Graduation Speech Nursing Mentoring - 1030 Words

Nursing Mentoring Nohely Alvarez Felician College Nohely Alvarez 10/09/2015 â€Å"I declare on my honor that I have neither given nor received inappropriate aid on this examination/paper/assignment.† Going through the process of getting a degree and graduating can probably be the most rewarding achievement in life. All the sleepless nights: studying and writing papers has finally paid off and now it is time to step out into the real world. For some, depending on their career can be challenging to adapt to a new environment. Going to school and going to work for the very first time is a big difference. Some people could feel intimidated while other individuals could be excited to start a new chapter. It is strongly advised that students throughout their career find a mentor. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. Mentoring will make a big difference for future nursing graduates and to many other careers. Getting a job for the very first time as a registered nurse after graduating can be very intimidating because people don’t know what to expect. Not knowing what to expect will only make the new graduate doubt his or her abilities. Duchscher (2008) states, â€Å" issues commonly cited as troublesome for newly graduated nurses at various points in time throughout the initial 12 months relate to a lack of clinical knowledge and confidence in skill performance,Show MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Knowledge Program836 Words   |  4 Pagesas reflected in student learning outcomes. Recognition ceremonies expanded Diversity Advocacy hosted the first graduation celebration for Asian, Middle Eastern, Pacific Islander, and Southeast Asian students. 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How did Social Reforms Improve Women’s Position during the Third Republic Free Essays

string(153) " almost half the teaching profession were women, demonstrating an acceptance of women working in nurturing, caring roles which upheld republican values\." sIntroduction Over the course of Third Republic, social reform policies were largely shaped by industrialisation and the fears of social discontent it instilled amongst republicans, war and the on-going demographic crisis. The social question became ever more pressing and ultimately came the gradual recognition that the state had to play a more prominent role in administrating social policy. Concern over the administration and the cultural effects of implementing social policy led to a preoccupation with the question of women in the new Republic. We will write a custom essay sample on How did Social Reforms Improve Women’s Position during the Third Republic? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Through a gendered reading of republican history women were undoubtedly a prominent area in political discussions throughout the Third Republic and after 1870, reformative legislation was in certain cases clearly gender specific, and designed with the position of women in mind. However, state instigated reforms passed in the areas of education, work and familial health largely â€Å"sought to enhance the position of women within society in ways dictated by their gendered vision† (S. Foley, P144, 2004). As a result of social reforms throughout the Third Republic, undeniably â€Å"women’s lives did change with bourgeoises and ouvrieres alike entering the world of work in ever greater numbers, however these changes occurred in tandem with continued emphasis on women’s maternity† (Pedersen, p 695, 1996). Reformers sought to reinforce the social construction of woman as mother and by the end of the regime the doctrine of separate spheres prevailed, â€Å"wome n had a place in the third republic as mothers of future citizens, but little success in their claims to equal treatment in their own right† (Pedersen, p.695, 1996). In the early years of the Third Republic, the most significant social reforms, which had real potential to improve the position of women, were in the domain of education. Reform of the education system began in 1880 with the Camille See law establishing lycees and colleges for girls as well as boys. The following year saw the introduction of free, secular education for both sexes under Jules Ferry, a law which was amended in 1882 to make attendance compulsory between the ages of 6-13. Education over the course of the republic became arguably, the most crucial element in female emancipation. However, â€Å"progress, over the period 1870-1914 was slow and undynamic† (McMillan, p53, 1981). The laws were difficult to enforce, as social expectations of girls were not necessarily compatible with compulsory education. Amongst working class families, young girls were expected and required to work to contribute to the family income, and thus school attendance was low; this hostility t o the laws was also felt in the provinces, where attendance was often seasonal in conjunction with working seasons on the land. The need to educate girls was often seen as unnecessary amongst upper-middle class families who resided in the doctrine of separate spheres and saw education as common. Indeed, in the early years of the new system, it was largely the middle-class population that benefited the most from the changes in education. In addition to the socio-cultural and economic restraints on the progress of girl’s education, the republican government cannot be said to have implemented the reforms to drastically change the lot of women. In fact the laws were designed to keep women in the same position as they had been under the Second Empire, a position dictated by male authority and shaped by their gender difference. The Camille See law intentionally prescribed a distinctly different curriculum for boys and girls and did not prepare girls for higher education or include Latin classes to allow girls to take the baccalaureate, but rather prepared them for domesticity, with the aim of creating â€Å"Republican companions for Republican men† (Foley, p146, 2004). The intention was never to provide boys and girls with equal educational opportunities and the law was unquestionably â€Å"designed to dissociate female education from the professional and career orientations of its male equivalents† ( Silverman, p66, 1992). Camille See in particular was an ardent defender of the doctrine of separate spheres, â€Å"nothing was further from his mind than the creation of female lawyers, doctors or politicians† (McMillan, p51, 1981). Furthermore, before 1880 the Church had been largely responsible for educating girls and boys in religious schools. To consolidate the new republic and secure the regime, legislators believed in the need to diminish the influence of the church in society and break its strong hold over women. The incentives to introduce educational policies were closely bound up with anti-clericalism and thus in hindsight, can be seen to constitute more of a â€Å"victory for anticlericalism [rather than] feminism† (McMillan, p47, 1981). Nevertheless, the educational reforms did constitute a real achievement and eventually improved the level of education for girls. By developing in a way that was unanticipated by their creators they eventually â€Å"undermined the assumption that girls were irrevocably destined for domestic life† (Foley, p146, 2004) In the face of competition with private and religious schools that did offer Latin for girls, certain state schools were forced to introduce the subject and prepare girls for the baccalaureate. Over the period 1900 to 1914 the number of female students registered in higher education rose from 624 to 2547, a slow but significant increase which paved the way for a select group of middle class women into the professions. The law had paradoxically â€Å"led certain women to choose the very careers it was supposed to discourage† (Silverman, p66, 1992). Female teachers were seen by many as republican instruments to continue teaching young girls about their domestic role, and thus while paradoxically granting many women with increased independence, like the educational legislation itself, they also highlight a commitment to a supportive and dependant role for women based upon their feminine characteristics, rather than a desire to enhance their position in society. An 1879 law set up the Ecole Normale Superieure de Saint-Cloud in Paris which provided female teacher training to manage the spread of republican ideals through education. By 1906 about 78,000 women teachers worked in state schools and a further 5000 in religious schools; almost half the teaching profession were women, demonstrating an acceptance of women working in nurturing, caring roles which upheld republican values. You read "How did Social Reforms Improve Women’s Position during the Third Republic?" in category "Essay examples" By 1914 as a consequences of ope ning up secondary education and the professions to women, they were beginning to be visible in the public sphere, â€Å"but the implications of this change for a social model based on ‘difference’ remained to be addressed† (Foley, p148, 2004). The post-war 1924 Berard Law finally saw the alignment of boys and girls curricula and the Ministry of Education established a baccalaureate stream for girls schools. Yet a 1928 decree kept the girls diploma running for those who did not want to sit the baccalaureate and attempted to continue to reinforce the development of capable housewives. Nevertheless, in 1929 lycee fees were scrapped and the number of enrolments rose substantially; 255000 girls were registered in 1929. Only then had a veritable â€Å"trend towards modern mass education begun† (Sowerwine, p128, 2001) which was not based upon sexual difference. As a result of educational reforms, the number of middle-class women entering the labour market did rise; in 1906 779,000 women worked in the commercial sector, by 1921 the number had increased to 1,008 000. Many middle-class women were finding work as teachers or nurses and in the tertiary sector as secretaries, typists or postal employees. Yet, on the whole women who entered the professions were markedly young, single women. Managerial positions across all sectors were almost solely reserved for men and despite the successes of certain women who did enter into the â€Å"male† professions, numbers remained low – twenty female doctors and ten female lawyers had completed their studies by 1906. The advancement in the position of some middle class women into the public sphere, alongside the development of the bicycle which granted women more independence, and the changing fashions of the Belle Epoque – shorter hair, and shorter hemlines- encouraged a perceived ide a that middle-class women were en route to emancipation and that their presence in the public sphere was considerably greater than it was (Sowerwine, 2001).However, the reality of working life for most women was far removed from â€Å"the emancipated existence imagined by troubled male minds† (McMillan, p142, 2000). The acceptance that women from working-class families needed to work for their family’s survival was not a phenomenon that emerged in the Third Republic and despite republican rhetoric about a woman’s domestic role, legislators â€Å"never seriously proposed prohibiting all women’s wage labour†¦instead working hours were limited† (Stewart, p15, 1989). In 1906 women constituted 36.6% of the working population (not including agriculture) but their participation was â€Å"on terms of massive inferiority† (McMillan, p57, 1985), with women in most sectors