living long essays

living long essays kjdfjsfk lkasjf klsafsakfjs fskfjsakfjsg fkfapf fa fjklfj afk jafkj kfj fkj kasjk kl k jsklf paper discussing the changes the four Mirabal sisters moved through on their journey from the children of a middle-class landowner in the 1930s Dominican Republic to full-blown political activists. One sister never did participate, though she was sympathetic to the rebel cause, but the other three gave their lives and became more powerful as martyrs than they were in life.paper discussing the changes the four Mirabal sisters moved through on their journey from the children of a middle-class landowner in the 1930s Dominican Republic to full-blown political activists. One sister never did participate, though she was sympathetic to the rebel cause, but the other three gave their lives and became more powerful as martyrs than they were in life.paper discussing the changes the four Mirabal sisters moved through on their journey from the children of a middle-class landowner in the 1930s Dominican Republic to full-blown political activists. One sister never did participate, though she was sympathetic to the rebel cause, but the other three gave their lives and became more powerful as martyrs than they were in life.paper discussing the changes the four Mirabal sisters moved through on their journey from the children of a middle-class landowner in the 1930s Dominican Republic to full-blown political activists. One sister never did participate, though she was sympathetic to the rebel cause, but the other three gave their lives and became more powerful as martyrs than they were in life.paper discussing the changes the four Mirabal sisters moved through on their journey from the children of a middle-class landowner in the 1930s Dominican Republic to full-blown political activists. One sister never did participate, though she was sympathetic to the rebel cause, but the other three gave their lives and became more powerful as martyrs than they were in life...

Complete List of High School Sports How to Pick

Complete List of High School Sports How to Pick SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Interested in playing a high school sport? You should be! High school sports are a great way to make friends, get involved in your school, and stay active. What sports are offered? I’ll give you the full list of high school sports available in the US, and I’ll explainwhy you should join a team and how to figure out whichsport is right for you. The Complete List of High School Sports Offered in the US These are the sports that fall under the jurisdiction of a State Athletic Association. Each state has itsown Athletic Association that runs the sports leagues and championships for the below sports. NOTE: Not all of these sports are offered in all states.For example, Skiing Snowboarding isn’t offered in Florida. Less obviously, bowling isn’t offered in California and several other states. Additionally, even if asport isoffered in your state, it may not be offered at your school.There might not have been enough interest or funding to create a team.If you hope to play a sport that’s offered in your state, but not at your school, consider starting a team. I’ll discuss this optionmore in-depth below. There may be other sports offered at your high school that are played at a â€Å"club† level (they don’t have a state championship).To find out which sports are offered at your specific high school, check out yourschool's website or email a school administrator or athletic director. Unless otherwise noted, sportshave both boys' and girls' teams or a co-ed team: Badminton Baseball (Boys) Basketball Bowling Cheerleading / Competitive Spirit Squads Cross Country Dance Team Field Hockey Flag Football (Girls) Football (Boys) Golf Gymnastics Hockey Indoor Track Field Lacrosse Skiing Snowboarding Soccer Softball (Girls) Slow Pitch Softball (Girls) Surf Swimming Diving Tennis Track Field Volleyball Water Polo Weightlifting Wrestling When Is Each Sport Played? The season (fall, winter, spring) for each sport varies by state.There are a few sports that are consistent in season from state to state - football, for example, is always played in fall. To check when each sport is played in your state, do a Google Search for your state’s high school athletic association.Simply search â€Å"[State Name] High School Sports† or â€Å"[State Name] High School Athletic Association.†That will bring you to the athletic association website for your state.There should be a tab on the website for sports.Under that tab, you should see a list of all sports and their season. Below isa screenshot fromthe Florida High School Athletic Association website: How to Choose Which Sport(s) to Join There are many ways to choose which team (or teams) to join at your school.First, you should take into consideration the season when each sport is played.Follow the steps above to find out when each sport is played in your state.Most schools don't allow you to play two sports that are in the same season (or that overlap seasons as fall and winter sports sometimes do).Talk to your high school athletic director if you’re interested in playing two sports that are in the same season or may overlap. Next, you should take into consideration which sports you’ve played before and how much you enjoyed them.Did you play a sport inmiddle school or recreationally that you enjoyed?Is that sport offered at your high school?If it is, consider joining that team!You already enjoyed playing it, so you should continue. If the sport isnot currently offered by your school but is offered by your state athletic association, consider starting a school team.Again, follow the steps outlined above to see if the sport is offered by your school athletic association. If you'd rather not start a team, you also might be allowed to join that team at another high school. For example, if you wanted to be on the bowling team, and it wasn't offered at your high school but was at a high school a couple of miles away, you'd likely be allowed to try out for that team. Talk to your athletic director to see if this is an option. If it's not, you should see if there is a localcommunity sports team for that sport. If there is, consider joining that team! If the sport you love isn't offered by your state athletic association (such as Ultimate Frisbee), consider starting a club to play it with friends after school. You won’t have a state championship, but you’ll still have the opportunity to play the sport.As a bonus, starting your own club willalso be a great leadership experience to include on your resume. Before picking a sports team to join,consider how well your experience in a sport matches up with how competitive it is at your school.Have you played the sport before? For how long? How good is that team at your high school? Did they go to the state championship? For example, at my high school, when I attended, our football and lacrosse teams were terrible. They essentially lost almost every game.However, our men’s tennis team went to the state championship.If I was picking a team to join and I’d never played any of the sports before, I’d probably try out for football or lacrosse and NOT tennis, since I’d have a better shot atmaking the football or lacrosse teams.If I had playedtennis competitively throughout middle school, I’d still tryout for the tennis team. It’s good to be aware of how competitive each team is in advance of trying out. To help figure outhow competitive each team is, you should also try to figure out how many people get picked to be on each teamand how many players are returning from the previous season.For example, football teams typically have around 40 players. Tennis teams at high schools typically have five singles players and two doubles teams (often composed of four of the five singles players).Football is probably a less competitive team to join (even a good football team) than a tennis team since there are 40 spots versus five. However, if you're only going to try out for one specific position on the football team (such as quarterback), it may be MORE competitive than tennis since there is only one starting spot for quarterback versus five starting spots for tennis players. If all five tennis players are returning from the previous season, I’d be hesitant to try out because I likely wouldn’t make the team unless I were good enough to beat one or more of the current players. While all of the above should be taken into consideration when picking a sports team, don’t let any of the above stop you.If you’ve always been dying to play on a tennis team but have never played before, still try out! You never know, you might make it! If you're interested in a sport that's very competitive at your school, check to see if you can try out for a JV team (or some schools even have freshman teams in addition to JV andvarsity). You can start there and work your way up to varsity. 4 Great Reasons to Join a Sports Team Sports teams are a great extracurricular activity.I have some of my best high school memories from playing on the tennis team at my high school. Reason 1: It’s a great way to make friends (or make more friends).Sports team often bring together a lot of different people (who may not have been friends otherwise). Joining a sports team willprovide you with a new group of friends, who you might not have met otherwise. Reason 2: It can be a great opportunity for leadership (which colleges love to see on your resume).Sports teams often elect a team captain, which gives that personthe opportunity to be a leader.Typically, team captains don’t have a lot of responsibility; usually, it’s more of an honorary title. If anything, team captains are responsible for boosting team morale. However, becoming team captain will still help boost your college applications becauseit shows schoolsthat you’re well-liked and could potentially be a leader at their school. Reason 3: It helps you stay active and relieve stress.High school is stressful, and playing sports helps relieve stress. Staying active through sportscan make you feel happier and have major health benefits. Reason 4: Depending on how good you are and what your goals are, participating in a sportcan help you get into college.If you rise to become a top player of thesport in your state, you might be recruited to play thatsport incollege, and you might also be offered a scholarship.NOTE: this is rare. This isn't the norm. Don’t count on being recruited to college for your sport.If you’re seriously interested in college athletic recruiting, learn about the process in our other guide. WhatBenefits Should You Not Expect to Get From Joining a Sport? While joining a team has many benefits (as you can see above), you shouldn’t join a team if you’re hoping it’ll be the extracurricular activity that gets you into college.Unless you’re in thetop 1% of players in your sport, it’s unlikely you’ll be recruited to play it for college. Also, admissions officers are not particularly impressed by your participation on a team.My friend, who is a former admissions officer, said it is one of the most common topics for personal statements.Admissions officers hate to read these personal statements because they’ve heard every high school sports story.They’ve read about you and your team overcoming some obstacle and winning. They’ve read about crushing defeats.In your personal statements, admissions officers want to see who you are and what makes you unique. Playing a sport will not make you unique since many students play sports. Don’t play a sport so that you seem â€Å"well-rounded† on your college application.Top schools no longer want well-rounded students.Top schools want students who are an expert in something.If you’re the number 1 ranked tennis player in your state, you’ll be impressive because you’re an expert in tennis.However, if you’re the 150th ranked tennis player in your state, the college likely won’t care.It’d be better for you not to play a sport and to be a state champion mathlete or a state science fair winner or a debate champion.These all prove expertise in a field.To read more about this expert philosophy, read our guide on how to get into Harvard and the Ivy League. If you're not that interested in playing a sport, don't do it! Playing a sport takes a lot of time. If you don't enjoy the sport, it's a huge time-suck from which you aren't getting many benefits.Consider spending your time doing anotheramazing extracurricular activitysuch as one of the activities mentioned below. What’s Next? If you’re interested in playing a sport, you should learn about what makes an amazing extracurricular activity for you college applications. Also, you should learn about how many extracurricular activities you need for college. Interested in learning about other great extracurricular opportunities? Learn more about job shadowing, community service, and volunteer abroad programs. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Accounting Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Accounting Standards - Essay Example In china they follow the Chinese Accounting Standards (CAS) while companies in the United States of America follow the Genarally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Phelps (2003), states that a political influence is one of the serious problems facing accounting standard setting. This is because political influence will tend to make the standards in a certain way either to benefit some people or to be damaging to some. Some countries have come up with their own accounting standards which are somehow different from the internationally accepted standards. By doing so, they favor their respective economy for it to do better than the other economies. Members of the Financial Accounting Standards Board responded to accusations that they had given in to political pressure by saying that they could not do anything to stop political influence, but they were lobbying for the independence of the Financial Accounting Standards Board from political influence and that more should be done to st op political influences from interfering in accounting standards issues (Phelps, 2003). Politically influencing accounting standards has resulted in negative effects. For example, the current economic crisis in Europe and other countries can be partly attributed to political influence in the standardization on accounting (Botzem, 2012). Since governments influenced on accounting issues such as lending, banks gave out a lot of money without following the internationally accepted guidelines of accounting. This led to enormous debts and fallouts leading to companies and business institution falling. It also resulted in job cuts and general poor economy. Another effect of political influence on accounting standardization is that it results in some people gaining a lot of income at the expense of others suffering tremendously huge loses. This happens when the standards are intentionally set to benefit some people thereby making them to benefit from intentional manipulation of standards. This goes against the accounting principle which stipulates that all accounting standards should be of equal benefit to all parties. According to Botzem (2012), political influence on standardization of accounts results in increased fraud, criminal activities, terrorism and money laundering. This is because people involved in fraud and money laundering use political influence to make changes in accounting standards in order for them to legitimize their illegal income. This has played a huge role particularly in the drug business, money laundry and terrorism. Terrorist activities have been funded through accounting loopholes created as a result of political influences. Drug lords and money launders have used political influence to create loopholes in accounting standards for them to legitimize the money there have acquired through their illegal business. Executives of large business organization have used political influence in accounting standards to avoid releasing poor results. Th is results in investors and stockholders losing their money since they invest in companies which fail to post financial accounts revealing loses. Investors and stockholders invest a lot of funds in business organizations that are falling without their knowledge hence losing a lot of money. Political influences in the setting of accounting standards have limited and hindered international trading. This occurs   as a result of different accounting standards in different regions. Some business organizations have been limited to doing business with other firms in their respective regions due to the presence of different acco

Octavian by M.T. Anderson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Octavian by M.T. Anderson - Essay Example Anderson. The book tells the story of Octavian, a boy of African-American heritage who lives with his mother at The Novanglian College of Lucidity. He is brought up among scientists and philosophers and is given luxurious treatment throughout his life. In the first volume, we learn about the education of Octavian; he is proficient in music and religious studies, and music studies have made him a talented violinist. Initially Octavian was under the impression, or it could be that he had the illusion, that each of the members living at â€Å"The Novanglian College of Lucidity† is equal. However, as a result of a mistake committed by his mother, both of them are thrown out of the college and have to live with Richard Sharpe. Octavian believed that he was a free member of the Utopian society but his dreams are shattered by Sharpe’s plan to experiment on him to prove that the African race is inferior to white and other races. Thus Octavian comes to find out the reality of li ving in the old America.

Recruitment and Selection Strategies Recommendations Essay Example for Free

Recruitment and Selection Strategies Recommendations Essay With the expansion of Clapton Commercial Construction on the horizon, Atwood and Allen Consulting have created these recommendations for recruitment and selection. Clapton Commercial Construction will be expanding by twenty percent into Arizona, which is a new market for them. In this proposal we will discuss the need to recruit/select for the expansion project, the importance of diversity, how Clapton Commercial Construction can brand their organization, and how to legally recruit and select candidates. Once all these concepts are in place for Clapton Commercial Construction the company will be ready for the Arizona market. Diverse workforce In order for Clapton Commercial Construction to succeed in a new market and meet the demands of their future clients, they will need to recruit. An increase of workforce by twenty percent will require an understanding of the employment need. To successfully meet your expansion need for the next five years, the company needs to understand the U.S. market. Your market is tight which means construction workers are in high demand. This will lead to a high talent pool with diverse ethnicity. â€Å"The United States workforce is diverse and becoming more so every year† (Casico, 2012). Your organization is part of the service economy. Clapton will employee a workforce that resembles their clients, this help with communication when language barriers exist and assist in providing a new set of talent not yet available to your organization. Clapton’s company brand should be seen as an organization that is concerned with reaching and enhancing your clients experiences by showing them how Clapton is culturally in tuned. Over the next five years the company will go through an annual twenty percent employment increases and turnover of twenty percent. With this in mind Clapton has to provide an incentive package that is competitive in the Arizona market that decreases turnover rates. The business strategy of the organization will be based on teamwork. Diversity will be a big component of this concept. Teamwork is  only successful when all working parts are functioning as one. Diversity awareness course should be given to all employees, and conflicts will need to be resolved as soon as managers are aware. Recruitment concepts Recruitment is vital to the success of your organization. This process will determine your workforce. As mentioned in our prior recommendation it is important to hire employees that share the organizations goal of successfully expanding into a new market, while continuing to provide our clients with superior service. The human capital theory suggests that education or training raises the productivity of workers by imparting useful knowledge and skills, hence raising workers future income by increasing their lifetime earnings (Becker, 1964). Before Clapton can post the vacancy for open position, you must determine the type of candidate you are searching for. Ensure that the description for the open position is descriptive of the job role; the knowledge, skill and ability needed. The post should also reflect the expectations of the candidate and a clear outline of the Clapton’s organizational goal. Recruitment will be handled by your HR department specialist; they should be family with the Equal Employment Opportunity Act. â€Å"According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), an employer may not fire, demote, harass, or otherwise â€Å"retaliate† against an individual for filing a charge of discrimination, participating in a discrimination proceeding, or otherwise opposing discrimination. The same laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, and disability, as well as wage differences between men and women performing substantially equal work, also prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose unlawful discrimination or participate in an employment discrimination proceeding† (Cascio, 2012).† Arizona is considered a work at will state. This means simply that the employment is not based on a formal contract and can be severed by the employee or employer with or without a cause. Even though Arizona is a work at will state, discrimination is still prohibited. Arizona does not require an employer to provide breaks or lunches but as an employer who prides themselves on providing exceptional employee benefits Clapton should still provide employees two paid breaks and an unpaid lunch break  during an eight hour shift (Nolo.com). Conclusion Atwood and Allen Consulting have created a recruitment and selection Strategies plan that will help Clapton Commercial Construction facility in Arizona move along. If Clapton Commercial Construction follows this recruitment planning the company will be successful within the next five years. Employment will have expanded and the facility will be well known in Arizona. With the help of the HR Department Clapton has to provide an incentive package that is competitive in the Arizona market that decreases turnover rates. References Becker, G. S. (1964). Human capital. New York: Columbia University Press Nolo.com. Retrieved on May 3, 2014 from: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/arizona-law-meal-rest-breaks.html

