revolutionaries and yes, sometimes, lawmakers. Poets have commented on the events of the day, giving voice to the oppressed and downtrodden, immortalized rebels, and campaigned for social change.   Looking back to the headwaters of this river of protest poetry, we’ve gathered a collection of classic poems regarding protest and revolution, beginning with Shelley’s own â€Å"The Masque of Anarchy.†Ã‚   Percy Bysshe Shelley:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Masque of Anarchy† (published in  1832; Shelley died in 1822) This poetic fountain of outrage was prompted by the infamous Peterloo Massacre of 1819 in Manchester, England. The massacre began as a peaceful protest of pro-democracy and anti-poverty and ended with at least 18 deaths and over 700 serious injuries. Within those numbers were innocents; women and children. Two centuries later the poem retains its power. Shelleys moving poem is an epic 91 verses, each of four or five lines a piece. It is brilliantly written and mirrors the intensity of the 39th and 40th stanzas:     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  XXXIX.What is Freedom?- ye can tellThat which slavery is, too well- For its very name has grownTo an echo of your own.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  XL.’Tis to work and have such payAs just keeps life from day to dayIn your limbs, as in a cellFor the tyrants’ use to dwell, Percy Bysshe Shelley:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Song to the Men of England† (published by Mrs. Mary Shelley in The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley in  1839) In this classic, Shelley employs his pen to speak specifically to the workers of England. Again, his anger is felt in every line and it is clear that he is tormented by the oppression he sees of the middle class. Song to the Men of England is written simply, it was designed to appeal to the less educated of Englands society; the workers, the drones, the people who fed the wealth of the tyrants. The eight stanzas of the poem are four lines each and follow a rhythmic AABB song-like format. In the second stanza, Shelley tries to wake up the workers to the plight they may not see: Wherefore feed and clothe and saveFrom the cradle to the graveThose ungrateful drones who wouldDrain your sweat- nay, drink your blood? By the sixth stanza, Shelley is calling the people to rise up much like the French did in the revolution a few decades prior: Sow seed- but let no tyrant reap:Find wealth- let no imposter heap:Weave robes- let not the idle wear:Forge arms- in your defence to bear. William Wordsworth:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Prelude, or, Growth of a Poet’s Mind† Books 9 and 10, Residence in France (published in 1850, the year of the poets death) Of the 14 books that poetically detail Wordsworths life, Books 9 and 10 regard his time in France during the French Revolution. A young man in his late 20s, the turmoil took a great toll on this otherwise home-bodied Englishman. In Book 9, Woodsworth writes passionately: A light, a cruel, and vain world cut offFrom the natural inlets of just sentiment,From lowly sympathy and chastening truth;Where good and evil interchange their names,And thirst for bloody spoils abroad is paired Walt Whitman:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"To a Foil’d European Revolutionaire† (from  Leaves of Grass,  first published in the 1871-72 edition with another edition published in 1881) One of Whitmans most famous collections of poetry, Leaves of Grass was a lifetime work that the poet edited and published a decade after its initial release. Within this is are the revolutionary words of  Ã¢â‚¬Å"To a Foil’d European Revolutionaire.† Though its unclear whom Whitman is speaking to, his ability to spark courage and resilience in the revolutionaries of Europe remains a powerful truth. As the poem begins, there is no doubting the poets passion. We only wonder what sparked such embroiled words. Courage yet, my brother or my sister!Keep on- Liberty is to be subserv’d whatever occurs;That is nothing that is quell’d by one or two failures, or any number of failures,Or by the indifference or ingratitude of the people, or by any unfaithfulness,Or the show of the tushes of power, soldiers, cannon, penal statutes. Paul Laurence Dunbar,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Haunted Oak† A haunting poem written in 1903, Dunbar takes on the strong subject of lynching and Southern justice in The Haunted Oak. He views the matter through the thoughts of the oak tree employed in the matter. The thirteenth stanza may be the most revealing: I feel the rope against my bark,And the weight of him in my grain,I feel in the throe of his final woeThe touch of my own last pain. More Revolutionary Poetry Poetry is the perfect venue for social protest no matter the subject. In your studies, be sure to read these classics to get a better sense of the roots of revolutionary poetry. Edwin Markham,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Man With the Hoe† -  Inspired by Jean-Franà §ois Millet’s painting Man with a Hoe,† this poem was originally published in the San Francisco  Examiner in  1899. Upton Sinclair noted in The Cry for Justice: An Anthology of the Literature of Social Protest that Markhams poem  became  Ã¢â‚¬Å"the battle-cry of the next thousand years.† Truly, it speaks to hard labor and the working man.Ella Wheeler Wilcox, â€Å"Protest† - From Poems of Purpose, published in 1916, this poem embodies the spirit of protest no matter the cause. To speak up and show your bravery against those who cause suffering, Wilcoxs words are timeless.Carl Sandburg,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I Am the People, the Mob† -  Also from a 1916 collection of poetry,  Chicago Poems, Sandburg reinforces the thoughts of Wilcox. He speaks of the power of the people - the mob - the crowd - the mass and the ability to remember wrongs while learning a better way.Carl Sandburg,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Mayor of Gary† -  A free-form verse that appeared in 1922s Smoke and Steel, this poem looks at the Gary, Indiana of 1915. The 12-hour day and the 7-day week of the workers drew a sharp contrast to Garys trim and proper mayor who had time for a shampoo and shave.