earning half as much as men performing similar tasks. The early years of the Third Republic saw the introduction of a number of reforms which attempted to control and regulate working-class women’s working patterns and improve their working conditions. An 1874 law forbade women from working in mines, in 1892 the working day was set at 11 hours and night work was banned. In 1898 a law penalis ing employers for industrial accidents marked an attempt at tightening up factory safety, in 1904 the working day was shortened to 10 hours and in 1906 an obligatory weekly rest was decreed. In 1909 a law decreed that a woman could not lose her job after having a baby and 1913 saw the introduction of 4 weeks unpaid maternity leave. For reformers, the ideal was to â€Å"create a situation where a women’s productive work would not interfere with their reproductive work† (McMillan, p.178, 2000). However, the implementation of protective working legislation was difficult and in many cases where women were expected to bring in their share of the family income and resume all domestic duties, they had little choice but to break the laws. Financial demands meant that in many sectors women needed to work more than 10 hours and fines for breaching the laws were low; night work enabled women to both earn a wage and care for their families in the day. Furthermore, despite the 1907 law allowing married women who worked to dispose freely of their own income, no attempt to address wage inequality was made until 1915 when a minimum wage was introduced for domestic workers. In 1914 the wages of women who worked in the clothing and domestic industries, had not reached even 50 % of those of men. Despite acceptance that many women need to work, they were not expected to earn enough to lead an independent life a â€Å"deliberate policy on the part of employers not to pay women a living wageà ¢â‚¬  (McMillan, p.68, 1981), to keep women in a dependent, familial position. Thus, social labour reforms (and deliberate lack thereof with regards to wages) were largely implemented to facilitate a woman’s dual exploitation as a worker and a bearer of children, a position based upon male double standards and inequality. The war years invariably required women to take on new roles and act independently while their husbands were at war and in 1915 they were temporarily granted paternal authority. A number of new industries – chemicals, munitions and metal- opened their doors to women in the name of the war effort and the increasing number of accidents in the workplace boosted concerns over working conditions and the health of women who worked long hours. In 1917 the government introduced a female factory inspectors scheme for the protection of female labour, offering companies financial incentives for participation and in the post-war years the inspectorate â€Å"did much to raise the condition of women workers far above the level of abject misery and exploitation that had persisted throughout the 19th century† (McMillan, p144, 1981).Wartime creches and nurseries were imposed by the government to enable working class mothers to continue with their jobs, yet â€Å"far from being establis hed as a feminist demand† (Reynolds, p.36, 1996), they were viewed as beneficial for the child and a necessary concession to meet production needs. From the 1920s onwards, post-war, and faced with huge losses, the Third Republic became increasingly marked by state intervention in the lives of citizens and â€Å"reformers focused on reproduction and depopulation, linking the demographic crisis to the degeneration of the working-class family† (Stewart, p.108, 1995). In 1920 the Declaration of the Rights of the Family was issued, this meant that the protection of and preservation of the family and the collective was now seen as more important than the rights of the individual. With the depopulation crisis reaching a new height in post-war years, masculine fears of the loss of the familial women rose to a new level and â€Å"wartime losses coupled with a century of slow population growth, gave impetus to the country’s pronatalist programs and general public health measures resulted† (Smith, p.50, 2003). The working mother became increasingly problematic as the government and employers endorsed the notion that do mesticity and motherhood as a moral duty for women would not only save France, it would also create jobs for returning soldiers. Propaganda scapegoated the ‘new woman’ through rejection of her maternal duty, as responsible for Frances low population growth and therefore wartime failures. Repopulating France was seen as the most important social function for a woman and in the interwar period government led incentives â€Å"reduced women from whole human beings to temporarily fertile bearers of children† (Reynolds, p.24, 1996). The conservative Bloc National established the Conseil Superieur de la Natalite in 1919, a government body designed to support the pronatalist, Alliance Nationale pour l’Accroissement de la Population Francaise, which imposed an income tax surcharge on single men and women over 30 without children. The 1920 law imposed strict fines and imprisonment for anyone providing birth control or facilitating contraception and a 1923 law designed to restrict abortions, made them a penal crime for anyone who performed or had an abortion. The new laws affected men and women differently, and â€Å"while ostensibly universal, were actually gendered† (Pedersen, p.676, 1996), prohibiting all forms of female contraception except for the cond om, thus perpetuating the republican ideal of productive man and reproductive woman. The laws aimed to diminish a woman’s right to control her own fertility and increase â€Å"French legislators’ political and medical authority to intervene into family life through the bodies of women†. (Pedersen, p 677, 1996) The code de la Famille declared in 1939, the biggest legislative achievement for pronatalists (Koos, p.705, 1996) encouraged women to have more children by paying more family allowances to larger families, and offered a 10% wage supplement to workers whose wives stayed at home to raise children. The laws against contraception and abortion were also made tougher. Politicians used science and medical authority to socially define women’s position as a mother and housewife and in this sense â€Å"women’s reproduction became linked to the nation’s health† (Koos, p.635, 1996) and some fascist pronatalist newspapers portrayed female aborters as being guilty of treason. By the end of the regime in 1940, women did occupy a greater share of public space than they had previously through the unprecedented development of education and â€Å"by turning motherhood and other private family responsibilities into political and social concerns, Third Republic politicians ironically increased women’s public function.† However, this public function was largely defined by women’s biological, moral and social duty as a mother (Stromberg Childers, p6, 2003).Despite greater educational and job opportunities available to both middle-class and working class-women, and some legal gains such as the liberalisation of the divorce law and the 1938 revision of the Civil Code, â€Å"the doctrine of separate spheres had not been seriously undermined, neither in theory nor in practice† (p 189, Mcmillan, 1981). Women were repeatedly denied the right to vote and the revised Civil Code, still decreed male dominance over the family. Prevailing patriarc hal mentalities were slow to change and even many women and feminists did not dispute the familial movement in the 1930s. By the end of the Third Republic men still held authority in the public and private spheres and although many women may have benefitted physically from certain social welfare policies, and from new job opportunities, a woman’s social position in 1940 continued to be largely determined by the patriarchal model established by the French Civil Code and â€Å"a gender order based upon sexual difference rather than sexual equality was still widely considered to be fundamental to the well-being of society†(McMillan, p. 154, 2000). Women were still subject to male inequality and primarily defined by their gender, as a mother and housewife. Bibliography Accampo, E.A. et al. (1995) Gender and the Politics of Social Reform in France 1870-1914. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press. Foley, S. (2004) Women in France since 1789: The Meanings of Difference. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Fortescue, W. (2000) The Third republic in France 1870-1940: Conflicts and Continuities. London: Routledge Press. Fuchs, R.G. (1993) Population and the State in the Third Republic: Introduction, French Historical Studies, Vol. 19, no. 3, Spring, pp.633-638. Hause, S. C. and Kenney, A. R. (1984) Women’s Suffrage and Social Politics in the French Third Republic. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Hilden, P. (1986) Working Women and Socialist Politics in France: 1880-1914: a Regional Study. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. Koos, C.A. (1996) Gender, anti-individualism, and Nationalism: The Alliance Nationale and the Pronatalist backlash against the Femme Moderne, 1933-1940, French Historical Studies, Vol. 19, no. 3, Spring, pp.699-723 McMillan, J. (1981) Housewife or Harlot: The place of women in French Society 1870-1940. New York: St Martin’s Press. McMillan, J. (2000) France and Women 1789-1914: Gender, Society and Politics. London and New York: Routledge Press. McMillan, J. (1985) Dreyfus to de Gaulle, Politics and Society in France 1898-1969. London: Edward Arnold. Pedersen, J.E. (1996) Regulating abortion and birth control: gender, medicine and republican policies in France 1870-1920, French Historical Studies, Vol. 19, no. 3, Spring, pp.673-698. Reynolds, S. (1996) France between the Wars: Gender and Politics. New York: Routledge. Schafer, S. (1992) When the child is the father of the man: Work, Sexual difference and the Guardian-State in the Third Republic, History and Theory, Vol. 31, no. 4, Beiheft 31: History of feminist Theory, December, pp.98-115. Silverman, D. (1992) Art Nouveau in fin de siecle France: Politics, Psychology and Style. Oxford and California: University of California Press. Smith, T.B. (2003) Creating the Welfare State in France 1880-1940. Canada: McGill-Queens University Press. Smith, P. (1996) Feminism and the 3rd Republic: Women’s political and Civil Rights in France 1918-1945. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Sowerwine, C. (2001) France since 1870, Culture, Politics and Society. New York: Palgrave. Sowerwine, C. (2001) France since 1870 Culture, Society and the Making of the Republic. New York: Palgrave. Stewart, M.L. (1989) Women, Work and the French State: Labour Protection and Social Patriarchy. Quebec: McGill-Queens University Press. Stewart, M.L. (2001) For health and beauty: physical culture for Frenchwomen, 1880s-1930s. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press. Stromberg Childers, K. (2003) Fathers, Families and the State in France 1914-1945. New York: Cornell University Press. Tierney, H. (1999) Women’s Studies Encyclopaedia. Westport: Greenwood Publishing. Tilburg, A.P. (2009) Colette’s Republic: Work, Gender and Popular Culture in France 1870-1914. USA: Berghahn Books. Wallach Scott, J. (1996) Only paradoxes to offer: French Feminists and the Rights of Man. USA: Harvard University Press. How to cite How did Social Reforms Improve Women’s Position during the Third Republic?, Essay examples