The Mood in Funeral Blues by W.H. Auden Essay -- Poetry Analysis

The Mood in Funeral Blues by W.H. Auden The poem, "Funeral Blues", by W.H. Auden tells about a person's grief and is successful in creating a very sad and depressing mood. This is achieved by the poet's use of language, word choice and sentence structure. The way in which the author describes his feeling - along with the use of rhythm and rhyme - was created in a very effective way which made it clear to the reader. In the first stanza the depressing mood is created straight away by the poet's use of commands, which created the impression that he wanted the whole world to come to a stand still: "Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone" These particular commands are demanding silence from everyone as he is requesting silence from everyone as he wants the clocks to stop ticking, the phone to stop ringing, the dog to be quiet and basically every aspect of normal, everyday life to come to a halt. By doing this the author has made it obvious that the person he has lost was his whole world and he feels as if the world cannot go on anymore without this person. W.H Auden also made effective use of rhythm and rhyme in order to create the atmosphere, which exists at a funeral: "à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦with muffled drum, Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come." By the use of the word 'muffled' I was given the impression of a foggy, depressing and cold day with the coffin being removed from the black hearse. I thought it to be effective when 'drum' was mentioned as normally it is at state funerals for very important people where drums are used. The impression I received was that it... ...der to swallow pills. This is then continued as the next line is telling of the complete despair that he feels and shows the lack of hope and happiness he possesses: "For nothing now can ever come to any good." The use of the word nothing also shows he does not see a future for himself anymore. As it is a short sentence and if you follow the rhythm intended it is a drowsy beat which again extends the overdose idea as it is him falling asleep and puts him out of his misery but at the same time the ending remains sad and does not give a happy ending. In conclusion, Funeral Blues by W.H Auden was successful in creating a very depressing mood that was full of despair and contained absolutely no hope. This was effective by the use of simple language, sentence structure and most importantly the use of rhythm and rhyme.