Analysis Of Critical Analysis Of Leaves Of Grass B Essays

Analysis Of Critical Analysis Of Leaves Of Grass B Essays Analysis Of Critical Analysis Of Leaves Of Grass By Walt Whitman Alex Perez Perez 1 Mrs. Michels 05/00 Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman In the twentieth century, the name Walt Whitman has been synonymous with poetry. Whitmans most celebrated work, Leaves of Grass, was the only book he ever wrote, and he took a lifetime to write it. A large assortment of poems, it is one of the most widely criticized works in literature, and one of the most loved works as well. Whitman was unmarried and childless, and it has been noted that Leaves of Grass consumed him greatly; James E. Miller Jr. writes: he guided his poetic offspring through an uncertain, hesitant childhood, a lusty young manhood, and a serene old ageit is difficult to write the life of Whitman without writing instead of the life and times of his bookWhitman was the kind of parent who lives his life through his child. (Miller 15) The poetic offspring that Miller writes of is of course Leaves of Grass. Whitman poured his soul into the work, as he questioned himself and observed his demeanor through his writing. He fathered the tome, as after its initial publishing Whitman went on to release revision after revision as time progressed. Miller goes on to reflect on Whitmans methods, as he tells the reader of Whitmans curiosity towards life, particularly curious about his own meaning in the world in which he lived. Like any individual of depth and complexity, Whitman was continuously curious about who he was(he had) a lusty enthusiasm, a hearty relish for life lived at all times to its fullest intensity. (Miller 17) The life Whitman lived to its fullest intensity started in West Hills, Long Island, May 31, 1819. He was one of nine children to Walter and Louisa Whitman, his father a farmer and his mother a devout Quaker. Quakerism was the only religious inheritance the Perez 2 family passed on to Walt, and, as Miller notes, could also be seen later in his famous sea-poem. Out of the cradle endlessly rocking, Out of the mocking-birds throat, the musical shuttle, Out of the Ninth-month midnight Passage to more than India! Of secret of the earth and sky! Of you o waters of the sea! O winding creeks and rivers! O day and night, passage to you! (Whitman 180-294) His use of thee and thou in his poetry, his reference to the months by their sequential number (ninth month for September), and his instinctive adoption of the inner lightall of these Walt could trace back to his Quaker background. (Miller 17) This Quakerism also contributed to the style of Leaves, told with certain closeness and a certain emphasis paralleling that of a preacher. Miller comments on this style: His was a day of evangelism and oratory. As a child he was no doubt frequently exposed to both. The passionate intimacy and pleading of many lines in Leaves of Grass couldhave been used by an itinerant preacher (Miller 43) Aside from his Quaker traces, Leaves of Grass has been criticized as being an extension of Whitmans life. Just as Miller described the work as Whitmans child, John Kinnaird comments on the great level of importance at which Whitman held his masterpiece: Leaves of Grass suggests so much of the original existential Whitman that criticism must continue to recover and understand, particularly since this is the first poet who ever insisted that his book was in reality no book. (Kinnaird 24) Kinnaird reinforces the criticism of Miller Jr. as he emphasizes the autobiographical and introspective nature of Leaves. It seems that Whitman used this work as a release, and Perez 3 had a marvelous interpretation of life in general. He also had a unique estimation of poetry itself. In his introduction to Leaves of Grass he writes: The power to destroy or remold, is freely used by him (the greatest poet) but never the power of attack. What is past is past. If he does not expose superior models and prove himself by every step he takes he is not what is wanted. (Whitman 8) The introduction from which the passage was taken is one of great length, with elaborative and expressive sections, in which Whitman further explains the muse behind his book, the child he conjured up at the time, as he was without any family

How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer

How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The maximum score on the ACT is a 36. Out of the 1.8 million students who take the test every year, only about 1,000 get the highest possible ACT score. This elusive perfect score places you at the top of millions of high school students and can be a big boost to your college applications. I scored a perfect score on the ACT. Most of the advice out there about how to get a perfect score comes from people who didn't get perfect scores. In this exclusive article, I'll be breaking down exactly what it takes, and the techniques I used to get a perfect score. Quick Disclaimer Let me start with a disclaimer: I'm a humble person, and I don't like talking about my accomplishments without good reason. I know a lot of you are looking to score the highest ACT score possible, so I've written this guide to help you get there. So whatever I say here, please take it as advice from a mentor eager to help, not as a braggart strutting his stuff. (Even if you're not aiming for a perfect score, you're going to find this helpful). Another disclaimer: I co-founded the company PrepScholar- we create online ACT/SAT prep programs that adapt to you and your strengths and weaknesses. I want to emphasize that you do NOT need to buy a full prep program to get a great score. If you follow the principles below and are very driven, you'll do just fine. I do believe that PrepScholar is the best ACT program available right now, especially if you find it hard to organize your prep and don't know what to study. I'll refer to decisions we made in creating the program to flesh out principles I discuss below. What It Takes to Get a 36 on the ACT At the top end of the scoring range, the ACT is not forgiving. You need to aim for perfection. Because the ACT uses Composite scores, what you need to aim for is a 35.5 average or higher. This means you can get two 35's and two 36's, or one 34 and three 36's. If you get even one 33, you're already not going to get a perfect ACT score. What does it take to get a 36 in each section? This varies a little from test to test, as each test has different difficulty levels. I studied the scoring charts of five practice tests, and here are the conclusions: In English, you can miss 0 questions. This means a full raw score of 75.If you miss 1 question, you always got a 35. In Math, you can miss 0 questions or 1 question.Two practice tests let you miss 1 question to keep a 36. The other three tests gave a 35 if you missed 1 question. In Reading, you can miss 0 questions. In one practice test only, you could miss 2 questions- this test likely contained an abnormally difficult passage. In Science, you can miss 0 questions.In all five practice tests, missing a single question brought your Science score down to a 35 or even a 34. Here's a sample score chart from an official ACT: Essentially, you need to aim for perfection during your prep. If you're consistently missing 1 or more questions on each section, you're not performing consistently enough to be safe for a 36. We'll go into more detail about this below. If you want to confirm my statements here, check out the ACT score charts for official practice tests. One last question to answer before my actual advice on how to get a 36 on the ACT: But Wait...Are You Just Smart? Will This Advice Work for Me? You may have heard about perfect students who just rolled out of bed, strolled to the ACT test center, and scored the highest possible ACT score without any prep. This was not me. Some people like the ones above may in fact exist, but they're rare.In high school, I was naturally stronger at math- I participated in math and science competitions- and I could reliably get 800's on the SAT math section (I focused my prep for the SAT). But my reading and writing needed work. When I started off, I consistently got in the 700 range. Now, this is already pretty high, but it wasn't enough for Ivy League schools and other colleges I wanted to go to. I just wasn't that accustomed to the ACT reading passages and the types of questions they asked. It took a lot of hard work for me to learn how the ACT works, how it tries to trick students, and how to find a strategy that worked for myself so I could reliably get top scores.My co-founder at PrepScholarhad a similar story. Since I'm older, I also have the benefit of seeing whether my methods worked over time, or just on the ACT. Emphatically, the principles below have worked throughout my academic career. Here's another example. As an undergraduate in college, I planned to attend medical school, so I had to take the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test). In my view, this is a much harder test than the ACT. It covers many more topics: general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, biology, and verbal reasoning. Furthermore, you're competing with pre-med students across the nation, people who are naturally driven and dying to get into medical school, not just average high school students. When I started studying for the MCAT, I scored around the low 30's. The test was scored out of 45 and was curved very aggressively. Again, this was already well above average, but it wasn't enough for the top medical schools I was going for. So I worked hard. I put in the time, covered all the subjects I needed to know, and was ruthless about my prep. In the very end, I scored a 44: As the testing organization notes, this is in the 99.9 percentile rank, with 0.0% achieving this score (this figure is rounded). I had multiple medical advisers tell me that they had never seen a score this high before, and there might indeed be fewer than 3 people per year- or none at all- who get a 44.Scoring this high definitely helped me get into the MD-PhD program at Harvard Medical School and MIT. I wish I were talented