SAT Prep

How to Beat Procrastination in Your ACT/SAT Prep SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Not on our watch. To do well on the SAT/ACT, you need to commit to a certain amount of study hours. The higher the score you want, or the more points you need to improve, the more hours you need to put in. (Read more about how long exactly you need to study for the SAT or ACT here.) If total hours is your main goal for studying, then procrastination is what you need to defeat to be successful. So we’ll talk a bit about why procrastination happens, and then give actionable advice for fighting it. Read in to conquer procrastination once and for all! Why Do We Procrastinate? Before we can discuss how to fight procrastination, it's helpful to understand why we do it. You may be surprised what causes you to put off important work like studying for the ACT/SAT! The common wisdom is that procrastination happens due to a lack of time management skills. According to this theory, students don’t realize how much time a task will take, so they don’t start it until it’s too late. This might explain some students who frantically cram for the SAT or ACT the week before the test. Another theory is that procrastinators underestimate the importance of a task in the long term (say, a high SAT/ACT score) versus the importance of tasks in the short term (homework, extracurricular activities, friends, sleep, etc). This could explain why a well-meaning student keeps avoiding studying for the ACT/SAT, because other tasks, like homework and social events, keep distracting them. But are these the only reasons we procrastinate? After all, most teenagers understand that the SAT/ACT is important – in fact, as colleges get more competitive each year, you could argue teenagers have never been more aware. So why procrastinate on SAT/ACT studying? Another theory, as reported in The Atlantic, explains why even highly motivated students could procrastinate on their SAT/ACT studying: â€Å"Scientists have begun to think that procrastination might have less to do with time than emotion†¦ Instead, Ferrari and others think procrastination happens for two basic reasons: (1) Wedelay action because we feel like we're in thewrongmood to complete a task, and (2) We assume that our mood will change in the near future.† Procrastination: more about your mood than your time management skills. And that, in turn, leads to a vicious cycle: â€Å"Putting off an importanttask makes us feel anxious, guilty, and even ashamed, Eric Jaffe wrote. Anxiety, guilt, and shamemake us less likely to have the emotional and cognitive energy to be productive.That makes us even less likely to begin the task, in the first place. Which makes us feel guilty. Which makes us less productive. And around we go.† It’s easy to see how that could happen to a student who needs to study for the SAT. Say she plans to start studying by taking a practice exam on a Saturday. But she doesn’t get around to it because she’s working on other homework assignments. This makes her feel anxious and guilty about skipping the practice test. So on Sunday, she doesn’t take the practice test since she’s still feeling quite stressed and anxious, and instead finds herself studying for AP LIterature and prepping for the next debate tournament. And then the school week starts, she gets a slew of new homework assignments, and she keeps putting on the practice test. Each day she skips it, the more guilty she feels, and the less likely she is to start studying. Sound familiar? You can see how this creates a vicious cycle: you feel guilty for not studying, which puts you in a bad mood and thus makes you less likely to start studying the next time you think about it. Especially given how stressful the SAT/ACT is, the emotions of anxiety and guilt that come with studying for it can be overwhelming. And, ironically, the students who may deal with the most guilt and stress are the ones who are aiming the highest: those who want a 2200 SAT or 33 ACT or higher. So you need to break through the time management and emotion traps to make SAT/ACT studying a manageable, non-stressful part of your life! Sound daunting? It is, but if you follow our advice, it doesn’t have to be. Read on for techniques to cut through the procrastination loop and study successfully for the ACT/SAT. Part 1: Deadlines and Accountability It may sound tedious, but the first way to cut through procrastination is to set deadlines and hold yourself accountable to them. Learn more about why deadline-setting is important and how to create effective deadlines here. Deadlines Every student's favorite word. One factor that almost always defeats procrastination is a hard, unavoidable deadline. Why? A deadline forces you to take action before you face a bad consequence – whether that’s a bad grade or a failed test. The power of deadlines explains why so many students put off work until the night before something is due, and then stay up all night to complete an assignment. Well, you may be thinking that the SAT/ACT has a deadline: the day of the test. However, if your only deadline is the test itself, that won’t help you study meaningfully! In fact, that