Challenges Faced by Big Oil Companies

Question: Discuss the challenges faced by big oil companies. Answer: Introduction: We use oil in our day to day life. Oil has become the essential part of every ones life. The oil fuels are widely used in Cars, trucks, buses etc. When we talk about energy we often draw a picture of oil companies in our mind. At the first glance it can be thought that the future of the various western oil companies like BP, Royal Dutch shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron is very bright these companies are collectively known as Big Oil. It has been observed that the prices of oil have been rising at a tremendous pace since the past decade and is expected to increase at $100 per barrel. Though the commodity prices of the oil are quite high still there are many serious threats which are being faced by the Big Oil Companies and these problems or the challenges can constrain the earning power, share price performance and the ability to grow the dividend of the company in the long run. The energy growth is not the same as it was some time back and it seems that the margins in the near future ar e going to be smaller and smaller.(Faulkner (2014)) There are variety of challenges that are being faced by the oil companies which includes decreased access to sovereign reserves, challenges related to innovation, increase in the regulations and various new energy policies. These challenges bring with them the threat to this industry. When we talk about sustainability for these companies it is no longer a factor which differentiates it from the other companies. (Singh (2010))The challenges that the industry is facing currently automatically necessitate being serious about sustainability and managing the technology strategies properly. The Big oil companies whether it be at national level or at international level are facing various challenges which are posing danger on the survival of these companies. Some of the challenges that are faced by the Big Oil companies include the following: Demand Growth has slowed It has been observed that the rate of growth of the company has slowed down since the past decade even though the consumption of the oil is up over the last year. The main reason for this is the decline in the demand of oil in the countries like Europe and US. The main reasons for the declining demand can be recession in the developing countries the biggest driver are the increased fuel efficiency and high prices of gas. (Mieczkowski (2005))Due to the stagnation of the global economic the demands of these companies have slowed down a lot. Oil is getting more expensive to recover as the world is not having any shortage of oil but the truth is the world is having the shortage of cheap oil. The ultra deep water locations have accounted half the reserves of oil in the current years and the in US oil drilling has become hot.(Hoium (2013)) According to the latest researches it has been analyised that the oil can be found easily but the researchers are required to start stretching their technology and researches. Now days the consumers have become very price sensitive that now the cost of the gasoline is more than $3 per gallon. The consumers find various alternatives to be attractive which can be a long-term concern for the industry.(Moore (2015)) Alternatives are closing in quickly as there are various alternatives which are becoming popular as the time is passing and the technology is changing. There are various electric motors from the companies like Ford, Nissan and Tesla motors which are becoming popular as compared to the conventional gasoline vehicles and are getting better as the technology keeps on improving. Natural gas is offset by the solar energy as a new power generation source and as the costs will fall in the near future it will continue to grow all over the world. The Big oil is impacted by the clean energy revolution.(Al-Zayer. (2007)) Slowing the growth of production The main challenge that is being faced by the big oil companies is the slow growth of production. There has been a dramatic decline in the production of the various big oil companies due to various supply sources. It was said by the ExxonMobil in the year 2014 second quarter that the production sank to 5.7% year after year and it was lowest in the year 2009. The production growth forecasts of many big oil companies have been lowered and are guided roughly say 1%-3% annual growth. (Robbinson (2014))Chevron has the best prospect of delivering 4% annual growth through the year 2017 and it has its main focus on the higher-growth regions which includes Gulf of Mexico and onshore US Shale. The cost of production is high and is rising as the time is changing which is the biggest challenge for the big oil companies. The reserves of easy oil has depleted so the big oil companies have started venturing in to remote and uncharted territories around the world. The average break even costs are higher in the areas of deep water regions.(Crowe (2013)) Climate change One of the most controversial challenges that are being faced by the big oil companies is the cost of complying with the new regulations that are aimed for limiting the climate change. Limiting the global temperature by 2 degree Celsius before the year 2050 was generally accepted so that potentially catastrophic damage can be avoided on the environment of the earth. In order to achieve this goal green house gas emissions are required to be curtailed by burning the natural gas, oil and coal. (Marcel (2007))According to the reports it has been found that a large amount of reserves that are owned by the Big Oil companies cannot be burned which renders them useful which simultaneously makes it quite difficult to achieve the goal of achieving the (Nimos n.d.) temperature to 2 degree Celsius. If this happens then it might be possible that these companies require writing down the value of their reserves which would obviously slash the market value of the Big Oil companies and the share prices will also be affected drastically. Cost of Services is another challenge that is being faced by the oil and gas industry which cuts across the value chains from the exploration to the production along with the refining and transportation, which results in increase of the commodity prices and the industry, is automatically driven to the level where it has become difficult for it to respond.(Lieberman Rust (2015)) Crude supply mechanism are many problems faced in the supply of the crude oil this greatly affects the supply chain as the accurate information will be affected. (Martin (2009))There is a much need of information technology to overcome this issue and discover the various alternative sources. The companies can collect various data which can become basis for its decision making. The cash crunch of sub-$50/bbl oil on projects and dividends: There has been a struggle by the biggest oil companies so that they can generate enough cash for covering their dividends and spending. The four well known oil companies that is the Royal Dutch, BP plc , Exxon Mobil Corp, and Chevron have been spending on new projects , dividends and share buybacks and they outstripped the cash flow to more then $20 billion during the half of 2015. Over 28% was handed over by the company to the shareholders. (Kent (2015))The current prices of the oil are being traded above $40 per barrel which is their lowest levels since August and many companies are not seeing the prices to be rising above $60 barrel until 2017. Oil and gas industry should prepare for low-carbon energy transition: By looking back towards the current problems that are faced by the big oil companies which are caused by low commodity prices. According to the reports it is argued that the oil companies are a vital part of future energy system as there is a demand by the global consumer for affordable and reliable energy supplies. It is known that the global demand for reliable energy will continue to grow in the coming future. According to the reports it is suggested that the oil and gas companies should take measures that might affect their future trends.(Cudff (2016)) It is also suggested by PwC that the government shall implement COP21 regulation, direct investments, and incentives and there will be rise in renewable energy which will put pressure on the big oil companies to diversify their business. Implementation of change: The Big oil companies have changed their concept of looking at the fuel and energy related subjects. Various new technologies and services have been developed by the companies so that they can easily meet the needs of the consumers. (Butler (2016))The companies are now going to be more productive, innovative and efficient in managing their tasks. In relation to the consumer level which is considered as the main source of income for these companies are likely to be more satisfied in meeting the demands. It is expected that the oil demand will rise up to say around 36.5% of the world energy by the year 2030 or say about 120 mbpd according to the latest scenario of OPEC. The gas share is expected to climb of over 27% by the year 2030. It is expected that most of the energy will be consumed by the industrialized countries while the bulk demand will come from the Asian developing countries like from the booming economies and from India and China which accounts for approximately 86% of the global demand. Another challenge that is being faced by the Big Oil companies is the rising costs of the projects as for example there is increase in the drilling cost by 5% since 2003. These rising costs are also due to the problem of shortages of labor. Due to which the wages have increased by about 15% in the year 2005. Measures are being taken by the OPEC member countries and the NOC so that the shortage in the developing programs can be reduced that will further facilitate the engineering expertise developments. Another challenge that is being faced in the uncertainty in the demand so the industry understands the fact that comprehensive approach is required in this industry. In order to deal with the challenge of the sources of the crude oil the big oil companies can devise avenues and alternative means for the exploration of the oil. For saving the worlds oil and Gas it is required to devise the alternatives.(Houston. (2013)) It was suggested by the global analyst that the decision of OPEC for not cutting the production at the meeting held by OPEC in the November 2014. The costs of the Big Oil companies is already being trimmed for example ConocoPhillips announced recently that it is going to slash its spending on the investment by 20% in the coming year and Halliburton which is the second largest oil field company of the world announced lay-offs. It has been further concluded by the IEA that the shale oil from Bakken formation will be profitable at just $42 per barrel. There is a lot of pressure on the oil companies as the net income of different oil companies keep on declining but the consumption of the oil will continue to fall in the developed countries while the alternative fuels will grow.(Hoium (2013)) Conclusion: The performance of the big oil is already been hurt there has been a net income decline of the various famous big oil companies like BP, ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron as depicted in the figure above. Here it can be concluded that though Big Oil companies are well known for their monster profits but the challenges that are being faced by them can also not be neglected. The rising and high development costs, slow production growth and the curb of increasing global warming are the biggest threats that are being faced by these companies. The Investors who are cautious will be wise in taking the decisions while investing in these companies. The Big Oil companies reign is coming to an end and moreover there is not much growth left for the investors even. It is estimated that in the near future the companies are going to lose their revenues and earnings and the stocks are also going to fall. The big oil companies can take various steps to overcome the challenges that they are fa cing due to the climate change and can come out of this danger. Taking timely measures and proper research on various threats and opportunities available for the industry can prove out to be very beneficial for the Big Oil companies. To overcome the issues related to the stagnating crude oil it is very important to maintain effective operation and also ensure that proper margin is obtained in the market. There shall be reliable instrumentation and trusted technologies for example the robotic system this will help in boosting the refining of the crude oil. Bibliography Al-Zayer., F (2007), 'The future of oil and gas and the resultant challenges and opportunities for NOCs', Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Butler, N (2016), 'Oil companies need to tailor strategies to claw back lost profits', A supply that is plentiful demands some fresh ideas from the industry, 4 Febuaray (2016), pp. https://next.ft.com/content/bb1dd29e-cb2b-11e5-a8ef-ea66e967dd44. Crowe, T (2013), The Motley Fool, viewed 30 March (2016), https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/10/12/these-big-oil-companies-are-looking-beyond-oil-for.aspx. Cudff, M (2016), Oil and gas industry should prepare for low-carbon energy transition, warns PwC, viewed 31 March (2016), https://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2447072/oil-and-gas-industry-should-prepare-for-low-carbon-energy-transition-warns-pwc. Faulkner, C (2014), Op-Ed Lifting the U.S. ban on oil exports would send OPEC a message, viewed 30 March (2016), https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-1216-faulkner-fracking-opec-oil-prices-20141216-story.html. Hoium, T (2013), 'Big Challenges Facing Big Oil', 31 December (2013). Hoium, T (2013), 'Big Challenges Facing Big Oil', The Motley Fool, no. December 31. (2013), 'Challenges and Solutions in an Upstream and Downstream Oil and Gas Operation', Think Oil, 29 November (2013), pp. https://globalenergy.pr.co/65678-challenges-and-solutions-in-an-upstream-and-downstream-oil-and-gas-operation. Kent, S (2015), Oil Majors Dividends Survive Plunge in Oil Prices, viewed 31 March (2016), https://www.wsj.com/articles/oil-majors-dividends-survive-plunge-in-oil-prices-1447634165. Lieberman, A Rust, S (2015), Big Oil braced for global warming while it fought regulations, viewed 30 March (2016), https://graphics.latimes.com/oil-operations/. Marcel, V (2007), Oil Titans: National Oil Companies in the Middle East, Chatham House, London. Martin, J (2009), Relentless Change: A Casebook for the Study of Canadian , Rotman UTP publishing 2010, London. Mieczkowski, Y (2005), Gerald Ford and the Challenges of the 1970s - Page 202, National Endowments for the Humanities, 2005, Kentucky. Moore, M (2015), The shale revolution won't stop, viewed 30 March (2016), https://www.abo.net/oilportal/topic/view.do?contentId=2412177. imos, 'Big Oil Companies Should Adopt a Self-Liquidation Strategy'. Robbinson, M (2014), Marketing Big Oil: Brand Lessons from the Worlds Largest, Palgrave Machmillan, New York. Singh, A (2010), 'Strategies for oil and gas companies to remain competitive in the coming decades of energy challenges', DSpace@MIT.

Novel Response Brave New World

Introduction Authored by Aldous Huxley in 1932, Brave New World is a must-read fascinating chef-d’oeuvre that features the manager of hatchery who wittingly introduces several boys in a research with a sole agenda of tampering with the bright future of the boys in the name of tailor-made programs.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Novel Response: Brave New World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Huxley utilizes a lot of creativity in using this approach to reach young people, symbolized by ‘boys’ in the masterwork, aiming at voicing a word of caution to them especially when they adopt scientific methods of doing things. According to Huxley, tailor-made work programs and production systems as evidenced in the novel have led to the loss of direction of many young people and more so students. The Theme of Tailor-made Programs The author addresses the theme of tailor-made programs through various dep ictions of characters in the book. He uses changes in the environment to elaborate the effects of tailor-made programs. For instance, he uses changes in the world state society of the characters to illustrate how the changes influence their lives in a negative way. For instance, he uses a character such as Bernard to demonstrate the negative impact of a change in an environment or simply the impact of tailor-made programs on young people. Bernard is against sexual and immoral behaviors that are evident in the world state society when he first encounters them. However, when he changes the environment by meeting new friends (a symbol of advanced technology), he changes his behaviors and begins to behave like the people in this world state by getting involved in promiscuous sexual relationships. These programs affect most of the characters that are used in the program negatively. One example of the character is Bernard who, after being exposed to a different environment, behaves differ ently from the way he used to behave. Another character is John who takes his life away after his views on personal values and world-state society clash. The clash leads to negative consequences that see his hanging after he is blindly influenced to change his once adorable behavior. In addition, the use of soma is very popular among the youths. The youths use this drug to attain happiness. They have failed to understand the negative impacts of the drug on their health. Therefore, the programs lead many youths to engage in deviant behaviors that the society does not uphold. How the theme relates with the real life situation The theme depicted in the book rhymes with the real life situation. Many youths are prone to the use of drugs upon their completion of school. They aspire to attain happiness. They do not want to face the truth. Furthermore, peer influence is one f the problems that the youth face. When they engage in a constructive or gainful employment, they proceed to seek hap piness by getting involved in deviant behaviors such as promiscuous sex and drug use.Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion As Huxley has demonstrates, tailor-made programs can be of benefit to the society. However, they can as well lead to more problems and challenges to those at risk like the young people and students. Many young people who have the opportunity to engage in these programs do not utilize them well. However, they use them to expose themselves to the dangers smoking, drug abuse, and irresponsible sexual behaviors. They seek happiness instead of the truth. In most cases, these uncouth behaviors have led to their death. Likewise, in the real world, the programs have the potential of transforming youths. Nevertheless, because they do not use them well, they are misled. They end up ruining their life in pursuit of happiness. Therefore, there is the need for y oung people to be cautious in everything they do. This essay on Novel Response: Brave New World was written and submitted by user Mentallo to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

In a democratic society

In a democratic society, we the people elect representatives to carry out our needs and trust in them that they will carry out that representation in an efficient and responsible manner for the best interest of the public they are representing. That United States government as a legislature, executive branch, and a judiciary branch carries out that responsibility usually with much success and fairness. When the government becomes almost controlled by bureaucracy, that is when our republic becomes undermined and the democratic government that we entrust is, falls apart. The bureaucracy is permanent or ongoing structure that will always exist and will never be replaced. It is comprised of individual groups of government working to finish a common task. It is made up of supervisors upon supervisors who all have a specific job so that the end task is completed with preciseness and in an expeditious manner. The thing that ends up happening is that while the legislature may make the law and the executive branch may have to administer them as supervisors, but what ends up happening is that it is the supervised who do the work and often they exceed their authority. When they do, the entire system is undermined. The executive and legislative branches have created laws and regulations to control bureaucracy as a whole. The bureaucrats often times tend to step on the shoes if you will of the two branches and take matters into their own hands and completely disregard the law. In drafting and enforcing the regulations they issue under the laws passed by the legislators, they often act in excess of their legal authority. Such things they do are unconstitutional. A recent example of this is an issue that came up with the FDA. The FDA attempted to create rules and regulations concerning smoking and tobacco. The almost passed the laws until the government said that is was against regulations and they couldnt do it. The ...