enough to get these test scores naturally without hundreds of hours of hard work. That would be the cooler thing to say. But it wasn't true for me, and it probably won't be true for you either. With this foundation laid, here's the meat of what I want to say: What Do You Need to Do to Get a Perfect 36 ACT Score? In broad strokes, it takes a lot of hard work, a lot of smart work, and some amount of luck. But this isn't helpful. Let's dig deeper. You have to want it. Really, really want It. You need the drive to push yourself. You need to put ACT prep as one of your top priorities in life, overcoming watching YouTube or hanging out at the mall. In the darkest of days, when you take a practice test and drop 3 points inexplicably, and your parents are freaking out, and you're worried you're never getting into Harvard, you need the inner fire to not fall into a rut. Instead, you need to pull yourself up and calmly rip apart your mistakes so you don't repeat them. People don't often mention motivation when talking about test prep, but in my view this is one of the most important pieces that differentiate successful people from not, in all aspects of life. It's much more important than just being smart. Make a list of all the reasons you want to get a perfect score. Write them down. Stare at them when you lose energy or motivation. Want to get into Harvard or an Ivy League school? Want to make up for a bad GPA? Want to prove to your parents that you can beat their expectations? Want to compete with your friends?Want to show up your 3rd grade teacher who said you would never amount to anything? That's all good. Anything that drives you from within is a valid reason to work hard. In my personal case, beyond the academic benefits, I thought the ACT was a dumb test that was impeding my life. I was angry at test writers who devised tricks to fool students. I approached it like a video game- the ACT was a boss that I needed to dominate. Plus, my brother had a near-perfect score, and I wanted to one-up him. Write down all the reasons you want a perfect score and use it to motivate yourself every study session. Exclusive Blog Bonus: We've written a popular free guide on 5 tips to improving your ACT score by 4+ points. Get a free download here. Step 1: Do High-Quality Practice and Avoid Low-Quality Materials The ACT is a weird test. It's unlike tests that you've taken throughout school. There's a specific format to each section, and it tests concepts in ways that are likely different from what you've studied in school. It also tends to trick you with lots of bait wrong answers, and if you're not careful, you'll continue to fall for these. To excel at this test, you need the highest-quality practice materials. Because the ACT has questions that are twisted in a particular way, you need to train in exactly the way they're twisted so you learn the patterns. As we've said before, by far the best practice material comes directly from the ACT in the form of official ACT practice tests. We include these tests in our ACT prep program at PrepScholar. Just like the mantra about your diet and body, what you put in is what you get out. Trash in, trash out. If you train yourself on questions that aren't anything like what the ACT writes, you're going to learn the wrong patterns. Using bad materials is like training for baseball by playing tee-ball. Yes, if you spend 1000 hours practicing tee-ball, you'll be a pro at hitting a ball off a stick. But when someone pitches a real baseball at you, you're going to get super confused and likely end up striking out. This is what you're doing if you study with bad materials. To be frank, most of the books available on the market are trash. They have a lot of questions, but they're written by people who aren't truly experts on the test. This means the questions don't test concepts in the same way; the answers are sometimes ambiguous; the questions don't trick you in the same way the ACT does. When I was studying, I devoured every ACT practice test I could find. I took over 15 full-length practice tests and was ruthless about finding my mistakes, as I'll talk about soon. Now, a major weakness of the ACT practice tests is that their explanations aren't very good (and sometimes nonexistent). If you don't know how to teach yourself from your mistakes, you may need supplemental materials focused on a single section. Generally, books rated 4.5 stars and above on Amazon are pre-vetted to be pretty good (read here for my reviews of the best ACT prep books). In my company PrepScholar, we hired only ACT full-scorers and 99 percentile scorers to write all our questions. You need to have mastered the test to really understand the intricacies of how the ACT works. We turned away applicants who scored below a 33 since they really don't understand the test well enough. We then triple-checked all our content for quality and resemblance to the real ACT test so that our students have the best possible prep materials. Collect good prep materials and study using only these. Step 2: Focus on Quality First, Quantity Second Now you have a lot of