Honda City Marketing Research

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The project in its present form and state would not have been possible had it not been for the able guidance and support of Prof. Sandip Anand whom we always looked up to, when faced with any difficulty and have disturbed him at all times and hours. We would also like to thank our seniors and classmates who provided us with references required for collection of data. No research would be successful, without the active involvement of the respondents and we take this opportunity to thank our various respondents for having patiently filled our response sheet. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BACKGROUND The first automobile was steam powered vehicle invented in 1672. Since the first car rolled out on the streets of Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1898, the Automobile Industry of India has come a long way. During its early stages the auto industry was overlooked by the then Government and the policies were also not favorable. As a result automobiles were not a common sight. However with liberalization policy adopted y the GOI, significant changes have been made. Today, India is one of the largest markets for automobiles in the world. Our research is concerned with the sedans. A sedan car or saloon car (British English) is a passenger car with two rows of seats and adequate passenger space in the rear compartment for adult passengers. The vehicle usually has a separate rear trunk for luggage, although some manufacturers such as Chevrolet, Tata, and Volkswagen have made rear-engined models. It is one of the most common body styles for modern automobile LITERATURE REVIEW We studied some current literature and news reports available on the growing mid segment sedan market in India. There is a huge shift that is currently happening as far the car market is concerned. Companies are now starting to believe in the â€Å"India Growth Story†, and changing their focus to lure high spenders and people who are connoisseurs of luxury and premium cars. All companies have either entered or planning to enter this segment. Some of the latest reports from the executives (or the company) of some of the leading players in the market are as mentioned below. Speaking to Business Standard, Fumihiko Ike, chief operating officer of regional operations, Asia Oceania, Honda Motor Company, said: â€Å"There will be multiple models coming out of the small car platform after its launch in 2011. We will explore a sedan, too, using the same platform to make maximum use of our resources. † While Japan's third largest auto company, Nissan, had stated earlier that it would also pull out a mid-sized sedan from the small five-seater car that it would launch this May. Toyota Kirloskar Motors will be launching a sedan based on the concept compact model, which it had showcased at the recent Auto Expo held in Delhi. Company officials decline to reveal the targeted price, but state it will be available in the same range as the Swift Dzire, which is Rs 4. 90-5. 5 lakhs. Czech-based car maker Skoda Auto is also working on a car which it is keen on positioning below the Octavia, a premium car sold above Rs 10 lakhs. Thus, this area presents a huge marketing opportunity for companies and so is an exciting subject for study as well. CATEGORY The brands this study would cover are Ford Fiesta, Maruti Suzuki SX4, Hyundai Verna, Fiat Linea and Honda City. Research Methodology Prime focus of the research: To find the value positioning of Honda City among the mid segment sedans. Target Group Since we were studying the mid and the premium segments there are three groups that we targeted in our study: Existing consumer who buy cars. Probable consumers who can convert into active consumers into near future. Consumers who shall be converting into such category in distant future. We basically studied the following categories of people for our analysis: Working professionals Youths in the age group of 25-40 with high disposable income Students and other youth about to join service or start up on their own First year students of XIMB were also considered for the study Methodology The attempt of this study was to cover the growth of the premium segment watches as a lifestyle statement, the coverage included quantifying or finding the strong and the weak attributes that pursues the sales of these watches hence the methodologies used are: Focus Group Discussions (2) In-depth Interviews Survey methodology (Sample Size = 101) While the group observation and discussion helped us to identify the qualitative aspect of the study at length the survey methodology helped us to reach to a various inferences related to percentage of people preferring the sedans, the primary drivers for the various mid segment sedans, the strengths and weaknesses of the brands, stochastic share of brands etc. which is discussed in detail in the report at a later part. Process Since we are targeting such diverse consumer group our survey has to extend beyond regional level. The focus of our survey shall be: Pan India Survey Respondents from metros- Prime target study Mini metros Class 1 towns Online questionnaire: We used this as our method for collecting data so as to reach customers from all possible segments and various cities. Sampling The traditional sampling approach, i. e. the sample was selected before data collection began and sampling without replacement was performed. The following techniques were used: Sampling Technique The traditional sampling approach was used, i. e. he sample was selected before data collection began and sampling without replacement was performed. The following techniques were used: For the qualitative analysis, i. e. in-depth interviews and focus groups discussion, subjects were selected based on the attributes and the parameters for buying the mid segment sedans mostly from students and working population. For the quantitative analysis, snowball sampling was adopted. Recent buyers helped to send the questionnaire to ot her people who were passionate about mid segment sedans. Sample Size Around 150 people were included in the study with the following rough breakup. Around 10 people for the focus group discussions and the in-depth interviews (Qualitative Analysis) Around 101 people for the Sample survey (Quantitative Analysis) Aspiring groups comprising of students, young working people and executives were considered. Variables Dependent Variable Independent Variables Now we have a look at the various independent variables that in turn have helped us to decide the preference of a particular mid segment sedan. Affordable Price – Whenever customers go to buy a car, some of them may have a particular budget in their mind while some may be willing to spend any amount. Many a times it happens that a customer goes to a showroom and asks the dealer to show cars with a particular price range while at times they are willing to spend any amount if they like a particular car. Hence this variable helps us in understanding the attitude of customers with respect to the price they are willing to spend when they go to purchase cars especially in the segment of 5 lakhs to 12 lakhs. This variable also helps us to understand very important factors like whether the customer is willing to compensate quality to save cost because if he is not willing to spend more if he is getting a better quality car in a price beyond his budget then it shows that the customer is strictly limited by his price range while making the purchase. Comfort – Comfort is one of the important aspects while deciding on the choice of cars. When a customer is willing to pay any amount over 5 lakhs for a sedan that means he or she is looking for a car which provides good comfort. Comfort in a broader aspect touches upon the experience of a customer when he or she is travelling in car. Sufficient leg space, seats and a good shock absorbing system are quintessential in determining the comfort of a car. Interior and Exterior looks – Aesthetics and looks are always an important criteria for purchasing a car. Sedans are typically considered as mid segment cars because of its superior exterior looks and good interiors. This variable helps us to determine whether people consider exterior and interior looks as one of the defining criterion while going for a sedan. Safety and additional Features – With increase in the options available in the market, many a time customers may want to look for additional features being offered in different mid segment cars. Air bags, power steering, alloy wheels, music player, central locking and multiple colour options are various other additional features which customer are looking for when they purchase a car. This variable will give us an idea as to how much priority a customer gives to these features. Mileage – Middle and upper middle class people always look out for a car which has a good mileage. As fuel prices are increasing year after year, mileage has definitely been a governing criterion for all car takers. This variable will help us measure the importance of mileage as one of the deciding parameters. Power – One of the most important features of a mid segment sedan is the power. There is a substantial increase in power from the small cars thereby giving more pick up and stability in the long run. This variable will help us to determine whether people perceive power as a criterion to select a sedan or not. After-Sales Service – Possessing a good car does not solve one’s purpose. Customers are looking for cars which not only are affordable, give good mileage but also which have good after sales service. Therefore, after sales service is very important in today’s competitive environment. This variable will give us an idea how important is after sales service when customers go for a particular brand. Status Symbol – India has been growing at a fairly fast rate which eventually has raised the per capita income. With the growth in income people have become more conscious about the kind of cars they possess. Therefore, status symbol is an important parameter when we go for a particular brand. This variable will tell us whether status symbol is one of the criteria to go for a particular brand. In addition to the above independent variables we have also gathered some demographic data of the people so that we can have a better understanding of the pattern of preference of people coming from different locations, belonging to different age group, having different annual incomes etc. Some of these demographic variables are listed below Name: Name of the respondent Gender: To find out the gender of the respondent Occupation: To find out the current occupation of the respondent Household Income per annum: To find the income group to which the respondent belongs. Price willing to pay for a sedan: To find out the price range which respondents are comfortable while going for a sedan. Qualitative Analysis Qualitative Analysis was carried out using focus group discussions to generate hypothesis about purchase decision of a car for people and how different factors affect their decision. Qualitative analysis will be helpful for getting a detail insight into the problem. Focus Group Discussions Honda City has been regarded as a prestigious brand in India since its launch in 1998. It maintains a significant market share in its class and enjoys a very high level of popularity. The luxurious sedan has a lot to offer to its potential buyers- new engine, new design, more grandeur, increased cabin space, and of course top notch performance. Objectives: To find out the perception of people about Honda City among the mid segment cars in terms of factors that affect the purchasing behaviour of customers. They are factors like: {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} To check the status of Honda City as compared to its competitors like Verna, Ford Fiesta and Linea in the sedan segment of cars. Target Population: Young Professionals in the age group of 22-35 years. Users of Honda City and users of other brands Non users of cars Students with no work experience and others with substantial work experience of 2-4 years. Content Analysis: Table 1 CONCLUSION BASED ON QUALITATIVE FINDINGS From the overall Qualitative Analysis, it seems that customers of premium watches are very conscious and careful buyers. For them the most important features are the Quality of the watch and are very particular about its Performance as well. They view it as a strong status symbol and an accessory, which adds to their personality. Also, people these days lay a lot of stress on the additional features like Embedded Jewellery, chronographs etc Quantitative Analysis Quantitative data analysis has been done in the following way. An Excel Analysis of the demographic profile was done first to understand the respondents’ background and to check the general attributes of the respondents. Then the Factor Analysis was done, the result of which has been explained below. Then the top 2 boxes scores were analyzed for various attributes based on respondent profiles. Then Jaccard Analysis was done to find out the primary drivers for the mid-segment car category. It was followed by stochastic share analysis and SWOT analysis. Then cross tabulation was done to measure Brand Preference with the top 2 boxes for all the important attributes. This is how an extensive quantitative analysis for our research was done. Demographic profile of the respondents Gender Profile {draw:frame} The gender profile of the respondent base is tilted towards the male category as they constitute 76% of the total base. Age Profile {draw:frame} Occupation {draw:frame} Of the total number of people surveyed, the service and self employed categories almost constitute 50% of the responses. All the respondents provided their employment status within these three categories and nobody opted for the â€Å"Others† category which was provided. A lot of respondents were from our institute making the student population half of the total responses. Students make the aspiring group and also form an important part for the emerging market. Total Household Income {draw:frame} Pilot Testing Initially a questionnaire was developed as per the requirements of the research proposal. This questionnaire was subject to pilot testing to find out the errors in it if any as per the attitude of the people. To find out if any question is confusing or not conveying the intended meaning it was done. For this we selected around 15 people according to the sample needed for the study. These people were asked to fill up the questionnaire. We noted down any possible problem that these respondents faced while filling up the questionnaire. After this we worked on such problems found out and the suggestions from these respondents with respect to the questionnaire. Some questions those were conveying double meaning or creating confusion was omitted from the questionnaire. This edited questionnaire was then used as the final questionnaire and then the study was carried out. Bi-Variate Analysis Total Household Income Vs Amount Willing to Spend on a Sedan It can be inferred from the above figures that the people want to own a car mostly in the range of annual salary they earn. But majority of the people are willing to buy a car in the range of Rs. 5-7 lakh. It is interesting to find that a very few people want to buy a sedan in the range of above Rs. 12 lakh among the first four income groups. Still people having income below Rs. lakh have shown interest in buying such a sedan possibly due to aspirational reason. Total Household Income Vs Preference of Respondents for Various Brands It can be observed that for those people earning less than Rs. 300000, there is not much difference between the preferences for the different brands. Nonetheless, Honda City and Ford Fiesta are the winners with equal percentage of fan following. In the higher categories of to tal household incomes, it can be inferred that Honda City has a clear cut upper hand over the other brands. Only Suzuki SX4 comes close to it in some cases. This shows that people with higher earnings definitely would like to choose City over other given brands in the mid segment category. People with lower incomes are open to any brand FACTORING Factor analysis is a data reduction technique that aims at grouping the input variables, which have dependency with each other, into factors that underlie the input variables. Initially the total number of factors in the factor analysis is equal to the total number of input variables. But after the factor analysis the total number of variables in the study can be reduced by discarding the insignificant factors based on certain criterion. We have performed factor analysis on all the questions that we had in our questionnaire treating each one as an independent variable. The extraction method chosen for factor analysis was Principal Component matrix. This is the most popular technique for factor analysis, which determines loadings of variables on different factors by using the standard normal values of the observations of the original input variables. The rotation method used is Varimax with Kaiser Normalization. We have given the SPSS output as a separate attachment with the report. Extraction communalities are the variances of the variables accounted for by the factors in the factor solution. Large values of communality of all the variables indicate that they fit well with the factor solution, and thus should not be dropped from the analysis. Clearly all the fifty-two variables have fairly high value of extraction communality and thus should not be dropped from the factor analysis. Scree plot is the curve obtained by plotting Eigen values against their corresponding factors. The eigen value of a factor captures the variation in all the variables captured by it. The Scree plot above clearly shows that the slope of the curve falls after the fifteenth factor and also eigenvalue drops below Due to these only fifteen factors are taken into consideration. The total variance table also gives the details of the fifteen variables of the factoring output. The second column indicates that there are 15 factors for which Eigen value is greater than 1. The last column ‘cumulative %’ gives the percent of variance accounted for by all factors or components up to and including the current one. The fifteenth factor has a value of 82. , which indicates that all the fifteen factors till the current one total account for 82. 