Best source for Expo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Best source for Expo - Essay Example From the article, one can tell that it was the second year for the event and it was like a combination show of trade that gathered fans and made a big party with some music festival in it. How well the author elaborates on the activities that were carried out in the expo makes it a good source of expo. Through reading this article, a reader can tell what to expect in a penny arcade expo. The author analyses the expo in a way that anyone who reads the article can tell every detail of the Expo. The article explains that in the Penny Arcade expo there were more than 10,000 attendees. According to the article, the expo involved console and computer game tournaments (Penny, 2005). I chose this source because it elaborates on every session that took place in the expo. For example, it gives the activities that took place in the show such as the question and answer sessions with penny arcade creators, pro-player challenges, and performances by music rockers. The article gives the highlight of the show as Omegathon, which is a gaming decathlon with six events. The author makes the expo activities look exciting to the reader. Even for individuals who did not attend the expo, through reading this article they can get a clear picture of the activities that took place and how exciting they were. The article also names its sponsors as sonny, Microsoft, Ncsoft, and Nintendo (Penny, 56). By naming the sponsors of the expo, the source makes the reader grasp an idea of corporations that work hand in hand with the Penny arcade Expo. The performances that were made in the expo give the reader an idea of the activities of an expo. Through using this source, an individual can compare how the 2005 expo was different from other expos that have been held since then in different places. One can compare the events and be able to tell the most common events that take place in such expos. The source gives information of the expo through

Strong relationship Essay Example for Free

Strong relationship Essay Perhaps, growing up as a member of the third sex, most especially in a black community, is one of the most significant challenges that one could face. Black communities are centered on the traditional function of an institution, which is mainly directed in opposing the lifestyles that are deemed to be transgressing the code of morality. Historically, people of color have been faced with serious hardships and obstacles, and these add up to the pressure of being a part of the third sex. Fortunately, such experiences have been my stepping stone to become aware of what it is like to be involved in a subject that few have dared to discuss. Though I am lucky enough to grow up with a strong support system, I still had and continue to have my share of difficulties which eventually changed my perspective in the governing body that permeates our community. I was once a member of the Navy, and I was discharged from the service on the basis of sexual orientation. My firsthand account of the institutional discrimination became my guiding force to pursue a legal profession which I believe would pave the way for me to bring to public interest an issue that is often taken for granted. As an individual who has spent a considerable time working in the paralegal environment, I believe that education and exposure are imperative tools in bringing changes in the perspective of individuals. Likewise, the attainment of understanding towards an issue can only be possible if individuals are aware of the current situation. Hence, armed with a strong desire to pursue law, I will strive to bridge the gap between the gay community and the public. Similar to other applicants who wish to apply for the university’s law program, I offer credentials that highlight my capability as an individual. Alongside my education and work experiences as a paralegal practitioner in both the international and local landscape, I also actively participated in community outreach programs which became a ground for me to fully recognize my capabilities as a legal practitioner. From there, I managed to have an account of providing legal assistance and education among people of different backgrounds specially those that were impacted with the discriminatory practices present in the workplace. Likewise, I was able to share my experience as a person of color and a member of the third gender. I account the continuous increase of my professional knowledge to all my experiences in working with people of diverse background. Having been able to deal with individuals who offer varied and inspirational stories catapulted my desire to understand further the ins and outs of the industry. For these reasons, I strongly believe that (name of university) would offer me the education that would bring me a step closer to attaining my goal of becoming an attorney. My strong commitment to diversity as well as excellent program would enable me to achieve my objectives and broaden my perspective in legal aspects. In addition, when identifying potential schools, I sought out institutions that extend their efforts to areas that would prepare me excellently for public interest works and would fully equip me with academic input which, in the long run, would enable me to give out possible improvements with the issues present in the field of law. I also believe that (name of university) is a ground for me to reconstruct my plans for a better career path and would allow me to take on valuable options that are essential for establishing strong relationship with the community that I am about to work with. The combination of my strong educational background, practical experiences and my pursuit to expose and rectify the injustices permeating in our society would ensure my success in the university’s law program. For the foregoing, I believe that (name of university), with its purpose-driven programs, is the ideal institution to embark upon the study of law.

The American Dream According to John Steinbeck Essays -- Of Mice And Me

John Steinbeck, author of many classic American novels, greatly influenced modern American literature. Steinbeck often referred to the Salinas Valley of California in his writing. He often referred to the settlers and the adversities they had faced during the migration to the Salinas Valley area. With novels such as Of Mice And Men and The Grapes Of Wrath, Steinbeck explained the harsh reality of the severe hardships the settlers faced to accomplish the American Dream. These novels share many similarities in regard to their themes. To understand Steinbeck’s work, we must first understand Steinbeck.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. His father was a treasurer for the county. Steinbeck’s mother was a school teacher. His mother taught him to appreciate books. Steinbeck attended high school locally. During his summers, he worked on ranches and farms to earn money. After high school, he studied marine biology at Stanford University. By the late 1920's, he moved back to California without an academic degree. Steinbeck had never planned to work in the field of his major. He had always known he would be a writer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1929, now living in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Steinbeck was given an advance from a publisher to write a book. The publisher gave him $250. This book, called Cup Of Gold, failed to make a profit. Steinbeck did not get discouraged. By 1935, he released a novel called Tortilla Flat. This ... The American Dream According to John Steinbeck Essays -- Of Mice And Me John Steinbeck, author of many classic American novels, greatly influenced modern American literature. Steinbeck often referred to the Salinas Valley of California in his writing. He often referred to the settlers and the adversities they had faced during the migration to the Salinas Valley area. With novels such as Of Mice And Men and The Grapes Of Wrath, Steinbeck explained the harsh reality of the severe hardships the settlers faced to accomplish the American Dream. These novels share many similarities in regard to their themes. To understand Steinbeck’s work, we must first understand Steinbeck.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. His father was a treasurer for the county. Steinbeck’s mother was a school teacher. His mother taught him to appreciate books. Steinbeck attended high school locally. During his summers, he worked on ranches and farms to earn money. After high school, he studied marine biology at Stanford University. By the late 1920's, he moved back to California without an academic degree. Steinbeck had never planned to work in the field of his major. He had always known he would be a writer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1929, now living in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Steinbeck was given an advance from a publisher to write a book. The publisher gave him $250. This book, called Cup Of Gold, failed to make a profit. Steinbeck did not get discouraged. By 1935, he released a novel called Tortilla Flat. This ...

Art of War Summary Essay

Art of War is a famous Chinese military strategy book written by Sun Tzu, an ancient Chinese military general. He was famous during his time and for his work entitled Art of War, which made him known even up to our century. According to Wallace (2010), Sun Tzu is the author of one of the most prominent pieces of literature during the era of the Warring States in which China entered around the first millennium B.C.E. In this work of art Sun Tzu takes a rational approach to the problem of conflict and dissects every aspect of it. Sun Tzu is undeniably an historical figure. The book is all about how to win a war by employing strategies and tactics given the information and ideas that every general must know from laying plans, handling his army, giving commands, positioning, maneuvering and all other important aspects mentioned by Sun Tzu. The book is concentrated on war strategies and tactics but Sun Tzu’s philosophies from the Art of War can be viewed from many perspectives. It can be applied on many circumstances including strategic management, the strategies and tactics that were laid on the book can be applied to many aspects of business management. Sun Tzu’s ideas believed that laying plans is vital before making any move. This idea is the same as careful planning and gathering reliable information before making any decision in strategic management. Assessing one’s environment is helpful in a business perspective, too. Know yourself, know your enemies. Knowledge is as important as guns and bullets in engaging war. Knowing the enemies and your own strengths and weaknesses is similar to SWOT analysis. Economic aspect must be considered in engaging business same as engaging in a war. Time is of essence that’s one thing that is common to war and strategic management. In business, decisions must be made in a timely manner. Be moral and ethical. Sun Tzu included Moral Law as one of the constant factors. In business, customers usually patronize those who are known for their ethical behaviour.   The true leader knows both how to utilize his resources and when to make a decision. He plans by making a combination of direct and indirect tactics. Handling resources and decision making are constant activities both in war and in managing business. Sun Tzu’s classical book was intentionally written for the conduct of war but his ideas and perceptions don’t just fit for war. The book addresses strategy in broad manner making it applicable to strategic management. II. Summary The first chapter of the book concentrates on ideas and information that a general must be aware of. The art of war is governed by five constant factors, all of which need to be taken into account. They are: the Moral Law; Heaven; Earth; the Commander; Method and discipline. These factors should be known to every general because this will serve as guidelines in conduct of a war. Knowledge on one’s environment and assessment of it is important to achieve victory. Sun Tzu believes that deception and intelligence will bring home the bacon. Second chapter’s central idea focused on how to do the battle, the tactics that must be employed when the battle is on and the economic aspect of war. Sun Tzu mentioned in this chapter that when you do battle for a long time it will dull your forces and exhaust your resources. Prolonged warfare only brings poverty to a country. Proper timing on when to attack, valuing every minute during the war, and making victory as the objective of every war will prevent prolonged warfare. Be flexible. Be a clever fighter. These are Sun Tzu’s message in the next two chapters. The fifth chapter tackles force and domination as a tool to build momentum. â€Å"The control of a large force is the same in principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers. Fighting with a large army under your command is not different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals.† This just means that a large size of the army doesn’t secure victory, proper handling of men and right commands somehow does. Avoid being deceived and shaped. The army must remain invisible to its enemy and maintain unity. Sun Tzu emphasizes in the sixth chapter that an army must know their own strengths and weaknesses. Then, figure the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses with the help of deception. By this, one can see the opportunities and threats brought by the environment. Maneuvering is the seventh chapter’s focus. Sun Tzu said that tactical maneuvering is difficult. Yes it is. Keeping an advantage is hard to maintain but this is very essential to shield your army from defeat. The next chapters are focused on how to respond on different war situations. Adaptation is elaborated in the eighth chapter of the book. Sun Tzu focuses on the need for flexibility in this chapter. He explains how to successfully respond to shifting circumstances. The succeeding entitled â€Å"The Army on March† describes how the army must move from one place to another, paths that requires expertise before you can go through it and the areas that must be avoided to maintain advantage. Chapter ten looks into the general aspects of resistance and the six kinds of terrains or field positions which each of which offers advantages and disadvantages both in terms of advancing position and defending the army. Sun Tzu said that the art of war recognizes â€Å"Nine situations† and these are elaborated in the eleventh chapter. These are: dispersive ground; facile ground; contentious ground; open ground; ground of intersecting highways; serious ground; difficult ground; hemmed-in ground; desperate ground. Translators say that these nine situations can be generally grouped into early, middle, and late-stage conditions, and they range from scattering to deadly. In each of these situations, there is one and only one appropriate response. As the title says, â€Å"Attacking by fire† this chapter is basically lays down the five different ways to attack the enemy using fire. First, burn the soldiers in their camp. Second, burn their stores. Third, burn their equipment. Fourth, burn their weapons. Lastly, burn their supplies. The ways mentioned have been widely used by many battles. The last chapter focuses on the importance of gathering information from reliable sources and managing them. It specifically discusses the value and methods of developing good information sources. It describes five kinds of spies: local spies, inside spies, reverse spies, dead spies, and living spies. Reliable information can help mold your own strategy and gain competitive advantage.