materials, whether it's through PrepScholar or prep books. Some students focus hard on getting through every single page of every book they have. They might not know why they're studying what they're studying, but at least they sure put in a lot of time and effort! This is the wrong idea. You don't want to pound your head against the wall and use a brute force approach. Improving your ACT score is about quality first, and quantity second. It's so tempting to just focus on getting work done, because that's the easy part. "Mom, I'm studying hard, I did 10 practice tests this week!" Great- you probably didn't have any time to review your mistakes, and I bet your score didn't improve from test to test. Understanding your weaknesses, as we discuss below, is what takes real energy and insight, and it's what really works. Think about it this way- let's say you're learning to throw a football with a perfect spiral. You can pick up a football and, by trial and error, if you throw it 1,000 times, you'll make some progress. Now imagine you have New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady standing by your side. You throw the ball once, and he corrects your technique. Angle your leg back this way, have your hand follow a certain motion, and follow through. You try again, and it's way better. In throwing 50 balls this way, I'm certain you'd end up doing better than 1,000 by yourself. I'm not suggesting that Tom Brady in this analogy is a tutor, and that you must have a tutor. You can be your own Tom Brady, and we discuss below how to do that. But you need to make sure you get the most out of your studying and make it as efficient as possibleto have a chance at a perfect ACT score. You need your own ACT Tom Brady. Step 3: Be Ruthless About Understanding Your Mistakes When you're actually studying, this is by far the most important way you'll succeed over other students. Every mistake you make on a test happens for a reason. If you don't understand exactly why you missed that question, you will make that mistake over and over again. If you're performing at the 32 level, you're missing around 10% of the questions. This means you have some consistent errors that are holding back your score. This is what you need to do: On every practice test or question set that you take, mark every question that you're even 20% unsure about. When you grade your test or quiz, review every single question that you marked, and every incorrect question. This way even if you guessed a question correctly, you'll make sure to review it. In a notebook, write down the gist of the question, why you missed it, and what you'll do to avoid that mistake in the future. Have separate sections by subject and sub-topic (english- grammar rule vs rhetorical skill, math- numbers vs algebra vs geometry, etc.) It's not enough to just think about it and move on. It's not enough to just read the answer explanation passively. You have to think hard about why you specifically failed on this question. By taking this strict, regimented approach to your mistakes,you'll now have a running log of every question you missed, and your reflection on why. Everyone who wants to get to a 36 on a section has different weaknesses from you. It's important that you discover for yourself what those are. Now, what are some common reasons that you missed a question? Don't just say, "I didn't get this question." Always take it one step further- what specifically did you miss, and what do you have to improve in the future? Here are some examples of common reasons you miss a question, and how you take the analysis one step further: Content: I didn't have the skill or knowledge needed to answer this question. One step further:What specific skill do I need to learn, and how will I train this skill? Incorrect Approach: I knew the content, but I didn't know how to approach this question. One step further:How do I solve the question, and is there a general rule that I need to know for the future? Wrong Guess:I was stuck between two answer choices, and I guessed wrong. One step further: Why could I not eliminate one of the last answer choices? Knowing the correct answer now, how I can eliminate it? Does this suggest a strategy I can remember for the future? Careless Error: I misread what the question was asking for or solved for the wrong thing One step further:Why did I misread the question? What should I do in the future to avoid this? Does this seem hard? It is- you have to think hard about why you're falling short and understand yourself in a way that no one else can. But few students actually put in the effort to do this analysis, and this is how you'll pull ahead. By the end of my studying, I had notebooks filled with practice questions that I'd missed, and when eating breakfast I could thumb through them to review them, like flashcards. Each mistake understood brought me closer to a perfect ACT score. Adopt a no-mistake-left-behind policy toward your mistakes. Letting one slip through can mean you make the same mistake on your real ACT. No excuses when it comes to your mistakes. Step 4: Find Patterns