Amy Archer-Gilligan and Her Murder Factory

Amy Archer-Gilligan and Her Murder Factory Amy Archer-Gilligan (1901-1928) called Sister Amy by her patients, was known for her nurturing tonics and nutritional meals at her private nursing home in Windsor, Connecticut. That was until it was discovered that she had added arsenic to her recipe, resulting in the deaths of many of her patients and five husbands, all of whom had named her in their wills right before their untimely deaths. By the time the investigation was over, authorities believed that Amy Archer-Gilligan was responsible for more than 48 deaths. Sister Amys Nursing Home for the Elderly: In 1901, Amy and James Archer opened Sister Amys Nursing Home for the Elderly in Newington, Connecticut. Despite not having any real qualifications for taking care of the elderly, the couples nurturing and caring ways impressed their wealthy patrons.   The Archers had a simple business plan. Patrons would pay a thousand dollars upfront in exchange for a room in the home and Sister Amys personal care for the rest of their lives.  The home was such a success that in 1907 the couple opened Archer Home for the Elderly and Infirm, a new and more modern facility in Windsor, Connecticut. James Archer After the move, things began to take a turn for the worse. Healthy patients began to die without any recognizable cause other than possible old age. James Archer also died suddenly and the heart-broken Amy lifted her chin, dried her tears and headed to claim the insurance money on a life policy she had purchased on her husband in the weeks before his death. Michael Gilligan After James death, patients at the Archer Home began dying at an almost predictable rate, but the coroner, a close friend of the deceased James and his wife Amy, determined the deaths were due to natural causes of old age. Amy, in the meantime, met and married Michael Gilligan, a rich widower, who offered to help bankroll the Archer Home. Not long after the two wed, Gilligan also died suddenly from what coroner described as natural causes. However, before his death he did manage to have a will drawn, leaving all of his wealth to his precious wife, Amy. Suspicious Activity Relatives of the patients who died at the home began to suspect foul play after each discovered their loving parents, adored brothers, and cherished sisters, had forked over large sums of money to Sister Amy, right before their untimely deaths. Authorities were alerted and seeing the pattern of over 40 patients giving money, then dying, they raided the home and found bottles of arsenic tucked away in Amys pantry. The Dead Talk: Amy said she used the poison to kill rodents, but unconvinced, the police exhumed the bodies of several of the patients and discovered large amounts of arsenic in their systems, including that of her last husband, Michael Gilligan. Natural Causes: In 1916, Amy Archer-Gilligan, who was her mid-40s, was arrested and based on the decision by the states attorney, she was charged with a single murder. She was found guilty and sentenced to hang, but due to a legal technicality, her sentence was reversed. In the second trial, Gilligan pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, only this time instead of facing the noose of rope, she was given a life sentence.   For years she was incarcerated at the state prison  until she was moved to a state mental institution in 1928, where, totally insane, she died of natural causes. Was Amy Archer-GilliganReallyInnocent? Some people believe that the evidence against Army was circumstantial and that she was innocent, and that the arsenic she had on hand was really for killing the rats.  As for the arsenic found in the bodies that were exhumed, it could have been due to the fact that from the Civil War until the early 1900s, arsenic was often used during the embalming process.

Apple Incorporation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Apple Incorporation - Research Paper Example However, under the leadership of Steve Jobs- its founder and CEO, Apple has now emerged as an organization with strong capability to continuously roll out new and innovative products which are readily acceptable by the market. There are many products under offer by the Apple including Apple IPod, Apple Mac, Apple Mac Book, Apple IPhone and its most recent sensation Apple IPad- a tablet computer. Such diversified range of products therefore indicates that the overall competition of the firm is diverse in nature and it does not compete in just one market but against many players in different markets. What makes Apple a success story is one of the most important questions of how a firm can turnaround itself with such success. This paper will briefly discuss the history of Apple and will introduce summarize the major products of Apple along with a brief discussion on how the firm has been able to achieve such enormous success. Apple started its journey as Apple Computers on 1st April, 1976 with Steve Jobs and Steven Wozniak as two of its owners and employees. What started on a very small scale turned out to be one of the leading ventures of the world? Steven Wozniak before partnering with Steve Jobs worked at HP and had an experience in designing computers whereas Steve Jobs experience was with Atari. It is important to note that Apple manufactured its first computer, Apple-1 in its initial year of operations however; it was not commercialized by the firm till 1977. Apple rolled out its first commercial product with the name of Apple-II during 1977 whereas next brand of computers i.e. Apple III was rolled out in 1980 and Apple was in position to hire other employees to assist the original founders in the management process. What is also important to note that after the successful roll out of its initial brands of computers, Apple started to invest heavily into its research and development efforts. R&D at Apple was the

Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Biology - Essay Example According to The American Lung Association (2007) pneumonia is a serious infection and/or inflammation of the lungs. The air sacs in the lungs fill with pus and other liquid. Oxygen has trouble reaching the blood. If there is too little oxygen in the blood, the body cells cant work properly. Because of this and spreading infection through the body pneumonia can cause death. Different causes of pneumonia manifest different signs and symptoms. In patients with pneumonia caused by bacteria (streptococcus pneumoniae), the temperature may rise as high as 105Â º F. The patient sweats profusely, and breathing and pulse rate increase rapidly. Lips and nailbeds may have a bluish color due to lack of oxygen in the blood. A patients mental state may be confused or delirious. If caused by a virus (influenza), there are fever, dry cough, headache, muscle pain, and weakness. Within 12 to 36 hours, there is increasing breathlessness; the cough becomes worse and produces a small amount of mucus. Th ere is a high fever and there may be blueness of the lips. In mycoplasma (are the smallest free-living agents of disease in humankind, unclassified as to whether bacteria or viruses, but having characteristics of both) pneumonia, there is a cough that tends to come in violent attacks, but produces only sparse whitish mucus. Chills and fever are early symptoms, and some patients experience nausea or vomiting. Patients may experience profound weakness that lasts for a long time. Other causes of pneumonia are fungi and other chemicals. Some types of pneumonia develop when the immune system weakened. Pneumonia can be acquired from community, hospital, and thru aspiration when foreign bodies enter the lungs (The Patient Education Institute, Inc., 2008). According to MayoClinic.com (2008), pneumonia treatments vary, depending on the severity of symptoms and the type of pneumonia that the patient have. Bacterial and mycoplasma pneumonias are treated with

Values And Ethics Essay Example for Free

Values And Ethics Essay Values and ethics are two different things that go hand in hand. Values simply refer to our view points, beliefs and thoughts that we hold in regard to important aspects of our lives. They are the cultures and beliefs that we hold close to our hearts in regard to what is important to us. Ethics on the other hand is our personal code of conduct as stipulated and acceptable to the society. The personal values that we hold impact greatly on our ethics, they can also be in conflict. I have a number of personal values that I hold close to my Herat. Core to this is work, people and family. These remain a guiding point and an inspiration to my life. They are a source of strength and consolation. It is popularly said that charity begins at home and in this I have come to believe. Michael Rosenberg notes that â€Å"the family is probably the most important agent of socialization†. He goes on to expound on this adding that from the first days a child’s life, the individual is molded; significant others impact a wide range of meanings about norms and values that are related to the kinds of behavior which that individual will experience during the counts of his or her life. (1983, p. 163). Indeed most of what we know and put into practice emanates from our initial socialization. I feel I owe a lot to my family for the way it has molded me. A look at my childhood reveals a series of ups and down; struggles to remain in the right even when temptation to do wrong is overwhelming. Whether or not I was able to do right and sometimes falter in my steps, one thing remained constant; the support I received from my family. Family is an important institution not only for love and constant care, but also for the unconditional support no matter the challenges ahead. Taking a look back in my life, I can see the important hurdles I have been able to overcome in life due to the support that I have secured from my parents, support that has shaped and imparted important values in my life. Work is another core personal value that continues to inspire me in my current life. A glance at the world today reveals that work remains a central value to majority of people, a centrality almost equaling that of the family. Work is not only an occupation and a source of livelihood but it is also a way of continually molding individuals when they are not within the precincts of the family. Work has continued to imbue a sense of discipline and is an avenue through which to put into practice values instilled in me by the family. It is in the working environment that values such as punctuality, accuracy and professionalism are fully put into practice. Work has become a core value not only in the financial aspect but also the opportunity it has given me to pursue an interest that is close to my heart. It gives me a chance to interact with others and contribute positively towards the alleviation of their sufferings. Although charity begins at home, it is important to note that values instilled at this stage are meant to act as guidelines to future interaction with the rest of the society. It is how effectively that an individual interacts with the society that determines ones destiny and success in life. This brings another core value; people. Right from my childhood, I was taught the essence of being able to interact effectively with people from various backgrounds; I was taught the importance of possessing excellent communication skills to foster effective interaction with the rest of the society. In today’s age, although academic qualifications are key to an upward career progression, social networking is a key ingredient. As a social worker, my work revolves around assisting people; they are the source of my livelihood as well as fulfillment. A positive interaction with people is a must if I am to advance in career and earn my livelihood. According to Kim Strong Gottfried et al, NASW Code of Ethics refers to a set of values, principles and standards to guide decision making and conduct when ethical issues arise. A look at these values and ethics reveals a number of differences and similarities to my core personal values. One of these values according to NASW is the â€Å"importance of human relationships† (2002, p28) Social workers have been molded to appreciate the importance of maintaining positive interactions with the people. According to the code of ethics, they are supposed to â€Å"strengthen relationships among people in a purposeful effort to promote, restore, maintain and enhance the well being of individuals, families, social groups, organizations and communities (Kim Strong G. et al ,2002) As afore mentioned, one or my core is the people. As social workers recognize the importance of human relationships, I have also appreciated the benefits to be reaped by a close interaction with people and the need to help where necessary. The NASW code of ethics propagates for the dignity and worth of every individual. I have with time discovered the importance of working with people from various backgrounds and learnt to address their problems no matter their culture, ethnicity, color or creed. This emanates from the need to uphold the dignity and worth of every individual. A social worker serves others and helps them cope with the challenges in life. As mentioned, another core personal value is work. My work provides fulfillment when I aptly mobilize all the resources at my disposal to assist others. I believe in the need and the ability to help others as the greatest gift in life. NASW code of ethics also espouses this emphasizing on the need to overcome personal interests to better the lives of others. One major difference that exists between my core personal values and the NASW code of ethics is the role of the family. My family has played a big role towards molding me and its still plays influential role. Family interests in social work may bring a conflict of interest. Though it may go a long way in helping me to understand the society, it may be detrimental where the first duty is to the family other than to the clients as professionalism insists. Vignette #3 Vignette number three is about a 68 year old lady contemplating death to ease the immense pain she is undergoing as a cancer patient. The main reason why I have chosen this vignette is because it brings into a sharp focus a topic that has been dominating the public debate for long and continues to evoke emotions each moment it is mentioned. The issue of whether it is ethically wrong for a terminally ill patent to undergo euthanasia is still controversial in the medical profession circles. As I go through the vignette, I have strong feeling against what the client is proposing. Despite the immense pain that she is in, I am convinced that taking an overdose is the wrong approach. Due to limited interaction with people of advanced age in the society, I have an ill convinced notion that they have little respect for the set laws and guidelines and will tend to make decisions arbitrarily with little regard of the consequences. I have had a preconceived belief that due to their advanced age, they assume that laws can be bent to accommodate their whims. . My interaction with the client though compounded by the preconceived assumptions about old people was uneasy; it became uneasy the moment she told me of what she had thought of doing. I had made it known to her clearly that my moral and ethical stand could not allow me to empathize with her. Though I shared in her pain, I was getting increasingly uneasy with her and made sure her medicine was kept out of her reach. I was employing each and every effort to make her comfortable but she had other plans with her life. The fact that she made it clear she would end her life as she could not bear the pain gave me an uneasy feeling. I am aware of the debilitating impact that my preconceived assumptions in regard to the old client had on my objectivity and my interaction with the client. I was already convinced that the old lady would try to circumvent the system in order to accomplish her objectives. These perceptions clouded my judgment and the fair view of the client’s situation. To overcome these cases and be able to make a decision that is within the precincts of professionalism, I would request the help of colleagues who have far much experience in dealing with such cases. He would guide me towards gaining objectivity in my judgment. I have also decided to spend more time with the client to be able to understand her better and see how well I can help her. Should this not work, I would consult with my mentor or a higher authority to have the clients allocated to another medical social worker in the knowledge that our first commitment is to the client. Dilemma #4 I have chosen this ethical dilemma for one main reason, I had handled familiar cases during my internship although then mostly I was helping battered men and women cope with their problems. I was also assisting newly divorced individuals overcome their frustrations in life. I am confident that tackling this ethical dilemma will add to my wealth of experience. This ethical dilemma is compounded by the fact that the male client is contemplating killing his wife should she decided to leave him. This is a crime and should be reported to the relevant authorities. On the other hand, as a professional I am bound by work ethics and confidentiality. Whatever the client confides in me is supposed to remain confidential and should not be revealed to a third party. According to the NASW Code of Ethics social workers â€Å"should protect the confidentiality of all information obtained in the course of professional service. † (1999) Following the same NASW Code of Ethics, as a social worker, I should use my intuition and competence to choose the appropriate course of action whenever such a case arises. In this case, I would either choose to report the client to the police of the planned murder or dedicate my time towards assisting the client to manage his anger and outline the inappropriateness and the consequence of his planned actions. Should I opt to report the matter to the police, I should inform the client before hand of the impending disclosure. Both of these courses of action have their pros and Cons. If I decide to report the case to the police, I will have violated the clients trust and confidence, not only in me but also in social workers. The client might refuse to disclose any other information or share his problems with me. If I choose this course of action, I should be prepared, according to the NASW code of ethics, to â€Å"protect the confidentiality of the client during legal proceedings to the extent permitted by law. † On the other hand I will have prevented a crime. (1999) If I decide to assist the client cope with his anger without involving a third party there is a risk that the client will go ahead and carry out his threat. In such a case, I will be liable legally for failing to disclose information that turns out to be harmful to a third party. I shall have earned the clients trust and might be able to see him through his problems. The NASW code of ethics is an appropriate resource to guide me on the appropriate decision to make. I would also consult with colleagues or with the supervisors in the field. In such a case though, it is important that I withhold any information that could lead to his identification. Faced with such a dilemma, I would opt to report the matter to the police to avoid any harm coming to third parties . The clients has had a history of violence and would probably go ahead and execute the attacks even with my counseling. To avoid the occurrence of such an incident and to protect the wife and also the client from himself, it would be appropriate that I took up the matter with the police. References NASW code of ethics. 1999 NASW Delegate Assembly. Retrieved on June 20th 2008 from http://ncss. aua. edu/docs/naswcodeofethics. pdf Michael Rosenberg, 1983. Introduction to sociology. Routledge. Phyllis N. Black, Elaine Piller, Kimstrong Gottfried, 2002. Teaching social work values and ethics: A curriculum resource. Council on Social Work education. University of Michigan.

Stocks Essay -- Business, Investment, Portfolio Information

In this study, we would measure an investor’s experience as closely as possible. Therefore, in a portfolio formation, we assume an investor who follows reported insiders trading information and at the end of each month, he forms his portfolio by including all stocks that have been traded by insiders in the same month. After that he gives equal weights to each stock in his portfolio. He keeps each stock in his portfolio for X months following insiders’ trades. Furthermore, he rebalances his portfolio every month to drop all stocks that have completed X months in the portfolio and add all stocks that have been just executed. For example, if X equals to three, the portfolio of January 2008 includes all stocks with insiders’ trades in November 2007, December 2007 or January 2008. There is higher change for multiple observations on the same firm in the portfolio that occur within X months of the initial observation, for example, an insider buys stocks of firm B in January 1, 2007 and another insider buys stock of firm B in March 1, 2007. Hence, in the March 2007 portfolio, firm B will have double weight in the portfolio compared to other firms. To overcome this problem, we would consider a number of firms in a portfolio not a number of trades. By following a number of firms in the portfolio, we would provide equal weights to each company, not each trade. The measurement of performance of the portfolio A central empirical issue to measure the performance of any portfolio condition on any event is to control all other factors that may produce excess returns except a particular event. Therefore, we require a model that seems to capture much of the cross-sectional variance in average stock returns. (Fama and French, 1998). We... ...ion model would be ã€â€"IAbã€â€"_bt-ã€â€"TAã€â€"_bt=ÃŽ ±_ +ÃŽ ²(R_(m,t)-R_(f,t) )+ÃŽ ¨Ã£â‚¬â€"SMBã€â€"_t+ã€â€"ÃŽ ³HMLã€â€"_t+ÃŽ »Ã£â‚¬â€"MOMã€â€"_t+ ÃŽ µ_t (7) In similar way, to test the extent to which insiders’ sell of intangible assets companies earn less profit than those in tangible assets, we would follow equation (8). In the equation (8), the dependent variable is the difference between the calendar –time portfolio return of tangible assets and intangible assets(ã€â€"TAã€â€"_s-ã€â€"IAã€â€"_s). For example, for Jun 2007 month portfolio, ã€â€"IAã€â€"_s, is equal weighted average return for all intangible assets companies whose insiders were net buyers between January 2007 and Jun 2007 , over ã€â€"TAã€â€"_s is equal weighted average return for all tangible assets companies whose insiders were net sellers between January 2007 and Jun 2007. The regression model would be ã€â€"IAã€â€"_st-ã€â€"TAã€â€"_st=ÃŽ ±_ +ÃŽ ²(R_(m,t)-R_ft )+ÃŽ ¨Ã£â‚¬â€"SMBã€â€"_t+ã€â€"ÃŽ ³HMLã€â€"_t+ÃŽ »Ã£â‚¬â€"MOMã€â€"_t+ ÃŽ µ_t (8)

Alice Walker’s the Welcome Table Essay

Alice Walker’s The Welcome Table is a short story that gives a historical and cultural look at how segregation in the south influenced people’s lives. The story portrays an old black woman as the main character. It has plot, setting, characters, symbolism, theme, tone and imagery that the author skillfully narrated in the third person omniscient point of view to create the story. The reader experiences an insight into behavior that was caused by segregation in the State of Georgia in the south. â€Å"The reverend of the church stopped her pleasantly as she stepped into the vestibule†¦..†Aunty, you know this is not your church?†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Inside the church she sat on the very first bench from the back.† (Clugston, 2010) Head of the congregation the reverend instigates the act of religious segregation and without further prompting; his congregants willingly follows. The story also portrays the church people’s mindset to maintain religious segre gation even in the act of worship. â€Å"They looked with contempt †¦.at the old woman†¦could their husbands expect them to sit up in church with that? No, no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Clugston, 2010) The narrator uses strong descriptions to recreate the era and to pull the reader into the story. It really shows how segregation influences people in their everyday life. Black slaves were freed. However, black and white people remained segregated because segregation was the way of life for the people during that period in Georgia. The system of segregation demanded that black people had to sit in the back of public busses and the old woman in the story knew her place because she freely sat at the back of the church. â€Å"Inside the church she sat on the very first bench from the back,† (Clugston, 2010). Religious segregation is the main theme. The song at the beginning of the story sets the tone and pulls the reader into the south where ex-slaves sang Negro spirituals for comfort. â€Å"I’m going to sit at the Welcome table; Shout my troubles over; Walk and talk with Jesus; Tell God how you treat me; One of these days!†(Clugston, 2010) Religious segregation was a major part of the culture in Georgia and it is the theme of this story; in that the author details the harsh cold manner in which it affects people. The spiritual at the beginning points to hope to one day experience welcome (acceptance), to sit and talk with Jesus who both the blacks and whites are worshipping but cannot do so under the same roof. In other words, the song is an expression of hope that segregation will end. The black old woman braves freezing temperature, without warm enough clothing to go to the house of worship. Winter represents death, stagnation and sleep (Clugston, 2010) and the old black woman represents slavery. The black old woman, symbolizing slavery is almost blind and almost dead. Yet she is determined to struggle through the freezing cold to push past the reverend, and ignore the young usher to seat herself in the whites only church. â€Å"She brushed past him anyway, as if she had been brushing past him all her life, except this time she was in a hurry. Inside the church she sat†¦It was cold, even inside the church†¦.† This act by the dying old black woman is symbolic of the ex-slaves’ struggle to conquer the final frontier of segregation more so religious segregation. The author uses symbolism in this case to represent the people’s behavior towards the old woman and her determination to have her way. The Author skillfully uses imagery to tell a powerful story The Welcome Table. The very beginning paints a picture of the main character. â€Å"In her Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes:†¦.head rag stained with grease from the many oily pigtails underneath,† What seems like a simple description of her clothes contained words that contributed to the painting of the picture. Then on the other hand the ladies of the church required a different set of adjectives. â€Å"Leather bagged and shoed, with calfskin gloves to keep out the cold†¦.This done, the wives folded their healthy arms across their trim middles†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This vivid contrast also represents the religious disparity between the black people and the white people even though they are both worshipping the same god. â€Å"The reverend of the church stopped her pleasantly as she stepped into the vestibule†¦..†Aunty, you know this is not your church?†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Inside the church she sat on the very first bench from the back.† (Clugston, 2010) The black old woman, symbolizing slavery is almost blind and almost dead. Yet she is determined to struggle through the freezing cold to push past the reverend, and ignore the young usher to seat herself in the whites only church. Alice Walker’s The Welcome Table gives a historical and cultural look at how segregation in the south influenced people’s lives. The author skillfully narrated in the third person omniscient point of view to create the story. The reader experiences an insight into behavior that was caused by segregation in the State of Georgia in the south. The spiritual at the beginning points to hope to one day experience welcome (acceptance), to sit and talk with Jesus who both the blacks and whites are worshipping but cannot do so under the same roof. In other words, the song is an expression of hope that segregation will end. REFERENCE Clugston, W. R., (2010). Journey Into Literature, San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education Inc. Barnet, S., Berman, M., Burto, W., (1967) An Introduction to Literature 3rd Edition Toronto, CAN:Little, Brown and Company Inc.

Dostoevsky and Maslow: Needs in Life, How They Are Prioritized, and the Exceptions

Dostoevsky has written, â€Å"Without a clear perception of his reasons for living, man will never consent to live, and will rather destroy himself than tarry on earth, though he be surrounded with bread.† (The Grand Inquisitor) With indirect opposition, Maslow's idea on these needs is stated in his quote, â€Å"A person lacking food, love, and self-esteem, would most likely hunger for food more strongly than anything else.† A number of instances stand as evidence to both Maslow and Dostoevsky's statements. First let us look at the claim Fyodor Dostoevsky has made. The Bible also has three references for a very similar idea. Scripture has expressed, in Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4, and Luke 4:4, that ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' (The Bible) All individuals have accepted the Bible as truth would feel this way and therefore approach life's needs as Dostoevsky. The act of fasting is also an example of how Fyodor's statement might come into play during an individual's life. Another group of individuals who might be observed to follow the Dostoevsky idea would be those who are suffering from serious mental disorders. A loss of regular and proper diet is a symptom of severe cases of depression, anxiety, and stress. (MayoClinic) They become so focused on their struggle to overcome these feelings, of being lost, or alone, or unorganized, and unsafe, that the priority of food becomes pushed aside. But in Maslow's Pyramid the feelings of safety and organization, love and belonging, are all placed higher, or less important, than the need to satisfy hunger. (Myers) Order of prioritization is the foundation of contradiction between the two statements. Abraham Maslow's idea seems to be more realistic to a majority of the remaining population. How is it reasonable to think a person would have the capability to even find their identity or â€Å"the purpose in life† without the energy supplied by fulfilling basic needs, like eating? This was a common reaction I heard from peers and adults after telling of Dostoevsky's statement. Gandhi said, â€Å"Even God cannot talk to a starving man except in terms of bread.† (Aldrich) Some needs take priority over others. (Myers) Our brain causes us to have feelings of motivation for needs; the most concrete are physiological needs, like our drive to eat. It would be unhealthy and tiring to suppress and ignore your bodies drive to eat while you find your identity. In extreme measures you could even die doing this. As we can see, neither Maslow nor Dostoevsky's claims can be applied to human beings as an entirety, as there are exceptions. The differences and personal circumstances attached to individuals are all too different. Even Abraham Maslow himself recognized that not all personalities followed his proposed hierarchy of needs. (Huitt) We have discovered though, that both of our statements tend to be more applicable to one group over the other. Religious individuals would be highly likely to side with Dostoevsky's views, where as people who do not value an identity outside their own would agree with Maslow's prioritization of needs. To build off of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, it has been proposed, (Norwood) a joint effort of trying to satisfy a single level of a need is also learning how to continue to satisfy this need. During this process an individual is forming part of their identity by developing and adopting a personalized method of reaching a need. For example, people at the esteem level seek out empowering information, and those at the safety level would need helping information. If Norwood's more currently proposed statement, that finding identity and satisfying needs are interrelated, is correct, then Maslow and Dostoevsky would both hart part in creating one universal statement. As for now, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Abraham Maslow's statements of needs in life and how they are prioritized stand separately. Across humanity, some people accept one over the other as true. In my research for the paper, I have been able to loosely affiliate certain groups of people with Maslow or Dostoevsky's claims. A number of instances stand as evidence to both statements. Each idea is held accountable in the correct situations. It is not a surprise to me how the controversy of deciding on a dominant idea has not been settled.

Male Vs Female Manipulation in Ernest Hemingways Essay Example

Male Vs Female Manipulation in Ernest Hemingways Essay Example Male Vs Female Manipulation in Ernest Hemingways Essay Male Vs Female Manipulation in Ernest Hemingways Essay The American and Gig at first appear to be the epitome of the average, modern-day couple; they share drinks together, ravel together, sit and talk together, and even show concern for each other like every other functional relationship. However, what Ernest Hemingway (either intentionally or unintentionally) portrays with the couple is the natural human tendency to try and influence events to achieve what he or she wants. A study done by the Department of Psychology of Turk, Finland researches the differences between the way men and women manipulate. How the study determines its results is by listing a variable (type of manipulation) and based on how high or how low the coefficient came out to be determined if it was a ale or female tactic. As compared to the Finnish study, Hills like White Elephants serves as a model for the differences between how men and women go about manipulating aspects of a decision to favor their individually desired result. Results of the study done by Aka Visitors and her colleagues for the Department of Psychology of Turk, Finland found two distinct differences between men and women regarding how they manipulate; men tend to take a more aggressive approach, whereas women go about manipulation in a more indirect manner (126). What this means is that men re more to the point, so people can easily distinguish when males are trying to influence another person because they are not afraid to push boundaries. Women, on the other hand, try and manipulate inconspicuously through other means such as symbols, gestures, or word, all the while remaining poise. This fact is fitting of the extroverted American and introverted Gig, whom both seem to be sly and meticulous with their word choices. There were several very low scoring ways of manipulating that are exercised the American. One method of manipulation that was found by Aka Bassoonists duty to be used by men-?including the Americanis refraining from the display of anger (123). Throughout the short story Hills like White Elephants Gig tries to incite the American; at one point she makes a remark about liquorices and says it in a way that she knows will cause the American to react, however he never gives her the satisfaction and simply moves on with the conversation (par. 33). Another manipulation ploy listed the study lists and is used by the American is talking the matter over (123). No matter how evasive Gig gets, the American does not allow her to stray from talking about he procedure. At one point in the Hills like White Elephants, a highly unnerved Gig has to beg the American to change the subject, Would you please please please please please please please stop talking? (par. 1 16). This coincides with another way the American is manipulating her decision, one that was not a variable tested in the study, by complying with her every demand. This is shown in the Hills Like White Elephants when the American expresses to her, Id do anything for you (par. 1 15). The biggest and probably most influential technique is playing to Gigs insecurities. Jigs dialogue lets on that she is a little emotionally unstable. Gigs repeated worries over whether or not the American will still love her shows that she stresses over losing his presence. The American uses her anxiety to his advantage and plays the overly devoted and loving boyfriend very well; as shown by this quote from the short story Hills Like White Elephants: And if I do it youll be happy and things will be like they Were and youll love me? l love you now. You know I love you' (par. 69). He also pries on Gigs concerns and doubts over he procedure by constantly telling her it will be fine and that it is her choice repeatedly throughout Hills like White Elephants (par. 51-80). These manipulation tactics the American uses are all in some form aggressive, which is why according to the study men are attracted to them. The Americans attraction to this form of manipulation is used as an effort to try and persuade Gig into what he wants, which is going through with the procedure. Likewise in Aka Bassoonists study there is numerous high scoring methods of manipulation that were shown to be preferred by females. One of which loud be trying to irritate the other so as to cause a loss of temper (123). Like previously mentioned, Gig spends most Of the story purposely testing the patience and tolerance levels of the American. Another manipulation strategy used by females that was reported in the study done by Aka Bassoonists and others is intentionally trying to make the other look stupid (123). Gig intricately weaves words into her dialogue that makes elements of the setting become symbolic of her condition, and when the American doesnt react in a way that pleases her, she denounces him for it. This type of manipulation occurs in the Hills like White Elephants when she compares the white hued hills to white elephants and the American responds to her literal meaning, which causes her to embarrass him by pointing out the fault in his reply (par. 20). Dropping the situation, is another form of manipulation that was tested in Aka Bassoonists study and is the most influential form used by Gig (123). On numerous occasions, Gig drops the proceed ere talk by interjecting comments that Stray completely away from the decision at hand. One moment she completely walks away from the table. The American in the Hills like White Elephants says, l dont want you to do it if you feel that way. The girl stood up and walked to the end of the station (par. 82). These methods for manipulating are considered indirect because they focus more on speech rather than action. For example, by completely dropping the subject Gig escapes all the pressures caused by talking about the subject with the American, which is good considering she has doubts about the procedure. The results to the study contain a neutral zone, where the variables were shared almost evenly between males and females, which also reflects the interactions between both Gig and the American. The form of manipulation that Aka Bassoonists study shows is shared by both men and women is withdrawing from a situation (123). At different times, both Gig and the American proclaim that they removed themselves from the decision. In the Hills like White Elephants the American shows this trait when he exclaims, l dont want anybody but you. Dont want anyone else. And I know its perfectly simple (par. 111). Here the American is saying all he thinks is about her and especially not the baby. As for Gig, she confesses she is no longer in he decision in the Hills like White Elephants when she says, Then Ill do it. Because dont care about me (par. 77). Both characters, at a point beneficial to their argument claim, that they feel the way they do not for them but instead for the other. The last line of Hills like White Elephants Gig decides, l feel fine Theres nothing wrong with me. I feel fine which is her way of giving in to the procedure (par. 134). An analysis of the results of the study done by Aka Visitors and her colleagues under the Department of Psychology of Turk,