6% of variance. The following manifest variables were used for factor analysis: Price on mind while buying Price is the deciding factor Japanese cars of superior quality Warranty important Spare parts availability Serviceability Engine life After sales value Additional features 10. Mileage 11. Engine power 12. Performance feedb ack 13. Status symbol 14. Uniqueness 15. Investment source 16. Superior functionality of premium cars 17. Necessity 18. Affordability reduces attractiveness 9. Perceived as successful by colleagues when driving premium cars 20. Great interior and exterior looks KMO and Bartlett’s Test KMO test indicates if the sample size is adequate with respect to number of variables being considered. 0. 815 indicates that the sample size is adequate. We can also reach the same conclusion by multiplying the number of manifest variables by 5, which is 100 (=20Ãâ€"5) and that is less than 101, the sample size. Bartlett’s test has a chi square distribution and if significance is greater than 0. 1, then data is unimodal. But the high significance level here shows that the data collected is not skewed and has more or less a uniform distribution. Communalities Total Variance Eigen cut-off value has been set to one here. As we can see in the appendix attached, there are four factors which explain 60. 97% of total variance. {draw:frame} Screen Plot Scree plot shows how the Eigen value varies across factors. The points above the Eigen value of 1 in the scree plot constitute the factors. The first four factors have thus a steep value after which the slope flattens. Rotated Component Matrix draw:frame} The rotated component matrix shows all the manifest variables grouped together in various classes which are called factors. They are called latent factors because they are the underlying variables which determine the dependent variable. Also the first factor and the manifest variables under it explain the dependent variable more than the second and third factor. As can be seen from the rotated component matri x table below, eight manifest variables can be grouped under one factor. Another 5 variables under the second factor and so on. Each factor has been provided by a name. A list of the factors and the manifest variables involved is given below: Factor 1 – Features of car/sedan Warranty important Spare parts availability Serviceability Engine life After sales value Additional features Mileage Performance feedback Factor 2 – Social/Perceived Factors Investment source Superior functionality of premium cars Necessity Affordability reduces attractiveness Perceived as successful by colleagues when driving premium cars Factor 3 – Prestige Factors Japanese cars of superior quality Status symbol Uniqueness Factor 4 – Monetary Aspects Price on mind while buying Price is the deciding factor _ _Top of Mind Analysis {draw:frame} The above chart shows the percentage distribution of the various car brands which were provided by the respondents when asked for four various car brands which came to their minds in the mid segment. A total of 45 different car brands were given as response by them consisting of vehicles in the low, mid and the high segments. The most prominent brands were selected and the data concerning them was analyzed. It can be clearly inferred that Honda City enjoys a very good share of the respondents’ top of the mind with a share of about 27%. Maruti SX4 comes next with a share of 14% followed by Ford Fiesta at 11%. When asked about the first brand which comes to their minds, again Honda City was the clear winner by a large margin with about 37 respondents providing the brand name. Jaccard Analysis Jaccard analysis is used in market research to establish which attributes of a brand are important to the customers and the extent to which each of the attributes satisfies their expectations. Jaccard analysis is primarily done to find out the variables in order of their importance for their ability to govern groupability or similarity with the dependent variable. In our marketing research, we have used Jaccard scores to identify the attributes which are important for the brand category using five brands, namely, Honda City, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Verna, Fiat Linea and Suzuki SX4. These attributes will constitute the primary drivers of the brand. We calculate the Jaccard score as follows: The respondents are asked about their brand preferences in the category and their responses are noted down. Then they are asked if they associate a particular attribute with each of the brands under study and their responses are again noted down as follows: YY: If the respondent prefers a brand and associates with a particular positioning. YN: If the respondent prefers a brand but does not associate with a particular positioning. NY: If the respondent doesn’t prefer a brand but associates with a particular positioning. Jaccard Score = YY / (YY+YN+NY) We calculated the Jaccard score for each of the attributes and ranked the attributes from highest to lowest in descending order of the scores. That means in Jaccard analysis, higher the Jaccard score, better is the attribute. After they are ranked, the attributes with scores above a benchmark score are listed. These attributes are named Primary Drivers. The table given below gives the primary drivers for the brand category of Honda City: Based on a cut-off of 0. 4, we find that the following attributes are the primary drivers in the brand category concerned: Exterior/Interior Looks Comfort Affordable Price Power SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is done to find the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a particular brand with respect to other brands in the same category. When studied along with the help of Jaccard analysis, it becomes a powerful tool to identify the areas of strengths and weaknesses. In SWOT analysis, strengths and weaknesses are internal to the organization while opportunities and threats are external to the organization. A positive SWOT score indicates strength and a negative SWOT score indicates a weakness. It is also observed that the SWOT analysis works on the principal of zero-sum game. A gain on an attribute of a brand is counterbalanced by a loss in another attribute. SWOT scores are calculated as follows: SWOT SCORE = (Brand Attribute score – Attribute Average) – (Brand Average – Grand Average). Here, Attribute’s average is average of all brands’ scores for that particular attribute (Row Average) Average of Brand’s scores on all attributes being considered (Column Average) Grand average of scores (Average of row averages/column averages) The following table is generated for the SWOT scores of different attributes and brands: We have categorised the scores on the basis of the above table. As shown, the attributes with a SWOT score of more than 2 are identified as strengths and are shown in dark green colour. Attributes with SWOT score between 0 and 2 are weaknesses and coloured red, those between 0 and -2 are threats and coloured yellow. Lastly those attributes with SWOT scores less than -2 are labelled as weakness of the concerned brand and coloured red. Now we focus on the brand under question – the Honda City. The attributes of the brand based on SWOT scores can be summarised as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the table given below: Honda City STOCHASTIC ANLYSIS When we are talking about the strength of a brand there are few parameters using which we judge the strength of the brand based on the share it has like: Share of Market This measures the hold of the brand of the market. The problem with this kind of analysis is that it tells the strength of the brand today it reflects no projections and possibilities for future. Share of Mind and Heart is the one that highlights the prospects of the brand in the coming future. It tries to capture what the consumer thinks and believes of a particular brand and thus helps us to determine the prospects of the brand in future based on present perceptions. While conducting the market research for Honda City we have resorted to stochastic share analysis, to see the strength of the brand Honda City relatively to other brands in terms of share of mind The analysis has two parts: Preferred set size of the brand Stochastic share of the brand Preferred set size analysis This part of the analysis hovers to procure the data regarding the preference of the brands in the market. It is the simple process in which the respondent has been asked for preference for the brand from the given choices. Respondent’s response for each brand is treated as a unit for each brand; he can prefer more than one brand. All the brands for which the respondents has respondent in affirmative get allocated a unit i. e. if the respondent says he is aware of Honda City and Fiat Linea, both of them will be appended to the column of Honda City and Fiat Linea. In the end summation of the response is taken and the preferred set size is calculated. Of a brand = ————————————————————————————— Total no of respondents that has a preference for that brand Following table has been extracted from our analysis OBSERVATION The preferred set size for all the brands lies between 1. 38 and 2. 41. Honda City has the value of 1. 38 which essentially means people are pretty clear when it comes to Honda City than any other brand. In fact the total data exhibits far lower preferred set size. If see the preferred set size of the other sedans, we can see that they are pretty well distributed which means preference of a particular brand are clearly visible. Inference The ideal score for any preferred set size is 1 which means this is the only brand preferred by the respondent. This sends a very strong message that there is no close competitor to the given brand, when we are talking in terms of preference set of consumer. For the given analysis we observe that some of the sedans have a preference set greater than 2 and some have a score significantly less than 2. The scores which are less than 2 are a good signal because the customer has more clarity and Honda City enjoys higher preference as compared to its competitors. Stochastic Share Analysis This is the second part of the analysis here we approach the core of the analysis. Taking data from the preferred set size analysis we proceed to calculate the stochastic share of the brand The number of respondents that have responded in affirmative for any brand represents the set, which can become the buyer of the brand hence they represent the future market share for the brand and today’s share of mind this is calculated as No of respondents who responded in affirmative for the brand preference __ Total set size of the respondents considered Now this is the market share of the brand but as we have analyzed before the brand is preferred alongside other brands as well so this share of the mind includes the respondents who prefer other brand as well. Thus to get the actual % representation of a brand in the market we calculate Proportionate market share = % of market calculated earlier ——————————————————- This is now the actual share of the brands but this is not the actual share of mind of the brands that is represented by the share of the brand among he brands considered for study. Proportionate share of the brand Stochastic Share = —————————————————————————- ? Proportionate share of all the brands in the consideration set Fol lowing is the table from our analysis Observation There has been a conformance in the data pattern from that noted in the Preference set analysis. Honda City has the least preferred set size, and has the stochastic share of 56. 40% where as the other sedans have stochastic share between 8% and 17%. Inference This reiterates the fact of the preferred set size analysis where Honda City had the lowest preference set score, thus Honda City could be a leading brand in the market. This analysis emphasizes that Honda City is the brand with the highest share of mind of all consumer. This would or already has translated into highest market share in the segment of sedans, as people are all for this brand when it’s up against the other considered brand. Unparallel attributes that are highlighted by the brand Honda Aggressive marketing effort, which has left a lasting impression on the respondents Precaution in adaptation of analysis The analysis has been done based on the respondents and following points have to be kept in mind The analysis has been drawn on the basis of the respondent set thus depending on the response for the sample set the analysis is done. The competitor set size has been defined with deliberate efforts but the share output could vary with the competitor set. Conclusion Honda City definitely enjoys a good top of mind share in the mid segment cars. So, it shows it is enjoying a good position in the sedan segment. But the pricing is obviously becoming a deciding factor in a small city like Bhubaneswar. Most of the people are willing to spend around 5-7 lakhs on Honda City and not more than that. The most important factors that people look for while purchasing a car are features present in the car, prestige issue linked with the purchase, factors like after sales service, availability of spares, etc and of course monetary factors. Comfort, looks, status symbol and maintenance are the strengths of Honda City. But there are other things like after sales service where Maruti SX4 is the leader. It is also lagging behind competitors like Hyundai Verna, Ford Fiesta, and Maruti SX4 in areas like power, mileage and additional features that people expect to be present in a sedan. Honda has got a high stochastic share which means that it has a large potential market. People want to go for it but are not doing so presently due to some factors. So, Honda should try improving on its weaknesses and keep its strengths intact. It should also be alert for new threats in the market. This can lead Honda to be the market leader in the Sedan segment.

