Housekeeping and Banquet Industry Placement

Housekeeping and Banquet Industry Placement Sofitel Brisbane Central Hotel Even though Sofitel Brisbane Central Hotel has a steep historical background, but it was officially opened in 2000. The Hotel offers a range of services including luxurious accommodation, conference facilities, library services, fitness facilities, bar and restaurant, sports services, wedding venues among others.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Housekeeping and Banquet Industry Placement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The hotel is strategically located at the centre of Queensland new world city and has over 400 elegant rooms, fitness centre, mouth-watering restaurant and bars, heated swimming pools and spa, and 11 conferencing rooms that can accommodate over 1000 individuals among other facilities (Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011). The hotel receives many visitors both locally and internationally. Among them are businessmen, tourists, and dignitaries. Accommodation is the largest part of the hotel and generates the most revenue. The hotel departments are pegged on the facilities available and different categories of staff. The study will focus on housekeeping department and the challenges facing this department. Housekeeping department is in charge of cleaning and taking orders in the hotel. The personnel in this department include the room attendants/ maids, supervisors, senior attendants/maid and the head of the department (Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011). Housekeeping Department Housekeeping department just like the front office normally works round the clock with three shifts per day. The number of times cleaning is performed per day depends on the status of the hotel. The high higher the status the more frequent a room is cleaned and vice versa. This department is among the strictly regulated in the hotel industry. Each position has well defined instructions that have to be adhered to and it is the responsibility of the senior maid or supervisors to make sure that the instructions are followed. Cleanliness of hotel is a concept that is perceived in diverse ways in different nations. Big hotels such as Sofitel Brisbane Central Hotel have mastered cleaning technologies and are role models in the hotel industry. Some hotels such as Marriot chain dust in the room after cleaning is regarded as a violation. Meticulousness in the subject of cleanliness is a trademark of hotels in emerging and advanced economies. Sofitel Brisbane Central Hotel has a pleasant ambience as a result of the spectacular color schemes, beautiful furnishing and efficient staff (Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011; City Of Hotels, 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Over half of the hotel’s revenue comes from room service and therefore, when a room is not sold the hotel looses a lot of money. Poor occupancy can cause loss of customers and this may be attr ibuted to hygiene matters, cleanliness and outdated facilities. Hence, the main of objective of most hotels is to enhance the appeal of their rooms. This is because guests do spent a lot of tine in their rooms than in any other part of the hotel, so matters of cleanliness are paramount in the hotel business since most customers are health conscious nowadays (Rutherford and O’ Fallon, 2007). Sofitel Brisbane Central housekeeping department owns a Linen Operating System. Therefore, all of the linen used in the whole hotel such as towels, bed linen and pillow cases are washed, dried, and ironed on a daily basis by the housekeeping department. Linen operation requires a lot of work and therefore adequate staff is needed, but the hotel has not appointed enough staff on the linen operation. Frequently the hotel usually runs out of the linen and towels and this means the room attendants spend a lot of time cleaning the rooms since linen and towels are needed to make a room. In such cases the workers in the housekeeping department do suffer a lot from too much working hours and labor (Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011). In addition, the linen departments normally bear high cost of maintenance and frequent breakdowns. This not only makes costing unpredictable but also results in loss of revenue since rooms which are not maintained are not sold to the customers. The machines and equipments used in the linen operations are relatively old and not advanced as in some of the five star hotels like Hilton and Marriot chain. Workers in the linen departments are responsible for many duties and thus are over burdened (Johnston, 1998; Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011). The operational problem in the linen department is a very serious challenge for the hotel. Even though it has not necessarily affected the clients, but it does inconvenience them when the rooms are not sold because they are in bad condition.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Housekeeping and Ban quet Industry Placement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In rare cases, guests are normally forced to reuse their line fabrics when the linen operating system fails or when the fabrics are not availed in time. Fortunately, most of these clients are regular customers or do understand the situation. But this is very risky for the hotel since some guests are very insensitive and might even sue the hotel for poor service (Wakefield and Blodgett, 1994). Most hotels normally prefer to outsource such type of services to cleaning companies since owning a linen operating system is not only expensive but also necessitates hiring more staff which is uneconomical. In addition, outsourcing has numerous benefits for the hotel. For example outsourcing will enable the housekeeping department to concentrate on its core competencies by handing over the linen operations to the third party who specializes in that service and therefore enhances the hotel’ s competitive position. Outsourcing will also make sure that there is faster and high quality service and improved efficiency in linen operations. This is attributed to the fact that outsourcing companies normally operates in a large scale coupled with guarantee in the service level and increased operational efficiency (PMP Research, 2009). Outsourcing also gives the hotel access to resources that are not available within, such as state-of-the-art technology and skilled manpower without necessarily acquiring them. It also gives the department more flexibility to respond promptly to the dynamic environment and increased competition. Personnel who were working in the linen department can be relocated to other strategic tasks. Outsourcing enhances predictability of the costs since the operational costs are incurred by the third party. Lastly, outsourcing will help the hotel to deal with problems of globalization as it seeks expand its services globally (PMP Research, 2009). Conclusion Sofitel Brisbane Central Hotel is a five star hotel located in the heart of the city. The hotel offers numerous services but accommodation is the most important of them all since it generates the highest revenue. The hotel experiences operational problem in the housekeeping department. The problem is attributed to the fact that it owns a linen operating system which has numerous shortcomings. The best solution for the problem is outsourcing this service to the company which specializes in it. In this case, the company will be saved of the operational costs associated with the linen operating system, improve efficiency and enhance its competitive advantage.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More References City of Hotels, 2011. Housekeeping Department. Web. Johnston, R., 1998. Service Operations Management: Return to the roots. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 19 (2), pp.104-124. PMP Research, 2009. Outsourcing is in. Web. Rutherford, D.G. and O’ Fallon, M.J., (2007) Hotel Management and Operations. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons Inc. Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011. Hotel Sofitel Brisbane Central Services and Activities. Web. Wakefield, K.L. and Blodgett, J.G., 1994. The importance of services capes in leisure service settings. Journal of Services Marketing, 8 (3), pp. 66-76. Banquet Department Banquet department combines the function of marketing, sales and food and beverage departments and entails relaying of information to the clients regarding the events and payment of bills. The front desk staff may possibly offer labor for the preparation of the routine announcement boards, listing of daily activities, and marquees. Posting of each d ay events on the boards offers the clients and the staff with information on group activities. Marquee preparation includes congratulatory messages, sales promotion and other vital messages. In a number of hotels, staff in front office normally makes contact with the marketing and sales for important messages (Gray and Liguori, 2003). The answer to success of a hotel business is the service which begins with the contact between the client and the staff of the front office. How the guests are welcomed and treated is very important since it gives the first impression of the hotel and conditions their perception of other services in the hotel. If the guests are satisfied by the first impression of the hotel, this can mean a long lasting relationship. Many hotels have well equipped clean and comfortable rooms. However, quests do assess the hotel and its services based on the courteousness and efficiency of its staff (Roldan, 2004; Gray and Liguori, 2003). The role played by the banquet department in enhancing excellent guest relations is self evident and cannot be overemphasized. Since banquet department offers the initial contact, it is also where the guest-related problems normally take place. Most guests are ready to pay any amount for the hotel service as long as they get their penny’s worth. As a result, the guests will always voice their discontent over rude staff or slow service and look forward to faster solution for their problem (Bardi, 2003). Banquet regarded as the heart of the hotel business. Most of the staff-guest interactions take place in banquet department more than any other department. It sets the stage for satisfying and non-satisfying visit since it’s where the initial impression is formed. Many guests are normally eager to start their vacation and business plans and therefore needs a lot of information regarding the hotel so as to enjoy as possible. The response to requested information or guest problems reflects how well the h otel has equipped the banquet department staff for this significant role (Roldan, 2004). Sofitel Brisbane central hotel normally does welcome orientation to the new staff and briefly explains organizational management systems and rules, and the rules and duties of each staff. The rules and duties for the new staff are provided in a hand manual. These hand manuals are well instructed with pictorial representations to ensure easy understanding. During the orientation the human resources manager comprehensively explains the manual to the new staff. These manuals are very reasonable since they are easily comprehendible, but most employees do not really have a deep look at the manual (Hughes, 2007). These manuals are too general and are mostly focused on the external clients and ignore the internal clients (the staff). Therefore, for these manuals to be effective, they have to put emphasis on both quests and hotel employees at large. However, the hotel has no procedures relating to commu nication. The finest hotel management practices require that hotels have rules regarding how the staff should communicate with the clients. The hotel’s manual only outlines the appropriate communication skills that can be of assistance when communicating with the clients. Therefore, it’s upon the staff to choose to use these communication skills or to ignore these skills (Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011). Sofitel Brisbane central hotel uses feedback card and suggestion box to establish customers’ response and to evaluate staff performance in all the departments. However, these cards are usually given to the customers only when they ask them. The hotel always provides the feedback cards before getting more feedbacks from the clients. Nonetheless, from the responses got from the feedback cards most guests are satisfied with the manner in which the hotel staff welcomes and treats them and attend to their wake up calls. This is evident in the high number of loyal guests who revisits the hotel very frequently (Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011). Although the hotel has no set rules on the staff-guest communication, it is very strict on the way the staff handles the guests. Those who are found guilty of any form of misconduct or in violation of the hotel rules are either suspended, penalized or at the worst force out. The staffs at the banquet department are naturally disciplined and very hospitable. This is because the hotel hires highly qualified personnel for this job and is expected to be very responsible in their work. The hotel demands high level of professionalism in this job (Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011). Conclusion The banquet department is central to the operation of the hotel. This department is where the majority of the staff-guest interactions take place more than in any other department. How the guests are welcomed and treated is very important since it gives the first impression of the hotel and conditions their perception of other services in the hotel. If the guests are satisfied by the first impression of the hotel, this can mean a long lasting relationship. Sofitel Brisbane central hotel has not set rule regarding staff-guest communication, but has a brief outline of the suitable communication skills. Therefore, the hotel demands high level of professionalism for the staff working in the banquet department. References Bardi, J. A., 2003. Hotel front office management. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Gray, W. S. Liguori, S. C., (2003) Hotel and motel management and  Operations. Singapore: Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd. Hughes, B., 2007. Knowing your business means knowing your guests. Hotel and motel management, 222, pp. 38. Roldan, A. S., 2004. Front office procedures and guest relations. Paranaque: AR Skills Development Management Services. Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011. Hotel Sofitel Brisbane Central Services and Activities. Web.