could lead to last-minute cramming, which isn’t helpful at all. A way to combat this temptation to cram is to set smaller deadlines well in advance of the test. Setting smaller deadlines along the way can help you be productive and hit key milestones in your SAT/ACT studying. For example: 8 weeks before test: take a full practice exam 7 weeks before test: identify major areas to improve and gather study resources 6 weeks before test: put in at least 6 hours of studying weak areas What your deadlines are and how many you set depends on your study goals, the time you have until the test, and where you need to improve. But the key is to set at least some smaller deadlines so that the test date itself isn't your only motivator to study. You can probably see that setting smaller deadlines will take some planning and reflection on your part. You’ll have to figure out how long you want to study for the SAT/ACT to figure out your timeframe, first of all – will you be studying over four months or two? You'll also need to figure out how much you need to improve by, which we'll discuss more below when we talk about goal-setting. But even though it sounds like extra work, setting smaller deadlines is key to avoiding the procrastination trap. By holding yourself accountable to a study task each week, you can make sure you actually study in the run-up to the SAT/ACT. So your first task is this: after deciding how long you’re going to study for, set weekly deadlines. But how can you make sure you actually honor them? Keep reading. Accountability So you’ve set your deadlines and you have a good idea of what you need to do between now and test day. Unfortunately, one thing researchers have discovered is that deadlines are actually more effective if someone else sets them: â€Å"The group withexternal deadlines performed the best. "People strategically try to curb [procrastination] by using costly self-imposed deadlines,† Ariely and his co-authorKlaus Wertenbrochconcluded, "and [they] are not always as effective as some external deadlines."† We’re not saying you should ask your Mom to create a study calendar for you and force you to study each day. In this case, you will still be setting your own deadlines. But if you set deadlines like the ones above, let others know so they can hold you accountable. Involve your friends and family, including parents and/or guardians, in your SAT/ACT study schedule. Put your study deadlines on the family calendar if you have one, and tell your friends about your plans so they can hold you to them. Make your SAT/ACT studying a very public part of your life, so your friends and family can call you out and make sure you're actually sticking to your promises to study. Even though it may seem awkward or embarassing to go on about your SAT/ACT study plan with friends and family, if they can support you and make sure you stick to your deadliens, you're much less likely to procrastinate. Use Reminders A final piece about deadlines is to set reminders so you don’t forget about your weekly study goals. The deadlines won’t do you any good if you forget about them! So ask your friends, family, or parents to remind you to study – this builds on the accountability piece above. You can also set phone or email alarms reminding you to study if you have a planned study block. You can even put reminders, like post-its or signs, around your house if that’s your thing! Find a reminder system that works for you and put it in place to make sure you actually reach your weekly study deadlines. Part 2: Don’t Think of It as Work Even though studying for the ACT/SAT is probably not your idea of a super fun time, if you can manage to think of it as a game rather than a chore, you're more likely to study for it. From The Atlantic: â€Å"procrastinators are more likely to complete a piece of work if they’re persuaded that it’s not actually work. In one study reviewed by Jaffe, students were asked to complete a puzzle, but first they were given a few minutes to play Tetris. 'Chronic procrastinators only delayed practice on the puzzle when it was described as a cognitive evaluation,' he wrote.When scientists described the puzzle as a game, they were just as likely to practice as anybody else.† So if you can find a way to trick yourself into thinking that studying for the SAT/ACT isn’t work, you may procrastinate less. I admit that you’re probably never going to be able to treat the SAT/ACT just like it’s a game or hobby – it’s a test, after all, and a test that carries a lot of importance for college and scholarships. But still, if you can get into the mindset of treating your SAT/ACT studying like a game or hobby, your day-to-day studying may be easier to tackle. In the short term, the SAT/ACT won’t affect your grades, and only you have to know how well you do. So try and treat it like a game you’re trying to be the best at, and don't worry about what anyone else thinks. Depending on your personality, you may be able to try the following tactics: Beat your high score: if you're competitive and/or a perfectionist, treat the SAT/ACT like a game you're trying to master. Take lots of practice tests and push yourself to improve on your latest