John Marshall

John Marshall, whose most notable political role of Chief Justice of the United States, played a major role in defining the American legal system, he was also known as one of the best Chief Justices that ever lived. For 34 years as Chief Justice, Marshall made significant contributions to the development of the U. S. Constitution through his high profile Supreme Court cases, such as Marbury v. Madison, McCulloch v. Maryland, Cohen’s v. Virginia, and Gibbons v. Ogden. These Supreme Court cases and others were approaches to help bring more federal structure to the U. S. Constitution. Marshall’s thirst for political knowledge at an early age, his contribution the judicial system, and dedication to political reform make him one of the most influential figures in American history. Early Life John Marshall, one of fifteen children, was born on September 24, 1755 in a log cabin in rural Germantown, Virgina. His parents were Thomas and Mary Marshall, who had significant status among the citizens of Germantown. Although Marshall’s parents were not formally educated, they ensured their children had a good, quality education. Marshall was homeschooled and often supplemented his reading from books in George Washington’s library. Marshall’s father and George Washington worked together as surveyors and became close friends. Washington would later become one of Marshall’s greatest heroes. Desiring their son to become a lawyer, Thomas and Mary sent Marshall to William and Mary College where he spent several weeks listening to George Wythe’s lectures on law, which was Marshall’s only means of formal education. At the age of 25, Marshall left William and Mary College and pursued a lawyer’s position in Germantown, where he later met and married his wife of 49 years, Mary Willis Ambler. Together, they had ten children, with only six living to see adulthood (McGill, 2005). Chief Justice Chief Justice John Marshall served in the Supreme Court from 1801-1835. He was the fourth Chief Justice appointed by President John Adams (Smith, 1996). Marshall was known as one of the greatest chief justices in judicial history. While head of court, Marshall helped establish foundations for the Supreme Court and the constitutional supremacy. Alexander M. Bickel, a sophisticated, constitutional scholar stated that John Marshall was one of the greatest justices due to his decision in the Marbury v. Madison case. Although Marshall is known for many other cases throughout judicial history, including McCulloch v. Maryland, Cohen’s v. Virginia, and Gibbons v. Ogde, the high profile case, Marbury v. Madison, became one of Marshall’s most significant cases and one that established him as one of the greatest supreme court justices who ever lived (Wood, 1997). Marbury V. Madison In Marbury V. Madison, Marshall worked the Judiciary’s claim to apply the law of the constitution exactly the way that courts interpret common law and statues in their role of legal disputes. Marshall was instrumental in laying down the foundation for the rise of the Judiciary. Their goal was to make the Judiciary as one of the top three capital powers of the government. Marshall stated that the constitution was â€Å"a rule for the government of courts, as well as of his legislature†. As he made the issue known, judges could not ignore it. They were duty bound to enforce it by disallowing laws offensive to the constitution. At the time, many Americans had no trouble thinking of constitutions as law but not the kind of law that would be operated in the court system, but John Marshall stated towards the court system, by applying his methods of statutory interpretation to the constitution, he legalized it. He made it amenable to routine exposition and makes it happen. Marshall knew the Judiciary system would always be one of the weakest branches; its effectiveness depended on gaining the agreements of the legislative, executive branches, and of the people. The power that the Supreme Court would enjoy is the ability to persuade the people. Marshall was perfect for the job, and he greatly enhanced that power by his ability of persuasions. The American’s didn’t know anything about the constitution, but Marshall enhanced the knowledge pertaining to the constitution (Hobson, 2002). It is no doubt that John Marshall has made tremendous contributions to the judicial system. His thirst for knowledge at a young age and his political leadership has provided significant contributions to political society. It has been over two-hundred years since Marshall’s appointment; however, the Supreme Court still continues to honor him and his works. Marshall left a legacy that will be admired and written about by political generations to come. Through his works, Marshall helped define our country to what it is today as supported by political author, Jean Edward Smith who stated, â€Å"if George Washington found the country, John Marshall defined it† (Smith, 1996).