in Your Weaknesses, and Drill Them to Perfection Now that you're collecting mistakes in a notebook, you'll be able to start finding patterns to your weaknesses. This might be a content area- like problems with math circle problems, or a specific grammar rule. Or it might be a personal habit of yours, like misreading the passage or eliminating the wrong answer. Focusing on your weaknesses is important because you have a limited amount of time to study, and you need to spend that time on the areas that will get you the biggest score improvement. I've worked with students who just love drilling their strong points because it's comfortable. Of course, this is a waste of time- you have to confront your demons and pick at where you're weak, which is uncomfortable and difficult. I kept track of my mistakes in an Excel spreadsheet. I found, for example, that I consistently missed Reading passage questions about inferences because I was reading too far into what the author was saying. I then focused on drilling those specific types of questions until I had developed my own strategy for solving the questions. As another example, you might find that you get confused by certain ACT vocabulary. The ACT doesn't test vocabulary nearly as much as the SAT does, but it tends to use the same words over and over again. We've compiled the most important ACT vocabulary you need to know, with a guide on the best way to memorize vocab words. Depending on your area of weakness, you may need to search online for resources for that content area, or use a high quality book, as I mentioned above. In our PrepScholar program, we detect your weaknesses andautomatically organize your quizzes by skill so that you can focus on learning and not on the higher-level activities of analyzing your own progress. By the way, a quick side point- be suspicious of any content-level strategies that promise you results. By content-level, I mean strategies that tell you how you must solve a type of question. At your level, you need to focus on what works best for you. For example, people approach reading passages differently. Some read the passage first, then answer questions. Some skim questions first, then go back to the passage. I know what works best for me, but that's not necessarily what works best for you. What you will have to do is aggregate strategies for your weaknesses, then test them out yourself to see if they work for you. Specific strategies for each weakness is out of scope of this article, but we'll post examples later- make sure you subscribe to our blog to get the most recent updates. Find the weak link in your chain. Step 5: Eliminate Careless Errors These types of mistakes are by far the most frustrating. You know the content, you know how to solve it, but because of a misreading of the question, you miss a point from your raw score. This can already disqualify you from a 36 in every single section. In my own ACT, I made careless errors because I was trying to finish early and save time for the end, so I would rush through questions too quickly. I hated myself every time I made a careless error. But when I focused on the two things below, I was able to claim back my lost points. #1: Double check that you're answering the right question. The ACT is designed to ask you tricky questions.You might find the area of the square, but the question actually asks for the perimeter. To eliminate this, always underline what the question asks you to solve for. Don’t stop your work until you solve for the correct thing. Another strategy is to write what the question is looking for in your scratch area. For example, if it asks for seconds instead of minutes, write â€Å"= ____ seconds† and circle it before you start your work. This might sound like extra work, but how you defeat careless errors is by having a reliable, failproof system. #2: For English, a common careless error is choosing "(A) NO CHANGE"in sentence error questions.Whenever this happens, make sure you double check the other answer choices to make sure that NO CHANGE is absolutely the best answer choice. You should check especially for grammar rules that are easy to overlook, like Subject-Verb Agreement and Misplaced Modifier. By analyzing your mistakes, you'll be able to find patterns in grammar rule weaknesses that you have. You can then build your own system for grammar rules that you often miss- for example, for Subject-Verb Agreement, identify the subject and the verb, and then make sure they match. Watch out for the banana peel of the ACTs- careless errors. Step 6: Get Fast Enough to Always Double Check Your Answers Now that you’re aiming for a top score, you need to finish each section ahead of time to give yourself time to double check your answers. A good rule of thumb is to finish the section with at least 5 minutes to spare. As you get better at the ACT, this will be easier to accomplish since you’ll solve each question in less time. The ACT has pretty intense time pressure- more than the SAT. Where on the SAT I reliably finished each section with five to ten minutes to spare, on the ACT I was