score until you reach your desired high score. Play with a friend: another great strategy for competitive people is to rope in an opponent. If you have a friend also studying for the SAT/ACT, consider studying together and seeing who can get the highest score on an individual section or an entire practice test. Race against time: especially if you're trying to improve your speed on math or reading sections, time yourself carefully when you practice and see if you can improve your efficiency each day. Five-minute headstart: if you really don't feel like studying, just get yourself to practice for five minutes. Often once you've started, it's easy to keep going for another ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes . Get feedback: focus on parts of studying, like practice sections or sets of problems, that allow you to get instant feedback on your progress. Work to improve your score each day. Focus on the more game like aspects of studying: If you’re facing a real block, plan a "game day." Use flashcards, do multiple-choice practice, or time yourself, rather than trying to teach yourself a math concept or grammar rule. If you can get through a study block today, even if it's just reviewing some flashards, you can cut through the procrastination loop and be more likely to study hard the next day. Reframing your thinking around studying, and making it a game rather than a chore, can definitely help you put the time in, especially on days where you really do not feel like studying. Even though it sounds cheesy, this technique can be surprisingly effective. When I took the ACT last June, I studied a lot with the goal of beating my high school score. (I’m competitive like that, I guess!) It honestly began to feel kind of like a game to me, which made taking practice multiple choice sections fun, because I was always aiming to beat my old â€Å"high score.† Part 3: Make It a Daily Habit If Possible Just like you improve faster if you practice piano every day, making SAT/ACT studying a daily routine can do wonders for your score, and your ability to reduce procrastination. If you can make SAT/ACT studying a daily (or every-other-day) habit for a few weeks, you’ll study more effectively and it will hopefully feel less like a chore. A daily habit will also cut through the procrastination loop and reset the feelings of anxiety and guilt you get from putting off studying. Even if you can just put in 5 or 10 minutes on a day you don't feel like studying, that could be enough to get you in the right mood to study more effectively the next day. Furthermore, remember that a 15-minute daily study session can feel much less intimidating than a 2-hour weekend study session. If you avoid studying for days on end, the â€Å"procrastination doom loop† will kick in and each day you don’t study will make it even harder to study the next time. Especially if you struggle with procrastination, don’t try to force yourself through a gigantic study block once a week. Daily practice will also help make you a more consistent, fast test-taker. It also gives you more opportunities to practice tricky concepts and let new information sink in. So what's the best way to make daily practice a reality? We suggest breaking your weekly study deadline into daily actionables. Check out the example below. Weekly Deadline: Master Plane Geometry on the SAT Monday: Review plane geometry concepts in SAT prep book Tuesday: Continue to review plane geometry Wednesday: Complete plane geometry practice questions in prep book Thursday: Correct and review practice questions, note mistakes Friday: Analyze mistakes in journal Saturday: Study the areas I still don’t get Sunday: Complete entire SAT math practice section This plan works because we start with one specific goal: learning and practicing plane geometry on the SAT. Each day, we take a small step to learn it, planning on no more than 30 minutes of time, except on Sunday when we take a full practice Math section. These daily goals should be easy and manageable to complete, and will build to a larger achievement by the end of the week. Will creating these daily steps in addition to weekly deadlines take work? Yes. But taking the time to make daily goals will make your study plan much more effective and resistant to procrastination. Also, designate a specific time of day for studying, if that’s helpful – like right when you get home from school or after dinner – to make it part of your routine. And finally, to build on the accountability section from before, mention to your family and/or friends that you have a daily study block and ask them to hold you to it. Part 4: Remember Why You're Studying Having a feeling of urgency around SAT/ACT studying, and a strong sense of how important it is, can also push you to study when you really don’t feel like it. If you remember every day why you're studying and why a high score is important to you, you're more likely to stick to your study plan. Why is urgency important? Other aspects of your life that compete for your time in high school have built-in markers of urgency. Homework has immediate deadlines that affect your grades, practicing for a sports team at school