Publishing and Crowdfunding with Publishizer

Publishing and Crowdfunding with Publishizer Crowdfunding is the perfect medium for today’s author raising funds for marketing and publishing expenses. But there is a hybrid alternative to straight crowdfunding. Instead of querying multiple publishers on their own, authors can raise funds on a platform like Publishizer that also matches authors with publishers based on pre-order milestones of their book. After doing much research, I chose  Publishizer  over  Kickstarter,  Indiegogo  and a number of hybrid crowdfunding/publishing sites such as  Inkshares  for one main reason: the idea of matching authors to publishers. I didn’t want to send multiple emails to publishers. I wanted them to come to me based on the merit of my proposal. All I needed to do was demonstrate proof of concept of the book Having gone through the experience growing my platform With Publishizer, you write a proposal outlining your book’s marketing plan for approval. You not only set a date to launch your campaign, but you also reach out to readers for pre-orders. The number of pre-orders lets Publishizer know that you are a serious writer and that there’s a following out there willing to buy the book. Then Publishizer queries publishers on your behalf based on number of pre-orders signed up Throughout the campaign, I worried whether I could even reach the 250 pre-order milestone needed to attract an indie/independent publisher, my ideal publishing goal. Acquiring 250 pre-orders takes endurance and stamina! To help me stay accountable, Guy Vincent, founder of Publishizer and his team set up weekly strategy calls (at no extra charge) via Skype and Zoom calls. They are big on helping you think outside the box in terms of getting supporters and talking about your book to sponsors to increase your marketability. Since I had an already established fan base, I reached out to those supporters first – most of whom supported this second crowdfunding campaign. I held contests, offered enticing rewards, did giveaways on social media, did several Facebook live videos, shared milestone updates – in short I built a lot of book buzz. At the end of the intense, three-month campaign, Sand and Steel: The Spiritual Journey Home was queried to 98 publishers thanks to 253 preorders that also included a very generous sponsor, growing my platform and fan base Out of the seventeen publishers who expressed interest, I ended up signing a contract with Mascot Books who, from the start, resonated very strongly with the themes and messages of my memoir about what it means to find a home in the United States as a returning American struggling with Reverse Culture Shock. It was a perfect match. Like publishing, the crowdfunding world is changing, and Publishizer is matching reputable publishers with authors like myself who otherwise, would not have known about these publishers.

Discuss the role of university research in innovation in the knowledge Essay

Discuss the role of university research in innovation in the knowledge economy - Essay Example Basic research is a study aimed at greater understanding of the phenomenon under study. The main objective of applied research is to answer and address real-world challenges. It includes systematic analysis of practical part of science. It deals with practical challenges and uses experimental methodologies to solve them. Research and innovation is linked to social and economic development of a country. In Europe, most projects contribute to minimizing regional disparities by improving innovation and research potential. Research has been growing since the end of Second World War. Most firms participate in applied research because it can be marketed easily. Most industries can collaborate with universities specialized in applied technology. Mechanism of Research Governments have made policies to structure innovations and research in the universities. They ensure that there is a return on public investments in terms of social prosperity and economic growth (Rothaermel & David 2008, p.17 ). The role of different actors in the field, their abilities to conduct the research currently are on transnational research networks. Information on research and innovation is necessary for policymakers so that they may be able to see how they can help the universities to promote their innovation and research in the market.... Government support is not enough in most institutions. In most cases, universities collaborate with industries in conducting research. Universities have people, units, and functions, which are involved in partnership actions that have an effect on technological and economic development. They do this by licensing and spin-offs. Universities differ in the way they organize their programs or activities so as to foster innovation. Research institutions, majorly in the United States, are more concerned about their societies in the recent past. This is because they represent the inner resources of knowledge in those societies. Competency of individuals, knowledge and skills and their application has improved significantly in the economy where these individuals work. Most countries focus on the development, application, preservation, and discovery of all forms of knowledge and skills. These are the humanistic, scientific, and social knowledge. They therefore assist publicly and privately fu nded universities. The institutions then appreciate these contributions by appropriately contributing to the development in economy. They enhance knowledge linking activities, which improve technology commercialization, enhance workers’ competency, and assist community and organizational change and increase competency of professionals (Chen, K & Kenney, M 2007, p 1056). They also provide social, economic, and cultural organizational analyses to train and educate individuals and to bring individuals and groups concerned about rational, informed discourse on matters of common concern (Gebauer et al 2005, p.650). The capabilities of these universities are vest in many places, not only schools of business and

