Health Management Organization Essays

Health Management Organization Essays Health Management Organization Paper Health Management Organization Paper Health Maintenance Organization is a specific type managed care organization found in USA, it sets on guidelines for doctors to operate; on average it costs less care coverage then health insurance. It provides health insurance coverage on a group basis. HMO team comprises of a group of doctors and other professionals who charge a fixed monthly rate. By law, people who take part in HMO should be provided with a basic description of the plan, including what is covered and what is not and how to appeal a decision. History HMO started in early 20th Century when businesses wanted to offer prepaid medicine to their employees and HMO offered them low prices; with the main concept in mind to reduce medical cost by offering preventive medicine. However, its use dropped drastically in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The HMO Act of 1973, passed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services made HMO a part of American medical universe. The HMO Act of 1973 has main provisions: 1.   Loans and grants were provided to finance HMO. 2. If HMOs were federally certified then some state restrictions were removed. 3. Employers with at least 25 employees were required by offer federally certified HMO options. It started in 1910 when mill owners provided medical care facilities to their employees for a premium of $0.5 per member per month. However, the first HMO service considered by USA is by Ross-Loss Medical Group which was established in 1929. There are several different types of HMO; the closed panel plans are the earliest plans in which the members use physicians employed by the terms and conditions of the plan or the employer; closed panel plan allow members to select physicians from a list of physicians who are accepting new patients. Closed panel plans are generally small but account for almost 20% of HMO members. Staff model, group model and network model are all closed panel plans. On the other hand, open panel plan offers more flexibility in selecting physicians around 45% of HMO members are part of open panel plan. The rest of 35% generally receive their coverage in a variety of mixed model plans: Staff Model: In this specific model physicians are given salaries and have offices in the HMO building itself. Physicians are contract employees of the HMOs and can only see HMO patients. This model is an example of closed panel HMO. Group Model: In this typical model HMO pays salaries to a group of physicians and it’s up to the group to decide on how to divide the salary amongst them. It is also a closed panel HMO. Independent Practice Association: In this typical model, physicians maintain their own office and can come in contract with independent practice association which contracts with HMO. Maintaining own office allows physicians to see non – HMO members also. It is an open panel HMO. Network Model: In this particular model; HMOs are allowed to contract with any group – independent practice associations, individual physicians and a combination of them. It is most commonly used and allows HMOs to decide on to the members of network on the basis of skill sets and cost. Benefits HMO fixed a yearly premium for its members, which were patients; the aim was to keep these members as healthy as possible as fixed premium had to pay for all illness including serious illness as well. HMO was more convenient also as people can get health care for themselves and their families at one place without the hassle of filing complaints with the insurance companies.

Is gun control an effective method of reducing crime

Is gun control an effective method of reducing crime Occasional Gun-Related Incidents Start the Discussion The subject of regulating firearm ownership has been a cause for  debate  between gun control proponents and their opponents. Rising rates of crime or occasional gun-related incidents always act as a match to light up this discussion. The issue mentioned above is a serious one and deserving of serious consideration. Each side has valid points to prove their case. However, gun control does not reduce crime, in most cases. Better ways of solving such issues are being sought as opposed to the much-accustomed way of  law  making. The debate on gun control will continue well into the future as long as guns are manufactured and used. The most prevalent argument by proponents of gun control is that countries with lower rates of gun ownership have lower rates of crimes. The above is simply not true and has been statistically disproven. The opposite is, in fact, true. Research has clearly shown that countries with higher rates of gun ownership have lower crime rates than countries with low gun ownership rates. The most probable cause for the above is that criminals are less likely to attack a citizen if there is a higher chance of the latter retaliating. In the second case, offenders with firearms have a higher chance of success if they know they will encounter victims who are unarmed. Citizens with firearms tend to be more empowered than their unarmed counterparts. Criminals in areas with low gun ownership rates have more power over their victims, and a higher success rate is an incentive to continue the practice. Therefore, reducing the rates of gun ownership would not have the desired effect of reducing crime. Deaths from Firearms Are Quite the Rarity The argument by gun control proponents that firearms are involved in many human deaths is unsubstantiated. According to certain publications, there are about seventy million privately owned firearms in the USA. Their primary uses are hunting, target practice, household, and business premise protection. Of all the homicides committed in the country in a single year, less than one percent involve the use of guns. The abovementioned statement shows that ninety-nine percent of guns do not participate in any loss of human life. The opponents of gun control are clearly right in this respect. Many firearm owners have a gun for self-defense purposes, and many of them have no criminal or violent intention of using the gun. In fact, many handguns are rarely fired and are only kept as a security contingency. Deaths from firearms are quite the rarity. Many more people die from illnesses, home, and vehicle accidents than from gun violence. The above fact involves children too who gun control prop onents usually use to strengthen their argument. You may be interested in: Torture Is Never Justified Smoking in Public Places Should Be Banned Single-Parent Children Behaviour Can Science Go Too Far? Media Influence With already so many gun laws in place, how do criminals manage to access firearms and ammunition? The above question goes to prove that gun control laws do not deter criminals with a desire to acquire and utilize guns. There exists a very extensive black market for guns that may be bigger and more developed than the legal guns and ammunition market. Constructing tougher and additional legislation to restrict gun ownership will have no effect on criminal individuals and organizations with no regard to already existing laws. If anything, more gun control would discourage citizens from making the effort to own firearms which, as been shown above, would lead to even higher crime rates. Laws also have loopholes that can be exploited by knowledgeable lawyers, who more often than not, represent powerful and dangerous criminals. More laws could open up more leeway to be exploited by those who are capable. More Gun Ownership Leads to More Citizenry Safety As can be vividly seen above, proponents of gun control do not have a compelling case. It is clear that more gun ownership leads to more citizenry safety. Certain structures can be put in place to reduce the access criminals have to guns, but the reasons provided by gun control proponents are irrational and unsubstantiated. Gun control would eventually do citizens more harm than good. Using firearms to reduce crime rates is an insurmountable task with no prior proof of success anywhere. Until better measures are found, it would be better to let citizens exercise their constitutional right to bear arms.

Leadership and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Leadership and Change - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that  strong and effective leadership is the vital aspect of HRM required to manage the recent changes. Defining what makes a great leader is not a simple task. Leadership is an exceptionally complex phenomenon: the recent explosion of scholarly literature covering various aspects of leading and managing people is one logical outcome of this complexity. Despite huge amount of books and articles dedicated to the issue, there is still a great deal of ambiguity surrounding the true meaning of effective leadership in contemporary organizational environment.This study stresses that  absence of agreement between the scholars is partially due to different methods utilised to explore the phenomenon. partially due to varied purposes of defining leadership. and partially due to the variations in theoretical approaches. There are several major approaches in leadership studies: leadership as the focus of group processes, as personality attribute, as the art o f inducing compliance, as an exercise of influence, as a particular kind of act or behaviour, as a form of persuasion, as a power relationship, as an instrument of goal achievement, as an emerging effect of group interaction (`leadership exists when it is acknowledged or conferred by other members of the group), as a differentiated role, as the initiation or maintenance of role structure, or as some combination of all these approaches.  ... Despite huge amount of books and articles dedicated to the issue, there is still a great deal of ambiguity surrounding the true meaning of effective leadership in contemporary organizational environment. In psychology the phenomenon of leadership has traditionally been associated with in-group dynamics of social interactions. In any group, regardless of its size, members differ in their degree of social influence over one another: ... the person who exerts the most influence on the rest of the group thus affecting group beliefs and behaviour is usually addressed as leader'' (Hollander, 1985: 14). Although this definition of leadership allows the reader to grasp the essence of leadership, it is only one of the numerous of definitions that have been proposed in the existing literature (Northhouse, 2004). Absence of agreement between the scholars is partially due to different methods utilised to explore the phenomenon. partially due to varied purposes of defining leadership. and partially due to the variations in theoretical approaches. There are several major approaches in leadership studies: leadership as the focus of group processes, as personality attribute, as the art of inducing c ompliance, as an exercise of influence, as a particular kind of act or behaviour, as a form of persuasion, as a power relationship, as an instrument of goal achievement, as an emerging effect of group interaction (leadership exists when it is acknowledged or conferred by other members of the group), as a differentiated role, as the initiation or maintenance of role structure, or as some combination of all these approaches (Bass, 1990: 6-10). These various approaches may be a way of