often left with just five. But with this time, I would mark any questions that I felt I had to return to and double-check. I had enough time to review all my answers at least once. The real time-killers are questions you get stuck on. It’s very easy to get sucked into a question for five minutes, frustrated that the ACT is taking a point away from you. Avoid this temptation. Follow this rule: if you’ve spent 30 seconds on a question and can’t see how you’re going to get to the answer, circle the question, and skip it. You’ll have time at the end to come back to it. For now, you need to work on the other questions.How do you double check effectively? It varies between sections. For math, you should try to re-solve the question quickly in a different way. For some questions, you’ll be able to plug the answer back in. For others, you’ll just need to check your steps you took the first time around.For English, confirm that the answer choice fixes the original grammatical error. Again, for NO CHANGE answer choices, make sure you aren't missing something in the question.For Reading, confirm that there is no other bette r answer choice than the one you picked. For passage questions, make sure you rule out three incorrect answers. For Science, make sure you calculated correctly (if it's a calculation question), or that you're reading the right graphs on the test. It's easy to mix up Figure 2 and Figure 3 when you're moving fast. As you get better at the test, you'll have more time left. Aim for at least five minutes left after each section, and use that time to doublecheck your answers. Step 7: Don't Get Inside Your Own Head During the Test If you're vying for a perfect 36 score, you'll face pressure during the test. You know how little room for error there is. This means that if you're having trouble with a question, it's easy to psyche yourself out. "Oh no! I'm having trouble with this math question. If I don't get this right, my 36 in math is gone!" This will make you nervous, which makes you even less likely to answer the question, which makes you more nervous, and so forth. This vicious spiral can suck you down for the rest of the test. Controlling your mental status is important during the test. Just like a pro athlete or performer, you need to be confident about your skills. You already put in a ton of work, and you've learned most of what the ACT has to throw at you. The last thing you want to do now is ruin more of the test. So it's a single question you're unsure about- this doesn't affect your performance on any other question. Try your best and clear your head, then move on. Stay calm during the test, even if you get confused on a question. Does All of This Really Work? I can say from personal experience that these are the principles that I used to excel in academics. If you follow these principles for your own classes and in college, you'll do an amazing job. I would also be hard-pressed to find any top scoring student who doesn't agree whole-heartedly with the advice above. This advice also works if you're not aiming for a 36. If you want to improve from a 24 to a 30, you can use these principles to power your learning. These principles also work in life. As a startup founder, I adhere to lean principlesto constantly analyze where my weaknesses are, how to build them, and how to focus on what's really important for our company. While the ACT tests specific skills that you may not use in everyday life, the process of preparing for it can teach you a lot about yourself, your limits, and your ambitions. This sounds a little hokey, but take it from this old man, you can learn a lot about yourself. Finally, keep in mind that you don't need a 36 to get into top colleges! A 34+ will make you more than competitive for top schools, like the Ivy League. If you get a 34, your time is better spent building up the rest of your application than eking out a few more points. Quick Plug:I've mentioned my company PrepScholar a few times. If you agree with what I say above, you'd like my course. I designed our ACT course around the principles above, knowing that most students don't have the energy or expertise to diagnose their own weaknesses. PrepScholar automatically figures out what you need to work on and focuses your learning by drilling your weak skills. It also builds in motivational features so you're up to date on your progress and commit to more study time. Check out our ACT program here. What's Next? Now that you've learned how to get a perfect score on the ACT, the hard work is ahead. Check out our guides on getting a 36 on each of the ACT sections: English, Math, Scienceand Reading. If you liked this article, you'll also like our logistics articles on choosing the best test dates and the best test locations. Every detail matters. If you missed the link above, here's the ACT vocabulary you must know. Finally, check out our online ACT prep program.We have a 4+ point money back guarantee: if you finish our course and don't improve by 4 points, you get all your money back, no questions asked. Try our program with a 5-day free trial today: