Pros and Cons of Earning a Masters Degree Before a PhD

Pros and Cons of Earning a Masters Degree Before a PhD As a potential applicant to graduate school you have a great many decisions to make. The initial decisions, such as what field to study, may come easily. However, many applicants struggle with choosing what degree to pursue, whether a master’s degree or PhD is right for them. Others know what degree they want. Those who choose a doctoral degree sometimes wonder if they should first complete a master’s degree. Do you need a master’s degree to apply to a doctoral program? Is a master’s degree an essential prerequisite for gaining admission to a doctoral program? Usually not. Does a master’s degree improve your odds of admission? Sometimes. Is it in your best interest to earn master’s before applying to PhD programs? It depends. Pros and Cons of Earning a Master's Before Applying to PhD Programs There are both advantages and disadvantages to earning a master’s before applying to PhD programs. Below are some of the pros and cons: Pro:  A master’s degree will introduce you to the process of graduate study. Without a doubt, graduate school is different from college. This is especially true at the doctoral level. A master’s program can introduce to you the process of graduate study and help you understand how it is different from undergraduate study.  A master’s program can help you make the transition to graduate school and prepare you for making the transition from college student to graduate scholar.   Pro:  A master’s program can help you see if you are ready for doctoral study. Are you ready for graduate school? Do you have the right study habits? Are you motivated? Can you manage your time? Enrolling in a master’s program can help you see if you have what it takes for success as a graduate student – and especially as a doctoral student. Pro: A master’s program can help you see if you are interested enough to undertake a PhD The typical college survey courses present a broad view of a discipline, with little depth. Small college seminars present a topic in more depth but it will not come close to what you will learn in graduate school. It is not until students are immersed in a field that they truly come to know the depth of their interest. Sometimes new grad students realize that the field is not for them. Others complete the master’s degree but realize that they have no interest in pursuing a doctorate. Pro: A masters may help you get into a doctoral program. If your undergraduate transcript leaves much to be desired, a master’s program may help you improve your academic record and show that you have the stuff that competent graduate students are made of. Earning a master’s degree shows that you are committed and interested in your field of study.  Returning students may seek a master’s degree to obtain contacts and recommendations from faculty. Pro: A master’s degree can help you change fields. Are you planning on studying a different field than your college major? It can be hard to convince a graduate admissions committee that you are interested and committed to a field in which that you have little formal experience. A master’s degree can not only introduce you to the field but can show the admissions committee that you interested, committed, and competent in your chosen field.   Pro: A master’s degree can offer a foot in the door to a particular graduate program. Suppose you hope to attend a specific graduate program. Taking a few graduate courses, nonmatriculated (or nondegree-seeking) can help you learn about the program and can help faculty learn about you. This is even more true for master’s students. In many graduate programs, master’s and doctoral students take some of the same classes. As a master’s student, you’ll have contact with graduate faculty – often those who teach in the doctoral program. Completing a thesis and volunteering to work on faculty research can help faculty get to know you as a competent and promising researcher. A master’s degree might offer you a foot in the door and a better chance of gaining admission to the department’s doctoral program. However, admission is not guaranteed. Before you choose this option, be sure that you can live with yourself if you don’t gain admission. Will you be happy with a terminal master? Con:  A master’s degree is time-consuming. Typically a full-time master’s program will require 2 years of study.  Many new doctoral students find that their master’s coursework doesn’t transfer. If you enroll in a master’s program recognize that it will likely not make a dent in your required doctoral coursework. Your  PhD  will likely take an additional 4 to 6 years after earning your master’s degree. Con:  A master’s degree is usually unfunded. Many students find this a big con: Master’s students usually do not receive much funding. Most master’s programs are paid for out-of-pocket. Are you prepared to potentially have tens of thousands of dollars of debt before you begin your PhD.?  If you choose not to seek a doctoral degree, what employment options accompany your master’s degree? While I’d argue that a master’s degree is always of value for your intellectual and personal growth, if the salary-return of your degree is important to you, do your homework and think carefully before enrolling in a master’s program prior to seeking your PhD. Whether you seek a master’s degree before applying to doctoral programs is a personal decision. Also recognize that many PhD programs award master’s degrees along the way, typically after the first year and completing exams and/or a thesis.