The 19 Best Colleges for Students With Learning Disabilities

The 19 Best Colleges for Students With Learning Disabilities SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Figuring out which colleges you’re interested in is arguably the most difficult part of the college application process. There’s so much information to sift through- how could brief campus visits and informational brochures really tell you where you’ll be most successful? This process is even harder for students with learning disabilities. You want to make sure there are programs in place to help you be the best you can be no matter where you go to school. If you want to apply to colleges for students with learning disabilities, this article is a great place to start your college search. I'll start off by talking about what these specialtyprograms have to offer before getting to the rankings. Afterward, I'll discuss the next steps to take if you decide a learning disability program is right for you. What Makes a College Good for Students With Learning Disabilities? All colleges in the US are required to have a disabilities office, which helps accommodate students with different needs. While disability offices can be helpful for logistical concerns, some students need more of a supportive structure in place in order for them to feel comfortable. All the schools listed below go above and beyond what's required of them when it comes to supporting students with learning disabilities. They offer an array of supportive programs, often operated by learning specialists who are trained in working with students with different needs. Examples of supportive services, programs, and procedures include the following: Weekly meetings with a counselor Reduced course load Extra tutoring support Specialcurricula On-campus learning specialists Individual meetings with educators Transitional summer programs Specialty workshops The schools below offer different combinations of these support services and in different levels of structure. Not all the schools listed will be appropriate for all students with learning disabilities- some offer very high levels of structure and support, whereas others only offer more basic check-ins to make sure you're on track.It might be helpful to think about how much support is ideal for you before you begin your college search. Learning Disability Programs: What These College Rankings Mean Because many of the schools on this list are very different from one another (even though they all offer specialized programs), there aren’t reliable rankings lists available. Each student will have to consider her own unique needs when thinking about which specialized programs would be best for her. To compile this list of schools,I researched the best learning disability programs according to aggregated lists and opinions from the learning disability community. Instead of assigning an arbitrary rank to each school, I organized the colleges by type, which should be more useful. Here, you can learn about programsat schools solely for students for learning disabilities. Or if you want to be part of a learning disability program that’s embedded within a school, you can compare programs at smaller communities with some larger, more well-known ones. Note that most of these learning disability programs come with an additional fee on top of tuition if they're embedded within a college or university. If information about the program cost was available, I included it in the program description. Read on to see the best programs for students with learning disabilities at large and small colleges. Later, I'll go over some schools notable for cateringonlyto students with learning disabilities. Like Goldilocks, you should focus on the right fit for you. Unlike Goldilocks, you won't end up chased from a house by angry bears. Larger Colleges for Students With Learning Disabilities The following learning disability programs are generally found at medium to large colleges. If you want more of a typical college experience but still want the additional support and attention that comes with a specialized program, these might be good options for you. Keep in mind that you'll likely to have to apply to both the college and the learning disability program. American University (Learning Services Program) Washington, DC Based in the Academic Support and Access Center (ASAC), the Learning Services Program (LSP) offers several quality support systems for qualifying students. Enrollees have weekly individual meetings with a program coordinator or counselor and consult with a program coordinator during the summer to discuss registration and course selection. Other benefits include the following: Enrollment in a reserved section of the freshman writing class Weekly meetings with a writing tutor for the freshman writing class Individualized course advising Upperclass student mentor The LSP is a one-year program and has a one-time fee of $4,850. Bellevue College(OLS Degree) Bellevue, WA Bellevue College offers an associate degree in Occupational and Life Skills (OLS) for adult students with learning disabilities. Students in the OLS program spend 10-14 hours per week in the classroom, taking classes in subjects such as workplace problem-solving, healthy relationships, and personal finance. They also complete a 200-hour internship at a local business as part of their graduation requirement. 85% of their graduates are employed. Tuition is $455 per credit. DePaul University (Center for Students with Disabilities) Chicago, IL DePaul University is home to the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD), a department that specializes inspecifically meeting the needs of students with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders. More than a dozen accommodations are offered depending on the student's particular needs. CSD students also have access to a Learning Specialist Clinician for additional academic guidance. East Carolina University (STEPP Program) Greenville, NC The STEPP (Supporting Transition and Education Through Planning and Partnernships) Program offers academic, social, and life-skills help to students with learning disabilities at ECU. It begins with monthly newsletters and a pre-college bootcamp to help students prepare for college before they even begin their first day. Once they start school, participants receive mentoring and advising, a housing assignment within a designated residence hall, independent study courses and a required study hall to help structure their schedule, and guidance developing a professional portfolio to help with getting a job after graduation. Only 10 students are accepted into the program per year, but for those that are, there are no additional fees for being in STEPP. Northeastern University (Learning Disabilities Program) Boston, MA Northeastern is a relatively large university that offers many on-campus resources to its students. Those who are part of the Learning Disabilities Program (LDP) meet twice every week with an LDP specialist to work on their academic and general life skills. This specialist also directs students to other resources that are available on campus, such as subject-specific tutoring. The fee for the LDP is $2,900 per semester. University of Arizona (SALT Center) Tucson, AZ The University of Arizona's Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques (SALT) Center offers fairly comprehensive support to students and is ideal for those who want the atmosphere of a large school. SALT enrollees have weekly meetings with a strategic learning specialist and access to many other services, including the following: Content-specific tutoring Educational tech support Life skills and academic strategies workshops Psychological services Life and ADHD coaching (this is separate from the SALT fee) Lower-division students pay $2,800 per semester, which includes tutoring. Upper-division students pay $1,200 per semester, with tutoring costing an additional $21 an hour. University of Connecticut (Beyond Access Program) Storrs, CT The University of Connecticut offers a few different options for students with learning disabilities. The major support program is the Beyond Access Program (BAP), in which students meet weekly with a trained Strategy Instructor (SI) to develop important skills. The SI focuses on several skill sets, including the following: Time management and organization Study skills Stress management Self-advocacy Memory and concentration Social skills Career prep Health and wellness Reading and writing strategies There are two different program levels: the BAP fee is $1,800 per semester for one SI meeting a week, or $3,600 per semester for three SI meetings a week. University of Denver (Learning Effectiveness Program) Denver, CO The University of Denver's Learning Effectiveness Program (LCP) offers students with learning disabilities academic counseling, subject-specific tutoring, time and organizational management assistance, and special student events. The program fee is $1,350 per quarter. University of Iowa (REACH Program) Iowa City, IA The University of Iowa's Realizing Educational and Career Hopes (REACH) program is a solid option for students who need extra support or who aren’t ready to jump into the college experience just yet. REACH isan educational program in its own right, specialized specifically for students with intellectual, cognitive, and/or learning disabilities. Thistwo-year transition certificate program provides students with a "big 10" university experience and ensures they're supported throughout the educational process. Services offered by the REACH program include the following: Small group instruction Real world opportunities for hands-on learning Special events and support staff Opportunities to participate in UI courses with the assistance of REACH staff Tuition, fees, and expenses for the REACH program come to $28,859 for Iowa residents and $46,069 for non-residents. Smaller Colleges for Students With Learning Disabilities Not everyone gets excited at the prospect of joining a big college campus. If you prefer a more intimate academic environment, these schools might be good fits for you. Classes at small colleges can be really stimulating, intimate experiences (as long as you don't forget to do the reading). Augsburg College (CLASS) Minneapolis, MN CLASS stands for the Center of Learning and Accessible Student Services. Located at Augsburg College, this center is staffed with disability specialists who are trained to provide the following services to students who might need them: Individual support Instruction of learning strategies and compensatory techniques Help with time management and organizational skills Academic advising Housing assistance There doesn't seem to be a fee for these services. Curry College (Program for Advancement of Learning) Milton, MA Curry College's Program for Advancement of Learning (PAL) offers a specialized curriculum for students with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders. This curriculum mainly focuses on learning strategies and the learning process in general. Students in the program also receive referrals to specialized advisers and technical support. To apply,you have to submit a separate application in addition to Curry's regular college app. The cost is $1,825 a semester for PAL1220, $3,390 a semester for PAL1210, and $3,470 a semester for PAL1190 and PAL1200. Fairleigh Dickinson University (Regional Center for Learning Disabilities) Teaneck, NJ At Fairleigh Dickinson's Regional Center for Learning Disabilities, students can schedule weekly meetings with learning specialists, participate in counseling sessions, get technologicalsupport, and receive priority registration. Best of all, these services are offered at no extra cost to students. Lesley University (Threshold Program) Cambridge, MA Similar to REACH at the University of Iowa, Lesley University's Threshold is a specialty certificate program meant for those who would struggle in a traditional college environment,even with some structured support. Students can choose to study Business Services and/or Early Childhood Development. After completing the program, students have the opportunity to participate in post-grad programs through Lesley University. Tuition fees amount to $22,125 per semester; room and board expenses are an additional $5,430 a semester. Lynn University (Institute for Achievement and Learning) Boca Raton, FL Students who are part of the Institute for Achievement and Learning (IAL) have access to a variety of specialty services, including the following: Academic coaching Assistive technology Diagnostic assessments Tutoring Alternative testing environments All Lynn University students have access to the IAL. Marist College (Learning Support Program) Poughkeepsie, NY Students enrolled in the Learning Support Program work one-on-one with a learning specialist. In meeting with these specialists, students focus on honing the following skills: Writing skills Note-taking skills Organization skills Test-taking strategies Time management There are fees for meeting with learning specialists,but that information isn't publicized on the program's official website. Mercyhurst University (Learning Differences Program) Erie, PA There are two parts to the Learning Differences Program (LDP): the Summer PASS Program, which helps students ease into college life, and the more intensive Academic Advantage Program (AAP), which is designed to provide structured academic support to students throughout the year. The AAP includes the following features: Weekly meetings with an academic counselor Academic advising Subject-specific tutoring Assigned note-takers Priority class registration The AAP costs $2,590 for one academic year, while the Summer PASS Program costs $995. Mitchell College (Bentsen Learning Center) New London, CT Through the Bentsen Learning Center (BLC), students get access to an academic support program meant specifically for students with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders. There are three tiers of support, allowing the program to be tailored to each student's individual needs. The center offers the following services: Learning strategy instruction Career readiness skill building Content strategy workshops Designated student study areas Referrals to additional campus resources Program fees vary by level of support, ranging from $820 to $3,700 per semester. Schools Dedicated to Students With Learning Disabilities There are a few schools out there that only accept students with learning disabilities. These tend to be smaller colleges and typically offer customizable levels of support and structure. If you're interested in schools that cater exclusively to students with language-based learning disabilities, check out the following colleges. These schools are experienced in helping students with learning disabilities balance their academic, professional, and personal lives. Beacon College Leesburg, FL Beacon College offers associate and bachelor's degrees exclusively to students with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders. Itson-time graduation rate is 70%, which surpasses the national average graduation rate for students with learning disabilities. The college's support services include a Center for Student Success (with trained learning specialists and tutors), a math lab, and a writing center. Landmark College Putney, VT All of Landmark College isdedicated to helping students who learn differently (i.e., students with learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, and/or dyslexia). Support services offered here include the following: Academic advising and coaching Centers for academic support Counseling Specialty summer programs, to ease the transition into college What to Do If You're Interested in a Program for Students With Learning Disabilities Think you'd benefit from a supportive program meant for students with learning disabilities? The following tips will help you successfully navigate admissions and beyond. #1: Get More Information Just like anycollege applicant, you should get as much information about these programs as possible to get a better idea of fit and compatibility. Visit campuses, talk to current students, and consider if program offerings would give you the appropriate level of support. #2: Make Note of Additional Applications Many of these schools require students to submit an application to the learning disabilities program in addition to the regular college application. You might also have to submit further documentation, such as diagnostic tests, psychological evaluations, or letters from educators. As a result, it's best to give yourself extra time to complete these applications. #3: Account for Extra Expenses in Your College Budget You can still apply and be eligible forfinancial aid and scholarships, but be aware that enrolling in one of these programs for students with learning disabilities has the potential to add thousands of dollars to your overall college costs each year. What's Next? If you're still thinking through your college budget (and the extra costs that come with learning disability programs), get informed with our guide to college expenses. Don't forget that federal grants and loans can help make up some of the costs of these specialtyprograms. Learn more aboutPellGrants,DirectUnsubsidizedloans, andDirect Subsidized loans. Worried about choosing a major on your college applications? Learn how to navigate the process and make an informed decision. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Habits and Traits of the Asian Longhorned Beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis

Habits and Traits of the Asian Longhorned Beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis A recent immigrant to the United States, the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) made its presence known quickly. Accidental introductions, probably in wooden packing crates from China, led to infestations in New York and Chicago in the 1990s. Thousands of trees were chipped and burned to prevent its spread. More recently, Anoplophora glabripennis appeared in New Jersey and Toronto, Canada. What makes this beetle so dangerous to our trees? All four stages of the life cycle damage the host trees. Description: The Asian Longhorned Beetle belongs to the family of wood boring beetles, Cerambycidae. Adult beetles measure 1-1 ½ inches in length. Their shiny black bodies have white spots or markings, and the long antennae have alternating black and white stripes. The Asian longhorned beetle may be mistaken for two species native to the U.S., the cottonwood borer and the whitespotted sawyer. All other stages of the life cycle occur within the host tree, so its not likely you will see them. The female chews away a small amount of bark and lays white, oval eggs singly within the tree. Larvae, which are also white and resemble small grubs, chew their way through the vascular tissue of the tree and move into the wood. Pupation happens within the tunnels the larvae create in the wood. The newly emerged adult chews its way out of the tree. Usually, identification of this pest is made by observing damage to the host trees, and then finding an adult beetle to confirm the suspected infestation. When the female oviposits, it causes the sap to weep. When a tree has multiple wounds with dripping sap, wood borers may be suspected. As the adults chew their way out of the tree, they push large amounts of sawdust from their exit holes. This accumulated sawdust, usually around the base of the tree or piled in the crotch of branches, is another sign of the Asian longhorned beetle. The adult beetle emerges from an oval exit hole about the size of a pencil eraser. Classification: Kingdom - AnimaliaPhylum - ArthropodaClass - InsectaOrder - ColeopteraFamily - CerambycidaeGenus - AnoplophoraSpecies - A. glabripennis Diet: Asian longhorned beetles feed on wood of many common hardwood species: birches, common horsechestnuts, elms, hackberries, London planes, maples, mountain ashes, poplars, aspens, and willows. They show a particular preference for maples. Larvae feed on the phloem tissue and wood; adults feed on bark during their mating and egg-laying period. Life Cycle: Asian longhorned beetles undergo complete metamorphosis with four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Egg - Eggs are laid singly within the host trees bark, and hatch in 1-2 weeks.Larva  - Newly hatched larvae tunnel into the vascular tissue of the tree. As they mature, larvae migrate into the wood, causing extensive damage. Larvae may reach 5 cm in length when fully grown, feeding for at least 3 months.Pupa - At maturity, the larvae move near the surface of the tree (under the bark) to pupate. Adults emerge in about 18 days.Adult - The adult beetles actively mate and lay eggs throughout the summer and fall. Special Adaptations and Defenses: Asian longhorned beetle larvae and adults chew wood with large mandibles. Adults, especially males, display long antennae used to sense the sex pheromones of potential mates. Habitat: Areas where host trees are available, particularly where maples, elms, and ash are in abundance. In the U.S. and Canada, known Asian longhorned beetle infestations have occurred in urban areas. Range: The Asian longhorned beetles native range includes China and Korea. Accidental introductions expanded the range to include the United States, Canada, and Austria, hopefully temporarily. The introduced populations are believed to be under control. Other Common Names: Starry sky beetle, Asian cerambycid beetle Sources: Asian Longhorned Beetle, Canadian Forest ServiceAsian Longhorned Beetle, University of Vermont Entomology Researh Laboratory

The National Energy Program Revisited Research Paper

The National Energy Program Revisited - Research Paper Example The program also aimed at finding new sources of the Canadian gas and oil (Franà §ois 2006). Lastly, the program was aimed at increasing federal share on oil and gas revenues. This meant that the program was economic minded. To achieve these objectives, the program then introduced several rules, tax rates and several regulations including the petroleum compensation charge, which was imposed on the country’s domestic refiners (Robert, 2011). The Western provinces especially Alberta were not impressed by the program making the federal-provincial relations reach one of their lowest points. In other words, it meant that the program was not popular in the Western province thus Alberta which also produces most of the oil in Canada (Franà §ois 2006). With indications that the natural resources in the nation would fall constitutionally within the provincial jurisdiction domain, most of the Albertans felt that the program was a detrimental incursion by the federal government especially where province affairs are involved. To the Albertans, the program was perceived to be only benefiting the eastern provinces. Economically, the Western province felt that the program was sidelining it and instead favor other parts of the country. Furthermore, there were bankruptcies in the Western province as a result of the program. Businesses such as real estate performed poorly in not only Alberta but also other parts of the country and other petroleum exporting economies including the United States and Norway (Franà §ois 2006). This prospect weakened Alberta in terms of its economic dominance hence faulting the National Energy Program. Generally, the National Energy Program cultivated to federal deficits due to the substantial revenues increase from the gas and the oil sectors. At the same time, Western province GDP fell due to the

Perfect Personal Statements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Perfect Personal Statements - Essay Example I have always been charmed by advancements in technology, which have facilitated progress in terms of the development of electronics. My interest in electronics began when I received a Gameboy gift from my parents. Since then, my desire to learn more about anything concerning electronics has grown by leaps and bounds. I believe I am profoundly suitable to study electronics since challenges, which a normal domain of the Gameboy world, typically bring out the best in my abilities. I relish the opportunity to think creatively and imaginatively and take immense pleasure in learning the intricacies of how electronics function. Since my childhood, I have been satisfied with my level of intelligence and constantly establish new goals and objectives to help stretch my mind and imagination in a better manner than previously. I always allow my experiences to shape my thoughts, while simultaneously holding on firmly to my convictions and what I have learned in the past. This continues to be my way of life. In order to supplement my interest in electronics, I took quite a number of computer courses in the high school curriculum over the years. In addition to my enhanced knowledge of computer, I took an English 4 course during which I grew exceedingly passionate regarding photography, as well as video editing. In my spare time, I love playing video games, watching quizzes and shows on technology gadgets, discovery channels and science. These games and shows enable me keep up with the latest trends in the electronics world, as well as appreciate the latest and greatest technologies and gadgets from across the globe. When I first came to the US, I loved listening to classic rock, which played a pivotal role in enhancing my knowledge of the English language.