affects the game on Saturday, and hanging out with friends maintains your social circle. Since the SAT/ACT only happens on one day, and its importance is a few months (or years) down the line – on your college application – it can be hard to have a sense of urgency about it, even if you know instinctively that it’s important. Especially if you’re taking the SAT/ACT as a high school junior, you won’t be submitting it on applications for another year. Plus you have time to retake it. So it’s easy to let yourself think it’s not that important and focus on more pressing tasks. So to build urgency around studying, gather the evidence as to why your SAT/ACT score is important. Finally, set goals to help you achieve your desired SAT/ACT score. This will give you the motivation you need to get through the procrastination loop and start studying, even if you're stressed or anxious. Building Urgency So how do you gather the evience around why your SAT/ACT score is important? First, figure out the target score (ACT/SAT) you need for your top schools! Keep that number in mind as you study – you can even hang it up in your room to remind yourself daily of your goal. You can also find pennants or print out pictures of your top schools to hang up to connect that number to a more concrete goal! Also take a look at the kinds of scholarships you can get for high SAT/ACT scores – a high enough score could make college free. That’s an excellent motivator. Finally, read in-depth about why your SAT/ACT score is the more effective way to improve your college admissions chances. By keeping all this in mind, you can hopefully make SAT/ACT studying a daily reality. Keep your dream school or scholarship in mind, and use that goal to motivate you to open your prep book, even on days where you would rather be going to the football game or working on AP Calculus homework. Setting Goals Earlier, we talked about setting deadlines. Another key component of creating good deadlines is knowing your starting place so you can decide what to work on each week. So first up: take a full practice exam ASAP (here are free SAT/ACT practice tests) so you know your starting score. It’s much more manageable to be thinking â€Å"I need to go from an ACT 26 to 32† rather than â€Å"I need to be studying for a 32.† With that six-point increase in mind, you can begin creating weekly study deadlines and daily study goals. Next, set smaller midway goals, like being able to get a 28 after your first three weeks of studying. By including smaller check-ins during your study plan, you can reevaluate your study deadlines and change things around if you need to. We also recommend youtake a look at SAT/ACT scoring so you can set concrete raw point goals for each section. For example, approaching SAT Math is easier if you know you’re trying to get 45 raw points rather than a more nebulous 670 composite score. By setting clear goals, like â€Å"this week I want to be able to get 40 out of 60 correct on ACT math,† you can make SAT/ACT studying feel less like a nebulous, scary task. The more concrete your goals, the more manageable studying will be and the less likely you'll be to put it off. PrepScholar Can Help! If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by this, or want another layer of accountability, our PrepScholar study program has a bunch of these techniques built right in. We involve your parents, give regular feedback, set goals for you, and analyze your weak points as you study. So rather than worry about implementation, you can focus on the studying itself! Is an online prep course necessary for all students? Nope. Many students can successfully create a study plan and achieve their target score on the SAT/ACT. But if you want extra help or think you would benefit from an additional resource, I encourage you to look into it. Bottom Line Recognizing that procrastination is a result of not just poor time management but a difficult emotional feedback loop can help you fight it. Set deadlines, involve others, make studying a game, make it a daily habit, and remember your long-term goals. Studying for the ACT/SAT is not an easy task. But if you give yourself enough time, bring in family and friend support, and remember your goals, you can cut through the negative emotions that cause procrastination and find the motivation you need to get the score you want. What’s Next? Check out our guide to a perfect SAT score by our top-scorer. This article discusses ways to build motivation and commitment to help you reach your score goal, whether you're aiming for a perfect score or just a personal best (ACT version here). What are good study resources to get started? Get a guide to the best ACT and SAT prep books on the market. Get more in-depth help with our complete guides to ACT ScienceandSAT Reading, and tips from a perfect scorer on ACT Math and SAT Math. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

How to Appeal a Dismissal From College