Middle School Ministry Made Easy: Book Review Essay

Author Information Kurt Johnston has been serving in junior high ministry since 1988. (Simply Youth Ministry n. d. ) Currently, he oversees all of student ministries and is hands on in junior high ministry at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA. (Oestreicher 2011) Kurt also likes encouraging junior high youth workers and has written books and created resources with that goal in mind. (Simply Youth Ministry n. d. ) The growing list of books Kurt has written include such titles as, The 9:Best Practices for Youth Ministry, and 10-Minute Moments: Smart Stuff – Exploring Proverbs 10 Minutes at a  Time. Kurt has partnered with other experts in the field of student ministry like Mark Oestreicher – President of Youth Specialties, (Oestreicher 2011) Scott Rubin -Director of Elevate, the junior high ministry at Willow Creek Community Church, (Simply Youth Ministry n. d. ) and Katie Edwards – Junior High Director at Saddleback Church, (Doug Fields 2011) to produce resources for those in student ministry such as The Middle School Survival Series, Kurt & Scott’s Junior High Adventure, Amigos, 99 Thoughs About Girls: For Guys’ Eyes Only, and 99 Thoughts about Guys: For Girls’ Eyes Only. Kurt’s experience and expertise in student ministry is accessable at all times through a network of websites such as simplyyouthministry. com, youthministry. com, and juniorhighministry. com. Kurt authors a subscription based email newsletter that claims to be, â€Å"Almost daily deas, thoughts, & insights for your youth ministry,† and has proven to be beneficial to my minsitry. Content Summary The main idea of Middle School Ministry Made Simple is stated on the back cover of the 4 book. It says, â€Å"You don’t have to be an expert to minister to middle schoolers. † The pages  Johnston’s book are filled with practices and strategies that could be tremendously useful in a middle school ministry setting. The tools that Johnston shares are based on twenty-three years of ministry experience, and have the personal stories of success and failure to offer authenticity and relevance to their use. Throughout the chapters of Middle School Ministry Made Simple, Johnston address issues that those engaged in middle school ministry are certain to face, like recruiting other adults to invest in the lives of teenagers. He emphasizes seeking out leaders who are not only willing to  serve but who are also a good fit for the ministry. Johnston says, â€Å"Having fewer of the right type of junior high leaders is always better than having more of the wrong type. † (Johnston 2008) Other subjects in Johnston’s book address partnership with parents, middle school ministry programming, leading middle schoolers and volunteers, and the importance of a lasting ministry. Johnston emphasizes ministry programming that focuses on the five purposes of the church: evangelism, worship, fellowship, discipleship, and ministry. (Johnston 2008) He also  highlights targeting the five types of junior high students in your area: community, crowd, congregation, committed, and core. (Johnston 2008) The foundation of â€Å"Purpose Driven† ministry and targeting different types of students is the hope that as students are reached, they might progress from the outside of the fellowship, community students, to the inside of the fellowship, core. Johnson touches on some principles of leadership, and shares that his graduate degree is in the very subject. This may be why he has so much to say, and so much insight to share when it  comes to leading, either as the leader of a ministry or as a volunteer within the ministry. He 5 talks about being the leader as â€Å"leading from the front,† and serving as a volunteer as â€Å"leading from the middle. † In both positions, Johnston emphasizes the importance of leaders nurturing their soul or walking closely with the Father, and gives insight into how to lead from varying levels of responsibility. â€Å"Middle school ministry deserves adults who are committed for the long haul,† says Johnston when it comes to perseverance. (Johnston 2008) He offers insight that emphasizes the  lasting impact of remaining in a position of leadership for a long period of time, and shares expert advice on how to make that happen. His words garner tremendous respect, as he has proven that the principles about which he writes must be true by demonstrating incredible endurance in his own ministry. As a result of his ministry experience, Johnston lists in an alphabetical fashion, twenty-six â€Å"tips and tidbits† that he hopes will be helpful to readers who are involved in middle school ministry. Evaluation One of the things I enjoy most about Middle School Ministry Made Simple, is that while  Johnston may arguably be the authority on middle school ministry, he doesn’t claim to have his field figured out. He even shares in the introduction, despite twenty-three years (twenty years upon the book’s publishing) of middle school experience, â€Å"I am not an expert. † This attitude of humility makes his advice in the chapter concerning leadership, in which he advises leaders to â€Å"pass the praise,† as well as the rest of his knowledge, even more authentic. Johnston’s advice on recruiting volunteers is tremendously insightful. I particularly like  the way he contrasted the stereotype of an effective middle school volunteer with the list of seven key qualities he looks for in a potential ministry volunteer. While the other information in this chapter is helpful, the aforementioned comparison is the most valuable in my estimation. I 6 think people do have a stereotype of what a middle school volunteer should look like or how they should act. Unfortunately many outstanding volunteers are missed because they don’t meet expectations, while others are recruited based on faulty ideals who may not be the best for the students or the ministry team. Johnston’s handling of partnership with parents is not the strength of this book. I felt like he treated the issue as a necessary evil, but not an area of ministry focus. He emphasizes that parents are a part of the equation and so we should be involved with them. However I don’t get the impression that Kurt’s idea of partnership with parents is about strengthening the family as the primary disciple makers of students, as much as it is about leveraging their contributions to one’s ministry. The strength of this book is Johnson’s time proven expertise, and ability to convey his  experience in ministry in a way that is helpful to other middle school ministry workers. I believe that this book should be on the shelf of everyone who serves in middle school ministry, regardless of tenure of ministry. Five new things that I have learned from this work that I will apply in my future strategy are: 1. A key part of empowering others is allowing them to make decisions. 2. Develop accountability to encourage longevity. 3. Not every opportunity is a good opportunity for me. Just say no. Three new things I can do today in the area of personal student development are: 1.Develop a presence on the local school campus. 2. Too many rules can be a hindrance. Focus on respect for others. 3. Develop a system of teaching topics that will guide students through middle school/ Some questions this book raised that I would like to discuss in class are: 1. Once a leader is aware that a volunteer is not going to work out, how does one remove 7 him or her from service without damaging the relationship? 2. What is the balance between strengthening the influence of the home and strengthening the programs of the church through student ministry? 8 Bibliography Doug Fields. Katie Edwards is coming to SLC2011. 2011. http://www. dougfields. com/katie-edwards-is-coming-to-slc2011/ (accessed 10 7, 2011). Johnston, Kurt. Middle School Ministry Made Simple. Cincinatti, OH: Standard Publishing, 2008. Oestreicher, Mark. The Youth Cartel. 8 8, 2011. http://whyismarko. com/2011/kurt-johnston-offers-5-reasons-hes-excited-for-the-middle-school- ministry-campference/ (accessed 10 7, 2011). Simply Youth Ministry. http://www. youthministry. com/user/kurt-johnston (accessed 10 7, 2011). Stier, Greg. Outbreak! Creating a Contagious Youth Ministry Through Viral Evangelism. Chacago, IL: Moody Press, 2002.

Privacy of Social Application Essays

Privacy of Social Application Essays Privacy of Social Application Essay Privacy of Social Application Essay Essay Topic: The Social Contract Privacy of Social Application Name: Institution: Privacy of Social Application Abstract The main topic being researched is the loss of privacy within social networking applications. The first section contains the introduction that offers detailed information into the extent of privacy loss within the most popular social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. In this section, the challenges that face increased privacy are addressed in detail. Included in this part are the description of the main issues and objectives of the research paper. The section concludes with several statistics that emphasize the extent of social networking usage as well as the consequences involved. The next section is the literature review that contains information collected from various sources on the definition, nature, characteristics and concept in social privacy. This section also contains the existing works written by various researchers on privacy in social applications such as theories and case studies. The last section covers the Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P) analysis in de tail after which the paper concludes with a conclusion summarizing the main points. Introduction Social media has been defined by Michael Haenlein and Andreas Kaplan as â€Å"a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content (Kaplan Haenlein, 2010).† In addition, social media operates on web-based technologies and mobile applications to develop vastly interactive platforms that link together people and groups, generate, chat about, and alter user-generated material. Social introduces significant and invasive transformations in the communication between companies, groups and people. Organizations seeking bigger opportunities have turned to social collaboration devices that have transformed it into a $42 billion market. These organizations use social networking applications for nearly all functions including recruitment, advertisements and promotions and for maintaining customer relationships and satisfactions. In this paper, the hidden or complex relationship between the front end user, third party application organizations and social networking sites is elaborated in depth. With the widespread use of social media by communities, organizations and individuals, several privacy challenges have emerged. Most of these challenges were initially present but the development and introduction of Web 2.0 served to pronounce them to significant levels. Through the usage of Web 2.0, social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Orkut and Facebook have not only thrived exponentially, but they have also encouraged the development of third party developers who use the social applications to release their own applications (Politis et al., 2009). Most of the privacy challenges are caused by these third party applications as they are awarded the same privileges as the owner of the accounts. Social media networking sites have also stated in their policies that these third party applications have full access to p ersonal information. However, this has not deterred social media users for providing their full information. However, part of this behavior can be attributed to the services offered by these companies that make the access to personal information a mandatory requirement before anyone can finish the installation process. Individuals are, therefore, unaware of the large amount of information that these third party applications because of the hidden nature of the relationship. This paper also discusses the addiction and effects of excessive usage of these applications on individual’s productivity, health and privacy. Privacy issues within social networking sites have been not only identified, but also vast amount of investigations are underway to respond to the risks that accompany the provision of personal information of social networking users (Politis et al., 2009). Some of the challenges within online social networking applications include cyber stalking and tracking and disclosure of individual’s locations. Several third party applications within most social networking sites border on stalking the users that subscribe to their services. A classical example is the application ‘Creepy’ that can allow its users to track people’s location using photos uploaded on Orkut or Twitter (Ruff Winn, 2010). Advanced devices can even narrow down the location using longitudes and latitudes. This poses many possible risks to users who distribute their personal data to a large number of friends. The ‘Places’ application in Facebook works in the same way and has the same effect of exposing one’s geographical location to the rest of the followers on his or her account. Social networking applications have also been cited as being misused by data aggregation organizations that make use of the social data to make thei r own financial and administration decisions (Huijsman et al., 2012). These organizations engage in social profiling activities that are partly supported by social networks (Kaplan Haenlein, 2010). Because of the liberal subscription policies in the creation of social network accounts, most sites report numerous cases of illegal or prohibited activities that involve underage account holders. Teenagers and preteen account users in Facebook and Twitter have been the subjects of sexual abuse, indecency and theft perpetrated by corrupted users (Ruff Winn, 2010). While there are age restrictions, the implementation of these measures has been largely minimal. Lastly, law enforcement agencies such as FBI and CIA are permitted by law to impersonate different people in social networks. These privacy challenges have made social networking applications the topic of many researches and studies. Issues and Objectives The privacy tool within the social network environment acts as an important security device. There are instances when intruders attempt to mine private information from one’s profile without their permission. In such occurrences, the privacy aspect on social network applications becomes the main concern. The unauthorized intruder can access critical information such as images, contacts and names from a user’s account (Ruff Winn, 2010). Other sophisticated cyber criminals access the private information from different users and use it to engage in criminal activities. Handling the issue of loss of privacy within social networking sites is very difficult due to its nature. Globally, there are numerous social network accounts that can almost double the number of people in the world given that an individual may have an account in each site (Facebook, Twitter, Orkut etc.) (Leitch Thomas, 2012). Therefore, regulating the activities of these social networking applications is capital intensive considering the scope of the activities that include organizations, communities and individuals. There is also a problem concerning the best approach to take in handling the privacy issue in most social networking applications. This is because the purpose of these sites is to encourage networking and bring social circles closer to people. These activities demand that a user provide their information. Furthermore, social networking has been transformed into a multi-million business and this has introduced other stakeholders that have to be consulted in the process of executing any reforms concerning privacy (Kaplan Haenlein, 2010). Objectives The main objective of the paper was to discover the state of privacy within social applications and seek out ways to solve these issues thereby improving the quality of service in social networking. Many users of social media do so with the expectation that their personal information will be exposed to a limited and selected number of users. The responsibility therefore lies with the social network provider to put into action privacy devices that are both straightforward and adequately assessed to allow users to have sufficient control over whatever material they make public (Ruff Winn, 2010). Therefore, a successful privacy device has to address the following dimensions of a permissions approach, the objects exposed in the public domain, the main actors in the social networks and actions can be taken once users can acquire these objects. Contribution The advancement of social networking sites have served to open up the world to new possibilities in communication and networking. However, they have also revealed the grave setback of increased internetworking and public contact in the loss of privacy. For prominent social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook, offering one’s identity and other personal information as a way of creating an online profile are the main activities promoted by the site (Kaplan Haenlein, 2010). This information may include an individual’s date of birth, home address, and mobile contact(s). Some social network applications even for greater information on personal preferences and activities for example, interests, pastimes, preferred literature or movies, and the status of one’s relationship. While this is true for most social applications that encourage networking, the same cannot be said for social applications such as online dating sites, where anonymity is highly desired. In these unique cases, it is difficult to link someone to their ‘online profile’. These advancements have created a culture of people who have lost all meaning of privacy and have therefore increased the amount of private information to very many people (Trepte Leonard, 2011). However, there are several issues with the provision of such sensitive information to social networking sites and these issues shall form the core of this paper. Literature Review Extensive research and investigation into issues relating to privacy in the Internet and its subsidiaries such as social networking sites has been done with excellent outcomes that have guided future decisions in handling privacy issues. The issue of security and social privacy has had the largest impact on the popular sites than smaller, less known ones (Trepte Leonard, 2011). However, it is important to separate the aspects of security issues and privacy issues. However, both types of problems are closely related when it comes to social networks. The issue of magnitude emerges when the impending damage to a user occurs in a renowned social site having many users. An example is a Facebook user having 2,000 friends and belonging to 40 groups who can be categorized as being more vulnerable compared to someone having 10 friends (Trepte Leonard, 2011). Legal Implications and Aspects of Privacy in Social Applications While the social networking and media craze continues to transform the existing environment and become the standard method of advertisements and communication for organizations, communities and individuals, it is increasingly important to deal with the legal risks linked to social media use effectively (Tang Yang, 2012). The marketing model based on the application of social media involves direct contact with and collecting vital information about, consumers and clients in order to more resourcefully and successfully deliver their promises. Highly detailed and precise data on different social media users is naturally more valuable to the company collecting it. Logically, as they collect and apply data on social media usage, companies are exposed to personal information belonging to those users. The most common areas containing legal privacy obligations are in the terms of use for specific social media platform. Social media platforms endeavor to limit privacy threats to their users against commercial parties by prescribing detailed conditions and limitations concerning the compilation and utilization of personal information. For instance, third party applications developed to be used in Facebook, companies cannot extract information from a user’s friends list outside of the application. Companies are only permitted to use the Facebook API to replicate, modify, develop copied works, share out, trade, relocate, publicly display and perform, transmit content (Tang et al., 2008). Regrettably, the failure to adhere to these privacy-related conditions of use has regularly put companies into legal difficulties. The problems can emerge directly with the social media service provider as a ban or a lawsuit concerning actions that breached the contract. Additionally, an infring ement of the responsibilities prescribed in the terms and conditions of use may be assumed as the grounds for court cases against organizations using social media (McMenamin, 2010). On a global level, several states and regional organizations including New Mexico and Utah have made the move to bar companies from forcing potential employees from giving out their social networking accounts before they are employed. Some of the main aspects in the Internet Employment Privacy Act (IPEA) include provisions that barred employers from asking for usernames and passwords and from taking unfavorable actions based on the results of their social networks (Pierson, 2012). However, in deeper analysis, the IPEA initiative was partly unsatisfactory as it gave employers the leeway to access the employee’s account in issues that affected the company’s operations for example sabotage or corporate espionage. Misconduct among employees on the social sites was also subject to inspection by the employers. The only coercive aspect of IPEA was the monetary fine of $500 that would be awarded to any individuals who felt that this law was violated in their case (Ruff Winn, 2 010). This penalty was by far a small cost that most companies could easily cover and continue violating this law. Technical Implications and Aspects of Privacy in Social Applications The invasion of personal privacy within social media applications has contributed to increased social insecurity. Social media might have entrenched itself as a dominant force, but consumers and organizations alike have intentionally overlooked the social security and privacy consequences of being part of these sites. There are quite a few security risks to consider when handling social media. One of the most apparent problems that almost all users of Twitter and Facebook experience regularly is spam mail (Ruff Winn, 2010). While spam is definitely frustrating and can lower individual productivity, spamming in itself is a form of hacking. Account hacking and data leaks contribute towards a drop in productivity, customer loyalty, or confidential data loss to the rival companies. Most individuals who have had accounts in social networking sites for long periods have definitely experience hacking attempts. This may seem insignificant but for a company account, hacking poses a great th reat to their image and data storage (Mintz, 2012). The recent hacking of the giant pharmaceutical company, Pfizer is a classical example of insecurity with the social networking environment. The Pfizer case involved a combination of a poor password composition and low accountability in sharing credentials. The hack tarnished Pfizer’s image making it look untrustworthy and disorganized (Andrews, 2012). The hacking affected their business operations especially human resource activities involving requesting customers for their opinions and preferences. A study performed by an online security company, Bit Defender revealed that over 70% of company credentials were easy to locate in the social networking sites (Andrews, 2012). Of these companies evaluated, a large number of them used the same password for their social media accounts as they used for their e-mail accounts. This made it extremely easy for rogues to make off with crucial data or taint the image of a company. Another major security threat entails social engineering and malware. While the two elements are not related, the easiest technique of spreading harmful software makes use of social engineering (Hogan, 2012). This type of intrusion normally comes in the form of a friend posting a link or an object on your account. Known as the Koobface worm, this is just one type of this type of social engineering being used. Apart from the loss of productivity when specialists have to eliminate the malware, these harmful programs can have extremely negative impacts on the data stored and the functionality of the actual machine and this results in significantly more delays and costs as these problems have to fixed (Hogan, 2012). Social Implications and Aspects of Privacy in Social Applications Loss of privacy within social networking sites has numerous effects on the social status of individuals, organizations and communities. One of these implications is the loss of reputation or standing in the public arena (Andrews, 2012). Social media mishaps can contribute to the disrepute of a company or an individual using their exponential nature of spreading throughout different social circles in a short period. Individuals have had pictures taken of them engaging in controversial activities being posted on Facebook and going ‘viral’ even though they did not post them in the first place (Andrews, 2012). There are also instances of brand attacks that are characterized by a group of people who post controversial or incriminating material on social media sites with the aim of tarnishing a brand’s reputation. Nestle was the victim of such an attack in 2010 when a hacker posted destructive content on their Facebook account page (Mintz, 2012). To make matters worse, the PR official in charge handled the matter in an uncivilized way leading to further damages fro the company. On their part, Facebook did little to offer any assistance to the public relations problem apart from offering the opportunity for Nestle to remove or turn off the negative remarks altogether (Pierson, 2012). Without a doubt, these efforts by the company to cover up the drama resulted in an increased focus on the issues mentioned by the hacker and the evolution of newer groups that lashed out at Nestle. These mishaps points toward the need for a business to develop a strong social media policy in the event that a public relations catastrophe spirals out of control. Administrators of social media should realize when the situation calls the deletion of a comment or rescinding the rights offered to followers in a page or group (Mintz, 2012). Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P) analysis The term Platform for Privacy Preferences Project (P3P) refers to a protocol that permits websites to state publicly their planned use of data collected about Internet users. The protocol was developed to provide users with more control of their sensitive information when on the Internet. P3P is a product of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that was launched officially in 2002. However, after the initial launch, very little has been done to improve the quality and features besides minor improvements (McMenamin, 2010). Commercially, Microsoft was the only company to incorporate the P3P protocol in their web browser, Internet Explorer. The incompatibility, expenses and lack of value were cited as the main challenges that contributed to the failure of the P3P protocol (Tang Yang, 2012). Purposes of the P3P Protocol With the transformation of the World Wide Web into a mainstream medium for the transaction of services and goods, stakeholders in the electronic commerce used different techniques to gather more information about the customers who bought their products. This need created innovations such as tracker cookies to assist in collecting consumer data. On their part, users perceived this as an intrusion of privacy and would, therefore, use proxy servers or turn off the HTTP cookies to maintain the integrity of their personal information (Trepte Leonard, 2011). The main purpose of P3P was to offer web users more control over the amount and type of information they could release to the public. From the W3C side, the main aim of developing P3P was to enhance user confidence in the Internet through empowerment using technical methods. Features and Mode of Operation P3P is a program-specific language that eases the process of data management within different websites. Websites that operate under the P3P protocol function under a set of privacy policies that display their planned use for any information they might need from the user, and any site visitor (Trepte Leonard, 2011). If a P3P protocol is being used by a client, he or she can set their own policies regarding the amount of information that can be extracted by the different websites. In the process of browsing in a website, the P3P compares the set preference by the user with that of the demands in the website. If the two match, the website will be tagged as ‘certified’ or ‘trusted’ and can be accessed by the user (McMenamin, 2010). In the event that the two do not match, P3P informs the user of the anomaly and asks if they are willing to offer more of their personal information when they enter the site. Apart from the obvious benefit of additional security, P3P possess several other benefits that make it unique and useful. Through P3P, users are given the opportunity to comprehend the privacy policies in a basic and structured fashion rather than searching for additional privacy settings in the browser’s setting or the website. Therefore, each user can determine what cookies to allow and block any cookies that they may deem intrusive (Hogan, 2012). Through the P3P Toolbox, users can regain their confidence and trust on the Internet by implementing P3P fully (Bidgoli, 2009). The Toolbox provides a detailed explanation on how individuals and companies can access private information without seeking the consent of the user. Furthermore, these companies misappropriate this sensitive information by creating unnecessary notifications, spam (junk mail) and identity theft rackets. All these problems emphasize the importance of implementing P3P especially for regular Internet users. De spite the increase in browser use and the development of HTML, P3P has been structured to use technology to instill elements of individual preferences and data management behavior among Internet users (Drushel Kathleen, 2011). Criticisms According to studies done by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), the whole procedure of installing and implementing the P3P protocol was perceived as being too difficult and ineffective for regular users. The EPIC cited the level of complexity in the software and implementation process, and claimed that, for programmers and other computer experts, it was usable, but to the average user, it was not user-friendly (Agrawal et al., 2003). Most people were unfamiliar with the interface, the installation process and the updating procedures. Another related issue was that it was not compulsory for all websites to limit themselves to the P3P parameters. Therefore, P3P3 failed to take off largely because it was not needed by most websites. P3P served to work against their need to collect additional user information that would enrich their marketing and customer relationships (Tang et al., 2008). Another criticism approached the P3P proposal as being misleading to the regular Internet user. From the definitions, P3P came out as a security measure that protected people’s privacy from online parties. However, in reality, P3P only controls the data management through the websites. P3P functions by letting the user choose what they deem fit to furnish to websites. In most cases, users do not comprehend the safe level of information they can expose to websites and end up setting the P3P parameters too low and in the process, exposing themselves to predatory websites (Tang et al., 2008). Therefore, the misperception that P3P is a security and privacy measure was wrong. A New Specification for Privacy In Social Applications Increasing User Awareness on the importance of privacy Transforming the perceptions of users of social networking applications is one of the approaches towards changing the state of privacy loss currently being witnessed in the social media. This behavior change has been witnessed in several age groups, but the youngest users of these sites have offered the best example. Recent studies have shown that most teenagers and young adults (19-25) are more aware of the consequences of posting sensitive material on Facebook, Twitter and other social sites (Strandburg Daniela, 2006). Apart from watching what they post on these sites, these teenagers have also become more informed in maintaining the privacy over their information. This behavior was noticed after Facebook staff realized that most teenagers were ‘cleaning’ up their profiles by removing any compromising photos, deleting any negative comments and generally ensuring that their accounts were decent. This drastic change among the younger age group was triggered partly by t he vast information on how to make their accounts safer (Drushel Kathleen, 2011). Therefore, informing people on the best way to hide sensitive information is a workable approach. Closely related to the earlier point is the need for social media members to understand the privacy policies as well as the terms and conditions. Proper understanding of these regulations that guide the behavior of the individual, the social site provider and third party application is highly significant in lowering instances of privacy loss. While attempting to understand the relationship between these three parties may be difficult, knowing the basic roles played by each party is important. For instance, knowing the extent to which third party applications are allowed to reach concerning personal information will assist an individual in choosing whether to give that application the right to access his or her account (Tang et al., 2008). Another key element that most people overlook is that the social site providers are not responsible for the actions of the third party applications even though they collaborate in one platform (Drushel Kathleen, 2011). Knowing these and other aspects of operation greatly helps in lowering cases of privacy violation. The responsibility to disseminate these sets of information lies squarely with the social site provider. The company should be responsible for ensuring that all its users understand the risks or threats that come with exposing sensitive information on the Internet. This issue of misinformation was one of the causes of the failure of the P3P initiative (Andrews, 2012). Government Enforcement of Regulations concerning Social Sites The government should take a front seat in the fight against the loss of privacy within social media sites. This can be done through formulation and implementation of policies concerning free speech, administration of social networking sites and company activities regarding the sharing of personal data (Strandburg Daniela, 2006). Just like any other activity within the state borders, social networking is also subject to different regulations encapsulated within the communication sector. The issue of businesses that use websites to retrieve personal information without the user’s knowledge is the most urgent. Government policy should be formulated regarding the conduct of businesses particularly companies that engage in data collection for projection or marketing purposes. The policy should restore the right to divulge sensitive information back to the user. Social media providers such as Facebook should also be held accountable for the lackluster approach concerning privacy in their services. While several states in America have adopted regulations on employee-employer relations concerning social media transparency in the workplace, much has to be done to ensure that all these activities are covered under law. However, while including the government in the effort to restore privacy in social media sites, it is crucial to acknowledge that the government may fail to be effective owing to the laissez faire structure of the social media environment, as well as the magnitude of the issue at hand (Drushel Kathleen, 2011). Reforms by Social Media Providers Social media providers play the largest role in ensuring that privacy is restored to users of their services. These providers should assess whether the purposes being used for social networking are suitable. Most services offered by social networking sited are developed for communication needs but are normally used for other corrupted functions, and this changes the whole purpose of the service. For instance, Facebook has a ‘Pages’ service that has been manipulated by adult companies and other indecent organizations making it lose its meaning altogether. These providers should also stress on the importance of anonymity while using these services. While it is evident that the providers avoid any loss of privacy to the user, they offer little or no information to direct the users on anonymity (Andrews, 2012). Informing the members that their private information could be made public will be informative and helpful in averting cases of privacy loss. Conclusion Eventually, the current trends in the universe point towards an increased dependence on the Internet, computers and the social media to assist in advertising, marketing and communication. With this affirmed as a fact, it is evident that privacy and security issues will continue to plague individuals, communities and organizations within these social media networks. However, gaining information on security and privacy measures will go a long way in ensuring that an individual can shield themselves or their business from most of these negative aspects of privacy loss in social applications (Clark, 2010). The notion that businesses will continue to grapple for accounts in prominent social media sites such as Facebook, Orkut, My Space and Twitter is inevitable. It would be senseless and imprudent to write off the possibilities completely that social media can open up for a business. While making that statement, social media can also be the main factor creating losses and wastage of time for an individual or an organization given the rapid increase in privacy and security problems with the advancement of social media. In some cases, these problems are worsened by the approaches taken by social media companies making it a very insecure marketing tool. References A. M. Kaplan and M. Haenlein, The challenges and opportunities of social media, Business Horizons, Vol. 53, Issue 1 (61), 2010. A. P. Mintz, Web of Deceit: Misinformation and Manipulation in the Age of Social Media. Medford, N.J.: CyberAge Books, 2012. B. Drushel, and G. M. Kathleen, The Ethics of Emerging Media: Information, Social Norms, and New Media Technology. New York: Continuum, 2011. C. Leitch, and H. Thomas, Realistic Supervision of Technology and Social Media in the Public Workplace. Public Risk. 2012. D. Politis, J. K. Phaedon, and I. Ioannis, Socioeconomic and Legal Implications of Electronic Intrusion. Hershey, Pa: Information Science Reference, 2009. H. Bidgoli, Global Perspectives in Information Security: Legal, Social and International Issues. Hoboken, N.J.: J. Wiley Sons, 2009. H. Hogan, Social Media and the New Surveillance: Facebook and Twitter Bring with Them New Counterterrorism Tools - and New Issues for the Public. Hstoday. 2012. H. Lindskog, and L. Stefan. Web Site Privacy with P3P. Indianapolis, Ind: Wiley Pub, 2003. J. McMenamin, Risks and Benefits of Using Social Media. Disaster Recovery Journal. 2010. J. Pierson, Online Privacy in Social Media: A Conceptual Exploration of Empowerment and Vulnerability. Communications and Strategies. No. 88: 99-120. 2012 J. R. Clark, Social Media and Privacy. Air Medical Journal. 2010 J. Tang, W. Chen, and J. Wang. A Study on the P3P Problem. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. no. 5226: 422-429. 2008. K. J. Strandburg S. R. Daniela, Privacy and Technologies of Identity: A Cross-Disciplinary Conversation. New York: Springer Science. Business Media, 2006. L. B. Andrews, I Know Who You Are and I Saw What You Did: Social Networks and the Death of Privacy. New York: Free Press, 2012. L. Ruff and S. Winn. #Privacy Tweet Addressing Privacy Concerns in the Day of Social Media. Cupertino, Calif: THINKaha, 2010. R. Agrawal, J. Kiernan, R. Srikant, and Y. Xu, Implementing P3P Using Database Technology. Proceedings of the international conference on data engineering. no. Edit 19: 595-606. 2003. S. Trepte, and R. Leonard, Privacy Online Perspectives on Privacy and Self-Disclosure in the Social Web. New York: Springer-Verlag, 2011. X. Tang, and C. C. Yang, Social Network Integration and Analysis Using a Generalization and Probabilistic Approach for Privacy Preservation. BioMed Central Ltd. BioMed Central Ltd, 2012. Y. Huijsman, L. Jolanda, G. Rilana, and K. Mara. Social media for seniors: personal and business communication through social networking. [Netherlands]: Visual Steps, 2012.

tragedy essays

tragedy essays According to Aristotle, the main component of a tragedy lies in action, or the imitation of an action. For each character, it is by his actions that he is made happy or sad. He further notes that in tragedy, character is secondary to action. He also notes that the characters, through their actions, should invoke pity and fear from the audience. To me, this seems like a hopelessly narrow and confining way of looking at tragedy. I get the feeling that perhaps Shakespeare too felt confined by these conventions. That would at least explain the presence of his problem plays that do not easily fit into any one category. I think most of these genre conventions stem from peoples desire for fulfilled expectations. If Romeo and Juliet had been announced as Shakespeares new comedy, I imagine there would have been some confusion and even anger among the audience when they saw that it was clearly a tragedy. I guess the bottom line is, people like a good spectacle, and they like to have their expectations fulfilled. Hence, the necessity for different genres. They allow you to know what youre getting into beforehand. I say, to hell with genre! Let the artist be an artist! Do away with the idea that comedies must contain elements A, B, and C in order to be valid. I find Aristotles description of tragedies so specific as to be narrowing, and therefore exclusive. ...

26 Great Alternatives to ACT Practice Tests

26 Great Alternatives to ACT Practice Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips To completely prepare for the ACT, you must spend time taking official ACT testsin the same conditions that you’ll face on the day of the real thing. But what if you’re stuck on a concept that you just can’t seem to quite wrap your head around? Or what if you gone through many of the available practice tests already, but still would like to keep working on your skills? The great news is that there are many otherways to effectively study the concepts being tested on the ACT! In this article, I’ll talk about what alternative practice ACT resources are good for, and how to use them bestwhen preparing for the test. Then, I’ll also go through the ACT section by section and lay out all the availablealternative resources. By the end of this post, you'll have a huge stock of extra practice material to help you prep for the ACT. How Do You Use Alternative Practice Resources? What do I mean by "alternative" resources? Basically, any test preparation material that isn't the official ACT practice tests that are released by ACT. Getting good at taking the ACT is a combination of three things. First, you have tounderstand the basic content being tested. For instance, you have to have mastered algebra concepts forthe math section and grammar nuances forthe English section. Second, you have to know how to apply this content to solving problems and answering questions. For example, you must know which punctuation rule applies when, and which math formula goes with which calculation. Third, you have to be very comfortable with the test itself. In other words, the format, pacing, time pressure, and having built up enough stamina for this very long test should be second nature from repeated practice. Now, it's 100% true that the only way to master the last of these three things is through taking official ACT practice tests in test day conditions. Nothing can give you that day-of-test confidence like having gone through it a bunch of times already. However,learning content does not necessarily have to come from ACT materials! In fact, it’s good to be exposed to the same concepts presented in many different ways to really cement your understanding of how they work. This means that alternative resources that aren't necessarily specifically designed for ACT practice are actually a great way to boostconceptmastery. Alternative Study Resources for Each ACT Section Now letsgo through each of the ACT test sections one by one, and discuss ways to study for them other than usingtheoffical ACT practice question sets and tests released by ACT. Math Before diving into study alternatives, let's first go over what concepts are tested on the ACT Math section. Not surprisingly, it's the math you've been learning in school: Pre-algebra Algebra Geometry Trigonometry Alternative Study Resources for ACT Math Your school math textbooks or an online math textbook like theKhan Academy. These resources are great forexplaining difficult concepts, formulas, and theorems, and potentially for doing some of the non-multiple choice problems. Online ACT-style math questions. It's true that other companies generallyaren't that good at reproducing actual ACT questions. Still, third-party question banks can be helpful for some extra work attacking your math weaknesses. We've combed through them all to bring you anoverview of the best question bank websites. Math sections from the new post-2016 SAT. The new SAT math section is much more like the ACT, since itnow includes trigonometry questions and gives only 4 answer choices per question. This means that practice SAT questionsa great way to get in some more multiple choice practice. But, you're best off treating SAT math sections the same way you would treat question banks from other companies: their wording and format also don't reproduce those on the ACT. ACT Math review books.These will go over the key concepts you have to know to do well on ACT Math, and explain how the ACT will test them. To make your life easier, we’ve put togethera guide to the best ACT study booksout there. PrepScholar’s ACT Math guides.Our section on everything to do with ACT Math has some of the best researched and most detailed information you'll find anywhere. Some especially helpful guides include: All about math formulas.ACT won’t provide you with formulas, so you have to have the most commonly used ones down cold. Sounds stressful, but we can help! Readthrough our guide to the 31 math formulas you must knowcoupled with ourexplanation for how to actually use those formulasto get the full scoop on what you have to know. It's nice how1+2*3 is mixed into the infinity/pi/square root of 2 morass there. Looks like kindergarten and 10th grade are sharing the math room again. English This section will test your knowledge of how the English language works by asking you passage-based questions on the rules that apply to formal writing. There are two main types of questions: usage and mechanics (punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure) rhetorical skills (writing strategies, logic, paragraph and passage structure, and style) Alternative Study Resources for ACT English Grammar guides. There's just no way around it: knowing grammar and punctuation rules is critical for this section of the test. In order to learn the best grammar practices, go back toany textbooks you may have used inEnglish class. I also recommendthat youscroll through Erica Meltzer's Critical Reader blog for her helpful posts on ACT English, and read our complete guide to ACT grammar rules. Writing sectionsfrom the new post-2016 SAT.After its major overhaul, the new SAT will much more closely resemble the ACT. This means that you can use new SAT questions to drill your understanding of grammar and sentence structure. In particular, seek out practice questions from the Writing portion of the Writing Literature section from the post-2016SAT. "Improving Paragraphs"questions from the pre-2016 SAT. The old version of the SAT offers one useful type of question for studying for the ACT. Part of the old SAT Writing section was devoted to Improving Paragraphs: questions about grammar and punctuation in the context of a passage, rather than an isolated sentence. These are fairly similar to the questions you'll encounter on ACT English. But be careful to avoid the other questions in that section, because they are simply too far removed from what you have to be able to do well on the ACT. Read, read, read. Read widely, read challenging material, and particularly read nonfiction. The more you read complex writing, the more the nuances of grammar and structure will embed themselves in your mind, the more familiar you will be with elevated vocabulary, and the more you will learn how an author uses logic and rhetoric to get a point across. I recommend slowly digestingand really trying to understand a few articles a week from Grantland, The Atlantic, or Slate. If you have access to a subscription, you can also read the New York Times. PrepScholar's ACT English guides.We've worked hard to bring you as much helpful information about ACT English as possible. Some especiallyusefulguides include: Strategy.Part of doing well on the test is using a great approach to attack each section. We've analyzed and compiled 9 different key tactics for ACT English. All about grammar, syntax, and diction. We have broken down the complicated rules that you need to know into manageable chunks like: common word choice errors, the relative formality of the language on the ACT, and how to deal with shifting verb tenses. Maybe ACT English should actually test your relative English-ness. I think I could ace the tea test, especially if cucumber sandwiches were involved. Reading This portion of ACT tests your reading comprehension abilities. Let's once again start with a quick overview ofwhat's actually coveredon the ACT Reading section: 4 sections of passages from different genres (fiction, or nonfiction from the humanities, social studies, or natural sciences) questions ask you tocompare and contrast ideas, extract information, generalize from narrowly focused facts, and explain vocabulary in context Alternative Study Resources for ACT Reading Vocabulary guides. The ACT does not test vocabulary by itself, by you will see many complex words in context so if this is a challenging area for you then it will be helpful to see some guides to commonly occurring vocabulary. Check out resources like our free set of 200 flashcards and our guideto the vocabulary commonly used on the ACT vocabulary. Readingsectionsfrom the new post-2016 SAT. The redesignedSAT now has a section that also tests reading comprehension by asking questions about provided passages. Looking at these would be a good way to get in some extra practice. When studying, seek out passage-based questions from the Reading portion of the Writing Literature section. Passage-based reading questions from the old SAT.On the pre-2016 SAT, there were a few sections that could help with preparing for ACT Reading. Look for the parts of the Critical Reading section that feature multiple-choice questions based on provided passages. These won't be exactly like the ones on the ACT, but they can help you practice context-based questions. GRE Reading Comprehension questions. The Verbal Reasoning section of the GRE has a number of passage-based Reading Comprehension questions. It's true that these are pitched at a higher level than the ones you'll see on the ACT because the GRE is meant for college students heading to grad school. But if you are a student who is consistently getting medium- to high-scores on practice tests, you can use the GRE to challenge yourself. AP Language and AP Literature multiple choice section questions.Both of these AP test feature portions with passage-based multiple-choice question that test reading comprehensionandyour understanding of logic and structure. They are pitched at a higher level than the ACT, but if you do well on these, you’ll be fine on the ACTas well. Reading widely will also really help here. The test wants to measure how you are at understanding information being presented in written form, and how much you can tell about the way authors structure arguments. Try making time for weekly explorations of Reasonor The Root.On the paid subscription side, you can't go wrong with The New Yorker. PrepScholar’s ACT Reading guides.Let us guide you through some of the trickier parts of what you have to know to ace this part of the test. Some particularlyhelpful guides: Dissecting the test. We describe the4 types of ACT Reading passages you should know, give you some pointers onthe best way to read ACT passages, and enumerate every single type of question you're going to encounter. Her hair is fromPippi Longstocking, her book is The Little Prince, and her candy is Turkish delights from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe?! Pick a fandom, already, will you! Science Unlike its name suggests, this section relies more on your ability to understand visually presented data then on your knowledge of hard sciences. A quick refresher on what's tested on the ACT science section: paragraphs with visually presented data you’ll have to interpret descriptions ofexperiments that you’ll have to evaluate and analyze a set of two or more alternate theories or hypotheses that you’ll have to compare and contrast concepts from Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, and Geology Alternative Study Resources for ACT Science Basic science guides.The test is almost exclusively focused on your ability to comprehend passages about science that are written for a non-scientist audience. Nevertheless, you will find it helpful to be familiar with some of the more basic concepts from biology, chemistry, physics, and math. We have put together an explanation of thescience you actually have to know for the ACT. If you need to re-familiarize yourself, go back to your high school textbooks, or use an online version (again, I likeKhan Academy). ACT Prep books.Many of these will give you tips and tricks on dealing with this portion of the test. Our guideto the best ACT books for intense study saves you from having to navigate the hundreds out there. Readingsectionsfrom the new post-2016 SAT.The redesigned SAT has somepassage-based reading comprehension questions based on scientific passages in the Reading portion of the Writing and Literature section. These are very similar to what you will encounter on the ACT science section because they also ask you to draw conclusions about graphs, charts, and tables, as well as passages describing a scientific process, theory or experiment., so you can seek those out. Make sure you look only at test prep designed for the post-2016 SAT. Popular science articles. You don’t need to dig out scholarly journals, but you should spend time reading scientific nonfiction intended for lay readers. It’ll give you familiarity with how data can be presented graphically through charts, graphs, and tables. My favorites areWired, FiveThirtyEight,Scientific American, andNature. If you can access a subscription, read The Economist or the magazine Science. PrepScholar’s ACT Science guides. Some especially helpful guides: Strategy. Check out our suggestions for attacking this section and tips to keep in mind while taking the test. All about the question types. We can explainthe 3 types of ACT Science passagesyou'll encounter, along with how todeal with questions about interpreting experiments, how to handle questions about experiment design, what to make of questions about trends, and finally, how to approach the conflicting viewpoints part of the section. How much science do you need to know to play Fruit Ninjain space? Writing The essay section was dramatically changed in 2015 to more closely align the test with Common Core standards and the kind of writing you'll do in college, so make sure you're familar with the updated format: You'll be asked to write an essay on a controversial topic, including information and analysis from 3different presented perspectives. You also need to explain your own point of view. Alternative study resources for ACT Writing: Guides to the standard 5-paragraph essay. This is our recommended structure for the ACT essay. For many explanations of how a 5 paragraph essay works, search for â€Å"5-paragraph essay,† or readour guide to ACT format and essay templates. Staying well informed. The essay will ask you to present evidence to back up your thinking. The best places to draw that evidence from? Current events, historical events, and incidents from your own life. So read newspapers, listen to NPR, and download podcasts like Planet Money, RadioLab, and On the Media. Excellent essays written by others. Reading well-written essays can help you understand how essays work and how authors structure arguments and ideas. You may even pick up some helpful ideas for your own writing as well! One great source of excellent short essays is The Electric Typewriter. PrepScholar’s ACT Writing guides.We've put together some helpful advice on tackling the ACT essay. Great guides include: All about the essay. We lay out a step by step explanation ofhow to write an ACT essay, and also give you ourcomplete guide to ACT Writing prompts. If I were an ACT writing grader, I would totally give super bonus points for any essays written in Aztec pictographs. The Bottom Line So what should you take away from this article? Studying content and concepts for the ACT can be done really effectively through resources not designed for test prep, andnd there are many of these kinds of resources! There are enough similarities between ACT and the SAT that you can use certain sections of both the old and new SAT as extra study materials for the ACT. Reading widely, reading often, and reading for meaning will help you on almost all of the different ACT sections you'll face the day of the test. What’s Next? Stuck trying to motivate yourself to get started studying? We hear you. Here’s our advice on how to beat the urge to procrastinate and how to give yourself the gift of properly structuring your study time. If you’re in the middle of studying for the ACT, we have alist of 21 tips you should not miss out on and15 ways to really boost your ACT score. We also have a general ACT prep guide. Unsure what your ACT target score should be? We explainwhat score you need to get into your target college, and give you some pointers on figuring outwhat’s a good ACT score for you. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points?We have the industry's leading ACT prep program. 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Aristotle view friendship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aristotle view friendship - Essay Example According to Tutuska, Aristotle described friendship of utility as the one that is for the old and that it is easily dissolved. He also described it as acquaintance since it is based on something that is introduced into the relationship by the other person. He described friendship of pleasure as the one that is normally built among the young people as it has great influences from the pleasures and passions that are in their lives. Tutuska explains that these types of friendship are unstable and that they are bound to change with time which leads to dissolving of the friendship. Aristotle explains that the only difference between friendship of utility and that of pleasure is that people in friendship of pleasure seeks for something that is pleasant to them at the moment whereas those seeking friendship of utility are looking for a business deal or long term benefits. It can also be identified that the bonds between individuals in friendship of utility are very weak and this leads to i t being easily dissolved. Tutuska goes ahead to describe the third type of friendship as that friendship of virtue. Aristotle termed this as the highest friendship that one can achieve as it is based on the fact that a person wishes the best their friends regardless of utility or pleasure. Aristotle calls it as a sort that is complete as it exists between people who are good and are alike in virtue. He terms it as a friendship that is long lasting and that it is tough to obtain as these types of people are hard to come by as it takes someone to do a lot of work to have virtuous friendship. Virtuous friendship requires a lot of time and care to be spent and therefore it limits the number of friends that can be found in it. Friendship of virtue is felt among the good people and that it is resistant to slander. The main reasons that Aristotle values friendship so much is that friendship supersedes honour and justice. He argues that there is no any person who would wish to stay without a friend. He also says that those people who are in leadership and are given a great deal of power are in dire need of friendship and that law makers tend to take friendship with a lot of seriousness than justice. He terms friendship as glue that holds cities together and that it is beautiful by itself. Aristotle also argues that friendship can be enjoyed since it is choiceworthy for its own sake and that it is something that is much greater that being honoured (Tutuska 353-355). Aristotle explains that it takes character to maintain virtuous friendships which helps in maintaining a solid community as communities are built around friendship. He also argues that virtuous friendships are very few and that friendships of utility and that of pleasure are the ones that keep the cities together. This makes it clear to us that there is still the need to retain honour and justice within friendships. Ways in which friendship shape our public activity Friendship can be termed as a relationshi p that exists among people who are in good terms with each other as explained above. This means that when handling any activity in public, a person will be keen to take care of the feeling of other people. Therefore, people will avoid any speech or activity that can lead to any form of violence among the co-existing communities. This helps in the development of any nation as the environment that will be created in a peaceful nation will

Mother by amy tan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mother by amy tan - Essay Example The use of English however must be put in context just like Amy Tan narrated when she was delivering a speech as well as communicating with her mother. In everyday communication where we converse with people close to us, there is really no standard of right and wrong English in academic standard. Grammars are not observed and proper syntax can be ignored. Probably the standard of propriety in the use of English language in this context is the degree of respectability and consideration to the person we are communicating with by not using offensive language that could hurt or offend the other person. It is different however when we go out of the comfort of our homes and social circles. Especially in school when we are graded and at work where part of our professionalism depends on how we communicate. There, the standard of proper English becomes stringent and the student and/or professional must be able to communicate it well in accordance to the proper use of the English language. The comfort of the mode of communicating intimate language at home should not be made an excuse for communicating poorly in academic and professional setting. Just like in the case of Amy Tan where she forced herself to learn good English to the point of being a writer, a student must also strive to improve his or her command of English. Understandably, this would not be easy especially if English is not the person’s mother tongue just like the case of Amy Tan’s mother. One must however not pass harshly to Amy Tan’s mother just because she cannot speak straight or proper English. Her inability to speak straight English does not reflect her aptitude. As what Amy Tan has said, she can read and comprehend complex text more than Amy Tan could. And as Amy Tan narrated beautifully at the end of her essay, her language ability â€Å"does not reveal her intent, her passion, her imagery, the rhythms of her

The differences and similarities between the democrat party and the Essay

The differences and similarities between the democrat party and the republican party - Essay Example An ideological debate causes a more emotive response in individuals than does any other. The 9-11 attacks, abortion, the war in Iraq, the loss of civil liberties, global warming, evolution, health care, gay marriage, stem cell research and many other politically motivating subjects ignite emotional ideological battles. The terms conservative and liberal usually are attached to one’s stance on social issues. Liberals historically have proved to be very conservative regarding fiscal, Constitutional and foreign relations matters. Conservatives align themselves with the socially conservative religious faction of society. Of course, both ideologies share much in common, the want for peace and prosperity, the love of country and family for example. However, the differences are sharp, extensive and have existed in this country since the Rebels and Loyalists took separate sides of the political fence. The tenets of Liberalism proclaim a strong conviction in democracy and belief that the constitutional authority of the people will limit a powerful, expansive government. Liberal legislative leadership, partly through necessity, has instigated steady governmental growth well beyond where the architects of the constitution and most citizens would favor. Conservatives are against the government regulating corporations but are very much for legislation that regulates the private conduct of individuals and for advancing their religious agenda regardless of the damage to civil rights and liberties or the scientific or constitutional evidence that is contrary to their opinion. Abortion, stem cells, teaching evolution and gay marriage are preeminent examples of current ideological debates between conservatives and liberals. Those of a conservative ideology are against legalizing abortion. They believe it to be murder and are crusading to save babies’ lives. However, conservatives are also against funding prenatal care

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Strategic Management - Essay Example Due to this, the company has restructured its hard lines and homes divisions to team related categories (Freshman 2006, 24-27). Wal-Mart uses the cost leadership strategy in which it fights to be the lowest cost producer in the industry but marinating the greatest quality o its products. In this strategy, Wal-Mart sets its prices quite lower than the average industry prices in order to win greater market share. The firm makes all efforts to improve process efficiencies. Since it is a multinational corporation, it targets the broad market to cover its costs. This cost leadership strategy is very effective at the global level of operations. Wal-Mart re-engineering and E-engineering Wal-Mart strives to be ahead of its competitors by incorporating satellite communication between cash register, distribution centers, and stores. This is something that makes it easy for customers in different areas purchase products from stores in different regions meeting the customers’ needs at the immediate point of demand. ... The general strategy that Wal-Mart has been employing in its operations is the low-cost, high volume strategy that targets its businesses at the global level. Because Wal-Mart has numerous stores in many countries, it therefore successfully undertakes this strategy of lowering its prices and producing in bulk to cover the costs by a considerable amount. It does this to increase its market share. It also manages this because it has lower operating expenses as compared to industry level (Lampel 2002, 51-52). This control strategy aims at ensuring reduced costs, high volume production, and improved quality. It is apparently clear that part of Wal-Mart’s strategy to remain competitive in its operations is to make products that prove to have less negative effects to the environment. In this regard, Wal-Mart regulates what products to sell in their stores. It has also come up with a sustainable waste management strategies aimed at reducing pollutants and ensuring a clean environment . For instance, it takes up proper waste management by implementing strategies to recycle paper products. This is seen through its efforts in the Go Green initiative. Apart from environmental friendliness, it seeks for ways to lower its costs in operations and instead use the saved monies in technological advancement (Massengil 2003, 66). Wal-Mart Reciprocal interdependence and Information sharing Wal-Mart reciprocal interdependence encourages communication from one department to the other whereby an input in one department becomes the input of the other. This means Wal-Mart communication is at highest level of communication or interaction. Reciprocal

The tutoring business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The tutoring business - Essay Example Customers can be reached through different forms of communication. Through networking, the customers can be reached by email, cell or telephone as well as social network sites such as face book and WhatsApp. These forms of communication are fast, secure and efficient. Video conferencing can also be used to conduct business. For instance, skype is a method of communication that enables two people to communicate face to face through the use of video system though they may be located in different places. The other effective method of reaching customers is the use of cell phones. Voice calls can be made or text messages can also be used to link people from different areas. This helps the tutors and the students to exchange vital information. Direct interaction between the tutors and their students can also help these two groups to link with each other. Through face to face communication, the tutors and the students can know each other better quite easily. In order to provide customer ser vice, there are different styles that can be used. The most important thing that we are going to take into consideration is to listen to all their concerns. Effective listening to the customers is a very important component of conducting business. When we listen to the customers, we will be in a position to understand their needs. The other step that we will take in order to provide quality feedback is to provide them with feedback so that they may get to know their progress in learning other languages.

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Strategic Management - Essay Example Due to this, the company has restructured its hard lines and homes divisions to team related categories (Freshman 2006, 24-27). Wal-Mart uses the cost leadership strategy in which it fights to be the lowest cost producer in the industry but marinating the greatest quality o its products. In this strategy, Wal-Mart sets its prices quite lower than the average industry prices in order to win greater market share. The firm makes all efforts to improve process efficiencies. Since it is a multinational corporation, it targets the broad market to cover its costs. This cost leadership strategy is very effective at the global level of operations. Wal-Mart re-engineering and E-engineering Wal-Mart strives to be ahead of its competitors by incorporating satellite communication between cash register, distribution centers, and stores. This is something that makes it easy for customers in different areas purchase products from stores in different regions meeting the customers’ needs at the immediate point of demand. ... The general strategy that Wal-Mart has been employing in its operations is the low-cost, high volume strategy that targets its businesses at the global level. Because Wal-Mart has numerous stores in many countries, it therefore successfully undertakes this strategy of lowering its prices and producing in bulk to cover the costs by a considerable amount. It does this to increase its market share. It also manages this because it has lower operating expenses as compared to industry level (Lampel 2002, 51-52). This control strategy aims at ensuring reduced costs, high volume production, and improved quality. It is apparently clear that part of Wal-Mart’s strategy to remain competitive in its operations is to make products that prove to have less negative effects to the environment. In this regard, Wal-Mart regulates what products to sell in their stores. It has also come up with a sustainable waste management strategies aimed at reducing pollutants and ensuring a clean environment . For instance, it takes up proper waste management by implementing strategies to recycle paper products. This is seen through its efforts in the Go Green initiative. Apart from environmental friendliness, it seeks for ways to lower its costs in operations and instead use the saved monies in technological advancement (Massengil 2003, 66). Wal-Mart Reciprocal interdependence and Information sharing Wal-Mart reciprocal interdependence encourages communication from one department to the other whereby an input in one department becomes the input of the other. This means Wal-Mart communication is at highest level of communication or interaction. Reciprocal

A & P Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A & P - Essay Example While it is logical that we need to conform to modernity and all its package, Sammy is one young man whose attitude towards fashion is still backward. The ladies are dressed fashionably in conformation with the modern trend. On the contrary, Sammys attitude towards their kind of dressing considers them an embarrassment. Sammy finds this kind of dressing to be appropriate only when people visit the beach: "You know, its one thing a girl in a bathing suit down on the beach†¦" (2). Well, it is true that people used to put on decently in cloths that covered all their body-part long ago due to tradition. However, modernity has come with fashion and society has been forced to embrace this change. Sammy, and some few young men like him are still living in the past and do not want to accept the change. Sammys actions seem very immature for his age. It is not normal in the modern world to find a young man destructed just by the way of dressing of young ladies. Young ladies in the modern society are known to dress fashionably, especially when they go for outing, date and even just strolling around. On the contrary, Sammy shows immaturity when he gets destructed by these ladies to an extent that he even forgets his duties and almost drops the jar on his hand: "The jar went heavy in my hands. Really, I thought that was so cute" (3). Sammy is a clear example of those conservative, old fashioned and traditionally young men who only knows that money should be carried on ones hands. The author shows how amazed Sammy is when he saw one of the ladies without any money in her hands and was wondering where the money was going to come from: "Now her hands are empty, not a ring or a bracelet, bare as God made them, and I wonder where the moneys coming from" (3). This left Sammy wondering about where these ladies get their money from. It is only traditional to

