Air Pollution Sources, Effects and Ways of Minimizing

Bilingualism in Puerto Rico essays

Bilingualism in Puerto Rico essays I would like to first write the meaning of the term Bilingualism before I first begin answering the question. According to the Encarta Dictionary it means: 1. fluency in two languages: the ability to speak two languages easily and naturally. 2. use of two languages: the regular use of two languages in everyday communication. Although the dictionary tries to define such a controversial term, I think it generalizes it and provides a meaning that barely even scratches the surface of that word. The main reason why it is so general is because it is an abstract concept. First of all, there are many factors or levels that influence the language acquisition process, the kind of exposure a student has with the language, if the student speaks it outside of the classroom or just listens to it for about five hours during the course of a week. A real important issue is to know if the new language is being forced on the student. One of the key facts of the language acquisition is to find out the cultural baggage the person carries. A psychological aspect may even play a big role, because if the persons self esteem is not high enough (due to identity crisis, personal problem, cultural pressure, etc) and the person may think that she or he is not capable of learning a different language. My personal opinion is that the concept of bilingualism is so hard to define, that I can only compare it to the abstract concept of love ( Like Alicia Pousada states in the article THE COMPETENT BILINGUAL IN PUERTO RICO). The concept is too abstract or mentalistic to be studied by the scientific method, or any other branch of science that can measure things by quantity , weight, or height. However it doesnt mean that it cant be explained. To me a bilingual person is a person that has the ability to communicate in both languages in a written and spoken way. Colin Baker, the author of &q...

Zimbabwe and Global Health Care Systems Assignment

Zimbabwe and Global Health Care Systems - Assignment Example From this research, it is clear that the World Health Organization (WHO) identifies that a functional health care system anywhere in the world is primary to the achievement of universal coverage of health care. Global Healthcare system refers to the various framework that countries anchor their health care. It covers three critical issues that include access to quality health care, a role of government policies in health care financing and national and global health care concerns. In the wake of 2000, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Primary Health Care (PHC) package provided a bearing to the desired health care needs. According to United Nations Declaration 2012 Report, it identified that despite increased emphasis on universal health care access, many developing countries continue to have high mortality rates. During the study that informed the declaration, it was noted that 75 countries mainly from developing countries accounted for 95% of morbidity and mortality. Notab ly, maternal and neonatal mortality were at unprecedented levels. Zimbabwe was one of the nations in Africa that continue to face myriad health care challenges that led to high mortality rates. Campbell identifies that the recent analyses have drawn attention to the weakness of health care systems. Delivery of health care at community and in hospitals in any country is influenced how the country's health department organizes care framework. In response to health care system deficiencies, a number of countries have embarked on focusing on three important components of an ideal health care system.

American Gov3 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American Gov3 - Research Paper Example These duties and responsibilities extend to all fifty states and other lands under U.S. supervision, such as Puerto Rico2. In addition to this, the FDA is responsible for various regulatory functions, such as monitoring and controlling electronic product radiation and tobacco products. This agency promotes public health by maintaining and releasing current information, based on scientific study and testing, on the various products and substances under its domain, so that citizen consumers have accurate information with which to improve their health. In addition, the FDA promotes the advancement of public health by safely and effectively speeding innovations within affected industries3. As the FDA is required to maintain certain safety standards in each are under its supervision, it can often come under pressure by government officials, corporations, and private businesses. The speed and efficiency of testing, the amount of regulation required in term so proper labeling, and other aspects of product regulation may be viewed as too harsh or too lenient by various standards. As a result, the agency is under constant pressure from producers and consumers

Youth crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Youth crime - Essay Example Exaggeration of media stories and incidences often leave both the reporters and the public confused, uneasy and suspicious. Though media entities work hard to generate interest among its viewers and audiences, it is important that they remain focused and disseminate true stories and incidents to the members of the society. Criminal activities associated with young people (17 years and below) include arson, breach of bail, breach of conditional discharge, and breach of statutory order, criminal damage, death or injury by reckless driving, domestic burglary, drug offences, fraud & forgery, motoring offences Non-domestic burglary, public order, racial aggravated offences, robbery , sexual offences, theft and handling , vehicle theft and violence against person. It is not easy for an average person to know whether the media is exaggerating incidences or not. However, exaggeration of media content can be identified through Stanley Cohen’s five pointers and by comparing official sta tistics from government agencies to information contained in media reports. Establishing whether youth crimes are spiraling out of control as reported by the media in the United Kingdom Establishing exaggeration of media reports on youth crimes can be difficult for an average person. ... These five pointers based on moral panic concept would be used to establish whether it is true that youth crime is spiraling out of control in the United Kingdom as portrayed by the media. First, it is good to establish whether the media has inflated youth crime rates (statistics). The media has given prominence to youth crime rates over other equally important happenings in Britain. Though youth crimes are only reported as they happen and do not run longer as compared to other stories, they are put as prominent information. Most media in the United Kingdom exaggerates criminal offences perpetuated by young people by putting youth crimes incidences in more prominent parts of the newspaper or the newscasts. In addition, some media uses age to show the magnitude and scope of crime perpetrators. Four year old children were suspected to be involved with arson, assault, burglary and possessing offensive weapons. Reporting children as perpetrators is hard to believe or imagine. Pickard (20 08) claimed that Britain have experienced alarming increases in publicized knife crimes since 2008. The knife crime stories about latest victims and perpetrators are placed in front pages of the newspapers and headlines in the newscasts. The media constantly remind members of the society on imminent danger they face each day as they leave their houses as young people embrace knives as latest fashion accessory. Figure 1 is a graph showing the number of young people who got involved in criminal offences between the years 2003 to 2010. According to the graph below, the number of young people who got involved in criminal offences increased steadily from 2003 to 2006. After 2006, the number of young people who