How to Appeal a Dismissal From College No one has ever entered college with the goal of being suspended or dismissed. Unfortunately, life happens.  Perhaps you simply werent quite ready for the challenges of college or the freedom of living on your own. Or maybe you encountered factors outside of your control - illness, injury, a family crisis, depression, death of a friend, or some other distraction that made college a lower priority than it needed to be. Whatever the situation, the good news is that an academic dismissal is rarely the last word on the matter. Nearly all colleges allow students to appeal a dismissal. Schools realize that your GPA doesnt tell the whole story and that there are always factors that contributed to your poor academic performance. An appeal gives you the opportunity to put your grades into context, explain what went wrong, and convince the appeals committee that you have a plan for future success. If Possible, Appeal in Person Some colleges allow written appeals only, but if you have the option of appealing in person, you should take advantage of the opportunity.  The members of the appeals committee will think you are more committed to being readmitted if you take the trouble to travel back to college to make your case. Even if the thought of appearing in front of the committee terrifies you, it is still usually a good idea. In fact, genuine nervousness and tears can sometimes make the committee more sympathetic to you. You will want to be well prepared for your meeting and follow strategies for a successful in-person appeal. Show up on time, well dressed, and by yourself (you dont want it to look as tho your parents are dragging you to your appeal). Also, be sure to think about the types of questions youre likely to be asked during an appeal. The committee will certainly want to know what went wrong, and theyll want to know what your plan is for future success. Be painfully honest when youre speaking with the committee members. They will have received information from your professors and advisors as well as student life personnel, so theyre going to know if youre holding back information. Make the Most of a Written Appeal Often in-person appeals require a written statement, and in other situations, an appeal letter is your only option for pleading your case. In either situation, your appeal letter needs to be crafted effectively.   To write a successful appeal letter, you need to be polite, humble, and honest. Make your letter personal, and address it to the Dean or the members of the committee who will be considering your appeal. Be respectful, and always keep in mind that you are asking for a favor. The appeal letter is no place to express anger or entitlement. For an example of a good letter by a student who was overwhelmed by problems at home, be sure to read Emmas appeal letter. Emma owns up to mistakes she made, summarizes the situation that led to the bad grades, and explains how she will avoid similar problems in the future. Her letter focuses on a single and serious distraction from school, and she remembers to thank the committee in her closing. Many appeals are based on situations that are more embarrassing and less sympathetic than a family crisis. When you read Jasons appeal letter, youll learn that his failing grades were the result of problems with alcohol. Jason approaches this situation the only way that is likely to be successful in an appeal: he owns up to it. His letter is honest about what went wrong and just as important, it is clear in the steps that Jason has taken that he has plans to get his problems with alcohol under control. His polite and honest approach to his situation is likely to win the sympathy of the appeals committee. Avoid Common Mistakes When Writing Your Appeal If the best appeal letters own up to the students failures in a polite and honest way, it shouldnt be a surprise that unsuccessful appeals do just the opposite. Bretts appeal letter  makes some serious mistakes beginning in the very first paragraph. Brett is quick to blame others for his problems, and rather than look in the mirror, he points to his professors as the source of his low grades. We clearly arent getting the full story in Bretts letter, and he doesnt convince anyone that he is putting in the hard work that he claims he is. What exactly has Brett been doing with his time that has led to his academic failure? The committee doesnt know, and the appeal is likely to fail for that reason. A Final Word on Appealing a Dismissal If youre reading this, youre most likely in the unenviable position of being dismissed from college. Dont lose hope of returning to school just yet. Colleges are learning environments, and the faculty and staff members on the appeals committee are fully aware that students make mistakes and have bad semesters. Your job is to show that you have the maturity to own up to your mistakes and that you have the ability to learn from your missteps and devise a plan for future success. If you can do both of these things, you have a good chance of appealing successfully. Finally, even if your appeal is not successful, realize that dismissal doesnt need to be the end of your college aspirations. Many dismissed students enroll in a community college, prove that they are capable of succeeding in college coursework, and then reapply to either their original institution or another four-year college.

Organizational Theory Literature and an Analysis of the U.S. Steel Term Paper

Organizational Theory Literature and an Analysis of the U.S. Steel Corporation - Term Paper Example It is also found that, in the context of each organization, two different powers are likely to exist: one originated from the organization’s external members, such as customers and suppliers, and ‘one originated from the insiders, i.e. employees or shareholders’ (Hatch & Schultz 2007, p.356). As for the relation between image, culture and identity, the following assumption is made: the theories that have been published in regard to each one of these concepts are related, more or less (Hatch & Schultz 2007, p.364). The assumptions of Hatch & Schultz (2007) in regard to identity, culture and image in organizations, can be characterized as valuable, providing important insights in the relation of the above organizational aspects. It should also be noted that although no empirical research has been employed for this study, still its findings are quite credible as they are based on important studies that have been published in the specific field. The validity of the study is further increase due to the following fact: Hatch & Schultz (2007) have developed a graph for showing the characteristics of the relation between culture, image and identity, as derived from the research developed on this issue (Graph 1, Appendices). Cultural Diversity in Organizational Theory and Practice Mazur, B., 2010 In the study of Mazur (2010) emphasis is given on diversity, as an issue related to modern organizations. The study is based on two different research methods: a) the literature that has been published in regard to the specific subject is critically reviewed, b) the cultural characteristics of people in a particular region, the North-East of Poland, are critically discussed aiming to show the potential level of diversity in society. Furthermore, the practices followed by firms in the specific region are presented, at the level that can offer important advice on how cultural conflicts in modern organizations can be resolved. The specific study presents the various elements of culture and diversity, as these concepts interact in the workplace. It is noted that diversity cannot be avoided, thus emphasizing on the cultural characteristics of employees would be a key strategy for facing conflicts in modern organizations (Mazur 2010, p.14). It is also explained that the effective managemen t of diversity in the workplace may not be easy, but it can result to a series of benefits for the organization, such as the improvement of cooperation and communication and the increase of employee morale and employee performance (Mazur 2010, p.14). The specific study could be possibly supported with empirical evidence, where available. The use of the case study, as a tool for supporting the research needs of the study, has limited the potential gaps of the lack of empirical evidence. The Classical Theory of Organisation and it's Relevance Alajloni, M., Almashaqba, Z. & Nemer Al-Qeed, M., 2010. Alajloni, Almashaqba and Al-Qeed (2010) refer to the classical theory of organization, as a framework that it is often used for explaining organizational strategies. The above researchers focuses on three particular concepts that are incorporated in the classical the

To what extent should TV news coverage be driven by the quality of Essay

To what extent should TV news coverage be driven by the quality of footage available, prioritised over the quality of a story - Essay Example The major consideration in the selection of news is the quality of presented content. This seeks to offer the viewers the best coverage within a certain area. In news coverage, certain pieces of news are considered paramount and more important than others depending on the section under which the news falls. Immediacy and importance of certain subject to the populace are the two criteria utilized in the determination of content that ought to be presented in news coverage (Gripsrud 1999, 56). In accordance with this, coverage of the world news, the relative significance of certain occurrences that ought to be covered on the news, are measured against other criteria such as power and distance. This implies that occurrences that have greater influence on the structures of power and prominence within a given society are greatly considered compared to other events that have little influence on this area (Gripsrud 1999, 56). Events that are appreciably associated or connected to the society attain greater coverage than other events, which have no connection or association to the society. Certainly, magnificent disasters that emanate from remote regions coupled with available footage have a propensity of getting into television news (Gripsrud 1999, 56). These events meet the criteria for television news on the grounds of immediacy. The makes the presence of footage for certain events direct to prioritization over the quality of the offered stories. Quality of footage has been improved to a greater extent through novel news technologies that have been directed by the demand. These technologies offer newsrooms with instantaneous content that increase the work for news creation staff, since it offers diversity and difficulty in choosing the most imperative and striking news footage or stories. These technologies allow the populace to experience news live as the events transpire in the real