The Effectiveness of The Bank of England Policies in Overcoming the Essay

The Effectiveness of The Bank of England Policies in Overcoming the Crisis - Essay Example This essay offers a comprehensive analysis of activities, that the Bank of England realizes to manage the inflation, with a focus on effectiveness of the Quantitative Easing Programme, which is among the mechanisms applied by the bank to stabilize the economy. It is argued in the paper, that the use of the Quantitative Easing of may cause higher inflation in future. The BOE applies both monetary policy and Quantitative Easing mechanism as the inflation management tools, to ensure that the inflation level does not surpass the lower or the higher limits as predetermined. The concept of inflation refers to a situation where there is a general rise in the prices of goods and services in an economy, within a specified period of time. Monetary policy refers to a mechanism applied to reduce the inflation rate, through the BoE introducing a period of higher interest rates, which targets to reduce both the consumer and the investment spending, and thus lower the quantity of money that is circulating in the economy. The Quantitative Easing mechanism is an unconventional method of managing inflation, which is applied under circumstances where the monetary policy does not generate the desired effect, in enhancing the stability of the economy The risks associated with the Quantitative Easing mechanism is its potential to cause future inflation, through capital flights and the stagnancy of production of goods and services, since the mechanism does not affect the interest rates, which in turn determines the production in the economy. ... In doing this, the Bank of England applies various mechanisms, which include: Monetary policy This refers to a mechanism applied to reduce the inflation rate, through the Bank of England introducing a period of higher interest rates, which targets to reduce both the consumer and the investment spending in the economy, and thus lower the quantity of money that is circulating in the economy (Griffiths & Wall, 2007 p22). This way, the general prices of goods and services in the economy will be lowered, considering that there would be less money in the economy, which cannot support the higher prices. The change of the official interest rate by the Bank of England is applied in the situation where the amount of money that is being spent in the economy has grown at a higher rate, compared to the volume of the output produced, in terms of the goods and services (Qfinance, 2009 p249). Thus, the Bank of England sets an interest rate, at which it lends to the other financial institutions withi n the UK, which in turn affects the interest rates at which such financial institutions, which include the commercial banks, the building societies or the insurance companies, will attach to their loans and mortgages, which they advance to their customers. In addition, the change in the interest rates also affects the prices of other financial assets such as the shares and the bonds, while also influencing the exchange of the country’s currency against those of other countries (Mishkin, 2010, p77). All these changes serve to influence the demand by consumers and businesses, thus affecting the spending that such consumers and businesses make in

Life Changing Essay Example for Free

Life Changing Essay In life, we all know something that has changed the way we perceive people and events. Most meaningful events that have changed our perception can be our experience that we have gone through and learned from. Life-changing experiences play an important role on our development. Whether adults or children, we are affected by our experience which could impact us immensely. Personally speaking, my previous experience have affected me significantly. One is my first job experience, the other is my first-time experience of living in a brand-new country. Firstly, my first job experience greatly affected me. I remember that I was working at a Taiwanese restaurant. It was a really busy restaurant with five to eight employees. My manager told me that being a good waiter, it is important to smile and have a good attitude. I was not doing a great job on my first day of work. I was not really happy, because I made a lot of mistake, including messing up customer’s orders, no smiling, and a bad service attitude. I was judged by my manager. However, I believed that practice would lead to improvement and I never gave up, keep learning and practicing the working skills. After that, I became a mature and efficient waiter. In addition to above experience, communication and co-operation are also what I learned on my job. For example, when I served my customers for the first time, I was too shy to talk. But the most important thing for a waiter to know about is customers’ needs and expectations. Lack of communication with customers will not achieve this. After working for one month, I learned how to communicate with my customers. Furthermore, co-operation between co-workers is also important. I learned how to work with other waitresses/waiters and understood more about teamwork. For instance, my manager would allocate the tasks to us and every waitress/waiter needs to be aware of his/her responsibilities. The most difficult moment of co-operation is during the business hours, because employees need to be more understanding of each other. Secondly, living in a new country is my other significant experience. I lived in England for two years. When I first arrived in England, I lived with a host family in Oxford. Language and unfamiliarity with the city are the biggest problems that I faced. My most unforgettable moment is my first day of going to school in Oxford. I could not speak English and I felt lost in a new area. At that moment, body language was my only tool to help me find my school. I still remember that I was thinking about taking a bus  school, but I didn’t know where the bus station was. I tried to use my body language to ask a passer-by. It was fortunate that a gentleman understood my body language and my school address. After that, he brought me to the school. My first experience in England positively affected me. Looking back, my first job experience made me grow up and come outgoing. It also taught me about work co-operation. Before my first job, I did not like talking, I was shy when I was talking to people. But now, I am never shy of talking. Moreover I can say that right now I understand more about how to co-operate with my people, because I learned on my first job. The advantage of my England’s experience is that I learned a new language, I became independent and my adaptability became stronger. Previously, I could not speak English, but now I can fundamentally communicate with people in English. Also, â€Å"living by yourself, supporting yourself, paying your bills, and having total freedom over your domain is truly life-changing. It changes your perspective on solitude — it’s nothing to be afraid of, and can be pretty great — and shows you that you are capable of managing things by yourself if the need ever arises.† ( from THOUGHT CATALOG, 7 life-changing experiences every girl deserves to have, BY SOPHIE MARTIN, Mar.11, 2014 ). I believe that when you travel to new country and live by yourself, it will definitely make you become independent. Lastly, my adaptability became stronger since I lived in England. A strong adaptability make me more easily integrate into a new environment. In conclusion, life changing experiences are really important to us. In my case, my first job experience and my first-time experience of living in a brand-new country are what led to change in my life. Co-operation skills, independence, adaptability and language skills are what I learned. Obviously, people can definitely learn something through their life experience. These experiences are our life lessons that lead to our future.

Lamuel Gulliver Essay -- essays research papers

Lamuel Gulliver   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jonathan Swift is one of the best known satirists in the history of literature. When one reads his works, especially something like Gulliver’s Travels, it is easy for one to spot the misanthropic themes, which emerge within his characterization. Lamuel Gulliver is an excellent protagonist: a keen observer, and a good representative of his native England, but one who loses faith in mankind as his story progresses. He ends up in remote areas of the world all by accidents in his voyages. In each trip, he is shipwrecked and mysteriously arrives to lands never before seen by men. This forms an interesting rhythm in the novel: as Gulliver is given more and more responsibility, he tends to be less and less in control.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his encounter with the Lilliputians, Gulliver shows himself to be kind, honorable, and generous. Despite the Lilliputians are prideful, greedy, and cruel in response to him; he always manages to be peaceful with them. For example, when the Lilliputians and the people of Blefuscu (the British and the French in reality) go to war, Gulliver ties a knot to each of the Blefuscan ships and brings them together to the Lilliputian king. Then both of the countries negotiate and settle peace. Thus, Gulliver stops the friction between the two countries and establishes everlasting peace. This marks a characteristic of wisdom within Gulliver and the apple on his shield signifies this quality.   &n...