Developers We Need Your Help

Developers We Need Your Help Free Online Research Papers There are amazing things happening with new advances in graphics and interfaces as technology improves and enthusiastic gamers have recently been introduced to convincing virtual reality with stunning visuals. There are videos of people playing these virtual reality games reacting in laughter, awe, and fear to playing these increasingly realistic games that have become fully immersive. Imagine some of the games today such as Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, and Minecraft some of which not only have marvelous graphics, but now also an added element of realism that is so immersive, so real, and so elaborate that the action may as well be taking place in real life. It has long been debated whether or not video games cause violence, but with such convincing options in virtual reality, there are now endless possibilities when it comes to the effects these games can have. Some people think video games do not affect players in the real world despite the evidence, and some people think de velopers should have an ethically responsible duty for the content of games because evidence has shown positive behavioral effects on users such as an increase in prosocial behavior, as well as negative traits such as a decrease in empathy and an increase in aggression. There is plenty of evidence and accusations on how video games and other violent media affect consumers in negative ways, but recent developments indicate there are also positive behavioral effects on users such as an increase in prosocial behavior. Prosocial behaviors are often defined as helping behaviors that are done mainly for the benefit of the recipient with little regard for selfish gain by the person helping. For example, in a study done by Happ, Melzer, and Steffgen, â€Å"[p]articipants who played the hero character (Superman) showed more helping behavior and less hostile perception bias than those who played the evil Joker† (Happ, Melzer, Steffgen, 2013, p. 776). The prosocial behavior was measured after participants of a study in which players were evaluated on their empathetic responses to a perceived bad guy when exposed to a backstory of bad circumstances that may explain villainous behavior or just a neutral background of both Superman and Joker. Prosocia l behavior was indicated in the response of the test subjects in which a letter was dropped, fully addressed and stamped, that could easily be seen, and was not mentioned to be part of the study outside of the lab area, then counted as prosocial if the letter was either given to the addressee or the experimenter. This may indicate that it is not only negative effects that would result from gameplay, but also indicates empathy in the case of bad behavior if such behaviors could be rationalized through a backstory of wicked circumstances. This seems to show that developers could, in fact, affect behavior in more positive ways, as well as have the ability to inspire empathy and even rationalization of bad behaviors. It appears as though video games could be a great tool for emotional and social development as long as they are created with intent and attention to detail to encourage more positive actions. Greitemeyer and Osswald, â€Å"†¦presented evidence that exposure to pro social video games increased the accessibility of prosocial thoughts, which may instigate prosocial action† (Greitemeyer Osswald, 2011, p. 126), and that reinforces the idea for developers taking responsibility by writing positive storylines to show video games in a more encouraging light. This study demonstrated that prosocial thoughts were found to be more accessible through an experiment where reaction times were measured to either aggressive or prosocial words after playing an aggressive or prosocial game. The findings were dependent on the game played with either quicker reactions to aggressive words if the aggressive game was played or a faster reaction to prosocial words if the prosocial game was played, which indicated a priming effect. Essentially, if you are put into a negative frame of mind you will react quicker to negativity and if put into a positive frame of mind you will react quicker to positivity. It should be clearer that shunning the idea of being ethi cally responsible and continuing to churn out violent games will not have good consequences. A commonly featured negative aspect in studies of video game use is a decrease in empathy of players who play violent games. There was a recent analysis that concluded violent video games and exposure to those games can lead to increases in aggression while decreasing empathy (Fraser, Padilla-Walker, Coyne, Nelson, Stockdale, 2012). The analyses were concluded using many types of studies such as randomized experiments in which children were randomly assigned violent or non-violent games and their resulting behaviors were observed, cross-sectional surveys were utilized in which time was spent playing violent games was recorded and compared to self- reported acts of aggression, and longitudinal survey results were analyzed in which several measures of violent media were assessed for frequency and then compared to measures of aggressiveness. Most gamers who are adolescents are still