The Effects of Global Warming on Coral Reefs Research Paper

The Effects of Global Warming on Coral Reefs - Research Paper Example There are three ways in which global warming affects coral reefs: through a direct increase in water temperature; through a rise in the carbon dioxide levels in water which makes water acidic; and through rising sea levels which results in inadequate sunlight for the existing coral reefs. In addition, the study points towards various indirect ways through which rising temperature leads to coral reef damage. One issue is the increasing incidence of various coral diseases and another problem is the occurrence of natural disasters like El Nino which damage coral reef habitats. Thus, the study ends with the suggestion that the ultimate way to save coral reefs would be to address the effects of global warming. Introduction Global warming is a potential environmental problem that has been adversely affecting the global climatic patterns for more than a century. Global warming can be simply referred to the process of increasing the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. By definition â€Å"global warming is an increase in temperature worldwide due to gaseous emissions known as greenhouse gases, and depletion of the upper atmospheric (30-50 kilometers) or stratospheric ozone layer† (Liu, 58). Meteorologist identified an increase in Earth’s average surface temperature by nearly 0.8o C in the beginning of the 20th century. Scientists hold that the increased concentrations of greenhouse gases caused by thoughtless human activities including combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation are the major factors leading to global warming. ‘The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report’ (AR4) (qtd. Deimling et al) forecasts th at the average global surface temperature may rise from 1.1o C to 2.9o C during the 21st century under lowest emissions scenario, whereas the expected range lies between 2.4o C to 6.4o C under highest emission scenario. Studies have identified that the rising average temperature of oceans has a devastating effect on coral reefs. Coral reefs are underwater forests formed of calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs play a pivotal role in protecting coastal regions. Coral reefs contain a wide variety of fishes and plants among which most of them belong to some of the most fragile ecosystems of the planet. Studies point to the fact that even a one degree Celsius change in average sea temperature would cause dreadful effects on these underwater structures. This paper will discuss the effects of global warming on coral reefs in the context of current beliefs and researches. The paper will also give focus on the potential long term effects of global warming on the human sustainabi lity. Finally it will propose solutions to the issue on the strength of identified causes and effects. Coral Reef Habitat Coral reefs are considered colonies of micro living animals found in less-nutrients contained marine waters. It has been identified that majority of the coral reefs are made up of stony corals and which in turn contain polyps. Most of these underwater structures were formed after the last glacial period and therefore it can be concluded that most coral reefs are not more than 10,000 years old. Coral reefs constitute the most diverse and fragile ecosystems on Earth and they are often referred to as ‘rainforests of the sea’. As stated in the article, Introduction to Coral Reef ecosystems, threats, and solutions, although coral reefs occupy only less than 0.1% of the worlds’ ocean surface, they are rich sources of different marine species such as fish, worms, sponges, crustaceans, and mollusks. As reported by National Wildlife Federation, the stu nning and frail coral reefs found

Sunny Grove Police Essay Example for Free

Sunny Grove Police Essay INTRODUCTION I have just taken command of the Sunny Grove police department. The department is riddled with various organizational issues ranging from theft to poor records management. I am responsible for leading a vigorous turn-around within the organizational culture and transforming the department from its currently underperforming state of operations to a respected department within the state in minimum time. OVERVIEW There is a list of issues the Sunny Grove Police Department (SGPD) has suffered from under its previous leadership. Among the list of issues includes a lack of ethical behavior, poor organizational control, and a seemingly absent set of enforced disciplinary measures. Quality control measures seem to be lacking department wide, and if they are present, they certainly have not been enforced with the rigor and swiftness they ought to be. These problems have created a lax, seemingly care-free organizational culture within the department which is made evident by the poor overall performance of the SGPD when racked-and-stacked amongst other police departments in the state. While impossible to list all the underlying problems occurring within the SGPD in the case report, it is probably very safe to assume that this is department in near shambles and it will require some extreme measures to get it operating back within acceptable parameters. INSTITUTING BUREAUCRATIC CONTROLS When bureaucratic-type controls are overused, they can have a tendency to weight the organization down, slowing productivity, and hindering effectiveness. Depending on the type of organization, instituting bureaucratic controls outside of the basic company policies and standard operating procedures can be quite a detriment; however, in organizations such as a Police Department, such controls are necessary to maintain good order as well as safe and effective operations. The term bureaucratic itself implies regulation and its the first thing we think of when we think  of a governmental agency. A Police Department is no Pixar Animation Studios—creative thinking on a whim can have serious implications to the justice system in general and so formal rules and standards must be implemented and strictly adhered to. It’s obvious that whatever the rules, regulations, and policies are for the SGPD, they aren’t being followed to the degree they need to be. This could be attributed to a number of reasons: quality control policies don’t exist; rules, regulations, and polices are not being enforced or are not known; rules, regulations, and policies exist but are inadequate; senior management has failed to properly convey the policies as well as the importance of having them; and information reporting systems are inadequate or ineffective. Without having more detailed information from the case study, I’d have to assume only that many if not all of these attributes are causal for the current state of affairs within the department. Rules and regulations must have been pre-existing, especially for a governmental agency. Special department created policies may also have been pre-existing but perhaps they were either insufficient or lacked the depth and scope required. In any case, I have to assume the regulations were both known by management and employee, and that there isn’t question as what those regulations are. As a governmental agency, these rules and regulations define the industry within which the agency exists in the first place. My role will not be to create bureaucratic regulations with the exception of perhaps evaluating internal policies for effectiveness and maybe creating a few new ones to help bring certain practices through a more closely watched quality control â€Å"checks-and-balances† process. Instead, my role will be to undergo an intensive control cycle quality check within all the various departments inside the SGPD. Setting the standards for performance and ensuring those standards are well communicated. Each department will undergo a rigorous initial performance review and analysis and later evaluated to determine effectiveness. From here, the necessary steps will include correcting errors as well as areas of deficient performance. Discipline is clearly an issue within the SGPD and so  disciplinary action for failing to meet the instituted standards will finally be enforced. Those not meeting expectations must be dealt with in an appropriate manner, even if it includes termination. In addition, it will be critically important for me to create a climate which encourages the sharing of feedback both up and down the chain of command within the department. Strengthening the mutual respect between members of the SGPD will play a large role in helping to turn around the present culture. Changing the culture of an organization is not an easy task, and this control cycle will have to be revisited frequently until the culture returns to acceptable norms and then the pressure can be reduced slightly. INSTITUTING MARKET CONTROLS Market controls in general have no place within the SGPD with the exception of looking at the â€Å"market† as the high crime areas within the jurisdiction of the department. Crime in itself is market driven in the traditional sense of supply and demand. To reduce the supply, you have to reduce the demand. Statistical data should show the areas within the SGPD jurisdiction which can be considered high crime areas. A more hand’s on approach to collecting and evaluating this data can lead to a change in how the SGPD does business. An obvious way to reduce demand, is for the SGPD to be more present in those areas—being more involved within those communities, strengthening ties, and increasing patrols will help reduce demand. These types of market controls will help improve the performance of the SGPD, and if controls of this nature are not already in place, this is certainly an area I would be quick to implement change in. INSTITUTING CLAN CONTROLS While heavy bureaucratic controls will be the way of life for any governmental agency, it is important to not neglect the â€Å"human relations† aspect of management. Especially true for this particular police department where the culture is struggling, it will be very necessary to connect organizational values to every day tasks. Creating a vision that is shared among the entire department and frequently revisiting that vision will help  to cement expectations, beliefs, and values. Obviously, communication is a key component of directing change and it will be vital to continuously stress those things that are important to the success of the organization so that focus is never lost and confusion is never a component.

Satiation in John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Margaret Cavendish’s Blazing World :: Paradise lost Blazing World

Satiation in John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Margaret Cavendish’s Blazing World Hell is huge but it isn’t big enough. Within the text of Paradise Lost by John Milton, it is, A universe of death, which God by curse Created evil, for evil only good,Where all life dies, death lives, and nature breeds,Perverse, all monstrous, all prodigious things,Abominable, inutterable, and worse†¦ (II.622-6)There is no satiety in Hell. Eden, by comparison, is a relatively small place in Milton’s epic poem, but it seems to be an environment replete with satisfaction. Or is it? We students of experiential literature owe Milton a debt of gratitude for helping us to experience our forebears’, that is Adam and Eve’s, lack of satiation within a paradisiacal environment. This paper will explore the topic of satiety within that environment; and, along the way, discuss the concept of singularity found in Cavendish’s Blazing World for comment upon that satiation. Milton begins at the middle of his epic with an appeal to music, a universal and fulfilling language, â€Å"Restore us, and regain the blissful seat, Sing Heavenly Muse† (I.5-6).He immediately places us after the fall and takes us beyond sentience with an invocation to a muse, only this muse is beyond all muses and this epic is above all epics: I thence Invoke thy aid to my advent’rous song,That with no middle flight intends to soar Above th’ Aonian mount, while it pursues Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme. (I.12-16) Milton establishes himself as the legitimate teller of the tale – and this tale will take us beyond the mythology of the Greeks’Aonian Mount and inoculate us against Hell’s prodigiousness. He is taking us beyond mythological or explanatory pictures of ourselves, to an area where we may bask in a greater comfort: Taught by the Heav’nly Muse to venture down The dark descent, and up to reascend, Though hard and rare: thee I revisit safe,And feel thy sovran vital lamp†¦ (III.19-22) In her note to the reader in The Description of A New World, Called The Blazing World, it is evident that Margaret Cavendish seeks to take us beyond mere studious thoughts, to a place sated with fancy: And this is the reason, why I added this piece of fancy to my philosophical observations, and joined them as two worlds at the ends of their poles; both for my own sake, to divert my studious thoughts, which I employed in the contemplation thereof, and to delight the reader with variety, which is always pleasing.

Rainbow

The â€Å"Rainbow Underclass† The main purpose of the article, â€Å"Rainbow Underclass† written by Mortimer Zuckerman is that there are too many immigrants and illegal aliens in the United States. Zuckerman wrote the article to provide people awareness of both, the immigrants and the aliens in the US. In the article, Zuckerman attempts to determine ways for the U. S. government to measure and reduce the immigrants, especially by safeguarding and protecting the boarders.The other main point that has been raised by Zuckerman is for the government to reduce the issuance of visa to the immigrants, allowing them to enter the U. S. Immigrants do not learn and speak English as quickly as the immigrants before 1965. The government should only allow highly skilled immigrants to enter the U. S. and slow down the immigration process. While I have agreed with some of the points Zuckerman is making, I do not agree with all of the points that he is making, regarding the immigrants i n the U. S.Firstly, Zuckerman states that new immigrants do not learn English as quickly as immigrants before 1965, because they are not linguistic minority to dominate any large city the way the Spanish speakers now dominate Miami and Los Angeles. I believe it is not true to assume that immigrants before 1965 have learned English quickly. As an immigrant, I do learn English faster than the immigrants before 1965. In my situation and as an immigrant who has left my birth country and lives in the U. S. , studying for my education, I do study; read, and write English.I have studied, learning how to write, using the different types of tenses as well as the spoken English language better compared to immigrants before 1965. In addition, I have disagreed Zuckerman’s statement that the immigrants before 1965 mastered the English language better than the immigrants in existing times, because I believe that the immigrants before 1965 purposely learned and spoke English to work in fact ories and groceries stores. The other problem that I have noted, concerning Zuckerman’s article is the statement that only highly skilled immigrants should be provided entry in the U.S. He argues that US should only allow highly skilled immigrants that can be beneficial to the US economy. I believe it is unfair to only allow immigrants with high level skills in the U. S. In my opinion, some of the American citizens do not have high level skills. The majority of the immigrants that come to U. S. came here to learn and improves their lifestyles better from the lifestyles that they used to live in their native countries. Further, I have carefully reviewed Zuckerman’s argument that only high skilled immigrants should be allowed to come to the US.Has Zuckerman considered the unskilled immigrant’s desire to learn and the country government’s struggles to sponsors them in the U. S.? Has Zuckerman also considered the impact that the economy of the immigrants†™ country has on them, denying them the opportunities for education to develop high level skills? Besides the goals that some immigrants have for coming to the U. S, for example, to acquire education; return to their country, and develop the country. Some immigrants come in the U. S. with the goals to study and stay permanently.

Billy Graham: a True Leader and Crusader Essay

To find a great modern day leader with a life full of integrity is nearly impossible to do, but Reverend Billy Graham definitely fits the bill. This essay will attempt to show how the Reverend is able to bundle his personal characteristics up to provide dynamic and powerful messages that have provided hope, peace, and courage to millions of people through the past several decades. Billy Graham was not born a leader, but when he found his purpose, he became an unstoppable force that defines leadership. To be a good leader, one must exhibit certain traits, skills, and behaviors. Through traits like honesty, integrity, self confidence, motivation, and knowledge, Reverend Graham is able connect with huge groups of people who are searching for direction in their personal lives. Through careful research and studying, he has been able to compile knowledge and wisdom, and apply that in his sermons. He could grab the attention of thousands in a stadium with his communication skills. He is organized and has shown people how to live by example. To some, his style of preaching may seem tough, but he shares what he believes. He lays it all on the line, and it is up to the people to decide where to go next. The Reverend does not think of what he does as a responsibility or burden, but rather an opportunity to share what he is passionate about with others so that they can feel the same joy that he does. As alluded to earlier, leaders must have certain traits to be successful and Billy Graham has just about every trait that defines a successful leader. Recently, the Reverend was interviewed by Dr. ThomRainer who is the CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources. After the interview Dr. Rainer said,â€Å"The name of Billy Graham inevitably reminds us of integrity. His is a life that did not compromise morally. Hehas lead a life of incredible honesty. Leadership at any level cannot begin to function well unless the leader has integrity. †(Rainer 2009). Not only does Reverend Graham have integrityand honesty, but he has self confidence, motivation, and knowledge. In a country that is known for having very egotistical and self centered leaders, Billy Graham sets himself apart from the pack. There are stories after stories of people that have been emotionally touched by this man. He is known to not even talk about himself in an interview, but be more interested in the reporter, and where they come from, their family and their personal walk with God. This illustration shows that when a person talks to Billy Graham he is actually asserting true self confidence even though he is not talking about himself. He has a motivation to convey his message to that person towards the end of the conversation, and he has the knowledge after he has found out about their background to share that message when he has found a common ground with them. He is a master of all traits that personify a leader and he can lead a person where he wants them to go without them even realizing it. Reverend Billy Graham has skills that were not only obtained though studying scripture and other books in his profession, but most importantly, through listening to others and gaining a certain knowledge and understanding of people. The Reverend does â€Å"Crusades† all over the world and offers an invitation at the end to invite people to know Jesus in their heart. He has reached almost three million people in his â€Å"Crusades† alone which shows that he has a way of teaching and reaching people in a powerful way. He is able to consolidate the most compelling words and sentences into his sermons instead of losing people to boredom, or not finding a piece of his message that will strike at least one nerve with everyone in the audience. He can build a bridgewith people of completely different ideological views. Author Maynard Stoddard said, â€Å"No religious crusader has carried the gospel message to more people in more lands, presented that message with more power or authority, or stirred a deeper response in his listeners. † (Stoddard 1986). He has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman. He has counseled presidents and kings all over the world, yet continues to retain the skill of being humble. He realizes that he too is a follower and without his leader he would not be anyone. He understands what he has is a gift. Everyone needs a level of self-awareness about their talents and abilities. As a leader, this is even more important because you serve your team or organization best when your gifts are being used and brought to their fullest potential. These skills coupled with the traits that have been talked about create an irrepressible leader. Lastly, a leader must have a certain style or behavior to be a leader. Billy Graham is able to combine his goal of getting his message and vision across to everyone in a very tough, directand sometimes rigid way, but at the same time he makes people feel comfortable by showing them positive things that can happen in their lives. He is easily able to tell testimonies, build trust and respect based on commonalities, and then lay out a â€Å"plan of salvation† for the audience. He wants as many people to accept Jesus into their hearts as possible, but numbers are not everything. He wants people to truly understand the message, and not make a decision based on emotions, but one based on a truth that they can follow forever. According to Blake and Mouton’s Leadership Grid, Reverend Graham is a team leader. He has a song emphasis on the task and the people. He wants participation, he makes the message very clear so there are no misunderstandings, he loves preaching because it is his passion, and even though he is in a profession where he could do all the talking, he continues to keep an open mind so he can learn from others and adapt to new situations. Even though there are several different and acceptable types of leaders, these attributes help to show the style of leadership that has molded Mr. Graham into being such a successful leader. In conclusion, Reverend Graham has defined what a leader should be. He has been able to become a successful leader mainly through understanding the fine line between being very rigid and being what people consider to be a dreamer. He has clearly been able to walk that line and not stray from it at all. After 93 years on this earth, he is still pursuing his passion. People still leave feeling like they know him personally and feeling a sense of validation.