Passion – Basketball

My Passion by: Shariar Alam Sadmun What is basketball? In technical terms as defined by Princeton, it could be defined as a game played on a court by two opposing teams of 5 players; points are scored by throwing the ball through an elevated horizontal hoop. In my own words I would describe basketball as my best friend that never backstabs or goes away from my side; it is always there by my side no matter what just like a true friend. Everyone has a passion but I think my passion is truly unique because I have loved the sport of basketball since I was seven. I remember the day I was watching my first basketball game, I still remember it as if it was yesterday. I was not very familiar with the rules and the scoring. I did not know any players. My idol, Shaquille O’Neal, was playing in that game and he was dominating the whole game until he missed two crucial free throws near the end and his team lost. After the game he said, â€Å"Me shooting 40% at the foul line is just God’s way to say nobody’s perfect. † His play that game and the way that he encountered and the way he intellectually answered the critics that day has inspired me to play and love the game of basketball. People sometimes ask me, â€Å"Why do you love basketball? All you try to do is shoot that ball through that circle. That is not fun† My response to them is always the same. I tell them basketball is not just a game, it is more than a game. It is my love, it is my passion, it is the game that is always by my side, and it is the game that gives me the most enjoyment whenever I am playing or watching it. I love to watch the game. If they show the game on television for 4 hours straight, I will watch it without getting fed up with it. If someone starts a conversation about basketball, I will turn into Manny from Ice Age who never stops talking. I hate losing, basketball brings out my competitive spirit. Basketball lets me take out my emotions, which helps me in expressing myself to others. Basketball is a game of cooperation, where the five people on the court work cooperatively to achieve the goal of winning. The great Michael Jordan once said, â€Å"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships. † Michael Jordan is a hero and an inspiration to a lot of people. He is the reason a lot of people not only in North America, but everywhere in the world started playing basketball. He once said, â€Å"I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot†¦ and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why†¦ I succeed. † His competitive spirit and his hunger to succeed have always inspired me, and every time I hear or read these awe-inspiring quotes by him it always gives me goose bumps. Basketball teaches me good discipline in terms of when to shoot and when to pass to a teammate. Basketball has given me the chance of leading by example. Basketball players not only play the game but they do a lot to help their communities. A great example of that would be Steve Nash, who is an honorary member of Order of Canada (the highest civilian honour in Canada). He is possibly the greatest Canadian basketball player ever. He is an inspiration to every Canadian. All the philanthropic work he does, the way he takes care of his body, his work ethic and the way he leads his team is just a joy to watch and hear about. It makes me proud to be a Canadian and to know that a Canadian is one of the greatest basketball player ever to step on the court. Players like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal are once in a generation type of players. The way they play with intensity and seriousness is something really commendable. I practice every day during the summer, I try to play with that killer instinct like my idols. When I was in grade five, I would play my brother every day after school and I would never win. One day he did not want to play me anymore because he told me I was not at his level. That really hit me. I remember for the next two months, I had a basketball with me. Everywhere I went, I had it with me from walking and dribbling it to the point where I slept with it. That is how much I wanted to beat my brother. I got that competitive spirit from players like Jordan or O’Neal. After two months, I requested my brother to play me and I told him if I lost I would never ask him to play me. He accepted the challenge, and after a very close game I beat him twenty-one to eighteen. After the game, I cried so much because I was so thrilled that I finally beat my brother. Basketball for some people is just a game. It is more than a game to me. It is like my best friend. It is my passion. It has always been there for me through the tough times and as well as the good times. It has helped me take my emotions out in a proper manner. It lets me take out my competitive spirit. It has taught me how to work in a team effectively. Alan Armstrong once said, â€Å"If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen for you, to you and because of you. † I feel basketball has given me the chance to enjoy my life in a way that I would have probably not enjoyed without it. Basketball has given me the chance to become its best friend, and I will always admire basketball for what it has done to change my life and what it has done to always stay by my side.