developing and the most susceptible according to a study by Shin and Ahn who assert that â€Å"[p]la ying video games do not require game players to allocate mental resources to understand other agents, and this can lead to prolonged inactivity of the social brain† (Shin Ahn, 2013, p. 602). Video games do not require players to think about understanding the actions of other players, so, therefore, social interactions are not practiced as if they would be regularly with in-person social exchanges. These findings mean that if care is not taken and the gameplay is extended beyond a reasonable period where they are not utilizing or cultivating these skills that it may affect the emotional brain development of key social abilities in teenagers, such as cognitive empathy. A lack of skills or decline in cognitive empathy makes it harder for those affected to accurately recognize and understand the emotional state of others through visual cues. If reading the emotions of others is difficult it could lead to various misunderstandings, some of which could culminate into episodes o f aggression. Finally, the most important reason developers should be ethically responsible for the messages their games send is an increase in aggression. Hasan, Bà ¨gue, and Bushman found that â€Å"†¦ participants who played a violent video game were significantly more aggressive afterward than were participants who played a nonviolent video game. Violent game players gave their ostensible partners louder and longer noise blasts through headphones than did nonviolent game players† (Hasan, Bà ¨gue, Bushman, 2013, p. 68). This shows how a violent video game can have at the least, short-term displays of aggression, possibly caused by the agitation of a high-stress situation and how they were willing to inflict increasingly uncomfortable stimuli on their perceived partners. There may have been many reasons why their partners perhaps did not act as expected, but as mentioned previously playing video games does not require contemplating motives of other actors and it then becomes ea sy to act aggressively towards those around us. It has been, â€Å"†¦confirmed that violent video games can increase aggressive behavior- but they also indicate that certain safeguards can be employed to reduce such unsavory outcomes† (Gitter, Ewell, Guadagno, Stillman, Baumeister, 2013, p. 353). As the research in this paper shows, there is a great hope that positive behaviors can be inspired, reinforced, and encouraged using video games as long as proper care is taken by those creating these powerful tools. Evidence shows games are able to nurture prosocial attitudes that developers could take advantage of and do a great service to the public. Indeed, while not everyone who plays violent video games will suffer adverse social effects, there should be more ethical awareness by game creators of the messages these games send. It is now known that video games can foster positive behavioral developments such as an increase in prosocial helping behaviors as well as adopting undesirable behaviors such as lack of empathy and aggression. If the video games we see on the screen a few feet away can have this powerful of an influence on our psyche, just imagine how detrimental or uplifting the futures of children could be with virtual reality and an ever-changing landscape of technology gaining more momentum into full immersion. It must be accepted that the future of the youth is not just up to parents. Developers, there are many great stories that can be told with games that will elicit the best qualities out of people and make the future more utopian, all that needs to be done is to take responsibility for the power wielded. References Anderson, C., Berkowitz, L., Donnerstein, E., Huesmann, L. R., Johnson, J., Linz, D. (2003). The Influence of Media Violence on Youth. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 81-110. Fraser, A., Padilla-Walker, L., Coyne, S., Nelson, L., Stockdale, L. (2012). Associations Between Violent Video Gaming, Empathic Concern, and Prosocial Behavior Toward Strangers, Friends, and Family Members. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 636-649. Gitter, S. A., Ewell, P. J., Guadagno, R. E., Stillman, T. F., Baumeister, R. F. (2013). Virtually justifiable homicide: The effects of prosocial contexts on the link between violent video games, aggression, and prosocial and hostile cognition. Aggressive Behavior, 346-354. Greitemeyer, T., Osswald, S. (2011). Playing Prosocial Video Games Increases the Accessibility of Prosocial Thoughts. Journal of Social Psychology, 121-128. Happ, C., Melzer, A., Steffgen, G. (2013). Superman vs. BAD man? The effects of empathy and game character in violent video games. Cyberpsychology, Behavior And Social Networking, 774-78. Hasan, Y., Bà ¨gue, L., Bushman, B. J. (2013). Violent Video Games Stress People Out and Make Them More Aggressive. Aggressive Behavior, 64-70. Shin, D., Ahn, D. (2013). Associations between game use and cognitive empathy: a cross-generational study. Cyberpsychology, Behavior And Social Networking, 599-603. Research Papers on Developer's We Need Your HelpOrganizational Behavior - Analysis of Wal-MartAdvertising EssaySociology EssayBiological, Strain, My Writing ExperiencePlastic Surgery Essay