world. Numerous considerations are made concerning news coverage with other criteri a being secondary to the earlier mentioned criteria of immediacy and imperativeness (Gripsrud 1999, 56). Therefore, the quality of footage being offered is almost not considered in the presentation of news on television. This implies that the quality of footage is irrelevant within the news coverage context. For that reason, news has the capacity to acknowledge poor-quality news content and even poor quality speakers considering the subject of immediacy and significance of the presented events. These two factors are the principal considerations in the provision of footage that can either be quality or not. Therefore, these factors are considered as the determinants for the content that ought to be covered in television news. The populace is acquainted with the unaesthetic framing, presence of content that is captured through sudden pan shot, the dubious quality of the sound of the presented content, blurred images and other images presented under dazzling light (Gripsrud 1999, 56). This is considered wild footage that emanates from untamed world. Such content is considered imperative, despite the quality of content provided. The footage that has been presented is regarded a priority with regard to the quality of the story being presented. Bulletins for the news are developed, or created, by stitching these rushed, unreliable and poor quality contents from different sources (Gripsrud 1999,

Inner City School Systems Essay example -- essays research papers

The school system in America has long been an issue of discussion and debate amongst people everywhere. The discussions and debates often stem from evaluating the current educational system in order to determine if significant social issues, including increasing regional poverty and declining literacy rates in specific urban regions are related to economic differentiations in the educational system. Many policy analysts have considered the issue of educational funding allotments in order to determine a system that provides greater equity between socio-economically disadvantaged inner-city schools and wealthier suburban, middle class schools (Kozol 83). The foundation for the necessary funding changes have stemmed from the recognition that school funding differences relate directly to sociological issues, including the creation of a cycle of poverty and illiteracy in under funded urban settings. One of the most significant issues raised in public education in recent years is the radical difference that exists in funding levels between wealthy and poor school districts (Zuckman 49). Many states have allotted educational funding related to tax revenues, and this has determined a higher level of educational spending in wealthy neighborhoods and a much lower level of spending for inner-city poor and rural poor communities (Zuckman 49). The differences in these educational settings have had a direct impact on the outcomes for students. Because a positive educational setting is a d...

Philosophy Reflection Paper Essay

The Oxford English Dictionary defines philosophy as â€Å"Knowledge, learning, scholarship; a body of knowledge; spec. advanced knowledge or learning.† By this definition we can gather that philosophy is, essentially, the pursuit of knowledge or understanding on a much higher level than usual. In the following paper I will present my views on philosophy as a whole by examining what I believe philosophy is supposed to do, as well as how it can benefit the life of any individual willing to invest time in it and the societies that promote such thoughts. Ever since its very beginnings in 6th century BCE, philosophy has been used as a tool to help better understand complex questions regarding logic, knowledge, truth, and even human existence itself. I have long considered philosophy to be a method of deeper understanding when it comes to the human life. Why is this? Perhaps it is because a large part of philosophy is focused on argument, debate, and overall interaction with fellow humans, as opposed to other methods that do not focus on these aspects. It is my belief that if we were to attempt to answer by ourselves the difficult questions life poses, then our lives would be very dull and difficult to properly question. Allow me to expand on what I briefly mentioned at the end of the previous paragraph. Each and every one of us is, in my opinion, a prisoner of our respective perception. From birth our minds are plagued by outside influences that shape our mind regardless of how much we try to avoid it. These influences can take on many different forms such as: media, parents, teachers, etc. What ideologies these influences plant in our minds also depends on a number of variables such: nationality, class, race, etc. This, in turn, leads to bias and prevents anyone from being 100% subjective in any matter. We cannot know any one thing or pass off one of our perceptions as absolute truth. In fact, what you are currently reading is only my interpretation of what I have perceived. Therefore, the only way to truly gain an improved understanding of our life and the world we live in is to explore our different perceptions by sharing and challenging these views with others in debate and/or argument. As Socrates once said, â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living.