Cultural object Essay

The object is an illustration present in a rectangle paper. The paper itself is glossy, thin and fine meshed. In the object, the words â€Å"SUPERMAN† can be found illustrated at the top of the paper in a block, all caps font, colored yellow with red lining. Below it and slightly to the right can be found the words â€Å"SUPERMAN ON EARTH† set in yellow all caps block font. At the center of the rectangular paper is a depiction of a male Caucasian garbed in a blue colored fitting suit, with a red triangular cloth covering the genitalia and a red cape flowing from the shoulders. Situated at the center of the man’s chest is a symbol, an â€Å"S† painted in red inside a red outlined pentagon filled with yellow. The illustration of the male Caucasian is seen standing over a depiction of the horizon of the world. On the left side of the male is an illustration of an explosion, with rocks being scattered. At the center of the explosion is an illustration of an elderly man and a woman garbed in a grey suit. The elderly man has the same symbol on his chest as that of the male in the center, although the elder man’s symbol is outlined in black. To the right of the male Caucasian in the center is a depiction of a star, pale white in color, with spires arising from the four primary and four secondary directions. The background is set in a black sky dotted by stars. A circular emblem colored blue and white and containing four stars set around the letters â€Å"DC† can be found on the upper left corner. Slightly below it is the words â€Å"No. 1, May ‘02† inside a yellow star like object. From the treatment of the paper to make it glossy, it is probable that this superman figure is of some importance to their (American) culture. The words â€Å"Superman on Earth† denotes his origin as extraterrestrial, as seen when accounting for the stellar background. The couple to his right is probably his parents since the elder man has the same symbol emblazoned on his chest. Deriving meaning from the name, superman means a man above the rest or a man better than the rest, giving a clue that the man is no ordinary human and may be imbued with special powers. His bearing whilst sanding over the world is more of as a guardian that as a creator giving a hint that as someone with extraordinary powers, he may have used those powers to guide or guard the world. In considering all of this, the figure could be a mythical hero of their culture whose exploits are recorded or told in a series of manuscripts using detailed illustrations and words to convey the story. The â€Å"no1, May 02 may refer to the date this illustration was created or made available. Biological Context of the Object Humanity’s interest in mythical heroes can be seen throughout history. These heroes usually have above average traits that set them apart from the normal persons of the times. This drive can be a result of humanity’s recognition of evolution and the principle that those with particular traits like incredible strength or stamina survived much longer and are better equipped to accomplish more than their ordinary counterparts. This veneration for those with extraordinary powers probably arose upon man’s recognition of his own physical limitations. When compared upon his prey, animals, man saw that there are some traits that would be useful. Flight in birds, speed in cheetahs, strength in bears, endurance of mammoths, and these traits made man wish that they had them. These wishes translated to mythical accounts of what it would be like to have those kinds of powers, accounts that are now perceived as myths and legends. Humans are the only species to be found capable of abstract thought. This allows us to manipulate resources in order to derive enjoyment. Literature, arts, these things enable us to derive enjoyment from our current society. Throughout history, civilizations have tried, after realizing their basic needs, to indulge in pleasure. Curiosity in man has also led to advancement. Myths and legends are byproducts of mans inquiry as to the nature of the world and philosophy as to the nature of the self. The object is a product of man’s persistent question, what if? Cultural/historical context: Depictions of individual with powers greater than that of mortal men can be found throughout history, in various cultures. These can be found in depictions of supernatural beings with extraordinary powers. Usually, myths stem from established cultures whose basic needs like food, shelter and security are ensured. It is then that the society turns to explaining the world around them. These are the foundation of first the creation myths, found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, Greek, Babylonian and Nordic myths, as well as the Bible. Levi Strauss argues that myths stem from people’s intellectual inquiry, from the desire to explain self, surroundings and society. Various cultures around the world have provided objects by which beings with powers are depicted. These includes clay tablets where the epic of Gilgamesh is written,, the bible, ceramics depicting Hercules, Aztec pottery depicting Quetzalcoatl, among others. In these, it is evident that the heroic figures play a much important role to society than merely stories. Myths are closely tied with religion, as with the Norse, The Babylonians, the Greeks and the Romans. The concept of myths in early civilizations is most often a reflection on the prevalent culture, society, politics and beliefs of the people. Not all heroic stories stem from myths however. Most often, heroes in folklore have also superhuman powers. And most often, the stories portray the hero not just in one setting or one plot. Instead multiple stories abound, yet the protagonist remains the same. This is evident in Beowulf, the labors of Hercules and in American folklore, Pecos Bill and Paul Bunyan. In American culture, folk heroes usually offer a glimpse of the culture of the times. The spectacular deeds of Pecos Bill and Paul Bunyan reflect upon what was considered the ideal American of those times, strong rugged, humorous and witty. They reflect a culture that is wild, that sees itself as being capable of great things. Looking at the object, we see that it gives a hint on the culture. From the object itself, one may deduce that the protagonist, Superman, was not of this Earth ( the stellar background, Earth’s view from a space perspective and the phrase Superman on Earth). The belief in an extraterrestrial coming to earth is not unknown of in world cultures. The Mayans, Aztec, and Egyptians all had beliefs in extraterrestrial life. This belief could be said to stem from a sense of terrestrial achievement. A sense that the culture is at its peak and that progress or destruction comes not from itself or from other cultures but from extraterrestrial sources. The object can be perceived as a story telling device of a mythical hero, not unlike clay tablets or parchment. This may be for amusement or inspiration. However, the use of graphics and words as means of expression, just like that of Egyptian pictograms and hieroglyphics shows that the object is intended for a wide audience based those who can intellectually understand as well as those who can appreciate the aesthetic value of the story. In standing over the world, it may be seen that their culture not only values their nation’s advancement, but may also see themselves as responsible for the welfare of other cultures, much like the Roman, Persian and Muslim empires. This may again stem from a sense of cultural supremacy, as well as from advancement in the various aspects of civilization. Much like oral tradition was used in the past, and later on the written word, for storytelling, so this object may be the means of telling the stories of this culture. Its use of graphics provides a starting point by which the imagination, conjured up by words, can take off into the realm of the supernatural. Just like myths and folklore of the past, the object provides a reflection not only on different aspects of the culture but also on its intended destination for the future. Economic Context Looking at the object, it really has no material value in the simplistic context. It is not edible, is not made of precious metals or gems, nor can it be used as a weapon. A society that produces these kinds of objects with only their aesthetic value and meaning and not that of necessity has presumably moved past the barter system of trade where only goods of necessity has any value. The object then can be either religious or secular in origin. The object could be religious as a representation of a believed and worshipped deity or secular as a means of entertainment. In observing the material by which the object is imprinted upon, the use of a higher quality paper denotes a higher value for the object, as well as the apparent detail in its production. Only a society with an advanced economic system is capable of allocating so much resource into a single representation, more so that the object is presumably for entertainment purposes. Most cultures that give priority to the arts are those whose economies are capable of allocating value to something that does not satisfy man’s basic needs but its wants. These civilizations, like that of the Italian Renaissance, the Aztec civilization, Egypt and Rome, use graphical representation to please a society satisfied with life. The same could be said of the economy and society that produced this object. It could be deduced that economically and socially, a majority of those living in the culture whence the object came from have their basic needs, food, water, shelter and security satisfied. Hence, they can allocate more in the pursuit of entertainment, education and other abstract needs. It could be seen that the culture is first technologically advanced, and second, is economically capable of obtaining materials for production. First, the paper in which the object consists of is glossy, not easily tearable, and water resistant and fine wired. This could only be a result of technological processing. The colors used in the paper can only come from pigments. In various cultures, it is only those with advanced economies which could lead to the middle and lower classes, and small objects, being painted with such detail. Ecological Context Ecology has at its maxim that the strongest population has the greater chance of passing on its traits to its off springs and thus enduring. The stronger population can secure resources, protect against attacks and obtain more space. Thus, rooted in ecology is the desire to be above others. In a sense, the appearance of a Superman would signify complete ecological dominance. That a culture would idealize a concept like this signifies that that culture, in terms of ecological population, has secured food, space and security from other neighboring populations. That the logical next step for this culture would be provided by an outside, or extraterrestrial source since all terrestrial aspects can be deemed fulfilled. The materials of which the object is composed of also give a clue that the civilization it belongs to is capable of producing synthetic material. Production of synthetic material is primarily a result of two things, scarcity of natural resources, or economic superiority by which materials can be obtained without touching one’s natural resources. Summary/Closure: The object can be said to be a means of entertainment and storytelling. It portrays a being with superhuman powers coming into Earth and protecting it. This object is a result of and shows different anthropological aspects of the culture that produced it. Biologically, the object can be perceived as the product of man’s desire to improve himself, and also his awareness of his limitations. The object also shows man’s capabilities throughout history to utilize its abstract thought to derive pleasure and ideas from the surroundings. Man’s innate curiosity has lead to the production of myths, featuring beings with supernatural powers, which serve as both answers regarding questions about the natural world and representations of the civilization itself. Throughout history myths have propagated, portraying the general psyche of a civilization. Methods of passing stories from one person to another includes oral, which became written, which as evidenced by this object became a combination of both. The depiction of men with supernatural powers have in history, generally been a representation of the strength and power of a civilization. The depictions of heroes that are larger than life exhibit a culture’s greatness. The wide spread indulgence of this can only come if all basic needs of the people within the culture are satisfied. Then the culture can indulge in other fields. The object signifies that in the culture that produced it, the basic needs are supplied, that help will come from others, not from other nations. The use of this object means that the society is willing and capable of allocating resources to personal entertainment. By looking at the object, one may be able to make deductions regarding its use and the culture that produced it. However, these deductions may or may not hold true, and requires much more evidence to be able to get a thorough knowledge of the culture. REFERENCES Harris, M. Culture. People, Nature: An Introduction to General Anthropology. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1975. Keesing, Roger M. Cultural Anthropology. Sidney: Holt, Rinehart and Wilson, 1976.

Free Essays on The Many Masks Of Man

â€Å"They chose one general characteristic, and go and arrange and interpret all a man’s actions to fit their picture: and if they cannot twist them enough, they go and set them down to dissimulation.† (1943) A quote from the essay: â€Å"Of the Inconsistency of Our Actions†, where Michel DE Montaigne argument that man attempts to label one another on a single action or attribute and that we are not that simple and yet more complex. Throughout time you could ask one hundred people about a man in which they were all acquainted and receive one hundred different interpretations of his life or whom he was. Montaigne expresses this idea quite clearly with his opening statement: â€Å"Those who make a practice of comparing human actions are never so perplexed as when they try to see them as a whole and in the same light; for they commonly contradict each other so strangely that it seems impossible that they have come from the same shop.† (1942) As humans we are consistently trying to be or become something different to everyone and every situation. Throughout or lives we are expected to be a parent, an employee, a psychologist, a teacher, a child, a lover, etc . . . , and yet with one fell swoop we can become a failure, a disappointment, or a coward. In current society we are prime examples of this essay. We are by fault an expression of our society. What pleases us one moment can disgust us the next. What we want one day becomes a thing of the past the next. One man can be our guide, protector, and pursuer, and then just as quickly our enemy, opponent, and adversary. As our needs, wants, and desires change, so do our masks. We honor man in such a fashion that we give him the authority to make the most crucial decisions and if he were to make one wrong choice in his life, he is forever tainted. At that point we have detached him from his past accomplishments, and even gone so far as to defile his ascendants. In reverse ... Free Essays on The Many Masks Of Man Free Essays on The Many Masks Of Man â€Å"They chose one general characteristic, and go and arrange and interpret all a man’s actions to fit their picture: and if they cannot twist them enough, they go and set them down to dissimulation.† (1943) A quote from the essay: â€Å"Of the Inconsistency of Our Actions†, where Michel DE Montaigne argument that man attempts to label one another on a single action or attribute and that we are not that simple and yet more complex. Throughout time you could ask one hundred people about a man in which they were all acquainted and receive one hundred different interpretations of his life or whom he was. Montaigne expresses this idea quite clearly with his opening statement: â€Å"Those who make a practice of comparing human actions are never so perplexed as when they try to see them as a whole and in the same light; for they commonly contradict each other so strangely that it seems impossible that they have come from the same shop.† (1942) As humans we are consistently trying to be or become something different to everyone and every situation. Throughout or lives we are expected to be a parent, an employee, a psychologist, a teacher, a child, a lover, etc . . . , and yet with one fell swoop we can become a failure, a disappointment, or a coward. In current society we are prime examples of this essay. We are by fault an expression of our society. What pleases us one moment can disgust us the next. What we want one day becomes a thing of the past the next. One man can be our guide, protector, and pursuer, and then just as quickly our enemy, opponent, and adversary. As our needs, wants, and desires change, so do our masks. We honor man in such a fashion that we give him the authority to make the most crucial decisions and if he were to make one wrong choice in his life, he is forever tainted. At that point we have detached him from his past accomplishments, and even gone so far as to defile his ascendants. In reverse ...

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. 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Construction and organisation management. Tendering and estimating Essay

Construction and organisation management. Tendering and estimating - Essay Example But now the situation is getting better and the CSN also stated that the industry will have a growth rate of 1.4% each year from 2011-14. Under such a recession that the medium and small contractors must restrategize themselves, their policies and their operating zones. As it is seen that the north parts of UK have seen massive downturn, and whereas other parts such as wales and London have seen growth due to important events such as Olympics and etc. It is to be noted that there are about 614 contracting companies working in the south east England which is the highest no of companies that work in any other region of UK, on the other hand there are about 511 contracting companies that operated in the London region. This statistics clearly show the high level of saturation in the market and the stiff competition to get projects. This fact the bidding process of L & H significantly, as L & H should go for the project which it has been invited for and at the same time it should be consc ious of the fact that cost analysis of the project should be done vigorously and carefully as new location of project can open new markets for the company as well as cause loss to the company due to in experience in that region. The solution I suggest for the problem is that L & H must go for the bidding process with its full strength and if it is successful in getting the project it must involve and hire the workers and form a team which consists of the local people as well as L & H old loyal workers. Personally I believe that if L & H gets the new work at even a small profit it should go for it, as the main focus of the company should be getting projects and sustaining itself in recession. Then another fact that is to be noted that the growth rate of construction industry is about 1.4% but the growth rate of the south east England is just 0.8% which clearly shows that the growth in this region is less and companies need to move out of the region to sustain their own growth. Then L & H must also view which type of project is it bidding for, it is to be noted that there is huge growth in some sectors of construction industry and there is huge decay in the others. It is suggested that the L & H should be looking forward in creating its good will and name in the public sector as it is the only sector having significant funding at the moment. Whereas on the other hand private sector is not any longer investing much as it is in process to recover itself from the recession and has no confidence on the returns. It is to be noted that infrastructure sector of the construction industry is growing immensely that is it is growing at a rate of more than 6.7 % and majority of the projects coming up are of Infrastructure, contrary to this is the housing sector which is badly struck and experience a decay of 3.9 %. So when L & H must be bidding and going for projects in infrastructure sector. Concluding the discussion if L & H is to survive in these difficult times of reces sion and have to sustain its own growth it has to take a certain level of risk which is to expand its operational area and work in areas where there is both growth and lesser competition. On the other hand it has to emerge itself as a mainstream public sector contractor which mains interest is working in infrastructure and development. b) Morale has been low on several sites in one area, communication and quality of work has suffered. Discuss It has been proved

Consultancy company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Consultancy company - Essay Example The analyses are chosen because they will provide a clear picture of the business environment. They will also enable one to identify the regions that need to be changed for growth to be achieved. It is crucial to collect information about the tourism market, so as to know how to effect the planned changes. The information needed for the analysis can be collected by various means. These include use of questionnaires, conducting interviews and use of secondary data from various trade records and government offices. Use of PEST is chosen because it will enable the company assess the suitability of the external environment in terms of political, environmental, social and technological factors. This will influence the suitability for expansion of the business. SWOT analysis will enable the identification of strengths and weakness; whereby, the company can amplify its strengths and minimise its weaknesses. Porters five model will enable the company to come with ways to curb competition. Philip (2004) provides a clear and coherent illustration of the five forces. Valentine (2001) is utilised since it provides a resource based approach into SWOT analysis. Roy (2009) illustrates the current trends in tourism which might help Squire Limited in decision making. A graph showing the inbound visits to the UK has also been utilised (Janine, 2011). The tourism industry has experienced immense growth owing to the current government support and emerging trends. On the current trends, the proportion of tourists to the UK has been slightly increasing over the past year (Roy, 2009). Inbound visitors are expected to increase in 2012 due to the Olympics and Paralympics. Britain is also hosting the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee ceremony. The inbound visitors’ spending has also been on an upward trend. This means that the business will benefit enormously with the current growth in the industry. In the UK, the tourism