Health Behavior and Governmental Influence Essay Essay Example

Health Behavior and Governmental Influence Essay Essay Example Health Behavior and Governmental Influence Essay Essay Health Behavior and Governmental Influence Essay Essay Healthy Living Campaign As from 1800s, public health has become the number one motive to the United States government. Any public matters and rights acknowledge the state as a permitted sector allowed to safeguard the public health and wellbeing. To date, it is the governments responsibility to make sure that the people have access to proper diet as a way of promoting health living in as far as the tobacco and alcohol production is concerned. According to Resnik (2015), several governmental sectors for instance, Food and Drug Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, the Surgeon General, and the Affordable Care Act. Required to have generated rules that help in steering up the campaign on healthy living through education, and through the laws set to govern both the consumer and the producers. In every set of rules, there are those rules which will seem to be contentious and misleading. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) argue that the state is accountable for safeguarding the public h ealth through making sure that the kind of food being consumed are safe and satisfied by the FDA. Despite the effort, several Americans believe that some of the states hard work destabilizes personal independence hence being able to discover healthy food unattainable. This essay, therefore, concentrates on the rules proposals that argue with obesity. Obesity Obesity is and has been one of the major problems with the Americans. According to World Health Organization (2016), the number of obesity in the World has increased as of 1980. Heart defects and Cancer are among the deadly diseases in the United States with recorded casualties of close to 1,000,000 yearly. In the past year (2014), WHO (2016) confirmed that mature people with over 18 years were diagnosed as being overweight with a percentage of 39% whereas 13% were obese with most children close to 41 million being diagnosed with being overweight. The increased consumption of fatty food, too many carbohydrates, and sucrose are the causative agents as to why the majority of the populace are getting obese and overweight (Resnik, 2015). Mayo Clinic (NY) states that regardless of the incidences of genetic inclinations, environmental involvements, and age-related illness, the majority of these conditions can be controlled through eating well-balanced food and relationship of physical activities. The effort enacted by the government has been related to clinical, behavioral, and educational matters being pushed forward by the Affordable Care Act. Healthcare Cost Report Close to $147 billion covers that populace who are affected with overweight (Finkelstein, 2009). It is, therefore, vital for the government to have a cooling on mitigating costs as much as safeguarding the people against danger. In every year, billions of taxpayers money are directed to health care programs, knowledge, and medical covers. Hence, to disregard the contributing factors those augments expenses and mortify health tend to be unfair to the community and the taxpayers. Food satisfiers are influential in offering information as to what each kind of food contains. Before buying any food product, it is always good to understand the kind of knowledge being passed by the labeling on the food. People have shifted from making their food and packaged food products to readymade food industry or fast food. Hence, many American have opted for this kind of option because they believe it is easily reliable especially if in a hurry. Affordable Care Act In 2010, President Obama initiated the Affordable Care Act. Its aim was directed to reduce the cost of defensive sickness and the rise in child obesity. With the formation of the Affordable Care Act, it has assisted in controlling the spreading of obesity. MyPlate According to the USDA, it urges the public to mind what they consume. Since 1916, food that was meant for children and the methods used to select the food were the prior guidelines that steered healthy living by then hence controlling the outbreak of lifestyle diseases. The government has been trying to revise on the type of food consume by the society resulting in the formation of MyPlate in 2011 which stressed on visual cues. With My Plate, it assists in grasping consumers concentration and rationalizing information contained in its precursors. Under ;MyPlate,; foodstuff with categories of carbohydrates, sucrose, fats, wheat, and cereals have been eliminated and replace with proteins, vegetables, and grains among the rest.; Youth Programs As of 2010 through the help of First Lady Obama, she came up with a movement ;Let;s Move; which was aimed to spread awareness on improving the kind of food being consumed. School-based curriculums played a vital role in imparting the message to the society with the message on the importance of balanced diet. The reason behind the curriculum was aimed at establishing healthy living approach. The United States Department of Agriculture came up with a program called the ;National School Lunch Program; among others, which assisted in providing a balanced diet to the students (USDA).; Promotion of Open and Free information Programs assist in aiming at the endorsement open and free in a sequence that can be spread sparsely to help in public in coming up with assessments, and motivations to the communal action for improved health. The type of information which can influence a bigger group of people is regarded as empowerment.; It allows them to come up with mature choices, which they are conscious about.; Summary Public health is of the utmost importance to the U.S.A government .as such it has come up with laws that help to augment the people;s behavior. The laws are all encompassing, they comprise of laws that regulate individual behavior such as through ensuring proper education to all citizens, laws that govern the agents of behavioral change such as the Food and Drug Administration that governs the safety and efficiency of products that are meant for human and also bolstering public health by ensuring innovation and creativity in manufacture of medical products. Thirdly, there are laws that govern information and socio-economic environments such as ensuring proper labelling of all products. Regulation of Health Behavior The government has also put in place systems that aid it in its role to regulate health behavior. These systems include the governments taxing power. Taxes play a fundamental role in the government;s efforts for it provides the much needed funds that are necessary to carry out activities such as education programs on proper health behaviors, provide public health service and provide services such as proper sanitation its citizens. The patient protection and affordable care act passed by president Obama aims to increase the number of the insured population and lower the costs of accessing proper healthcare to the citizens. This is achieved by offering subsidies and lowering the cost of health insurance while increasing the insurance coverage. In conclusion, public health has become the number one motive to the United States government. Several governmental sectors for instance ;Food and Drug Administration., the United States Department of Agriculture, the Surgeon General, and the Affordable Care Act,; have generated rules that help in steering up the campaign on healthy living through education, and through the laws set to govern both the consumer and the producers. Socio-Economic Stability Improvement The government through come up with ways to effectively ensure that all of its citizens are getting wholesome healthcare. This is by ensuring through education programs that ensure that all the people are well versed with the proper behaviors in order to achieve good health. It is thduty of the government to provide quality and affordable insurance, sanitation and education on appropriate and safe practices.; It is also the government;s duty to minimize potential health risks such ensuring that people acquire safe and quality food and drugs. The government also regulates the manufacture and consumption of potentially unhealthy substances such tobacco and alcohol in order to ensure the general well-being of the nation. This is accomplished through proper legislation. It is through proper nutrition that the general prevalence of some lifestyle diseases such as obesity can be reduced. The government helps to regulate the nutrition by coming up with bodies e.g. the FDA that set the guideline for the proper nutritional safety by regulating the types of food that is safe for human consumption. It also promotes laws that ensure that all products meant for human use satisfy certain standards before they are allowed for public use. The government is a major player in promoting proper health behavior among its citizens. This is because the healthier the citizens are , the more productive they are thus directly improving the whole nations socio-economic stability.

How to Build an SAT Study Plan 4 Sample Schedules

How to Build an SAT Study Plan 4 Sample Schedules SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips To do well on the SAT, you’ll need to have an SAT study plan. This plan tells you what, when, and how to prep for the SAT. It also helps you manage your time so that you’re not focusing too much (or too little) on certain topics and skills. In this guide, we give you four SAT study plans to choose from, based on your SAT score goals. Before we dive into those, though, let’s go over the benefits of having an SAT study schedule and the preliminary steps you'll need to take to get your SAT plan off the ground. Feature image: danyeela/Flickr What Are the Benefits of a Study Plan for SAT Prep? Everyone who takes the SAT should have a study plan. But what exactly can an SAT plan do for you? For one, an SAT study plan lets you balance your schedule so that you’re spending enough time prepping for the SAT but not overworking yourself.For example, if you’ve got two months until your test date, an SAT plan tells you how many hours per week you must study so that you’re prepping regularly but not squeezing in too many study hours each day. An SAT study schedule also tells you when and how to study the topics you must master to get a high score. If you're not sure where to start with algebra, for instance, a good plan will show you when and how to study all major algebraic concepts you need to know for the test. Likewise, an SAT plan should give you time to review and strengthen any content weaknesses you have. Finally, a solid SAT study schedule indicateswhether you’re improving. By studying consistently for several weeks or months, you’ll be able to determine whether your SAT score is in fact getting higher, as well as whether you’re getting more questions correct in your weaker areas. The easiest way to check your progress is to use official SAT practice tests(we'll tell you how to use these later). As you can see, an SAT studying schedule can greatly benefit you. With a plan, you’ll not only be able to manage your prep time better but will also be able to use your time more effectively to hone the skills and study the content areas you struggle with the most. What’s more, you can use your plan to help you track your progress and see whether you’re improving your likelihood of getting the SAT score you want. Getting Started on Your SAT Study Plan: 5 Preliminary Steps Don't jump into an SAT study schedule without a plan! These five preliminary steps will help you gather the info and materials you need to choose the right SAT plan for you. Step 1: Set a Target Score First and foremost, you'll need to set an SAT goal score. A goal score is the score most likely to get you into all of the schools you’re applying to. To get your goal score, you must find the 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores for each of your schools (excluding any safety schools). But what does these numbers mean? And where can you find them? The 25th and 75th percentile scores represent the middle 50 percent of scores for admitted applicants, or the average range of scores. A75th percentile score means you’re scoring higher than 75 percent of admitted applicants to a school, while a 25th percentile score means you're scoring higher than only 25 percent.The best way to keep track of your schools' SAT info is to make a chart (or downloadour pre-made chart). Once you've got a chart,get on Google and search for â€Å"[School Name] PrepScholar." Then, click the link to your school’s â€Å"Admission Requirements† page.On this page, you'll see a table listing your school's 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores. For example, here is the SAT score table for theUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa: Repeat this process for each of your schools until you’ve got all 25th and 75th percentile scores in your chart. Then,choose the highest 75th percentile score in your chart; this will be your SAT goal score sinceit’s the one most likely to get you into all of your schools. Let’s say I am applying to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, UC Davis, the University of Oregon, and the University of Washington. Of these schools, the highest 75th percentile score is 1420 (for the University of Washington). This means my SAT goal score would be 1420. Step 2: Find Your Baseline Score The next step is to get your baseline score. This score is essentially your starting point; it’s the score you’d get on the SAT at this very moment, without any prep. To find your baseline score, take an official SAT practice test. Official tests are the best resources for getting a baseline since they’re the most similar to the SAT.As you take your practice test, try to recreate real testing conditions as closely as possible: take it in a quiet room, usean SAT-approved calculator, and follow the official section time limits. Once you finish, use your test’s scoring guide to calculate your scores for each section as well as overall (out of 1600). Your total score- that is, your Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) scores combined- will be your baseline score.So ifI earned a 630 on Math and a 600 on EBRW, my baseline score would be 1230. Your baseline score is your starting point in SAT prep. Step 3: Calculate How Many Hours You’ll Need to Study Next, use the info you got in steps 1 and 2 to calculate the approximate number of hours you’ll need to studyto raise your current score to your target score.To do this, subtract your baseline score from your goal score. Then, match the difference you get to the numbers below to see how many total hours you'll need to prep for the SAT: 0-30 point improvement: 10 hours 30-70 point improvement: 20 hours 70-130 point improvement: 40 hours 130-200 point improvement: 80 hours 200-330 point improvement: 150 hours+ As you can see, the bigger the point increase you want, the more hours you’ll need to study. In my example from steps 1 and 2, my goal score was 1420 andmy baseline score was 1230. The difference between these two scores is 190 points. Using the conversions above, I find that 190 points translates to about 80 study hours. Step 4: Choose a Test Date When taking the SAT, always choose a test date that: Gives you ample time to prepare for the exam Fits well with your schedule Ensures your scores will get to your schools in time Let's look at time first. The amount of time you’ll need for SAT prep will vary depending on your baseline and goal scores.Simply put, the more hours you need to study, the more time you should give yourself before your test date. Generally, anywhere from three to six months of study time should be enough. However, you might find you have less (e.g., a month) or more (e.g., a year) time than this. In any case, try to find a time frame that lets you easily fit in the total number of hours you need to study. Secondly, pick a date that works well with any obligations or commitments you have (personal, school, or otherwise). For example, if you’re starring in a school play in April, a spring SAT probably wouldn’t work as well for you as a summer or fall SAT would. Lastly, if you’re taking the SAT as a senior, choose a date that's guaranteed to get your scores to your schools before yourcollege application deadlines. If your scores arrive after the deadlines, your application could get disqualified. In general, seniors (who aren’t applying early actionor early decision) should be safe with all fall test dates and likely the December test date- but not anything later! Step 5: Gather Study Materials It's important to gather all of your study materials before you begin prepping for the SAT. This way you won’t waste any study time trying to find resources you can use. Official SAT resources are by far the best ones to use.Luckily, the College Board has released many free prep materials online. Here's what we recommend using in your prep: Official SAT practice tests:These full-length tests are exactly like the real SAT in terms of structure and overall content. They're the closest you can get to taking the SAT without actually taking it! Official practice questions: You can accesstons of practice questions for all SAT sections through the College Board website. Each question comes with a question difficulty and detailed answer explanation to help you understand how to find the right answer. The Official SAT Study Guide: This is the official SAT prep book, covering everything you need to know about the format of the exam, what's on it, and how to study for it. There are also plenty of sample questions you can work through. The best part is that the College Board has uploaded the entirety of the book to its website, making it entirely free to download! Khan Academy:A free partner website with the College Board, Khan Academy offers thousands of official practice questions, answer explanations, and video lessons for the SAT. Furthermore, there are many high-quality, unofficial SAT resources you can buy. Our guide to the best SAT prep books offers a look at which prep books are worth investing in. As a reminder, always be a little pickier with unofficial resources since many are low quality and don’t contain realistic SAT practice questions. We give each of our four SAT study plans four stars. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! 4 SAT Study Plan Options for You to Choose From Now that you’ve finished all preliminary steps for your SAT plan, it’s time to find the plan that’s right for you. Below, we give you four SAT study plans to choose from. These plans differ in both length of time (e.g., one month, three months, etc.) and intensity (that is, the total number of hours you’ll need to study per week). Each SAT study plan gives you an overview of what to study for the week and comes with suggested time frames.These guidelines tell you (approximately) how much time you should spend on each activity. That said, you are welcome to tweak them if you feel you need more or less time with a certain topic. Remember, a good SAT prep plan willadapt tofit your needs. If you're stronger at math and want more study time for Reading and Writing, it's OK to replace some of your Math prep time with Reading and Writing prep. Just know that by changing content focuses or time frames, you'll likely need to shift other days' topics or make up for missed time on other days. Ultimately, what's most important is that you're getting in the total number of study hours you need. Now, let's take a look at our study plans. We offer the following four programs: A three-month program of medium intensity (80 hours) A three-month program of low intensity (40 hours) A six-month program of medium intensity (150 hours) A one-month program of high intensity (40 hours) SAT Study Plan 1: 3-Month Program, Medium Intensity This moderate, three-month SAT plan aims to get you as many as200 pointson test day. To reach this goal, you'll need to study a total of 80 hours, or six and a halfhours per week.Since you'll be spending several hours a week prepping, this SAT plan is best if you're studying over the summer and taking the SAT in the fall. As with any plan, you may spread out your hours however you like each week. Those studying in the summer should try to prep fairly regularly- two or three days a week is ideal. On the other hand, if you’re currently in school, it may be easier to study mostly on weekends. In the end, just do what works best for you! To be successful, always start with the foundation. Month 1: The Basics This month is all about familiarizing yourself with the SAT's structure and content. Week 1: Get to Know the SAT 1. Take a practice test to get your baseline score. If you haven’t taken an official SAT practice test yet, use this time to take one and get your baseline score. Try to take the test in a quiet room without distractions so that you’re getting an accurate representation of your current SAT abilities. Suggested Time: 4 hrs 2. Score your test and analyze your results.Calculate your baseline score and take some time to see what kinds of questions and content areas you struggled with on the test. Suggested Time: 1 hr 3. Learn the format of the exam. To do well on the SAT, you’ll need to understand the format of the test, including what kinds of concepts it tests and how these concepts are given as questions. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs Week 2: Focus on Reading 1. Learn the Reading test format. Know what kinds of passages and questions there will be and how much time you’ll get. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 2. Figure out the best passage-reading strategy for you. Take a couple of Reading practice tests (you can use official practice tests) to test out different reading strategies. When finished, choose the strategy that gave you the highest score. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 3. Try out Reading practice questions with the strategy you’ve chosen. Put your strategy to the test and aim to get better at it the more you use it. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs Week 3: Switch to Writing Language 1. Learn the Writing and Language test format. Understand how it’s different from Reading, what kinds of questions it asks, and what sorts of grammar and stylistic rules you’ll need to know. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 2. Review core English grammar topics and punctuation rules.Go over standard English conventions and familiarize yourself with the kinds of errors you’ll see on the SAT. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 3. Find the best passage-reading strategy for you. This strategy might differ from the one you use for the Reading section. To figure out which one you like most, take some Writing practice tests, using a different strategy each time. Stick with the one that gives you the highest score. Suggested Time: 2 hrs Week 4: Move Toward Math 1. Learn the Math test format. Understand the differences between the No Calculator and Calculator subsections as well as the differences between multiple-choice questions and student-produced responses. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 2. Review basic math concepts. Start by reading our guide to integers andour advanced guide to integers. Then, check out our fundamental guide to fractions, ratios, and proportions. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 3. Go over major algebraic concepts, including: Linear functions Single-variable equations Systems of linear equations Algebra plays a key part on SAT Math, so you’ll need to know what it is and how it looks on the SAT. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs You can't do well on the SAT without strategy. Month 2: Strategies For this month, you'll study additional concepts you need to know and learn basic test-taking strategies that'll help you attack questions effectively on test day. Week 5: Learn More Math 1. Get to know other SAT Math concepts, specifically those in the realms ofadvanced math and problem solving and data analysis. Topics include: Statistics Reading data tables, bar graphs, histograms, and scatterplots Quadratic and nonlinear functions and equations Exponential functions and equations Polynomials Coordinate geometry (points, lines and slopes, etc.) Plane and solid geometry (lines and angles, polygons, solid geometry, etc.) Trigonometry Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 2. Memorize important formulas.Get down the main formulas for SAT Math. Suggested Time: 1 hr 3. Practice SAT Math questions and drill difficult topics. As you practice, check your answers and analyze your mistakes so that you can see which concepts you need to study more. Suggested Time: 3 hrs Week 6: Start Strategizing 1. Learn key SAT Math strategies, including plugging in answers and plugging in numbers. In addition, learn how to pace yourself and practice guessing strategically on Math. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 2. Learn key SAT Reading strategiesand Writing tips. Understand what to look for in different question types and how to rule out incorrect answer choices. Also, study possiblevocabulary words. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 3. Practice Math, Reading, and Writing questions. Put your strategies to the test with realistic practice questions for each section of the exam. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs Week 7: Check Your Progress 1. Take an official practice test. You'll use this score to see how much you’ve improved since your baseline test.As always, try to recreate a real SAT-testing environment as you take the test. Suggested Time: 4 hrs 2. Score your practice test and determine your weaknesses. Look at your results to get a clearer idea of what you’ve improved and what you’re still struggling with. Over the next month, you'll primarily study the weaknesses you find in this test. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs Week 8: Hone Your Essay-Writing Skills 1. If you’re planning on taking the optional SAT Essay, use this time to go over the basic format of the essay.Understand what kind of writing you'll need to do and how long your essay should be. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 2. Readofficial practice SAT Essay prompts.This will give you a broad idea of the kinds of topics you might see on test day. Learn how prompts are usually worded and look at sample responses, too. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 3. Write a few practice essays.Once finished, grade yourself using the official SAT Essay rubric. You can also get another person to grade your essays and offer suggestions for improvement. Suggested Time: 3 hrs Test day is coming up, which means it's time to start reviewing. Month 3: Review Practice Almost done! In this last month, you’ll focus mainly on reviewing and practicing what you've already studied. This means there will be no new content to learn. Week 9: Strengthen Your Weaknesses 1. Use high-quality practice questions to drill any major weaknesses you still have. For example, if you’re struggling to get trig questions right, review the basic concepts you need to know and test yourself with more trig questions. Suggested Time: 6.5 hrs Week 10: Check Your Progress 1. Take your third and final practice test.This will give you a last-minute look at what kinds of weaknesses you still have at this point. Suggested Time: 4 hrs 2. Score your test and closely analyze your results. Are there any areas you really need to improve these next two weeks? What confuses you or eats up your time? Learn what's holding you back and then attack it head-on. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs Week : Practice Still-Difficult Concepts 1. Spend all of your time reviewing and practicing difficult concepts.Use practice questions to try out what you've learned and to ensure you’re making progress on the concepts you struggle with the most. Suggested Time: 6.5 hrs Week 12: Review as Needed 1. Keep reviewing concepts or strategies you still need to work on- but don’t overdo it. This week should feel more relaxed than other weeks. As you study, focus on staying calm and confident. Don’t study the day before the test or the day of your test; you’ll need this time to give your brain a break and calm your nerves. Suggested Time: 6.5 hrs (with 0 hrs on test day and the day before the test) SAT Study Plan 2: 3-Month Program, Low Intensity Compared to the plan above, this SAT schedule is slightly more relaxed and instead targets those looking to make smaller gains- anywhere from 70 to 130 points. With this plan, you’ll study a total of 40 hours, or only about three and a half hours per week. This plan is ideal for those studying for the SAT during the school year, though you can also use it during the summer. If you're any having trouble finding time to prep during the week, try opting for Saturdays and Sundays. You need to go back to the basics if you want to do well on the SAT. Month 1: The Basics This month familiarizes you with all of the main parts of the SAT, including how it’s structured, how it’s scored, and what kinds of Reading and Writing content you’ll need to know. Week 1: Find Your Baseline Score 1. Take a practice test and score it.Although this test will likely exceed your weekly number of study hours, it’s important to get it done so you can see where you’re currently scoring. Once you finish the test, score it to get your baseline SAT score. Suggested Time: 4 hrs Week 2: Get to Know the SAT Format 1. Analyze your baseline test’s answers from the previous week. Just getting your baseline score doesn’t illuminate your weaknesses and strengths. Take some time to go over each of the answers on your practice test, and see if you can re-solve any questions you missed without relying on the answer explanations. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 2. Learn the format of the exam. You need to understand the format of the SAT to know how to attack it on test day. This means getting to know the question types, what kinds of topics are tested, and how the sections are arranged. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs Week 3: Focus on Reading 1. Learn the Reading test format. Go over the different kinds of passages and question types on SAT Reading. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 2. Figure out the best passage-reading strategy for you.Try out different strategies with a variety of Reading passages and question sets. Give yourself 13 minutes to get through each passage and question set. Once finished, calculate the number of questions you answered correctly to determine which strategy gave you the highest score. Suggested Time: 1 hr 3. Practice answeringReading questions with the strategy you’ve chosen. You’ll need to understand how your passage-reading strategy works and how you can use it effectively on test day. Suggested Time: 1 hr Week 4: Switch to Writing Language 1. Learn the Writing and Language test format. Go over the basics of what’s on this section, how it differs from Reading, and what kinds of passages and questions it has. Suggested Time: 1 hr 2. Review core English grammar topics and punctuation rules. SAT Writing is all about channeling your inner editor, so be sure to familiarize yourself with all of the major grammar and punctuation topics tested. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 3. Practice the graf-by-graf method for reading passages. This method is the best one out there for Writing section passages, so be sure to try it out on a couple of SAT passages to get a feel for how it works. Suggested Time: 1 hr Time to get calculating! Month 2: Math Strategies Next up, you’ll get to know the SAT Math section, what it tests, and how to strategize for it. You’ll also learn key Reading and Writing strategies. Week 5: Move Toward Math 1. Learn the Math test format. Know what kinds of question types and math topics to expect. Also, understand the difference between regular multiple-choice questions and student-produced responses, or grid-ins. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 2. Review basic math concepts. You must have a basic knowledge of integers (make sure to also read our advanced guide to integers) as well asfractions, ratios, and proportions. Suggested Time: 2 hrs Week 6: Learn More Math 1. Go over common algebraic concepts, such as linear functions, single-variable equations, and systems of linear equations. Since algebra plays a huge part on the Math section, you’ll need to understand how it's tested and how to solve these types of problems. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 2. Review other major math concepts, mainlyadvanced math and problem solving and data analysis. Additional topics you should know include the following: Statistics How to read data tables, bar graphs, histograms, and scatterplots Quadratic and nonlinear functions and equations Exponential functions and equations Polynomials Coordinate geometry (points, lines and slopes, etc.) Plane and solid geometry (lines and angles, polygons, solid geometry, etc.) Trigonometry Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 3. Memorize important SAT Math formulas.Focus primarily on the formulas you won't get to see on test day (though it’s a good idea to memorize all of them!). Suggested Time: 30 mins Week 7: Practice Reading Writing 1. Learn key SAT Reading strategiesand Writing tips.Specifically, you should know how to answer different question types and how to rule out an incorrect answer. Suggested Time: 1 hr 2. Practice SAT Reading and Writing questions. Drill Reading and Writing questions until you’re comfortable with your passage-reading strategies. If you have extra time, learn some of the most common SAT vocabulary words, too. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs Week 8: Practice Math 1. Learn key SAT Math strategies. These include plugging in answers, plugging in numbers, and the process of elimination. Suggested Time: 1 hr 2. Practice SAT Math questions. Test out the strategies you’ve learned and try to drill questions on topics you struggle with. Use the correct answers to guide your thinking if you’re having trouble understanding how to solve something. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs You won't get the SAT score you want if you don't practice, practice, practice. Month 3: Review Practice This month is all about making sure you understand the major concepts tested on the SAT. Week 9: Check Your Progress 1. Take an official practice test. Make sure to recreate a real testing environment as closely as possible. When finished, score your test to see how much you’ve improved since your baseline test. Suggested Time: 4 hrs Week 10: Strengthen Your Weaknesses 1. Use high-quality practice questions to drill any major weaknesses you still have at this point. For example, if you don’t understand how to answer big-picture questions on Reading or coordinate geometry questions on Math, focus on getting those concepts down pat. Suggested Time: 3.5 hrs Week : Practice Still-Difficult Concepts 1. Spend time reviewing difficult concepts until you can correctly answer practice questions on these topics. Keep using the strategies you’ve learned and review any other topics as needed, such as vocabulary words, formulas, etc. Suggested Time: 3.5 hrs Week 12: Review as Needed 1. Continue going over any topics you still need to study before test day- but don't overdo it. Your goal now is to feel calm and confident on test day. Keep reviewing any topics, question types, etc., you struggle with and then relax the day before test day. Suggested Time: 3.5 hrs (with 0 hrs on test day and the day before the test) You'll know you're almost done with this next SAT plan when these kittens are nearly full-grown cats. SAT Study Plan 3: 6-Month Program, Medium Intensity For this medium-intensity plan, you’ll study 150 hours over the course of six months- that’s six or six and a half hours per week. This plan can give you a maximum score increase of 330 points. So if your baseline score is far from your goal score, this is a perfect plan for you! I highly recommend this plan to high-achieving sophomores, as it gives you a head start on SAT prep and dramatically raises your potential to get a high score on your first SAT attempt (which should ideally be in the fall of your junior year). Juniors can benefit from this plan, too, by using it to prepare for a spring or early summer SAT. What's especially great is that you can spread out your study sessions across the school year, helping you to avoid overwhelming yourself with school work and test prep. Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Month 1 Find Your Baseline Score Take an official practice test (4 hrs) Score your test to determine your weaknesses (2.5 hrs) Understand Structure Learn the SAT format (3 hrs) Learn the Reading test format (3 hrs) Understand Structure Learn the Writing and Language test format (3 hrs) Learn the Math test format (3 hrs) Learn How to Read Find your preferred passage-reading strategy for Reading (2.5 hrs) Find your preferred passage-reading strategy for Writing (2 hrs) Study vocabulary (2 hrs) Month 2 Learn Math Content Review basic math topics and formulas (3 hrs) Build algebra foundation (3.5 hrs) Learn EBRW Content Review English grammar and punctuation topics (3 hrs) Build reading comprehension knowledge (3 hrs) Learn More Math Content Build problem solving and data analysis foundation (3 hrs) Build advanced math foundation (3 hrs) Check Your Progress Take a practice test (4 hrs) Score the test and review your answers (2.5 hrs) Month 3 Learn EBRW Strategy Learn how to eliminate wrong answer choices and practice (3 hrs) Practice other EBRW strategies (3 hrs) Learn Math Content Strategy Build additional topics foundation (2.5 hrs) Practice plugging in answers and numbers (2.5 hrs) Practice other Math strategies (1.5 hrs) Focus on Your Weaknesses Practice Math and EBRW topics and question types you struggle with (6 hrs) Check Your Progress Take a practice test (4 hrs) Score the test and review your answers (2.5 hrs) Month 4 Review Practice Practice Math and EBRW topics and question types you struggle with (6 hrs) Learn the Essay Format Learn the Essay format (2 hrs) Practice writing essays (4 hrs) Review Practice Practice Math and EBRW topics and question types you struggle with (6.5 hrs) Check Your Progress Take a practice test (4 hrs) Score the test and review your answers (2.5 hrs) Month 5 Review Needed Math Concepts Review any Math topics you’re still struggling with based on your practice test results (6.5 hrs) Review Needed Reading Concepts Review any Reading topics you’re still struggling with based on your practice test results (6 hrs) Review Needed Writing Concepts Review any Writing topics you’re still struggling with based on your practice test results (6 hrs) Check Your Progress Take a practice test (4 hrs) Score the test and review your answers (2.5 hrs) Month 6 Review Needed Concepts Review any Math or EBRW topics you’re still struggling with based on your practice test results (6.5 hrs) Review Needed Concepts Review any Math or EBRW topics you’re still struggling with based on your practice test results (6 hrs) Check Your Progress Take a practice test (4 hrs) Score the test and review your answers (2.5 hrs) Prep Lightly Review Practice any topics or question types you want to review and get some rest before test day (6 hrs) SAT Study Plan 4: 1-Month Program, High Intensity For this quick, high-intensity plan, you’ll spend 40 total hours, or 10 hours a week, studying for the SAT. By the end, you'll be able to raise your baseline score by up to 130 points. In order for this plan to work, however, you must be willing to put in the time and effort to study each week. One month isn’t a whole lot of study time, especially if you’re trying to make gains of more than 100 points, but it’s certainly doable if you know how to use your time wisely. For more tips on studying for the SAT in a month, check out our step-by-step guide. Week 1: Study Structure 1. Take a practice test.First and foremost, you’ll need to have a baseline score. Make sure to take the test in a quiet room without distractions. Suggested Time: 4 hrs 2. Score your test and analyze your results. To figure out what areas you struggle with the most, look closely for any patterns in your mistakes. Suggested Time: 1 hr 3. Learn the SAT format. Go over what’s tested, all question types, and how it’s scored. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 4. Learn theReading test format.Get a feel for what the Reading section tests and what kinds of passages it contains. Suggested Time: 1 hr 5. Learn theWriting and Language test format. Get to know the Writing section by learning how it differs from Reading and what kinds of passages it includes. Suggested Time: 1 hr 6. Learn theMath test format. Familiarize yourself with the topics it tests, its No Calculator and Calculator sections, and the differences between multiple-choice questions and grid-ins. Suggested Time: 1 hr Make sure you understand the structure before focusing on content. Week 2: Concentrate on Key Content 1. Reviewcore English grammar topics andpunctuation rules. You’ll need to know a variety of grammar rules for the Writing section, so memorizing these is critical for a high Writing score. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 2. Review and practice core math concepts. These include the following: Integers (we also have an advanced guide to integers) Fractions, ratios, and proportions Algebra (linear functions, inequalities, equations, systems of equations) Advanced math (nonlinear functions, polynomials) Problem solving and data analysis (statistics, how to read graphs) Suggested Time: 5 hrs 3. Memorizeimportant SAT Math formulas. Knowing these formulas will give you a leg up on test day. Suggested Time: 1 hr 4. Choose and practice a passage-reading strategy for Reading. To choose one, practice different strategies using official SAT Reading tests. The one that gives you the highest score is the one you should use on test day. Suggested Time: 2 hrs Week 3: Strategize Check Your Progress 1. Practice thegraf-by-graf method for reading passages on SAT Writing. This is the best strategy for Writing passages since it is less time consuming than others and easy to learn. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 2. Learn key Math, Reading, and Writing strategies.For Math, the best ones to know are how to plug in answers and how toplug in numbers. For Reading and Writing, learn how to eliminate incorrect answer choicesand when to choose â€Å"No Error.† Suggested Time: 4 hrs 3. Check your progress by taking a practice test.Once finished, calculate your score to see how much you’ve improved since your baseline test and to determine where your weaknesses lie. Suggested Time: 4.5 hrs Week 4: Review Practice 1. Go over any SAT topics, question types, or strategies you want to practice more. You’ll need to get down the most important concepts if you hope to do well on test day, so focus on any glaring weaknesses you still have. Don’t study the day before the test, though, as you should take some time to rest your brain a bit! Suggested Time: 10 hrs What to Remember When Choosing an SAT Study Plan Before choosing an SAT schedule, set a target score, take a baseline practice test, choose a test date, and gather all of the materials you'll need for your prep. This will help you find an SAT study schedule that's perfect for you and your goals. But which plan will work well for you? In short, the best SAT study plan for you is the one that'll help you reach your goal score on test day. As you consider what plans might work for you, keep the following points in mind: Consider your obligations. Choose a study plan that doesn’t interfere with any major commitments you have. For example, if you have sports practice every day after school, opt for a plan that lets you get in all of your prep hours over the weekend. Stick to a regular schedule. The plan you select will be most effective if you stick to a regular schedule each week. This means you should try to study on the same days each week and for the same number of hours. Customize your plan- but don’t forgo critical steps. We encourage you to tweak our SAT plans to better fit your study needs. However, you should still follow the general order of steps we’ve given you so that you don’t skip crucial information or practice. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Study plans can be heavy, but they should still be doable. Don’t choose a plan that’ll require you to pull all-nighters every week- exhausting yourself won't get you the score you want! With that, I wish you the best of luck with your SAT study plan! What’s Next? Want more guidance on SAT study plans?Get tips on how long you should study for the SAT and learn how many times you should take the SAT. Looking to get a perfect 1600?Read our expert guide to getting a perfect SAT score, written by a real full scorer! Taking the ACT?We've got a separate guide to help you come up with your own ACT study plan today (coming soon)! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today:

Russian - Ukrainian relations since 1991 Essay

Russian - Ukrainian relations since 1991 - Essay Example The most significant new states resulting from the break-up of the Soviet Union are unquestionably Russia and Ukraine. Referred to as the â€Å"big two†, Russia’s population at the time of the break-up was at 150 million while Ukraine’s population was at 50 million. More importantly, Ukraine is the second largest post-Soviet state after Russia. As Ukraine seeks to establish itself as an independent nation and to forge ties with Western powers, Russia is determined to establish itself as an empire and is therefore focused on obtaining and sustaining both regional and international power. Arguably, there is an underlying ideology that fuels Russia’s drive to obtain and sustain regional and international power. From the perspective of the Russian Nationalist, Russia maintains a separate identity from the West and Ukraine provides the border between the West and Russia. Therefore, looked at from the Russian nationalist perspective, it is not possible for Ukraine to exist as a state independent of Russia. This research study argues that this is the principle theme underlying Russia’s foreign policy and is also the main source of tension in the relationship between Russia and Ukraine since 1991. In order to substantiate this argument, this paper is divided into three main parts. The first part of this paper describes the events leading up to the break-up of the Soviet Union and how those events left Russian-Ukrainian relations in 1991 at the start of the post-Soviet era. The second part of this research study analyses Russia’s foreign policy after 1991. ... ..16 B. The Orange Revolution†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...21 C. Relations During Yuschenko and Tymoshenko’s Administration..24 D. The Return of Yanukovich:the Sevastopol Deal and Energy Supplies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..29 V. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.34 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...36 I. Introduction The most significant new states resulting from the break-up of the Soviet Union are unquestionably Russia and Ukraine. Referred to as the â€Å"big two†, Russia’s population at the time of the break-up was at 150 million while Ukraine’s population was at 50 million.5 More importantly, Ukraine is the second largest post-Soviet state after Russia.6 As Ukraine seeks to establish itself as an independent nation and to forge ties with Western powers, Russia is determined to establish itself as an empire and is therefore focused on obtaining and sustaining both regional and international power.7 Arguably, there is an underlying ideology that fuels Russia’s drive to obtain and sustain regional and international power. From the perspective of the Russian Nationalist, Russia maintains a separate identity from the West and Ukraine provides the border between the West and Russia. Therefore, looked at from the Russian nationalist perspective, it is not possible for Ukraine to exist as a state independent of Russia.8 This research study argues that this is the principle theme underlying Russia ’s foreign policy and is also the main source of tension in the relationship between Russia and Ukraine since 1991. In order to substantiate this argument, this paper is divided into