Financial Interest Against The Code Of Ethics Essay

Financial Interest Against The Code Of Ethics - Essay Example The essay "Financial Interest Against The Code Of Ethics" discusses the situation when the financial interest of the company goes before the possible harm that the product can bring to the consumers. The paper discusses the situation where the chemist Helen found herself in the situation in which her personal doubts about the safety of the product contradict with the desire of the company to sign a profitable contract and to launch the product. The dilemma that Helen has to deal with is probably typical for all chemists, and in such cases, they have to refer to the Chemical Professional Code of Conduct. I believe that Helen`s doubts about the product should lead to a thorough revision of the experimental data because her concerns are grounded on the fatal outcome of the experimental animals, which is always crucial. Helen did everything that was expected from her: informed her bosses about â€Å"the absorption problem† and its further possible risk and got their opinion on this issue. The bosses assessed economic questions more than the data received in the course of the experiments it seems. Helen has doubts herself because if she had been more convinced about the threat of the product she would have expressed her opinion more unambiguously insisting on the ban of the product launch. The first thing that should be done by Helen, in this case, is involvement of some other experts in chemistry for assessing the data once more before signing the contract. It is possible to attract the experts working in the same company.

Better Luck Tomorrow Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Better Luck Tomorrow Review - Essay Example Despite the fact that the film is an ensemble, the action that goes on in the film centers on Ben, who is in his last year in high school. He does everything that would give him an impressive identity when applying for college. This means that he has to get several honors and awards that he is not interested in, such as employee of the month award, athletic and student committee honors. He spends his time with friends who are equally gifted, but bored. They engage in shoplifting activities in computer stores and sell exam answers to other students. One day one of them draws a gun at a school Neanderthal, and they become respected by their peers for their notoriety (Huang 99). The main theme of the film comes up with regard to the question as to why teenagers would resort to crime. The film has not featured the parents of these teenagers in the activities that go on. This suggests that there might be parental neglect perhaps because they think that their children are innocent and cann ot do anything wrong. It could also be because parents think that their children are not smart to figure out certain things on their own. The children could also be engaging in these activities because of the many expectations that their Parents have put on them (Huang 100). The movie has been directed in the right atmosphere that creates the energy and intrigue that drives the film. These are mixed with humor and suspense that make the film interesting. The realistic performances by the young and energetic actors is crucial because it fits in when the audience has to suspend disbelief that the young actors are doing things that one would never suspect of them. Despite the fact that the cast has been created from the Asian American atmosphere, the theme cuts across. The theme might be resonant in the Asian American context where parenting is not as important as education (Huang 100). Morality and justice in the film seem mostly absent. The teenagers engage in immoral and activities that could be categorized as crime but they are not punished. They engage in these activities in a manner that suggests that no one is interested in discouraging from doing them. In fact, when one of them draws a gun in school, the other students do not care to report them to the school authorities. Instead, they respect them for their notoriety. The teenagers are free to do anything they please. This shows an identity crisis in a society where there is the lack of role models. The young cannot emulate their parents because their parents are busy doing other things to an extent that they have no time to check on what their children could be doing. The parents have also become careless to an extent that they assume that their children are a responsible lot who cannot engage in any crime or wrong activities. Therefore, they live them at the hands of their educators. Education does not help to model the teenagers into responsible human beings. Instead, the education emphasizes on award s, honors and better grades rather than molding the character of the young students. For instance, entrance into college requires that the students must have scored highly in academics and acquired awards and honors in certain activities. The measure of character is not provided for in those applications. Young people have been left to identify with immorality and prowess in doing wrong and committing crimes. This provides a wakeup call to the audience that

English Composition Essay Example for Free

English Composition Essay I am writing my research paper on the topic of mandatory minimum jail sentences. Why do we have mandatory minimum sentences for certain criminal offenses that cause individuals to do extended prison terms when their offenses are totally different from someone who commits a similar offense but do the same amount of time? My work in law enforcement leads me to believe that people should not be sentenced to mandatory sentences. I’ve seen a number young men incarcerated for minor crimes who received mandatory sentences that appeared to be very harsh in comparison to the offense they were convicted of. This argument should be of interest to those who have the power to change the law, opposers of the law, and those in favor of mandatory sentences who feel they are equitable. I will argue that the laws governing mandatory minimum sentences should be amended. I believe the length of a sentence, should depend upon the severity of the offense committed. For example, someone apprehended with a small bag of marijuana for personal usage should not be required to complete the same sentence as someone with pounds of marijuana that was planned to be widely distributed. To be sure justice is served, which is the goal of the court system, criminal sentences should be decided on an individual basis with due consideration to guidelines given by the law. It should also be argued that the first purpose of the court should be to rehabilitate. This can only be done by personal consideration of each case and punishment. I look forward to sharing my thoughts on this provocative issue.

Toyotas Decision to Build a Plant in France Essay -- Business Managem

Toyota's Decision to Build a Plant in France Background In late 1996, Toyota began to look at the whole of western Europe for a site for its ultra-modern plant. Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland and the UK all seemed to be the most promising investment recipient, but the list was quickly left a head-to-head battle between Europe's oldest foreign investment rivals - France and the United Kingdom. At first, the UK seemed the obvious choice. Toyota had its only European car assembly plant at Burnaston, in the UK's Midlands, where a skilled workforce and well-established automotive infrastructure and cluster of related firms are available. However, at the end of January, company president Hiroshi Okuda voiced doubts about investing in the UK because of its hesitation to fully participate in the European monetary system. In 1997, Toyota finally announced plans to build a $660 million car plant in Valenciennes, 60 km from Lille, France. Evaluation 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The reasons for French government to invite Toyota to invest in France are attributed to the benefits of foreign direct investment (FDI) to France as the host country. a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Resource-transfer effect   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Toyota can make positive contribution to French economy by supplying capital, technology, and management resources that would otherwise not be available and thus boost French?fs economic growth rate. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Capital   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Toyota, as a multinational enterprise (MNE), because of its large size, reputation, and financial strength, has access to financial resources which may not be available for French local firms like Renault or Peugeot-Citroen. These financial resources can be originated from Toyota?fs internally-generated cash, or from capital markets. As a reputable and financially strong company, it may be easier for Toyota to have access to such resources than French local companies do. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technology plays important role in economic growth of a country, since it can stimulate economic development and industrialization. Technology can be incorporated into both production process and the product itself. In case of Toyota, the French government may be benefited from its advanced technology which it passed to its French employees, therefore improves the employees?f skill without additional investment to develop their own indigenous product and process tech... ...mic mismanagement will cause drastic changes in a country?fs business environment that adversely affect the profit and other goals of a business enterprise. If the French economic is in turmoil, Toyota?fs investment in this country will also be affected. c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Legal Risk   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Legal risk is the likelihood that a trading partner will opportunistically break a contract or expropriate property rights. This may also happen to Toyota?fs when its trading partner in France infringes contract agreements. Beside those three risks, Toyota also faces the cultural risk since the ?grules of game?h of doing business in France with French people is different with that in Japan and other countries where Toyota already put its investment. The French language and culture can be a problem for Japanese firms used to speaking English when working overseas. Conclusion The decision to build a plant in France is a part of Toyota's global strategy in Europe. The company has already built plants in UK, Belgium, Poland, and Turkey. Supported by other plants in Europe, which supply the manufacturing components, the French plant will strengthen Toyota's position to penetrate European market.

Separation of Powers in the American Democracy

Separation of powers provides our government with a system of checks and balances, a way to prevent one branch from becoming too powerful. This concept was important in the creation of our government because it prevented one central government. Our Framers wanted to avoid a government that was run by one person, or one super powerful group. In order to effectively put their theory to work, they actually separated the powers between each branch of government. The three branches of our government consist of the Legislative Branch, The Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch. While each branch does hold some authority over the other two, they are still politically independent of one another. Let me explain further how the separation of powers works. The Legislative Branch’s powers include passing all federal laws, the ability to override a president’s veto, declaring war, enacting taxes, and it can even impeach the president. The Executive Branch’s responsibilities include veto power over all bills, making treaties, pardon power, and it ensures all laws are carried out. Lastly, the Judicial Branch has the power to try federal cases and it can also rule that laws or executive acts are unconstitutional. As stated earlier, each branch has authorities, or checks over the other two. We know that the Executive Branch has the power to carry out laws. The Legislative and Judicial branches check over the Executive Branch in this manner because even though they are enforcing the laws, the Legislative Branch is the one with the ability to fund the laws and other executive actions, while the Judicial Branch interprets them. And, though the Legislative Branch has the power to impeach the president, a Chief Justice (a member of the Judicial Branch) sits as President of the Senate during this time. Each branch works together to ensure the other is doing what it’s supposed to be doing. I believe the Framers thought separation of powers was so important because their goal from the beginning was to establish a government that was unlike any other. Our Framers wanted to make sure that the government they were creating would be able to withstand itself over time. The Framers wanted to show they had faith (not much, but a little) in their fellow citizens by giving them the power to vote and make decisions. Giving the power to the people was the aim of our new government. By leaving behind countries where dictators ruled the people, and where Kings and Queens passed down authority from generation to generation, our Framers did everything they could to make sure our new government would not become what they disliked so much. Separation of powers preserves the ideas and wants of our Framers, and that is why I believe a system of checks and balances to be so important. References http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_cnb.html http://americanhistory.about.com/od/usconstitution/a/checks_balances.htm http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2007/12/what-separation-of-powers-means-for-constitutional-government

All but My Life

History 121 Book Analysis â€Å"All But My Life† February 15, 2013 All But My Life All But My Life is a memoir about a young Jewish girl, Gerda Weissmann, who was able to endure the hardships of World War II and the Holocaust. Gerda went through and saw more horrific things in the matter of a few years than any of us will ever have to face in our lifetimes. The fact that a girl this young and hopeless can withstand so much pain but yet contain so much strength should be an inspiration to all. Reading this book really opened my eyes to what the world can bring.After reading Gerda’s journey, I will never again complain of times being tough or depressing in my life. This book really meant a lot to me for that very reason. It is amazing that no matter what Gerda had to face in those years she would constantly be looking forward. Regardless of the circumstances she pushed forward and longed for the time that it would all be over. As the book is coming to a close Gerda writes , â€Å"As I Finish the last chapter of my book, I feel at peace, at last. I have discharged a burden and paid a debt to many nameless heroes, resting in their unmarked graves. A burden is a heavy load and Gerda definitely had one to get off her shoulders. Up until this book Gerda was never able to tell anyone her full journey. She wasn’t able to share the times spent with the friends she made during the hardships of the Holocaust. The debt she paid to many nameless heroes was that she was able to get the story out to people. Gerda was able to share first hand experiences to people that just may not understand the fight these young girls and other Jewish people put up during these years.The book had to be written because Gerda knew that her journey needed to be told because of the small amount of survivors there were. She was one of the lucky ones who were able to gather the strength to get through this horrific time in history. Thus, as much as she wanted to probably forget , the book had to be written. In my opinion All But My Life was written to and for anyone who wants to be moved by a strong and inspiring young girl. Also it was written for those who were unable to survive the Holocaust.For those who will never be able to share their hard fought journey and are now just another number to total of lives lost during the Holocaust. Gerda’s long and eventful journey didn’t just take place in one location or even just one concentration camp for that matter. Her journey had several stops along the way and consisted of days and days of traveling in the harshest conditions. The journey of Gerda’s story begins in September of 1939 in her hometown of Bielitz, Poland (4). Bielitz is where Gerda spent roughly the first sixteen years of her life (43).In the early summer of 1942 Bielitz is Judenreined which means free of Jews basically. Gerda and her family are split and to travel in different directions. Gerda is headed toward Sosnowitz, Po land and gets there in June 1942 (96). From Sosnowitz, Gerda is sent to her first concentration camp in Bolkenhain, Germany (113). While at Bolkenhain, Gerda worked thread machines day in and day out; however, all in all the girls were treated pretty well at Bolkenhain compared to other concentration camps. Gerda would later found out that Bolkenhain was like heaven in comparison to what was to come.Soon Gerda and the rest of the girls are sent to another concentration camp called Marzdorf in September of 1943 (145). Marzdorf was nothing like Bolkenhain and was purely miserable for Gerda. Luckily Gerda doesn’t spend a great deal of time at Marzdorf and soon ends up in Landeshut during the month of September of 1943, another concentration camp with ten other girls originally from Bolkenhain (152). After spending some time threading supplies for the German army in Landeshut, Gerda is transported to her final concentration camp in May of 1944, Grunberg (166).After spending a sig nificant amount of time in Grunberg the group is transported toward Germany. Gerda feels that the end of the war may be very near. As the march continues on the group ends up in helmbrechts barracks in the spring of 1945 (194). The group spends about a month in the barracks of Helmbrechts with less than half the amount of people left than they had started with. With just a couple hundred girls remaining the mere group left heads toward Czechoslovakia (201).In May of 1945 Gerda and a handful of others arrive in Volary as the war slowly comes to an end (207). During her journey, Gerda is influenced by numerous people. Some she knew prior to leaving Bielitz and others she met along the way. All of which influenced every one of Gerda’s actions. Gerda would lose all of these people except for one. Gerda’s brother, Arthur, may have been the most influential person to her. He was there since her childhood and they acted as best friends. When Gerda was sixteen she saw her brot her for the last time as he was called to leave Bielitz (21).Gerda had enormous love for her family and her mother and father and also Niana were also very influential to her. Her father was her salvation. If not for what he had told her about suicide she may not ever have had the will power to go on with the cruel experiences of her journey. However, Gerda’s parents do not survive the Holocaust and she sees them and Niana for the last time in the summer of 1942 (92). Prior to leaving Bielitz, Gerda has what I would say is her first boyfriend. Abek is always caring for Gerda although she never really loves him.He too would not survive the Holocaust. As a child, Gerda and Isle meet and they are bestfriends. They spend nearly the whole journey together until Isle passes away days before the war ends (205). During her travels from camp to camp Gerda also makes really good friends with Suse and Liesel. These were two girls were there to help each other through the hardships of th e Holocaust. Suse died the day of liberation (213). While moving to further shelter Liesel also passed away (215). During Gerda’s time at Bolkenhain she meets in my mind her avenging angel, Frau Kugler.Although the Frau Kugler was thought to be sort of an enemy, she saves Gerda’s life and they develop a sort of friendship. However, once deported to a new camp they never see each other again (137). Once the war ends Gerda meets Kurt Klein. Kurt is an American soldier that feels for Gerda for he too lost his parents due to the Holocaust. The two grow strong feelings for each other and Kurt is partially the reason for Gerda’s fast and strong recovery. The two eventually move back to America and get married (246).When Gerda and Kurt meet for the first time she is simply confused. She wonders why he cared so much about her. She couldn’t figure it out. As time passed they met again and she loved seeing him. While apart she longed for the next time they would un ite. I didn’t expect the hand of fate in this story. I expected for Gerda to end up having feelings for Abek. However, Kurt was the one for her. While at the concentration camps Gerda encountered several guards. I was surprised by how many of the guards did what they could to help the victims as much as possible.Their motivation must have been fear of what could have happened to them if they did not treat the Jews like animals. I can not think of any other reason someone could possibly think what was going on was ok. During Gerda’s time in the Holocaust she is somehow able to gain strength to continue on while others are not able to. It was the words of her father that kept her from committing suicide even during the most gruesome times. The only thing that kept her positive was the thought that someday she might see her family again and be able to return to her home in Bielitz, Poland.The title, All But My Life to me means something very simple. Gerda Weissmann Klein endured thousands of things as a teenager. She saw many horrific and breathtaking images. Met numerous friends along the way, but none of it was life to her. She went through everything but none of it was a normal life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it has truly touched me. My simple reaction is just amazement of how a girl can endure so much and still continue on with life with a positive outlook. This book will change the way I value life itself.

The Anglo-Saxon Angle

The Anglo-Saxon Angle The Anglo-Saxon Angle The Anglo-Saxon Angle By Mark Nichol Are you an Anglist, or an anti-Anglist, or are you neutral in the debate about whether to favor words of Anglo-Saxon or Germanic origin over Latinate language? You may have been unaware that there ever was a controversy about linguistic purism, or that the issue survives at all. Compared to the impassionate debate about the purity of the English language that raged several centuries ago, it’s nearly as dead as Anglo-Saxon otherwise known as Old English but it is pertinent to how we shape our prose. As early as 150 years ago, English writer William Barnes advocated using a Germanic vocabulary rather than one heavily influenced by Latin (and Greek), believing that such an approach to language would benefit writers who lacked a classical education. Even George Orwell, in the mid-twentieth century, wrote (in the famous essay that inspired this post) â€Å"Bad writers especially scientific, political, and sociological writers are nearly always haunted by the notion that Latin or Greek words are grander than Saxon ones.† Now, however, the sentiment survives only in diluted form, mostly in the welcome trend toward replacing obfuscating prose with plain English. But the writing world is a democratic one, and we therefore remain free (albeit with the intercession of editors) to employ the vocabulary that suits us. Do you have an ache, or a pain? It depends, literally, on how you feel. Do you have a sense of allegiance, or one of fidelity? Either will do, though connotations may differ (the former word often implies adherence to an institution, while fidelity is usually more of an interpersonal concept). Do you activate a beacon, or a signal? Again, divergent meanings have complicated the question, but the terms are largely interchangeable. In each of these pairs of word examples, the first term is of Germanic origin, and the second is from Latin or Greek. Frequently, the classical term is considered more sophisticated (gain/avantage, begin/commence, buy/purchase), but exceptions occur (behavior/manner). Adopting Orwell’s mild linguistic chauvinism to militant extremes is absurd, and any avoidance of a word or a turn of phrase on the basis of language origin is illogical English is what it is but consider that although Latin and Greek may seem more refined, Germanic terminology is often more colorful. A more evocative word than either ache or pain is throe, used now only in the plural form in the phrase â€Å"the throes of,† which has come to mean â€Å"in the midst of† or â€Å"in the thick of.† Troth, meanwhile is more evocative than allegiance or fidelity, and harbinger is a delightful word that puts beacon or signal to shame (though it is closer in sense to guide or warning). Furthermore, English would be enriched by some of the vocabulary suggested by various linguistic purists over the years, those who advocate, for example, shunning grammar for speechcraft and vocabulary for wordstock. These sturdy, hearty alternatives, along with the examples in the previous paragraph, have an archaic ring to them, but that’s no reason to confine them to the fantasy-genre ghetto. And owndom (property) and byspel (example) are too obscure to be of much use, but hue in place of color, sake in lieu of oops, that’s from French! cause, and span as a substitute for distance are trim, muscular words that strengthen sentences. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should Know7 Patterns of Sentence StructureHow to Write a Proposal

Mindfulness and the SAT

Mindfulness and the SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In this article, we'll discuss how to use mindfulness to crush the SAT (and everything else that stresses you out!). On Test Day â€Å"Our mind is constantly evaluating our experiences, comparing them with other experiences or holding them up against expectations and standards that we create, often out of fear.† -Jonathan Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are When you walk into the gym/classroom/cafeteria on test day, it’s likely that you’ll be feeling anxious and scared. Even though you might have prepped for the SAT with all kinds of courses, you may be nervous. All kinds of important, but unpredictable, life situations produce these feelings. But here’s the thing: anxiety and fear actually impede (get in the way of) your ability to perform your best on the SAT. In fact, they impede almost everything we try to get done in a day. To boost our performance, the best thing we can do (besides personalized SAT prep) is try to minimize our anxiety, but most people have no idea how to do this. There is a simple solution: mindfulness. What’s mindfulness? â€Å"You can’t stop the waves but you can learn to surf.† -Jonathan Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are Mindfulness, according to the Oxford New American Dictionary, is: 1: the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something; 2: a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. So, it’s possible to be mindful in any given moment, not thinking about anything but the present time and place. But the practice of mindfulness is cultivating the ability to be mindful more frequently and more easily, and is the secret to the inner peace of Buddhist monks, among others. However, while monks meditate for hours every day to cultivate their mindfulness, it is possible for high school students (and, in fact, anyone) to use the power of mindfulness. Given any amount of time, but especially if you start well ahead of test day, you can harness the power of your own inner strength using mindfulness to get your best possible score. // What can mindfulness do for me? Life is stressful, especially for teenagers. There’s school, sports, extracurriculars, social life, family time, andon top of it alltest prep. Mindfulness is a scientifically proven, thoroughly researched way to reduce stress and provide a calm state of mind that can help you get through any situation, especially one as potentially anxiety-producing as the SAT. Read on for details of what exactly this means. Practice: how and when? Meditation, or mindfulness practice, is nothing but sitting, standing, laying or even walking while focusing only on the present momentwhat you see, hear, and feel right now. There are a million websites and books that discuss when, where and how to do it. But the great thing about mindfulness practice is that, while 30 minutes or an hour of daily practice can do wonders, even 5 minutes of intentional mindfulness every day (or even every few days, or every week) can seriously improve your ability to stay calm, focus, and perform better. If you follow our recommendation to do 100 hours of focused online SAT prep (it’s not as bad as it sounds!), you’ll end up with 250-500 minutes, or 4-8 hours, of mindfulness practice. That’s more than enough to boost your emotional and psychological readiness for the SAT, as well as the crazy stuff college is going to throw at you. We recommend that, before you start your SAT prep session, sit (on the floor, ideally) or lay down and focus on nothing but the present moment. Many people find that it helps to focus on the breath moving in and out of their body. Try to do it for 5 minutes, even if it is difficult or frustrating. By associating your mindfulness practice with your SAT practice, you’re training yourself to be mindful on test day. Discipline concentration â€Å"Discipline provides a constancy which is independent of what kind of a day you had yesterday and what kind of a day you anticipate today.† -Jonathan Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are In addition to its other benefits, regular meditation improves discipline and concentration, which are key for any academic pursuit. You don’t have to do anything to gain this benefit: just do nothing for 5 minutes before every session of SAT prep you do, the more often the better. Try it out Right now, just sit cross-legged on the floor, close your eyes, and focus your attention on your breathing. Count the breaths, if that helps. When other thoughts pop up, acknowledge them and let them go, bringing your attention back to your breath. Try it for 5 minutes, and see if you don’t feel calmer and more centered afterward. If you found this helpful or interesting, please take a moment to sign up for our email list at right: we’ll never sell your email address, and we crank out great posts on SAT-related topics every week. Also, check out our Free SAT Guide:

Comparison of Economics and Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparison of Economics and Marketing - Essay Example Marketing mainly is an art of making a product known to consumers by use of various marketing tools such as pricing and research, product promotions and price setting for a particular product. Economics and marketing are similar and different in several ways (Baker, Graham et al 73). Economics and marketing are similar mainly because of the business context in which they are applied. Goods and services are produced so that they are available for consumers who pay for them. In the economic system of a nation, consumers play a vital part as the target end after production. The key motivation for producers is to sell their products and services to consumers during a low consumer demand. This forms the marketing part of the production. Diverse schools of thought though argue that marketing is borrowed from economics. Trade off involving dissimilar alternatives impacts the behavior of consumers in marketing and economics. The alternatives are necessary for economics in that consumers try to decide on what to buy and not to buy based on unlimited human wants which needs satisfaction with inadequate means. In marketing, it is not just a matter of competing with competitors for buyers, but competition among unrelated different products in the market (Baker, Graham et al 84). This implies that in marketing consumers are convinced in the best brand and in the economic part, the brand has the best bargain for the cash. Consumers are willing to review the price of a commodity before they purchase it. Different consumers have a unique willingness to buying a product. This point explains well price discrimination working. Price discrimination is whereby consumers are buying similar products in the market for different prices based on their ability.

The impacts of oil spills on marine and terrestrial ecosystems Research Paper

The impacts of oil spills on marine and terrestrial ecosystems - Research Paper Example In this case, the paper will focus on discussing effects of oil leaks on marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The Impacts of Oil Spills on Marine and Terrestrial Ecosystems World's marine and terrestrial ecosystems are better understood through the subject of increasing use and efforts aimed at protecting specific marine species and habitats. In fact, these efforts entail designation of certain marine habitats with greater limitations applying to the activities being permitted (Viscusi, 2006). There is also increasing effort to learn about the sources of pollution in marine environment and the measures for the reduction of the amount of pollution. Marine and terrestrial ecosystems pollution refers to the contamination of the lakes and other water bodies by substances that are harmful to the living things. The pollution is associated with many issues among them being deaths of living things like the fish, birds and other animals that use water source (GLIN, 2010). Nevertheless, the pape r will focus on discussing the impact of oil spills on marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Oil spills occurs from the ships, leaky underground storage tanks, pipelines and track tankers that consist of petroleum products, which are harmful when ingested by the living organisms in marine and terrestrial ecosystems (World shipping council, 2012). ... Numerous oil spills have been documented through various literatures in both technical and scientific field (Lounsbury, 2003). However, this documentation does not guarantee complete understanding of the effects of oil pollution to marine and terrestrial ecosystems. In fact, indication of the scale and durations regarding these effects is obtained from available information. On the other hand, there is a substantial difficulty presented in the process of balancing the perception and realities involved in the impacts of oil spills. Moreover, this has resulted to polarization of the scientific communities due to their differentiated perceptions concerning the nature of the oil spills impacts. There are groups of scientists who oppose the camps with a side that focuses on quantification of aspects of damages. Other scientists focus on the capacity of the environmental recovery from the adverse impact of these oil spills (University of Michigan, 2006). Nonetheless, the reality relates to the significance of the damages that occur on marine and terrestrial ecosystems due to these oil spills, and ways to derive general information concerning the spills and their effects and longevity. There is a high complexity in the marine and terrestrial ecosystems, which is caused by the fluctuation in species composition, profusion and distribution. However, there is a substantial understanding of the significance of damages caused by the impact of the oil spills (University of Michigan, 2006). For instance, these oil spills can cause a reduction of the breeding success, productivity, diversity and functions of the marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Therefore, there