The First Day of School Essay Example for Free

The First Day of School Essay First walking into my new school of Terrace Park Elementary during the middle of 6th grade, I must have been the most awkward person on the planet. Moving schools because of my acceptance into a more challenging school curriculum, I had been told this group of students would help me learn much faster than the ones at my old schools. The material would have been learned at a much faster paced and higher level of difficulty. It was as if my old elementary school had kicked me out, placing me with kids who these similar â€Å"problems† as me. It had never occurred to me that the new environment I was in was so different than what I was used to. Going to this new school required a fifteen minute drive commute to and from home daily. This inconvenience made it hard for me stay connect with my classmates in the afterschool extracurricular activities. Changing schools meant meeting a new group of people I did not know. Joining the school mid-year I was the stranger that came in knowing nothing about how the school worked. Most people had already formed their little friend groups and created their own schedules. see more:my first day at school essay for kids On the other hand, the large amount of people at this school meant that some students still had time expand their friend group. It was a whole new experience and it was a case I had never handled in my life before. The two school environments were just too different. My new school was two stories high and had twice the amount of students. It was harder to get around the school and find my new classes. It had recently been renovated, so the whole appearance of the school was much more modern. Upon arriving, I noticed many remarkable building features. A five foot circular stained glass window started at me with its amiable eyes. The wolf drawn seemed to represent the school mascot. Compared to my old school, this school had much more classrooms and facilities. The six groupings of classrooms, the football and track field outside, the gym and cafeteria were all spread out. The colorful colors that were painted on school did nothing but spur my curiosity. Right outside the cafeteria was the playground of all children’s dreams. It was spacious and had two different playgrounds. There seemed to be a caterpillar toy that the underclassmen were fighting over. The real attraction, however,  was the large football field beyond the playground. I watched the daily lifestyle of this school I as wandered about. Some students hung out by the cafeteria eating their breakfast, some were conversing in the halls and some had already sat down in their classrooms. Twenty minutes before school had even started the amount of activity was surprising, when compared to my previous school. Yet people seemed to not notice me, whenever I passed by, none seemed to fully acknowledge my presence. Back home, I had friends how rushed to greet me as I walked through the doors of the classroom. The staff all were familiar with me and wore willing to help me out in any situation. As the first bell rung, I knew it was time to start my â€Å"first day† of school. Walking into Mr. Hagen’s room, I noticed a row of computers in the back right corner of the room. Their placement against the wall made it seem like they had never been used for a long time. I walked in, only to be greeted by a young aged man who I assumed to be the teacher for this 6th grade class. As I was introduced to the class, my experience as a stranger had officially began. I stood at the front of the room and slowly walked toward the seat I had been assigned. After a little bit of adjusting, the final bell rung and class had started. The first day was the day that would decide everything – from what type of friends I made to the spot I would sit during lunch. Knowing this, I tried my best to make myself look as normal as possible, attempting to discard my own shy character. Scanning the room, I knew absolutely no one. Making friends was also never one of my assets. Each person looked the same. I sat down next to a boy who had unkempt hair and had a Hawaiian shirt loosely thrown over a white t-shirt. Everyone knew my name, because it was different than the typical American name. The name â€Å"Jonah† was sure to stick in their minds, at least for next week or two. The faster paces of the classes were too much for me to handle for I never been used to such a speed in my previous school. I sat there, lost, wondering what to do. The faces of all the other students around me were intent and focus on their given task. I was left out of the atmosphere of the classroom. When lunch finally came, I was finally relieved of the pressure of the classroom. As a stranger, I remembered that didn’t know anyone well enough to sit with. For all I knew, I didn’t even know how to buy lunch. I frantically asked myself, â€Å"Is it the same way as my old school? Will I have the same PIN number? Where will I sit?† Luckily, on the way out  of the room, I was invited to eat with the boy with unkempt hair. I later learned that his name was Randy and that he was one year younger than me. As I sat down at the lunch table, many other kids sat down with me. All of them stared at me because they had never seen me there before. I was unable to come up with courage to talk to them, therefore awkwardly sitting at the table eating my lunch. I knew that they did not mean to be unkind, but just wanted to understand more about who I was. To my delight, I ran out onto the field and felt freer to finally act as myself again. The size of the field was much larger than I had expected from first look. The only color I could notice around me was the shade of green. Looking around, I had no one to kick my soccer ball with. Throughout the day, I received countless glares from many people I didn’t know. Many others from different classes had asked me many times for my name, asking me how I was and where I had come from. They had asked me so many types of questions that sparked one after another, triggering a large chain of questions that I did not know the answer to. Many of the others just called â€Å"hey new kid!† I will admit that my feeling of fear was more than I could handle. There was so much nervousness that I would start sweating and my nerves would spark all over my body. Walking in for the first time through those doors of Terrace Park Elementary made me feel so small in this large school. I was not used to such a large community, I like it when my classrooms were all close together, the student were allowed more changes to interact and the staff would be able to more easily connect with us. The few smiles I had received when entering felt forced- the ends of their lips raised for a quarter of a second. I had thought that I was different than all the rest of the kids – Was it my looks? My clothes? My awkward trot? Some might have thought that I was just another one of those Asian nerds. I felt that I would have trouble fitting in. that I should have probably stayed at my old school. Why would I just make my life harder for myself when I could just be chill with my old group? I knew that the ambivalent glances I received were not meant to be malicious. I know that even I would have done the same to a new student. My initial fears had changed th e way how every face in the school had looked. Even a perfectly joyful person could seem to have cruel intents. Trying to along with the other students was just a nightmare. I have always heard that the best thing to do on a first day of school was to make a good impression. However, I was never the type who was easy to get along with or outgoing. I tried leaving all those traits behind me as I spoke up, but it was no use. My true nature showed one way or another. My shyness only helped distance me from the other students around me, as if no one had wanted to become my friend. All the small things happening around me were, I was tuned into the world or small details. As I felt time go in in slow motion, I watched as the 1st graders dragged the lunch basket to their grade table, gave each other a high five for a job well done and then walked to the lunch line. I saw the fly buzzing around the air above me, before stopping on the table next to me. I had nothing else to pay attention but these fine details, no one would spare a second on the new kid at the table. I almost wanted to cry to show how I felt, but I realized that would probably ruin what first impressions I had left. Looking back, I realize that this experience was not that bad. It was own expectations of a new school that had caused me to sense so many different feelings. The feeling of a stranger was only because I was a new face in town. It was natural that the other students were curious of who I really was. It is even possible that, just as how I was too scared to talk to my new classmates, they had also been hesitant to approach me. Being a stranger was only temporary; I would eventually have assimilated into the daily lifestyle of Terrace Park. While that first day was particularly bad, I quickly was able to adapt to the situation in the coming weeks. I had become acquainted with the few students at my table in just a week, the rest of class in a month. This group of students who had all seemed so large at first was not as scary as they had originally seemed. They were actually very friendly; each of them had qualities that made them attractive. I had become very good friends with some of them, influencing my friends I my future schooling years. One could say that this school year affected my future directly. I would never have chosen the friends if it had not been for my experience at Terrace Park. The people that I had grown to enjoy were those who were smart and were willing to help me with any problems I had. I learned that other people are generally kind in nature, but just have trouble expressing their feelings. I have realized that I would never have attended Edmonds-Woodway High School without the experiences I had. I wanted to follow where my friends had gone to school, so I had chosen Edmonds-Woodway instead of my home school of Lynnwood.  Today, I have absolutely no regrets for changing schools mid-year during the 6th grade. I know I am a stranger, but I also know that being a stranger does not last for an eternity – t here will be a point where you will be a part of the village. We all know that every student had at least a couple first days of school. The moment where we walk into a classroom is always the worst part. We have no idea what could happen next. We see and meet people that we have never been familiar with. The sea of new faces would only help overwhelm the normal person. Shaky legs, sweat rolling down foreheads and that feeling of being a stranger will always be the initial feeling of the average person. Especially when we walk into the classroom midyear, these feeling are only amplified. Having no idea how to fit, we tend together take two actions. In my case, I tend to try to change my personality to make a good first impression, only to realize that I am unable to keep it up for days or weeks. Rather than to mess around with our true personalities to make that first impression, acting as yourself will allow others to truly know us better. People are much friendlier than we originally think; they are that frightening once we get to know them. Even more so, a bad impression does not mean that the rest of their life is ruined. Their identity can be redeemed through their actions. The important thing is not to worry and things will usually work themselves out. It is human nature to adapt to situations as the conditions change. Whenever a new student joins a classroom, the environment will change slightly. As time goes on, you will become a part of the environment that the rest of the students are used to. Working and communicating with others are a main part of changing from being a stranger to becoming a acquaintance and possibly to becoming a friend. This situation can apply to almost everyone. All new students will feel like a stranger a t one point or another. The time has come to realize that the overstated fears of the first day have only created discomfort in those who are new. No matter what, we cannot avoid the way that people look on u as strangers. But really, we are not entirely strangers. The only difference between you and them is the time spent attending that school.