ACT Math Strategy

Plugging in Numbers A Critical SAT/ACT Math Strategy SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips As we mentioned in our math strategy article on plugging in answers, neither the SAT nor the ACT measures how you arrived at your answer. On standardized tests, all that matters is whether your answer is correct or not. There is no such thing as partial credit on a standardized test and no one is looking over your shoulder to see if you solved the question the â€Å"proper† way. This means that finding the right answerno matter the processis the only thing that matters. And there are plenty of short-cut techniques you can use to find that correct answer without the need to create and solve complex equations. This guide will take you through the strategy of plugging in your own numbers, one of simplest processes for working out the answers to several different kinds of standardized math questions. In this guide, we’ll give you a complete walk through on the strategy of plugging your own numbers (PIN) for math questions.We’ll go through the whys, hows, and, most importantly, whens of using PIN your standardized test(s), as well as take you through several real SAT and ACT practice problems. The other best strategy for working around problemsplugging in the answersis covered in a separate guide. Why Use Plugging in Numbers? Sometimes you may find yourself confronted with a problem that you have no idea how to approach. Sometimes you may just think it will take too long to solve the problem algebraically. And other times,you maybegiven so many different variables in a single problem that you want to make absolutely sure you have the correct solution. When this happens, plugging in your own numbers can often help get you to the right answer. It can be intimidating to begiven a question or answer choices with multiple variables, especially when you are on a strict time crunch. But if you use real numbers in place of x or y or a or k(or any other variable), it can make a previously obscure problem turn into one that it quite simple. Using numbers in place of variables can make the more theoretical questions become more practical and easy to visualize, which will allow you to solve them much more easily. For example, (We'll walk through how to solve this question in the next section) It can be very easy to forget that you have the power to replace variables with your own numbers while you’re taking the test. So remember to relax and know that solving a question via complex algebra is not your only option; you have other avenues available that are often much easier to work with. Use any and all advantages you have when battling standardized testing. How to Use Plugging in Numbers So now that you know why plugging in numbers can come in handy, let’s go through exactly how to do it. The basic idea of plugging in your own numbers is that you provide real numbers in place of variables or unknowns in your problem. This technique can work for any problemalgebra or geometryin which you are presented with several unknowns, or variables. The best way to tell if you can use PIN on a question is to look and see if the question, the answer choices, or both involve variables. When the question and/or answer options include variables (especially multiple variables), you can most likely use PIN. Because these kinds of questions are asking about the relationships between numbers (or objects or degrees, etc.), these relationships will be constant, no matter what actual numbers are used. As long as your numbers follow the rules you are presented with in the question, then you can find the right answer using your own numbers. Then, once you’ve picked a number to represent a variable, use that number to solve the original equation. Then use the number you chose for your original variable to replace that same variable in your answer options. By doing this, you can test your answer options and see which answer choices match the result you got for your original equation when you plugged in your own numbers. Don’t worry if this doesn’t make any sense to you yet. We’ll break down the steps using an actual math problem example: We are told that themathematical relationships described above work for all numbers $x, y, z$. This means we are allowed to pick any numbers we would like for $x, y, z$ because any and all numbers must work. We have multiple variables and a complex series of equations. Let's make life easier on ourselves and give each of these variables a number. Let's say that: $x = 2$ $y = 3$ $z = 4$ Now, let's solve our problems in accordance with the rules we were given and see if the equations are equal. The first is: $x⊕y = y⊕ x$ Let's take the left half of the equation first and replace our variables with numbers. $x⊕y$ $2⊕3$ Well, according to our rules, this would be: $2⊕3 =(2)(3) + 2 + 3$ $$ The left half of our equation is. Now let's look at the right half to see if it is equal. $y⊕x$ $3⊕2= (2)(3) + 3 + 2$ $$ Both sides equal , so option I is correct. This means we can eliminate answer choices B and C. Now let's try the equation for option II, using our same numbers for our variables. $(x - 1)⊕(x + 1) = (x⊕x) - 1$ Again, let's take the left side of the equation first. $(x -1)⊕(x + 1)$ $(2 - 1)⊕(2 + 1)$ $1⊕3$ $1⊕3= (1)(3) + 1 + 3$ $7$ So the first half of the equation equals 7. Now let's see if the right half is equal. $(x⊕x) - 1$ $(2⊕2) - 1 = ((2)(2) + 2 + 2) - 1$ $7$ Both sides equal 7, so option II is correct. We can eliminate answer choice A. Finally, let's test the last equation. $x⊕(y + z) = (x⊕y) + (x⊕z)$ Looking at the left side of the equation, we have: $2⊕(3 + 4)$ $2⊕7$ $2⊕7= (2)(7) + 2 + 7$ $23$ The left side of the equation equals 23. Now let's test the right to see if it matches. $(x⊕y) + (x⊕z)$ $(2⊕3) = (2)(3) + 2 + 3$ $$ And $2⊕4 = (2)(4) + 2 + 4$ $14$ We are told to addthe two together, which gets us: $ + 14 = 25$ The left half of our equation was 23 and the right half was 25. The two expressions not equal, so option III is incorrect. This means our final answer is D, I and II are the only correct equations for all values of $x, y, z$. Again, we were able to choose all of our own numbers for this problem, but this will not universally be the case. Always pay attention to when you have the leeway to choose your own numbers for multiple (or all) variables, and when you must choose a number for only one variable and solve for the rest. The reason we were allowed to choose numbers for every variable above was because the problem told us the equations were true for all numbers. This meant that any numbers we chose followed the rules as outlined by the problem. You will be able to tell when you can plug in numbers for multiple variables because the problem will specifically tell you that "all numbers" or "all integers" must work in place of yourvariables. This gives you free reign to pick your numbers with impunity. If you don't see the words "all numbers" or "all integers"in the question, then you may only use your own number for one variable and solve for the rest. This will keep the variables following their defined rules and keep the relationships between them intact. Now let's look at a problem where we CANNOT pick our own numbers for every variable: Because we are not told that this problem works for "all numbers," we know we must choose our own number for just one variable and solve for the rest. In this problem, I've chosen to replace$v$ with my own number. Why $v$? Because $v$ shows up in the middle equation and so will be usefulfor finding our other variables. We can also see that $v = 4t$, so let's give $v$ a number that is divisible by 4. (Note: we do not HAVE to make $v$ divisible by 4, but it makes lifeeasier forus, as it means we will bedealingwith integers rather than decimals.) Solet's just say that $v = 8$. If we replace every $v$ with the number 8, our first equation would look like: $x = 3v$ $x = 3(8)$ $x = 24$ So we know now that, when $v = 8$, $x = 24$. Now for our second equation: $v = 4t$ $8 = 4t$ $t = 2$ So, when $x = 24$ and $v = 8$, $t$ will be 2. And finally, let's look at the last equation using our newly found numbers for $x$ and $t$. $x = pt$ $24 = p(2)$ $p = 12$ So $p$ equals 12. But wait! Maybe you think $p$ equals 12only in this this one instance and that it would equal something else had we chosen a different number for $v$. Well let's test it. Let's say that $v = 20$ instead of 8. $x = 3v$ $x = 3(20)$ $x = 60$ And our second equation: $v = 4t$ $20 = 4t$ $t = 5$ And finally, our last equation: $x = pt$ $60 = p(5)$ $p = 12$ As you can see, no matter what value we choose for one of our variables, $p$ will always equal 12 as long as we keep the relationships between the variables intact. So our final answer is 12, $p = 12$ Using PINcan be like having your own personal decoder ring. Tips and Tricksfor PIN Now that you know how PIN works,you can use it more quickly and accurately by using these tips for your ACT and SAT math questions: Tip 1) When using PIN, your best bet is to testeach and every answer choice, even after one of the answers matches the one you got for your original equation. Why should we do this? Because sometimes when we choose our own numbers, we can get multiple answer options that work. Let's say for this problem that you randomly chose 95 to be your two digit number for $x$. If: $x = 95$, then the tens digit $t = 9$, and the units digit $u = 5$. We are told that $y$ is the number found by reversing the digits, so when $x = 95$, $y = 59$. And finally, we are searching for the value of $x -y$. Using our numbers: $x - y = 95 - 59$ $x - y = 36$ Now let us test our answer options using the numbers we have found for our variables and see which one matches 36. F. $9(t - u)$ $9(9 - 5)$ $9(4)$ $36$ Answer F works! (We can also eliminate answer choice K right now, because $36≠  0$). G. $9(u - t)$ $9(5 - 9)$ $9(-4)$ $-36$ Answer G has been eliminated. H. $9t - u$ $9(9) - 5$ $81 - 5$ $76$ Answer choice H has been eliminated. J. $9u - t$ $9(5) - 9$ $45 - 9$ $36$ Uh-oh! We found 36 for both F and J. When this happens, we must choose a different number or set of numbers in order to eliminate the answer that only works sometimes. Our goal is to findthe answer that works always and no matter what. But now that we have chosen a different set of numbers, do we have to test each answer choice again? Nope! We already know that G, H and K didn’t work last time, so they won’t be our final answer. Again, weare looking for the answer that works every time. Only test F and J again. Instead of $x = 95$, let's say that $x = 43$ (Again, this number is entirely random and can be anything you'd like). If $x = 43$, then $t = 4$ and $u = 3$. It also means that $y$, as the reverse of $x$, will be 34. $x - y = 43 - 34$ $x - y = 9$ So now we are looking for the answer choices that match 9. So let us once more test F and J. F. $9(t - u)$ $9(4 - 3)$ $9(1)$ $9$ Looking pretty good for answer choice F. But let's look at J as well. J. $9u - t$ $9(3) - 4$ $27 - 4$ $23$ Success! We can eliminate answer choice J now and feel confident that F (and only F) will work no matter our values for $x$ and $y$. So our final answer is F, $9(t - u)$ Tip 2) When plugging in your own numbers,avoid using the numbers 1 or 0. It can be very easy to get multiple right answers or very screwy answers when using 1 or 0, so it is best to avoid them. For example, let's look again at the first problem we saw: Now let's say that we had said $x = 0$, $y = 1$, and $z = 2$. For the sake of saving time, the first two equations are still correct, but now let's look at the third. $x⊕(y + z) = (x⊕y) + (x⊕z)$ First, let's look at the left half of the equation: $x⊕(y + z)$ $0⊕(1 + 2)$ $0⊕3$ $0⊕3= (0)(3) + 0 + 3$ $3$ Now let's look at the right half of the equation: $(x⊕y) + (x⊕z)$ $(x⊕y)$ $0⊕1 = (0)(1) + 0 + 1$ $1$ And $(x⊕z)$ $0⊕2 = (0)(2) + 0 + 2$ $2$ So when we add them together, we get: $1 + 2 = 3$ This means that both sides of the equation are equal, which would mean that I, II, AND III were all correct. And we already proved when we did this question earlier that III is actually incorrect. (Remember, the answer choices must work every single time.) If we had used 0 and/or 1 in place of our variables, we would have gotten the question wrong. We would have chosen answer E, when really answer D is correct. Tip 3) Good numbers to use when working with percentages are 100 or 10, as most percentages questions involve you having to manipulate them around. Using nice, round numbers can make life easy for you. Alice has been collecting sea shells for many years. From 2009 to 2010, she increased her collection by 30%. From 2010 to 2012, she added another 20% to her collection. But in 2014, she had to move away and get rid of 50% of her collection. What percentage of her original shell collection did