† In other words, if you are not going  to break out of your own prison of perception, then your life will be bland and very difficult. Approaching matters in a philosophical fashion is great for people as individuals, but it is also extremely important in societies as a whole. When members of a particular society strive to be thoughtful of their own views instead of just bashing the views of others, then there is an increase of tolerance and open-mindedness. Through this tolerance the society can then obtain a higher sense of fraternity and respect for one another. Societies that promote debate and an open-minded outlook tend to be more democratic and infringe on the rights of the people less. Take Ancient Greece for example, Ancient Greece is where philosophy was born and just also happened to be unlike any other society at the time. Slavery did exist and the women were not considered true citizens, but when compared to other, much more tribal cultures at the time, the Greek people experienced a freedom unheard of in any other part of the world. Modern countries would do well to incorporate philosophy in areas such as: government/politics, education, etc., and thankfully many do. Given the topics discussed in this paper, I find it hard to believe that the introduction of philosophy into one’s life would not be beneficial in many ways. Analysis and consideration of all views, the careful contemplation of oneself and the environment around them, and the intellectual freedom and open-mindedness that such a practice lends to the societies it is promoted within. I can say with confidence that I believe philosophy is an integral part of human life and should be promoted on an international scale in order for countries to work together to logically solve global problems. â€Å"Philosophy is the highest music.† – Plato â€Å"Philosophy.† Def 1. Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. Draft Revision Sep. 2010

Azeotrope Definition and Examples

An azeotrope is a mixture of liquids that maintains its composition and boiling point during distillation. It is also known as an azeotropic mixture or constant boiling point mixture. Azeotropy occurs when a mixture is boiled to produce a vapor that has the same composition as the liquid. The term is derived by combining the prefix a, meaning no, and the Greek words for boiling and turning. The word was first used in a publication by English chemists John Wade (1864–1912) and Richard William Merriman in 1911. In contrast, mixtures of liquids that do not form an azeotrope under any conditions are called zeotropic. Types of Azeotropes Azeotropes may be categorized according to their number of constituents, miscibility, or boiling points: Number of Constituents: If an azeotrope consists of two liquids, it is known as a binary azeotrope. An azeotrope consisting of three liquids is a ternary azeotrope. There are also azeotropes made of more than three constituents.Heterogeneous or Homogeneous: Homogeneous azeotropes consist of liquids that are miscible. They form a solution. Heterogeneous azeotropes are incompletely miscible and form two liquid phases.Positive or Negative: A positive azeotrope or minimum-boiling azeotrope forms when the boiling point of the mixture is lower than that of any of its constituents. A negative azeotrope or maximum-boiling azeotrope forms when the boiling point of the mixture is higher than that of any of its constituents. Examples Boiling a 95% ethanol solution in water will produce a vapor that is 95% ethanol. Distillation cannot be used to obtain higher percentages of ethanol. Alcohol and water are miscible, so any quantity of ethanol can be mixed with any quantity to prepare a homogeneous solution that behaves like an azeotrope. Chloroform and water, on the other hand, form a heteroazeotrope. A mixture of these two liquids will separate, forming a top layer consisting mostly of water with a small amount of dissolved chloroform and a bottom layer consisting mostly of chloroform with a small amount of dissolved water. If the two layers are boiled together, the liquid will boil at a lower temperature than either the boiling point of water or chloroform. The resulting vapor will consist of 97% chloroform and 3% water, regardless of the ratio in the liquids. Condensing this vapor will result in layers that exhibit a fixed composition. The top layer of the condensate will account for 4.4% of the volume, while the bottom layer will account for 95.6% of the mixture. Azeotrope Separation Since fractional distillation cannot be used to separate components of an azeotrope, other methods must be employed: Pressure swing distillation applies pressure changes to change the composition of a mixture to enrich the distillate with the desired component.Another technique involves the addition of an entrainer, a substance that alters the volatility of one of the azeotrope components. In some cases, the entrainer reacts with a component to form a nonvolatile compound. Distillation using an entrainer is called azeotropic distillation.Pervaporation involves separating components using a membrane that is more permeable to one constituent than the other. Vapor permeation is a related technique, using a membrane more permeable to the vapor phase of one component than another. Source Wade, John, and Richard William Merriman. CIV.—Influence of Water on the Boiling Point of Ethyl Alcohol at Pressures above and Below the Atmospheric Pressure. Journal of the Chemical Society, Transactions 99.0 (1911): 997–1011. Print.