The competitiveness of pharmaceutical industry in Saudi Arabia

The competitiveness of pharmaceutical industry in Saudi Arabia The aim of this paper is to describe and analyze the competitiveness of the pharmaceutical industry in Saudi Arabia, what new companies need to consider before entering this market and evaluation of such investment. I will discuss the boundaries of this industry under à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I will briefly highlight competitiveness of the Pharmaceutical industry at the global level. Boundaries of the industry: The scope of this analysis is the pharmaceutical industry where Key Products are human drugs excluding veterinary drugs, medical devices and diagnostics. Key players in the market are pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, distribution agents, chain pharmacies and patients support groups. As Porter identifies an industry as the group of firms producing products that are close substitutes for each other (Porter, 1980, p. 5), I will take the perspective of the pharmaceutical companies. The geographic scope of this paper is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. However, large hospitals and institutions have access to medications through international brokers (Business Monitor International, 2010) making the market open to international competition. Many pharmaceutical companies in the Saudi Market are international companies (IMS Health, 2010). Six out of the top ten pharmaceutical companies, as measured by their 2009 sales, in the Saudi Market are international companies five of them are American (IMS Health, 2010). This leads to broadening the competition scope to take a global level as will be discussed. Also there is a very high impact of supra-state organizations like FDA and EMEA as Saudi Arabia considers guidelines and warnings issued by them as a reference (Business Monitor International, 2010). For example approval or suspension of a medication by those authorities impacts the business of the drug in the Saudi Market (ibid). So changes at the global level are reflected on the market. Overview on the Saudi Pharmaceutical Market The total market size was around US$ 2.65bn in 2008 and due to the countrys wealth, novel patented drugs and expensive ones are growing in demand (Business Monitor International, 2010). One of the good tools to analyze the external factors affecting or might in the future affect the industry is PESTLE analysis (Armstrong, 2006). It is an acronym for Political, economic competitive, socio-cultural, technological, legal and ethical factors. Looking at the six dimensions, offer a good insight for strategic analysis (ibid). Political Review (Insurance companies and price pressures) Although the middle-east tends to be a politically unstable area, the political system in Saudi Arabia is relatively stable (Business Monitor International, 2010). The political power lies in the hand of the king who faces new challenges including pressures from the United Sates to democratize the system (Shoult, 2006). Yet, with 25% of worlds oil reserves in the country, international powers, including the US, see stability of the kingdom in their favour (Business Monitor International, 2010). Such political stability could represent a motive for international pharmaceutical companies to invest in the kingdom. However political stability alone is not the only factor to consider for investment decisions. Other dimensions in the following analysis will give a more comprehensive view of the industry. Economic Competitive Review With the discovery of oil reserves in Saudi Arabia in 1930s, the country turned into a first-world economy (Shoult, 2006). Saudi Economy is ranked among the top ten most competitive economies (Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority). Saudi Pharmaceutical market is the largest among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries with an estimated double digit annual growth till 2019 (Business Monitor International, 2010). Such a high growth rate should represent an attractive opportunity to foreign pharmaceutical companies especially at times of international slow down. Some companies like JJ consider Saudi Arabia as one for the international emerging markets along with Brazil, Russia, India and China that the company is willing to invest in to expand its business (Al-Abd, 2009). Socio-Cultural Review The Saudi pharmaceutical industry like many other industries is reliant to a great extent on expatriate workers whether as pharmacists or physicians (Shoult, 2006). This increases bargaining power of suppliers to residency visas to pharmaceutical companies as discussed below. The Saudi culture is a very conservative one (ibid). Direct to the patient promotional activities although legal, might be a very risky move especially in certain therapeutic areas like women and men health. That could make the competition between pharmaceutical companies more aggressive at the level of prescribing physicians. More details about this will be discussed under the 5 forces analysis below. From my experience, when it comes to patients support groups; most of them are relatively newly established. Their role, so far, is limited to increasing the awareness about illnesses and trying to minimize the stigma associated with some diseases like psychiatric illnesses and HIV. They dont present a real threat for lobbying or exerting pressures on pharmaceutical companies. So most companies perceive them as an opportunity to increase awareness about illnesses and grow the total market size. Technological review Most of the local Saudi companies dont have the know-how of manufacturing high technological products like bio-technology products and anti-cancer therapy (Business Monitor International, 2010). So the market of those therapeutic areas is almost totally controlled by international companies (ibid). This should represent an opportunity for local companies as the development of such capability could be a differentiating advantage versus all local Saudi incumbents. Yet, developing such capabilities would require a very heavy initial investment (Bogner, Thomas, McGee, 1996). On average, it takes around US$ 700 million to develop a new molecule and then around US$ 400 million for marketing activities (Leask Parker, 2007). One of the characteristics of the pharmaceutical industry is the slowness of diffusion of new technologies, where around 17 years is required for the results of clinical trials to become standard clinical practice (Porter, 1985, p. 406). This may be due to the legal an d ethical issues related to the pharmaceutical industry, which brings us to the last element of PESTLE analysis. Legal and Ethical Factors The pharmaceutical industry is recently under scrutiny like never before (Beller, 2008), especially when it comes to relations with health care professionals. With the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in the United States and the very aggressive penalties on the giant company Pfizer, $ 2.3 Billion by the FDA (The New York Times, 2009) most of the companies became very conservative. International companies, especially American ones, find themselves forced to follow Health Care Compliance Guidelines. This factor is not affecting local Saudi Companies, where such regulations are not in place (Al-Abd, 2009). For example, it is very common for local Saudi pharmaceutical companies to invite physicians and even purchasers for international trips with their families in a practice that is not controlled or regulated by Saudi Health Authorities (ibid). This PESTLE analysis represents the outline of the playing ground. Competitive force and what is happening inside could be seen by the following 5 forces analysis. Five Forces Analysis As per Porter, the health care industry is very complex, highly customized and, unlike many other industries, consumers have limited information (Porter, 1985). Porter identified five forces that can drive the competition in an industry (Porter, 1980). The following analysis will briefly go through the impact of each force in the Saudi pharmaceutical market. Threat of New Entrant New entrant into an industry exerts pressure on incumbents prices and costs hence represent a risk in eroding their profitability (Porter, 1985). The intensity of new entrants will depend on the ease of entering the market and Porter identifies seven factors that might represent an entry barrier (ibid). I find at least four of them to be applicable in Saudi pharmaceutical market, the relative high investment required to establish a new pharmaceutical company, government policies that raised the cost required for registering new drugs (Al-Abd, 2009), the recent price cuts enforced by Saudi Ministry of Health (Business Monitor International, 2010), incumbency advantage including know-how for manufacturing and unequal access to distribution channels. For example, many hospitals now have regulations that necessitate the removal of a drug from their formularies in order to add a new one (Al-Abd, 2009). This makes doctors face tough decision upon requesting new medications. All of these factors are in favor of incumbent companies and might represent entry barriers. On the other hand the low switching cost is an opportunity for new entrants. From my experience, shifting from a medication to an alternative or a generic doesnt cause any switching costs. Pharmaceutical companies in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to make special offers or special discounts (Al-Abd, 2009). They also cant explicitly state the disadvantage of a competitor. Such heavy regulation would minimize the impact of retaliation against a new entrant. The Power of Suppliers In Saudi Arabia, foreign pharmaceutical companies dont have a legal entity as they must work through local Saudi agents (Shoult, 2006). Such agents are responsible for the distribution and act as a supplier of labor. My personal experience is that, it can be a source of competitive advantage to companies as agents access to residence visas depends on many factors including but not limited to their personal network with the governmental officials. Therefore some companies expansion plans might be put on hold due to deficiency in visas required for new workers. The Power of Buyers Key participants of the industry changed recently with the tendency of buyers to collate into central buying centers like NUPCO, a newly established National Unified Procurement Company for Medical Supplies for all Ministry of Health hospitals (NUPCO). The same applies for National-Guard hospitals which decided to issue a unified tender for purchasing drugs (National Guard Health Affairs). The authors experience shows that even private street pharmacies are dominated by chain pharmacies with central purchasing centers. The declared reason behind such moves is usually increasing efficiency (NUPCO) (National Guard Health Affairs). As per Porters five forces for industry analysis, the main reason might be the wish to increase their bargaining power against pharmaceutical companies. The availability of me too products and several generics to non-patent drugs in the Saudi market (IMS Health, 2010) could turn many drugs into a commodity. As several alternatives become available, the bargaining power of purchasers increases (Porter, On Competition, 1985). This in turn could erode companies profitability. Therefore most of the international companies stop promoting their drugs once they lose their patents and shift their focus to new still patent protected drugs (Al-Abd, 2009). The Threat of Substitutes Porter defines a substitute as something that performs the same or a similar function as an industrys product by a different means (Porter, 1985, p. 17). With this definition in mind, a substitute to a pharmaceutical drug could be a surgery or an alternative medicine. Alternative medicine is common in Saudi Arabia to the extent that an official National Centre for Alternative and Complementary Medicine was established in 2008 (Business Monitor International, 2010). Yet, it would be difficult to quantify and measure this market and its impact on the Saudi Pharmaceutical market due to the lack of reliable statistics and the poor control on traditional healers (Al-Rowais, Al-Faris, Mohammad, Al-Rukban, Abdulghani, 2010). As key hospitals can purchase medications through international brokers, this exerts more price pressures on local operating companies. Such international brokers might be considered as a substitute to local pharmaceutical companies. Their impact might lead to forcing the local operating companies to reduce their prices in order to match brokers price which could lead to eroding profitability. Rivalry among Existing Competitors This force analyzes how competitors are jockeying for positions (Porter, 1980, p. 17). It might be the most important force in the Saudi Pharmaceutical Market. The Saudi Pharmaceutical Market is fragmented among 271 companies (IMS Health, 2010). This might be one of the reasons behind the high intensity of competition. The leading company, GLAXOSMITHKLINE has a market share of only 9% followed by Pfizer 8% and then the local company SPIMACO 7% and the rest of the market distributed among the remaining companies. Intensity of rivalry increases in cases of Numerous or equally balanced competitors (Porter, 1980, p. 18). Yet the relative high growth rate in the market (IMS Health, 2010), could retain its attractiveness as possibility of reaching zero sum competition looks remote. Porter considers the competition in the health care system as zero sum (Porter, On Competition, 1985). This might be relevant only to the US market. The Saudi Market is not yet mature given its high growth rates and the under awareness and under diagnosis in many therapeutic areas like HIV and ADHD (Business Monitor International, 2010). It might be a positive sum competition. From the authors experience, pharmaceutical companies in the Saudi Market can be classified into International companies with most of their products patents and local companies producing mostly generics. Some of the International companies like GLAXOSMITHKLINE and Pfizer work in different therapeutic areas and most of their products are patents so their main strategy might be differentiation. There are other international companies that are focused in one segment, therapeutic area, like Lundbeck in central nervous system and Novo Nordisk in Diabetes (IMS Health, 2010). Such companies are mainly utilizing a niche or focusing strategy. Then there are the Saudi companies producing generics and their main strategy could be cost leadership. The existence of many generics, me too products, increases the intensity of competition due to the lack of differentiation (Porter, 1980). Such competition is very clear as many buyers are relying on tenders (Business Monitor International, 2010) rathe r than direct orders to utilize such competition in their favor. Price war among generics companies can be understood with such lack of differentiation. This could be compounded with the high initial investment required as mentioned earlier that might raise the exit barrier making companies more committed to the business. When it comes to competition between international companies and local Saudi companies, economies of scale are in favour of international companies as they produce and sell their products worldwide while local Saudi companies usually dont have access to European or American markets due to concerns on quality standards (Business Monitor International, 2010). Advice to a New Firm Entering the Market For a new firm entering the market, it needs to carefully position itself. Comprehensive understanding of the industry value chain will be important for the company to position itself (Porter, 1985). Industry Value Chain If this new company were a local Saudi one then it should rely on cost leadership. For example, the firm infra structure, like manufacturing facility, should be in a nearby location to the main consumers like the Ministry of Health in order to minimize the shipping costs. IT infrastructure and Human resources all should be designed with cost leadership in mind. Currently most of the local companies purchase their row materials from India in order to reduce their costs. If the new company were an international company, then it would be almost essential to have patent and differentiated new molecule entities. Such patents would enable the new company to avoid a price war with local generics companies and being differentiated could help in positioning its products against existing international companies. A deep and comprehensive understanding of the Saudi Market and Saudi culture is also required. This level of understanding would depend on the new company background and whether it has previous experience in the Saudi Market, or not. For the new company to secure its supply of labor and expatriate staff, they need to develop a strategic partnership with a local Saudi vendor. Conclusion As per Porter, the objective of industry analysis shouldnt be to declare the industry attractive or unattractive (Porter, 1985, p. 5). It should be to understand the drivers of profitability so that more informed decisions could be made (ibid). Future Changes Shift to privatization and private market, shift toward generics. If outsourcing the product from another company, logistics and registration is the barrier. (You need to register the manufacturing facility which requires inspection by the Saudi FDA to the site a process that takes around one year. The registration process of the drugs itself will take around another one year. This will not limit the entry to the market but it slows down the new competition. Saudi Arabia requires local laboratory testing Pay to delay! Tutor Hints: Think about the different levels in the industry value chain, and the fact that the issues of competitiveness at those different levels may be driven by different sets of business environment and industry environment factors. They may also involve different sets of industry players, some of whom may be more extensively integrated across the industry value chain than others, operating different types of business models and competing on different bases and perspectives. Keep the focus firmly at the industry level, and not on individual companies. That said, comments on different companies competing one with another may form part of the analysis and argument. Obviously in choosing an industry and setting some boundaries within which to work, the nature of the industry is one of the factors to consider. Some industries are inherently more international than others. Some markets are more open to international competition than others. Competitiveness: Define success in the competition, how do you score a goal? is it volume, share, profit, brand recognition? include extent, nature, features and character. And in terms of thinking about success, once again it is worth thinking about how this is judged best and from whose perspective in any context. Basic analytical models (eg PESTLE, P5F, SW/OT) may provide a useful starting point or provide a basic overview of an industry My Comments: Outside in PESTLE analysis Under scrutiny like never before. Inside Out Merge and acquisitions Importance of Patents in Pharma About 80% of all pharmaceutical products and about 45% of all processes are patented (Arundel and Kabla, 1998). Overall, patent protection is particularly effective in this industry (Gambardella, 1995), playing an important role for preventing imitation (Levin et al., 1987). Typically, patenting occurs when new chemical and potentially useful compounds are synthesized, applications for them are identified, and manufacturing processes are developed. (Sternitzke, 2010) Relationship between high innovative propensity and sustained superior profitability in pharmaceutical industry in the US is confirmed (ROBERTS, 1999) Advertising promotion in Pharma decreases price elasticity which means, the heavier the promotional activities, the higher the prices. (Rizzo, 1999) Abstract This paper uses data on the majority of name-brand antihypertensive drugs marketed in the US during 1988-93 to test the hypothesis that advertising decreases the price elasticity of demand in the pharmaceutical industry. This is the first study to directly estimate the effects of drug product promotion on the price elasticity of demand in this industry. We find strong evidence of an advertising effect. In particular, detailing efforts (the salient means for product promotion in this industry) systematically lower price sensitivity. Given the inverse relationship between elasticity of demand and price, it is likely that consumers pay higher prices as a result of the advertising that occurs in this industry. Our findings are thus consistent with Hurwitz and Caves, who find evidence that advertising inhibits entry into this market but in contrast to earlier research that found no anticompetitive effect. Advertising and Competition in the Ethical Pharmaceutical Industry: The Case of Antihypertensive Drugs Comment on referencing: For chapters of edited books the required elements for a reference are: Chapter author(s) surname(s) and initials. Year of chapter. Title of chapter followed by In: Book editor(s) initials and surnames with ed. or eds. after the last name. Year of book. Title of book. Place of publication: Publisher. Chapter number or first and last page numbers followed by full-stop. Smith, J., 1975. A source of information. In W. Jones, ed. One hundred and one ways to find information about health. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ch. 2. Samson,C., 1970. Problems of information studies in history. In S. Stone, ed. Humanities information research. Sheffield: CRUS, 1980, pp. 44-68.

Of Mice and Men :: essays research papers

John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men in an effort to illustrate the social limitations imposed upon the working class during the Great Depression era by creating various characters who shared one common dream, the â€Å"American Dream,† Steinbeck dramatized on one individual level, the life of the protagonist, George, the grueling struggles and sanguine dreams of an entire social class of people Poet Robert Burns once said, â€Å"The best laid plans of mice and men gang oft a-glae,† Steinbeck parallels this quote with the ill-fated dreams of iterant workers. Delving into the mind of George, Steinbeck exposes his yearning desire to be on his own and his conflicting desire to remain guardian of Lennie and follow their dream. George recognizes that without Lennie’s companionship their dreams will never suffice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  George, one of the two protagonists of the novel, provides insight into the psyche of a member of the working class during the destitute 1930s. Like all migrant workers during this time period he has a dream, the central theme of the novel, to â€Å"live offa the fatta the lan† and have his own place. Unfortunately, this dream is unrealistic, living in an oppressive society which views him as a nonentity and confines him to the ranch and bunkhouse, a symbol Steinbeck utilizes to represent drastic limitation, he knows his dream is in vain. George’s dream is ironically barred by his relationship with Lennie, his burly companion who suffers from mental disabilities, and often wonders what it would be like without Lennie. He would be free of all obligations and able to go out with the guys, drink and spend his money. He often blames Lennie for depriving him from activities such as these. Despite his desire to be on his own, George realizes that life with out Lennie would be meaningless. George’s desire for freedom constantly conflicts with necessity of Lennie’s friendship in an otherwise bleak world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The affectionate companionship between George and Lennie is unusual among single, white migrant workers. The arrogance and selfishness of other workers on the ranch, reinforces the importance of the friendship George and Lennie uphold throughout the novel. The friendship between George and Lennie replaces desolation is experienced by many of the workers. Their friendship also allows them to sustain their dream, which remains alive through their conversation. George tells Lennie, the story of their dream so often that even a smart-minded worker like George comes to believe it.

Money Saving Tips for College Students Essay

As for any college student the usual expenses of; school, personal life, food, entertainment, and leisure activities is enough to make you broke or for most of us, in debt. It is Thursday night and the weekend is here but your wallet is full of bank receipts and there is not any cash to been found. Your friend just told you the agenda for the night which involves; dinner, pre-game, party, and then night club. Chances are your staying in for the night unless you have a hidden supply of cash under your bed. This type of scenario is all too common for most college students, which is why I am going to explain in detail how to save and manage your money more effectively. With becoming better educated on how to manage your money properly you will be shocked at the amount of cash you can save. The following tips will help you to save money in the following areas of your college expenses; money management, organization of money, personal life, decision making, jobs, entertainment, leisure activities, food, dating, tuition, and books. Learning how to manage your money and having the proper knowledge on which banks to use with your money is an important part on saving your money. The following bullets will explain in detail on how to effectively manage your money: 1) Track your expenses – By tracking your expenses for 2 weeks to a month will allow you to have a better understanding where your money is going. Are red bulls at the 7-11 and a cappuccino at Starbucks 4 times a week actually needed? You will tend to realize the amount of money wasted on small items that are not necessary. Just by tracking your expenses you will begin to manage your money more effectively. To keep better and more organized track of your money, using a notebook or quicken are great tools to being better organized. Having good records prevents you from spending what you do not have and from over drafting your account. 2) Budget your money – The best way to manage your money over a period of time is to create a budget. Take the time to sit down and look at your incomes and expenses. Examples of income are scholarships, paycheck if working, loans, money saved throughout summer and money from your family. Examples of expenses are books, food, rent, bills, tuition, and entertainment. Create a list of your incomes and expenses, and then decide a way to budget your money from either week to week or month to month. It is important to pace yourself when putting yourself on a budget. If you spend all of your money in the beginning of the month, you will be stuck eating leftovers from the cafeteria for the last week. In addition, it is important to provide yourself with money for leisure and entertainment. You are a college student, it is refreshing to buy yourself something new or have a good time every once and a while. Putting your money on a budget will help you to manage your money very effectively. Remember, you don’t always have to spend the amount you budget yourself. Also, planning ahead is essential when you are properly managing your money. If you know that soon you will be going on a vacation, paying your car insurance, or just an expensive weekend; placing aside $50 a week is more reasonable than coming up with $400 at once. 3) Choosing a bank – Join a credit union. Credit unions are set up as non-profit so they do not charge those high interest rates and hidden fees as, for example, a Bank of America would. Also, look into online banking, this makes for a fast easy to use way of banking. ) Credit Cards – The most helpful tip that I can give to a college student would be to stay away from credit cards. Do not fall into the traps of free giveaway sign up booths, those guys trying to sign you up are only trying to take your money. The reality is that credit card companies see college students as suckers. That is why credit companies swarm campuses and make getting a credit card so easy. These credit companies also charge a high interest rate on these cards. The average interest rate is 18%; this means you will have to pay back an additional 18% on whatever you may purchase. The higher the interest rate, the harder it will be to pay off your bill. It is like a chain reaction that will just continue to bury you in debt. As you can only afford to pay off the minimum, the interest continues to gain as the bill continues to rise. To avoid this, it is important to avoid the temptations that come with having a credit card and to also try to make more than the minimum monthly payments. Although, having a credit card for emergency situations and to build up your credit for the future can be very beneficial. However, for college students reaching for that Visa can be a very hard habit to break. In addition, credit companies will give you a credit line well higher than what you may need. They may set you at a $5,000 credit limit, when you may only be able to afford $1,000. Just call the credit company and tell them the price you would like your credit line set to. With having a credit card it does not mean you can buy whatever you want. It is important to be realistic and to understand what you can and cannot afford. Most expenses tend to occur in the beginning of the school year. To plan accordingly for this, saving money while working your summer job would help to cut the cost of initial expenses. When coming back to school, books and various items for your apartment/dorm are going to be quite costly. To cut cost on buying books, it is often cheaper to buy books offline or off a friend. Buying books online can be easy and up to half the price that it would be in the bookstore. One downside to buying books online is the amount of time it can take for shipping, so be sure to place your order as early as possible. You may also have some friends who have had the same classes before you, buying a book off a friend who is not going to use it anymore can save you a good amount of money. With having the power of the credit card, it is important to keep a focus on what is important. You want to keep your expenses to either academic or personal essentials. It might seem as if the new PS3 is just the item to place on your credit card, but I can assure you it is not. If this may seem as an essential to you then place aside money each week to save and buy that PS3 with cash. When purchasing anything remember cash is king. For most college students; the pressures of going out on the weekend, taking a girl out to dinner, having the latest technology, and still trying to save money can be quite the challenge. Now remember, you’re in college and on your own now, you don’t have your mother yelling at you to brush your teeth before bed or to clean your room. This is an opportunity for you to begin working on your self-discipline. Having your life in order and maintaining a clear head are two things that college students tend to lose sight of. Making the right decisions when it comes to your personal health and responsibilities is an important part of self-discipline. Within this section of personal life I will relate how staying active, eating healthy, nd enjoying your social life can help you to better manage your money. Everyone is in college to better their future and to get prepared for the real-world, but just as any college student, you want to make the best out of your time here. 1)Staying focused and active – Living in dormitory or even in a house with eight roommates, you become very susceptible to catching different illnesses. By staying active and working out or excising several times throughout the week, your immune system will become stronger and fight off most illnesses. Staying in good shape also helps with increasing self-confidence, energy throughout the day, and keeping your mind active and positively focused. In college it is easier to gain the weight than it is to lose if you fall into the outside pressures of drinking, eating fast food, and sleeping all day. With keeping the self-discipline of staying focused and active it helps to keep a clear head which in return will help you to decide what expenses are important and what is a waste of your money. 2)Healthy diet – To stay fit and keep your body in good shape, your diet is just as important as your workout. By going to the grocery store once a week and purchasing vegetables, fruits, meats, beverages, and carbohydrates can help you to save close to an additional $50-$100 a week. Not only is cheaper to purchase food at the grocery store but it is much healthier than ordering out or eating fast food. To cut the cost on buying groceries, divide the cost by you and your roommates, buy and share the food. In addition, you will receive more for your money when you purchase weekly groceries. To get the best prices for quality products, look through the newspaper ads for each supermarket and plan out where you can save the most money. Cut back on buying junk food, it is often expensive and is not healthy. If you do decide to eat out, college towns often have restaurants where you order and serve yourself, this cuts on the cost of leaving a tip. The only problem that some college students might have is that they do not know how to shop at the grocery store or how to cook the food. This is where it might be helpful to make a phone call home and get some instructions from your mother. For those that can cook and shop at the grocery store, this is a great way to get more for your money as well as maintain a healthy diet. )Social life – This is often times confused for the reason as to why you are in college. While it may be easy to fall into the trap of going out every weekend and living the party life it is essential to keep focus as to why you are in college. You are here to get an education and better yourself, not to blow all your money on partying and fail out. This is where the significance of self-discip line and managing your money properly should take first priority. Everyone likes to have a good time and enjoy themselves, it is important to keep things in moderation. Learn to limit your vices or â€Å"stress-relievers† (as some college students say) such as, beer, cigarettes, and etc†¦ These vices can be expensive and costly to your health as well. By keeping to your budget and using the allotted amount you give yourself a weekend you can enjoy yourself and still save money. Here are a couple tips on how to keep the expenses of your weekend nights to a minimum; †¢Have a meal before you leave to go out. Leaving the house/dorm hungry can cost you a lot of money that you may not have. †¢Leave your debit card and wallet home. Only bring the money you can afford for the night and your id. This will help to fight the temptations of buying unnecessary items, especially if you are under the influence. †¢If you have friends that have an unlimited bank account and spend lots of cash, try to avoid them and hang with friends that relate to your financial status. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to enjoy yourself in college. The following is a list of inexpensive activities and entertainment for any guy or girl student who is looking to save money and enjoy their social life as well; †¢Newspapers offer listings of inexpensive or free events that are going to take place in your city/town †¢ Going to matinee movies School events, such as sporting events or clubs †¢Spend a day at the local park, go for a walk or fly a kite †¢Bicycle rides with a friend †¢Spending the afternoon baking and relaxing †¢Grab a couple friends and play sports at the school gym †¢Coffee shops often have free local bands play at night †¢Afternoon flea market †¢Depending on the season, apple or pumpkin picking for Halloween, Christmas shopping, Easter decorating or designing eggs, etc†¦ †¢Art gallery Student newspapers often give listings of free events or activities that are taking place around campus †¢Play video games with friends, create tournaments and play for bragging rights †¢Get involved in intramural sports †¢Ladies usually get into clubs for free and get drink specials †¢Go to bars with no cover charge and that have drink specials Throughout college you are going to meet a number of different people, some you will like more than others, and for those you do, you may find yourself taking him or her out on a date. Now for most people, saving money and dating are two notions that don’t connect. For most, on a first date you try to impress and give off the perception that you are not broke or even worse, cheap. To the disbelief of many, dating does not have to be expensive to be impressive, entertaining and unforgettable. Remember, you are trying to stick to a budget and with all other expenses it is challenging enough. The following bullets will explain how to have fun on a date without spending all your cash. †¢Mother Nature – It is all around us everywhere we go, natural scenery is different at every campus and usually the beauty goes unnoticed. A great idea for when the weather is nice is to take him or her down to Narrangansset or Newport and go for a walk on the beach. Take a walk around city blocks and stop somewhere there is nice view overlooking the city. Take time to find these spots at which ever campus you are, this can be extremely cheap and give quality time to build a better relationship. †¢Picnic – A picnic in the local park is always a great idea. Bring sandwiches and beverages, it shows that you took the time to actually prepare something. This costs minimal as to what you spend at a restaurant and can be taken almost anywhere. Depending on the mood you are trying to create, you can make a picnic either casual or romantic by adding a few extra accessories. †¢Sporting events – If you get so lucky to find a woman who is interested in sports, this is a great opportunity to either play a sport together or to watch a sporting event at your school. This also allows you to spend quality time with one another as well as have a good time while saving your money. †¢Experience culture and history – In this city there a number of historical buildings, museums, art galleries, cultural centers and landmarks that are either very cheap or free. Often times, there are exhibits that are off campus that have reduced or free admission for college students. This is good for a date on a more intellectual level and gives time to get to know each other as well as the area you are in. †¢Dinner at home – For those of you who are culinary skilled, this is a great opportunity to impress your date and to save the cost of going out to eat. To make the date more interesting, cook the meal together and combine ideas. After the meal, this is a chance to hang out and watch a movie or play a game. This is a great date idea to impress and really have a good time. Miniature golf/go karts – This makes for a great afternoon date and adds a little excitement. Racing each other and fooling around on the race track provides a fun time for one another. In miniature golf, a friendly competition allows to make things more exciting and to fool around. †¢University events – In the school paper, there are listings of events that are taking place for the following week. Usually events are free or reduced admission, which includes concerts, art exhibits, guest speakers, and plays. This can make for a quality date as well as save you money. †¢Coffee houses – Stop at a local coffee shop to relax and have conversation. Coffee is much cheaper than a meal at a restaurant and provides the relaxed atmosphere to get to know each other better. Also, order a dessert and splitting it provides for a romantic experience. Making Money I’ve saved the best for last. If you can master even one of these, you’ll have a head-start on your friends. Master all four, and you’ll be on the road to wealth. No kidding. †¢Spend less than you earn. Don’t earn much? Then don’t spend much. If your spending and income are roughly even, you have two choices: earn more or spend less. When I was in college, I worked as many as four jobs at once. This gave me a lot of spending cash. (Unfortunately, I didn’t do a good job with the spend less part of the equation. ) †¢Be an outstanding employee. Good work habits can pay enormous dividends, leading to recommendations and contacts that you can use after you’re out of school. Several of my classmates turned work-study jobs into launching pads for future careers. †¢Start your own business. Can you install a hard drive? Can you strip a computer of spyware? Can you perform minor car repairs? Do you have a pickup truck you could use to haul furniture? Are you a passable guitar player? Charge cheap rates and exceed expectations. Word will spread. When you’ve built up a customer base, you can raise your rates a little. This is an awesome way to make money. Learn to invest. Find a discount broker and begin making regular investments. Sharebuilder is a great choice for college students. It costs only $4 to make a scheduled stock purchase, and you can invest any amount of money, even $20. Don’t obsess over the details yet. You can worry about high returns and low fees later. Right now the most important thing is to develop the investment habit. (Ad: Buy Stocks for $4 at ShareBuilder. Ten years from now, you’ll thank yourself. If you can find a way to invest $1000 a year for the next ten years, you can set yourself up for life. Organization and Planning Save your receipts. Put them in a shoebox under your bed if you must, but hold onto them. You’ll need to be able to compare them with statements at the end of the month. And some you’ll need to keep for several years. Guard your vital stats. Don’t give out your social security number or your credit card info except to known and trusted sources. Pay your bills on time. Basic advice, but it’s surprising how many people lose track of things. If you pay your bills as they arrive, you won’t have to worry about forgetting them. Tuition Expenses †¢Try looking for scholarships. You may think that you’re no longer eligible for scholarships since you’re a college student, but this isn’t true. Your school or other foundations may offer scholarship programs that can save you loads of money on college tuition. For further information you may want to try www. findaid. org or www. college-scholarships. com. †¢Shop around for student loans. Just like choosing a credit card company, you should try going to different banks to see what types of interest rates are available. You may want to choose the type of loan that begins charging you interest after you’re finished with college–not the type of loan that charges you interest while you’re in school. Other Expenses †¢Shop around for a reasonable cell phone plan. Try to find a plan that works best for the type of calls you make the most. Do you call your family or friends most often? Do you need a long distance plan? Do you text message often? †¢Try filling your prescriptions at your school’s health center. Sometimes campus health centers will fill your prescriptions for a fraction of the cost of a regular pharmacy. See a doctor on campus. If you feel sick, you may want to consider seeing a doctor or a nurse practitioner on campus. These services are often free. †¢Bike, walk or take the bus to school. These alternatives may help you save money on gas and alleviate some of the stress you may experience trying to park on campus. †¢Go to the on-campus gym. Acc ess to this gym equipment is usually free. If you want to take group classes, however, be prepared to pay a fee. http://www. getrichslowly. org/blog/2006/08/30/27-money-tips-for-college-students/

Essay on The Connection between Fashion, Beauty, Appearance and IdentityEssay Writing Service

Essay on The Connection between Fashion, Beauty, Appearance and IdentityEssay Writing Service Essay on The Connection between Fashion, Beauty, Appearance and Identity Essay on The Connection between Fashion, Beauty, Appearance and IdentityHow significant is appearance to identity? This issue has been widely discussed in scientific literature and the mass media sources. Researchers have found that the significance of appearance and identity is reflected in social interaction. Appearance is considered to be the most salient symbol of social interaction. According to Kathleen J. Fitzgerald (2007), â€Å"appearance plays a significant role in identity construction simply because it presents our identity to others in social interaction†(p. 157). Scholars state that people perceive the appearance of others, placing emphasis on skin color, hair, eyes, weight, height, clothes, etc. As a result, appearance can be interpreted as the source of identity because through appearance, â€Å"the self presents an identity† (qtd. in Fitzgerald, 2007, p. 157). Finkelstein (1991) believes that physical appearance can be viewed as a means for claiming cer tain degree in representing social status. Physical appearance has direct relation to human character because some details of personal affectations tell much about one’s identity.In addition, it is necessary to explain the meaning of the term â€Å"fashion† in order to find the connection between fashion and individual self-expression.   Fashion can be understood as both a system and a form of individual self-expression. There are several factors that influence the functioning of fashion as a system. First, fashion is a system because it has been developed into industry, which serves society. Second, fashion is a system that uses different signs to change appearance. Besides, fashion is a form of individual self-expression because it reflects individual culture, expressing one’s own individuality and personality. Fashion is conceptualized as the way to communicate identity through self-expression (Finkelstein, 1991).In fact, appearance is important for a numbe r of reasons. Appearance has the ability to impress others. According to Finkelstein (1991), people have always paid due attention to appearance, the body and clothing, in order to â€Å"enhance the human frame† and use fashion to highlight one’s identity. At the same time, beauty cannot function by denying its social construction because beauty is a social construction, based on research findings of social scientists (Kawamura, 2010).   It is possible to make everything look beautiful and aesthetic, depending on the context.   Due to cosmetic surgery, it is possible to improve the parameters of appearance, especially the appearance of women. The increase in the development of cosmetic surgery industry points out to the fact that it is possible to reshape the structures of body in order to improve both appearance and self-esteem (Northrop, 2010). Individuals today invest so much time, energy and money in appearance because they want to succeed in social interaction .   Fashion and display are implicated in the fabrication of the self. As a result, cosmetic surgery is focused on the promotion of certain appearance norms that have been evolved in human society as effective tools of social interaction (Northrop, 2010).The surface tells us something much deeper about our self-identity.   We have not fallen prey to, in Laschs phrase, â€Å"a culture of narcissism†. Actually, social development effects the constitution and deployment of the self. For example, the politics of sexual identity, the role of the mass media and celebrity, social media and the Internet play an important role in the constitution and deployment of the self. It is impossible to fall prey to the â€Å"culture of narcissism† because many people have no opportunity to use cosmetic surgery. Their self-esteem is improved by the ability to demonstrate empathy.Thus, it is necessary to conclude that there is the connection between fashion, beauty, appearance and ide ntity. One’s own personality and individuality reflect the functioning of physical appearance. The popularity of such practice as cosmetic surgery helps to transform body and appearance, making it look perfect, based on the established social norms and standards. Cosmetic surgery helps to promote self-image contributing to social interaction. As a result, physical appearance has an enormous power over the successful practices of social interaction. Today many people are ready to invest much time, energy and money in their appearance in order to succeed in social interaction.   Fashion is conceptualized as an effective tool aimed at communicating one’s own identity through self-expression.

Statistics Essay Example

Statistics Essay Example Statistics Essay Statistics Essay Master of Business Administration – MBA Semester I Subject code – MB0040 Subject Name – Statistics For Management Assignment Set – 1 Q. 1. Why it is necessary to summarise date? Explain the approaches available to summarize the data distributions? Q. 2. Explain the purpose of tabular presentation of statistical data. Draft a form of tabulation t show the distribution of population according to i) Community by age, ii) Literacy, iii) Sex, and iv) Marital status. Q. 3. Give a brief note of the measures of central tendency together with their merits and Demerits. Which is the best measure of central tendency and why: Q. . Machines are used to pack sugar into packets supposedly containing 1. 20 kg each. On testing a large number of packets over a long period of time, it was found that the mean weight of the packets was 1. 24 kg and the standard deviation was 0. 04 kg. a particular machine is selected to check the total weight of each of the 25 packets filled c onsecutively by the machine. Calculate the limits within which the weight of the packets should lie assuming that the machine is not been classified as faulty. Q. 5. A packaging device is set to fill detergent powder packets with a mean weight of 5 kg. he standard deviation is known to be 0. 01 kg. these are known to drift upwards over a period of time due to machine fault, which is not tolerable. A random sample of 100 packets is taken and weighed. This sample has a mean weight of 5. 03 kg and a standard deviation of 0. 21 kg. can we calculate that the mean weight produced by the machine has increased? Use 5% level of significance. Q. 6. Find the probability that at most 5 defective bolts will be found in a box of 200 bolts if it is known that 2 percent of such bolts are expected to be defective. (you may take the distribution to be Poisson; e=0. 0183)

Twelve Questions regarding the YCP Company Research Paper

Twelve Questions regarding the YCP Company - Research Paper Example 2. What impression have you found of Corporate Governance of YCP Company? Corporate Governance plays the role of sight and foresight for an organization. Particularly, in the case of YCP Company the structure possessed some basic flaws in the distribution of duties and power according to the Code of Corporate Governance. The most obvious a blunder is allocation of 60% of voting equity to Kong and Watson. Furthermore, according to the detail illustrated the absence of remuneration committee and nomination committee followed by the weak structure of Board were some of the fundamental errors of the structure of Corporate Governance. 3. What is your opinion of the ownership structure in YCP, in the light of the fact co administrators Kong and Watson retain 60% of the voting equity. Can group of small shareholders make a significant contribution to the governance of the company? What about large share holders. A diverse and balanced ownership structure is the key to keep transparency and authenticity breathing in organizational management. However, the very aspect was absent in case of YCP, the imbalance of major share owner ship and voting rights is evident error. In addition, the fact that minor share holder’s were totally neglected and the other share holders with major contribution had other businesses to look after and their presence in the administration was a mere formality. The dire need of YCP that is obvious in the structure of YCP was that of rationally designed attribution of power and authority along with voting rights based on the fact that when the voting rights of controlling shareholders exceed the cash-flow rights, the incentives for asset diversion are magnified. 4. What is your opinion of the structure of the board have had before approving the construction of the private telephone network for YCP right after the company went public The expansion planned in the very short period after establishment should been backed with strong supporting strategies. In the case of YCP the segregation of management and supervision was the seemingly lacking feature. Hence, after the registration company into the stock exchange a strong structure of Corporate Governance was the essential need of time. Furthermore, evident is the fact from the description that investment in construction was an element of the chairman’s show off rather than strategical opportunity. Therefore, the strategy of expansion on the grounds of serving ego without any exit was more an evidence of Board structure rather than mismanagement. 5. What information should the board have had before approving the construction of the private telephone network for YCP. The feasibility and relevance to the vision of the company was the main area to be focused by board in the evaluation of proposal of construction. Furthermore, funding requirements, timeline, return on investment rate, cost benefit analysis, alternative plans, competitors analysis , PESTEL analysis an d an exit plan were the mandatory analysis to be investigated by the board. Hence, the most important feature to be considered was the exploration of the potential of company to support such a gigantic project along with usual business in terms of time, efforts and resources.

The Duality of Human Nature in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Research Paper

The Duality of Human Nature in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Research Paper Example Just like any other man, Dr. Jekyll had also thoughts and utterances of evil and the character was afraid of acting it out because of the prevailing social norms. Dr. Jekyll was situated during the Victorian era where propriety and social demeanor are highly stressed. The difference between Dr. Jekyll and a regular person who have the same tendency is that Dr. Jekyll went as far as using his intellect and profession by creating a drug that would unleash the evil in him without the control and restraint of his good conscious self. The drug created Mr. Edward Hyde who is a representative of pure and adulterated evil which contains Dr. Jekyll’s evil side. Mr. Hyde is amoral and this was manifested in his physique that he looked despicable, grotesque and deformed (Singh and Chakrabarti 221). Dr. Jekyll thought that he could experience the pleasure of his both good and evil side with the creation of Mr. Hyde. He thought that Mr. Hyde would consummate his evil desires that longed to be release. Mr. Hyde indeed acted out Dr. Jekyll’s evil side only that Mr. Hyde evoked feeling of disdain among Dr. Jekyll’s friends who asked him earnestly to severe his relationship with Mr. Hyde. It is obvious in the novel that Dr. Jekyll did not give up Mr. Hyde or his evil side. This resulted to the growing power of Mr. Hyde that eventually overpowered Dr. Jekyll leading to a series of murders and grotesque events. The novel is more than the transformation of Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde which has a grotesque and despicable appearance. It is in fact an analysis of the duality of the self against the social backdrop of Victorian setting which highlighted the personal, physical and social ambivalence of man and his surroundings that shaped him. The novel discussed the anxiety of the self as it relates to the world that produced a variety of stimuli that is often externalized in