Alice end up with? 75 78 100 150 156 Let's say, for the sake of a nice round number and a good one to use with percentages, that Alice started out with 100 shells. If she increased her collection by 30% from 2009 to 2010, then she would have $100 + 100(0.3) = 130$ shells in 2010. If she then increased her collection by another 20% from 2010 to 2012, she woud have $130 + 130(0.2) = 156$ shells in 2012. Now, she must get rid of 50% (half) of her shells. $156 - 156(0.5) = 78$ So she is left with 78 shells. And, since we used 100 for her original amount, we do not have to fiddle with finding percentages. We can simply see that she is left with 78% of her original collection. So our final answer is B, 78. One day Alice may feelthat she has enough sea shells. Today is not that day. When to Use Plugging in Numbers Because it is best to test out each answer option when using PIN, it can often take longer to solve a question this way than by using algebra alone. Sometimes you can check all the answers at a glance, which will save time, but whether or not using PIN will eat up more time than it saves truly depends on the question This question would be a slow PIN. If you don't remember how to FOIL and you are fuzzy on your rules for multiplying and subtracting integers and variables, then go ahead and use PIN here. But if you are at all comfortable with the above mathematical concepts, then simply work with your variables and save using PIN for another occasion. As a demonstration, see how fast it is to use algebra here: $(4z + 3)(z - 2)$ $(4z *z) + (4z * -2) + (3 * z) + (3 * -2)$ $4z^2 - 8z + 3z - 6$ $4z^2 - 5z - 6$ So your answer is J. On the other hand, look how slow the process is using PIN: Let's say our $z$ value is 4. $(4z + 3)(z - 2)$ $(4(4) + 3)(4 - 2)$ $(19)(2)$ $38$ So we are looking for an answer choice that matches 38. F. $4z^2 - 5$ $4(4^2) - 5$ $64 - 5$ $59$ Option F is too large, so we can eliminate it. We can also eliminate option G because we can see that it would be 58, which is still too large. H. $4z^2 - 3z - 5$ $4(4^2) - 3(4) - 5$ $64 - 12 - 5$ $47$ We can eliminate option H, as it is still too large. J. $4z^2 - 5z - 6$ $4(4^2) - 5(4) - 6$ $64 - 20 - 6$ $38$ We have found an answer that matches our original equation. This could be our right answer, but let's look at option K to make sure we don't have duplicate correct answers. At a glance, we can tell that option K ($4z^2 + 5z - 6$) would be too large, because we would be adding 20 to 64. This means we can comfortably eliminate it. So our final answer is J. Though we were still able to find our answer, it took noticeably longer using PIN. Basically, don't be afraid to use PIN to help you through a test, butmake sure you useit in places that will help you the most and get you to the right answer in the shortest amount of time. Now let's look at a quick PIN problem. This is a problem you can mostly do in your head using PIN. For example, give $a$ and $b$ small numbers and then you can work out your answer choicesfairly quickly. Let's say that $a = 2$ and $b = 3$. Using those numbers, we know then that the absolute value of $a - b = 1$. Why? Because $a - b$ = $2 - 3 = -1$ and absolute values make anything contained in them positive. (For more info on this, check out our guides to advanced integers on the ACT and SAT) So we can tell straight away that F is incorrect, as that would be 5. This means G is also incorrect, as it would be -5. H would be an imaginary number, as it is the square root of a negative. J would be a negative number. Only K makes sense and we can see for ourselves that it is correct. $-(2 - 3) = +1$, which is the answer we are looking for. So our final answer is K. See how we were able to solve thesecond questionnoticeably faster using PIN? As you do more and more ACT and SAT math practice problems, you'll better be able to intuit when to use PIN (and when to use algebra or skip the question entirely) as you go through your test. As a general rule, if you have a lot of spare time per section, then go ahead and use PIN! It may even save you time going back and double-checking your work (though it never hurts to be extra sure and double-check anyway). If, however, you find yourself running short on time, you may want to save using PIN for these circumstances only: 1) You cannot find a way to solve the problem without using PIN If you have absolutely no idea how to approach a problem, definitely use PIN! If you forget a math rule or equation, you can still find the answer with PIN. Often, you won’t have to know the rules for manipulating multiple variables or the rules for exponents, etc., if you can circumvent the question entirely by going straight to using your own numbers. 2) You have enough spare time that you can spend the extra using PIN If you’ve gone quickly and accurately enough through earlier sections, go ahead and let yourself have the extra seconds per question that PIN uses. Though the difference between an algebraic solve and a PIN solve may not be more than 30 or 40 seconds, that time can add up fast. Always be sure you are using your time to your best advantage to get the most points possible across the board. If you feel you are completely running short on time, however, check out our articles on how to buy yourself extra time on both the SATand the ACT. 3) You want to double-check your answer PIN can often act as its own question double-checker. This can sometimes help off-set the extra time PIN eats up, but don’t always count on this. Because you found the answer by testing it out using real numbers instead of variables, you don’t have to plug more numbers into the equation to make sure it worksyou already know it works! You’ve both solved your question and double-checked to make sure it was accurate all in one. 4) You feel that you may have found the wrong answer using algebraic methods Maybe you started in on the question right away with algebra and got halfway through before you felt that you had taken a wrong turn somewhere. Maybe you know you tend to get distributing questions or exponent questions wrong. Maybe the algebra equation you set up spit out an answer that didn’t come close to any that were provided (or worsemaybe the answer you found was just slightly off). If questions with multiple variables tend to trip you up, this means it’s probably a good idea to switch your method and try using PIN. 5) The question lies in a question range in which you have previously made several errors If you have taken a practice SAT or ACT and discovered that you generally start to make mistakes around the halfway or three-quarter mark, switch your tactics to PIN instead of algebraic methods in this section in order to increase your score. It can be slower, but it will be more accurate and you won’t have to spend as much time double-checking your work. The more practice you get using PIN, the more you'llknow when to hold 'em (and use PIN) and when to walk away. Can I Always Use Plugging in Numbers? Unfortunately some questions can NOT be solved by plugging in answers. Again, when the question and/or answer options include variables, you can oftenuse PIN. If, however, your answers use numbersintegers, decimals, or fractionsyour best bet is probably to use the strategy of plugging in answers. Most questions (though not all) can be solved using one of these two strategies. To demonstrate the broad range of question types that both PIA and PIN can cover, let us look real SAT and ACT math questions and how to solve them using PIA and PIN. Test Your Knowledge: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)In the figure above, $z = 50$. What is the value of $x + y$? 90 130 180 210 230 Answers: A, B, D, E Answer Explanations: 1) In this first problem, we are dealing with the costa boat for $x$ amount of dollars split first 3 ways and then 4. To make life easier on ourselves, let's pick a number for $x$ that is divisible by both 3 and 4, so that we do not have to work with decimals. So let's say that the cost of buyinga boat ($x$) is 120 dollars. Now, we are asked how much less it is per person to divide the cost by 4 instead of by 3. So let us divide 120 by both and find the difference. $120/3 = 40$ $120/4 = 30$ $40 - 30 = 10$ So, when the boat costs 120 dollars, each member of the group will pay 10 dollars less when the cost is split 4 ways instead of 3 ways. Now let us test our answer options to see which one matches 10 dollars. A. $x/12$ $120/12 = 10$ Answer A matches the answer we got. But before we celebrate, let us look over the other answer options to make sure there are no duplicate right answers. Options B and C would be too large. Ifour number for $x$ divided by 12 was perfect, then that same number divided by 3 or 4 would be much larger. Option E would also be enormous and far greater than 10 (as it is $x$ multiplied by 7), so that is out as well. We can also and finally eliminate option D. We found our correct answer simply by dividing our $x$ value by 12. If we multiplied and then divided, that number would be much larger. So our final answer is A, $x/12$ 2) We need to find 75% of $m$ and $k$ percent of 25 (which we are told are equal). Instead of using decimals and fractions (and potentially getting ourselves confused), let us assign a number for $k$. If we say, as a random choice, that $k = 60$, then we are finding 60% of 25. $25 * 0.6 = 15$ And we know that this number (15) is 75% of $m$. So, to find $m$, we would say: ${15 * 100}/75 = 20$ So we have: $k = 60$ $m = 20$ Now, we are asked to find $m/k$ $20/60 = 1/3$ So our final answer is B, $1/3$ 3) Here, we need to know the difference between $t$ and $t^2$. So let us say that $t = 3$. (Why didn't we use 2 for $t$? Because, occasionally, using 2 for questions about squares and roots can give us duplicate right answers. For now, we are using 3 to reduce the possibility of needing to start over and select a different number, but we will look over what would have happened had we used 2 at the end of the problem.) So, if $t = 3$, then $t^2 = 9$ The difference, then, between $t$ and $t^2$: $9 - 3 = 6$ So we are looking for an answer option that matches 6. Answers A, B, and C are all eliminated for being too small (answer C $= t = 3$). Answer D is $t(t - 1)$ $3(3 - 1)$ $3(2)$ $6$ Answer D is correct, but let's look at answer E to make sure D is our only correct answer.Answer E is $(t - 1)(t + 1)$ $(3 - 1)(3 + 1)$ $(2)(4)$ $8$ This does not match, which means D is our only possible correct answer. So our final answer is D,$t(t - 1)$ (But what would have happened if we had used $t = 2$ instead of $t = 3$? Well $t^2 = 2^2 = 4$ and the difference between $t^2$ and $t$ would have been $4 - 2 = 2$. So answers B, C, and D would have all been correct. When this happens, simply choose a different number, like $t = 3$ and test B, C, and D again.) 4) PIN can be used for both straight algebra problems and for geometry problems. As long as the numbers we choose follow the rules of geometry, then we should always get the right answer. So here we have a triangle and we know one angle measure ($z = 50$). So let us give a value for each of the other angles inside the triangle. If $z = 50$, then the other two angles have to add up to $180 - 50 = 130$. So let's call the angle next to $x$ 100, and the angle next to $y$ 30. If the angle next to $x$ is 100, and it createsa straight line with $x$, then $x = 180 - 100 = 80$ And if the angle next to $y$ is 30 and it creates a straight line with $y$, then $y = 180 - 30 = 150$ $x = 80$ and $y = 150$ Together, they equal: $80 + 150 = 230$ So our final answer is E, 230. Remember to always give your brain time to rest and recover while studying. You worked hard, so don't be afraid to take a little break. The Take-Aways The strategy of plugging in your own numbers can be invaluable if you find yourself confronted with a problem you don’t know how to solve algebraically, or if you want to make absolutely sure you have the correct answer. The drawback, however, is that PIN can eat up extra time. If you make sure to use your plugging-in strategies wisely and save them for times in which you need them most, you will likely find yourself solving problems you were never able to before. What’s Next? Now that you’ve gone through the ins and outs of PIN, make sure you know the other techniques for navigating standardized math questions. Be sure to check out our article on plugging in answers (PIA) to get a complete picture for how to circumvent using complex algebra on the SAT and ACT. Running out of time on ACT or SAT math? Look no further than how to buy time on SAT math and how to buy time on ACT math. Want to get a perfect score? Check out our article on how to get an 800 on the SAT math section and how to get a 36 on the ACT math section, both written by a perfect scorer. 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: