In What Ways Do you Consider Decline and Fall To Be A Comic Novel Essays

In What Ways Do you Consider Decline and Fall To Be A Comic Novel Essays In What Ways Do you Consider Decline and Fall To Be A Comic Novel Essay In What Ways Do you Consider Decline and Fall To Be A Comic Novel Essay Essay Topic: Literature Evelyn Waugh has wrote the book Decline and Fall as a statement of what he felt was wrong with the English society in the 1920s. This is reflected through his book using a very dry and ironic humour. The novel is very much satirical, with the main character, Paul Pennyfather, satirising the English culture. In order to show this, I have chosen two events in the book, and I will focus on how Evelyn Waugh makes them comic. The two I have chosen are the sports day and the restoration of Kings Thursday house. To set the scene, in the first part of the novel, Paul Pennyfather had been dismissed from the Oxford University he had been studying at. He needed a job, so he went to work as a teacher at a public school. Unfortunately, he was sent to work at the awful llanabba Castle School. The teachers were all frauds, and their teaching methods were chaotic. The school is generally a disaster. This is Waughs way of saying the schooling system in England is a shambles. One of the events that is particularly funny is the sports day. The first humour comes in the ironic speech made by Dr Fagan, where he says During the last 14 years at this school, there have been six sports days and two concerts, all of which have been utterly disastrous. This is again commenting on how bad the school is. The teachers start talking about how well presented this years sports day is. Then, quite ironically Paul comments Nothing seems to have been done about marking out the ground. Imagine the ensuing chaos as boys ran frantically round, with the teachers setting their own race distances! As for the newly delivered hurdles, they were only Five feet high and were painted green with spikes. So the doctor, in a very sarcastic manner says It seems they have sent the wrong sort. The sports day starts to turn into a disaster. The Doctor says he wants there to be some style involved in the event. When he asks for a starting pistol, Philbrick pulls out his enormous revolver. He then says careful, its loaded. This made me laugh, what sort of school sports day uses a loaded revolver as a starting pistol? The then band arrives. Described by Waugh as men of revolting appearance. He said they were like a loping tread of wolves and ape-like. Philbrick then says Loonies! This is where I shoot. The teachers then find out that it is the band the school have booked. This was very ironic. Dr Fagans insulting comment regarding the bands Welsh nationality, then began insulting the bands nationality, they mate freely with the sheep. Further enhances the comedy of the situation. As the first race started, Mr Prendergast managed to shoot one of the boys in the foot. This was very dry humour coming into play as the book says clearly Tangent was not going to win. This was yet another sarcastic yet very funny line. The second part I will be focusing on is the re-building of Kings Thursday House. Margot Beste-Chetwynde owned the country house and it was in desperate need of restoration. It had not been changed for hundreds of years, but it was still a remarkable house. The house went up for sale and it was bought by Lord Pastmasters sister-in-law. The first ironic humour to hit this chapter it when Waugh is describing how Margot visited the house she owned for the first and only time. She said it was worse than I thought, whilst all the villagers who lived nearby almost worshipped the house. This shows a definite class distinction in Waughs writing. Margot decided to re-store the house, so she employed an architect who was given the instruction Something clean and square. So basically Margot wanted to change everything good about the house. The comic part in this section of the book is the interview by a journalist, with the architect. He is criticising his own profession, by saying I dont think it is possible to make architecture beautiful. Pessimistically he says Man is never beautiful, He says. My impression of this man is a crazy pessimistic architect who is a failure. The journalist realises this and tries a different approach by asking how much he expects to earn out of the job. The man replies by saying fuel. This made me laugh because here is yet another aspect of English society that in Waughs mind is a failure art. The architect carries on being pessimistic by saying in a gloomy voice I suppose there will have to be a staircase, why cant people just stay in one place? He then has another dig at humans by saying that they dont stay still and work. Followed by another amusing comment Do dynamos require staircases? Do monkeys require houses? He then goes on about how the human race is immature, self-destructive and half-formed. I think the man fails to realise he is a human himself. He is the complete opposite of what an architect should be full of ideas and full of life. Whereas this man is a sarcastic, unhappy and uncreative architect. This is what makes him such a failure, and ultimately what makes his character funny. Waugh has therefore displayed this event in an ironically amusing context. Although I have only focused on two parts in the novel, the same theme runs throughout the book. Waugh makes it clear that he thinks the English culture is a complete shambles. He has taken some quite serious events in Paul Pennyfathers life, and managed to make them interesting, and above all very amusing. In my view, Evelyn Waugh is a great comic novelist.

English Learning Tips for ESL Learners and Classes

English Learning Tips for ESL Learners and Classes Here are a number of English learning tips to help you or your class improve your English. Choose a few English learning tips to get started today! Ask yourself weekly: What do I want to learn this week? Asking yourself this question every week will help you stop and think for a moment about what is most important to you. It is easy to focus only on the current unit, grammar exercise, etc. If you take a moment to stop and set a goal for yourself every week, you will notice the progress you are making and, in turn, become more inspired by how quickly you are learning English! You will be surprised at how this feeling of success will motivate you to learn even more English. More on how to improve your general approach to learning English. Quickly review important new information shortly before going to bed. Research has shown that our brains process information that is fresh in our brains while we sleep. By shortly (this means very quickly - just a glance at what you are working on at the moment) going over some exercise, reading, etc. before you go to sleep, your brain will work away on this information while you sleep! Other ideas on how your brain works While doing exercises and alone at home or in your room, speak English aloud. Connect the muscles of your face to the information in your head. Just as understanding the basics of tennis does not make you a great tennis player, understanding grammar rules do not mean you can automatically speak English well. You need to practice the act of speaking often. Speaking of yourself at home and reading the exercises you are doing will help connect your brain to your facial muscles and improve pronunciation and make your knowledge active. Do five to ten minutes of listening at least four times a week. In the past, I decided I needed to get fit and went jogging - usually three or four miles. Well, after not having done anything for many months, those three or four miles really hurt! Needless to say, I did not go jogging for another few months! Learning to understand spoken English well is very similar. If you decide that you going to work hard and listen for two hours, chances are that you will not do extra listening exercises any time soon. If on the other hand, you start off slowly and listen often, it will be easier to develop the habit of listening to English on a regular basis. Look for situations in which you must speak/read/listen to English This is probably the most important tip. You need to use English in a real world situation. Learning English in a classroom is important, but putting your English knowledge into practice in real situations will improve your fluency in speaking English. If you do not know of any real life situation, create new ones for yourself by using the Internet to listen to the news, write English responses in forums, exchange emails in English with email pals, etc.

Business Intelligence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Intelligence - Research Paper Example Staples (2009) explained that business intelligence is considered as the techniques to cut and dice the data to generate reports. One of the available tools for business intelligence reports is SAP Crystal Reports Solution. The main purpose of this tool is to provide a comprehensive and graphical representation of the data to organizations. Organizations can analyze their operational and service performance (with the help of these reports) to identify the weak and strong areas, as well as analyze the industry data to identify opportunities, market trends and threats in the environment. SAP Crystal Reports Solution provides an effective medium to create, securely share and manage data for effective reporting (SAP, n.d.). It is an affordable solution that facilitates faster decisions for the development of business and increased market shares. SAP Crystal Reports Solution offers scalability since it can be increased from a couple of users to 200 employees (working simultaneously), as p er need of the organization. The solution encompasses two technologies; SAP Crystals Reports and SAP Crystal Reports Server. SAP Crystal Reports provide the interactivity and viewing capabilities, while the Server provides features to share the reports in an organized manner. Server also provides the conversion of reports into document formats.

Merger and Acquisition Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Merger and Acquisition - Research Proposal Example This proposal considers the factors that drive firms to buy or merge with others, or to split-off or sell parts of their own businesses and the resulting tax consequences for firms and for investors. The main motive behind buying a firm is to create shareholder value above and over that of the sum of the two companies. The main assumption behind merging two companies is that two companies together are more productive than two separate companies. This underlying principle is particularly attractive to firms when the going is tough as has been the case for some of the companies in the prevailing economic crisis. Strong firms will opt buy other firms to create a more competitive, cost-efficient firm. The firms will merge with the intention of gaining a greater market share or to achieve greater efficiency. Due to these potential advantages, target firms will most of the time agree to be purchased when they are aware that they cannot survive alone. In fact merging or being acquired may b e the only way for some smaller and less established firms to survive this prevailing economic crisis. A merger occurs when two companies, most of the time roughly the same size, agree to proceed as a single new firm rather than be separately owned and operated. This sort of procedure is more accurately referred to as a "merger of equals". The stocks of both the firms are surrendered and novel company stock is issued in its place (Tibergien, 2006). For example, both Daimler-Benz and Chrysler ceased to exist when the two companies merged, and a new firm, DaimlerChrysler, was born. Although most of the time they are used in the same context and used as though they were synonymous, there is a slight difference in meaning the terms merger and acquisition. When a firm purchases and clearly establishes itself as the new owner, the taking over is called an acquisition. From a legal perspective, the target company ceases to exist, the buyer company takes over the business and the buyer's stock continues to be traded. In real world however, actual mergers of equals don't happen that regularly. Usually, one firm will buy another and, as part of the deal's terms, simply allow the acquired firm to declare that the action is a merger of equals, even though technically it's an acquisition (Donald, 2008). Being bought out most of the time has its negative implications, as a result, by defining the deal as a merger, deal makers and the top management attempt to make the acquisition more pleasant. A purchase deal will also be called a merger if both CEOs agree that joining together is in the best interest of both of their companies. But when the target company does not want to be purchased-that is when the deal is unfriendly - it is all the time considered as an acquisition. Whether a purchase is regarded a merger or an acquisition actually depends on whether the purchase is friendly or hostile and how it is announced. That is the actual difference is in how the purchase is communicated to and received by the target company's top management, other workers and shareholders. The economic crisis and anticipated slowdown in spending has made a number of firms that have great technology but weak balance sheets seek the shelter of a merger or an

Elementary Math Methods Essay Example for Free

Elementary Math Methods Essay The aim of this practice is to help students understand place value concepts such as ones, tens, hundreds and grouping. In the activity, students are encouraged to record school days using straws. They add up the straws every day until they total to ten so as to transfer the bundle to a tens pocket. Depending on the grade level, they can go further to group the tens bundles to make a pocket of one hundred straws. In addition, students are told to note down the right integers to represent the number of bundles and number of single straws (Kawas, 2010a). Place Value Race http://www. theteachersguide. com/Mathactivities3. html This practice engages students in some sort of competition aimed at assisting them understand place value of integers (0-9) according to their position in a number. The students are grouped into two and each group given a set of red, yellow, blue and orange colored cards. The students are then instructed to select a color to stand for each place value (e. g. yellow for ones, red for tens, blue for hundreds etc) (Math Activities III, n. d. ). The instructor then says a number (let say 3456) and the groups compete to create the number using the cards. The first group to create the number is awarded some points and the game continues until all students have participated effectively. Number Line-Up http://www. mathwire. com/numbersense/morepv. html The aim of this place value activity is to help students to develop and master place value concepts of numbers. Some students are given demo cards and instructed to go in front while the rest remain on their desks with integer cards (Kawas, 2010b). The teacher says a number and instructs students at front to line up in such a manner to create the number while those at the desks are required to organize the cards to create the same number. After creating the number, students are asked to say the integer at the tens or hundreds, or thousands position. To encourage creativity among the students, the teacher can randomly choose a student to give out directions for creating the numbers to the other students. Conclusion School Day Count Routine practice helps students understand place value concepts such as ones, hundreds and grouping. On the other hand, the other two activities are aimed at encouraging students to master place value ideas such as tens, hundreds and ones etc. References Kawas, T. (2010a). Place value activities: School day count routine. Mathwire. com. August 9, 2010. http://www. mathwire. com/numbersense/placevalue. html Kawas, T. (2010b). More place value activities: Number line-up. Mathwire. com. August 9, 2010. http://www. mathwire. com/numbersense/morepv. html Place value race. (n. d. ). Math Activities III. August 9, 2010. http://www. theteachersguide. com/Mathactivities3. html

Personal Selling Essay -- essays research papers

Index 1. The Organization: What it is and what itdoes 2. The Products and services marketed 3. The role of personal selling in the promotional mix 4. A description of the salesperson’s job 5. The selling process SRCC TRADING DEPARTMENT 1: The Organization: what it is and what it does The Trading Department is the preferred supplier of Agricultural Chemicals, Fertilizer, Packhouse and General Farming Requisites in the Sundays river Valley. Mission: The Trading Department supply and sell Agricultural Chemicals, Fertilizer, Packhouse Material and General Farming Requisites to Citrus Growers and Private Packhouses in the Sundays river Valley. A knowledge-able ,skilled, trained and motivated staff who are focus on excellent client-service by ensuring competitive prices on products, stock availability and technical advice . The objective of the Trading Department. The primary objective of the Trading Department is to assist the shareholders of the Company in maximizing the profits of their farming operations. The secondary objectives of the Trading Department are: †¢ Economic efficiency. †¢ Good Image. †¢ Maximum client support. †¢ Growth and development. In Conclusion: The management of the Trading Department must on a continuing and long term basis stay focused on providing farming requisites and in so doing assist in keeping production costs of the farming units as low as possible. The Trading Department must strive to achieve its secondary goals to make this possible. 2: The Products/Services marketed †¢ The long-term objectives of the Trading Department are dependent on determining the needs and wants of the citrus-growers, private pack houses and other target markets and satisfying these more effectively than our competitors . †¢ The Trading Department follows the relationship perspective on marketing - consumer retention, consumer loyalty and consumer service ( or service quality). †¢ Regular (every alternative month) memos and circulars will be posted to our customers to motivate and to restrict their ... ...cal support needs." The presentation is more about establishing a relationship—as a growing account .If there is no sale or order at the end of the presentation, at least leave knowing why not. Is there some reason why we can't take care of this right now?" Agreeing on the next step is as good as any order once the presentation is done. "Never leave without some kind of agreement as to where the customer-seller relationship is going [next appointment, calls to be made]," Also, knowing when to leave is important. "Once you ask for, and receive the order, it is appropriate to leave. Just say thank you and move on. You don't want to outlast your welcome." But sales managers and some salespeople haven't realized that the decision-making time has lengthened. "The customers don't want to make their decisions until they are absolutely sure. After the presentation, most salespeople just give up too soon. Manage the process of keeping in touch with the prospective customer. Because when they do decide to make a buy, and you happen to be off their radar, they'll go to the next person. Not managing your follow through is how sales are lost."

System Integrity and Validation Kudler Foods

This company has established a new accounting information system to assist in all three stores. As part of this system, this firm recommends utilizing audit productivity software to enhance the system already recommended by this firm. Using audit productivity software will decrease the time necessary to audit the accounts as this will now be computerized. This will also increase profitability by decreasing money and time spent in the audit process and Kudler will be able to make alterations to the process more quickly than if audits were handled manually.Another recommendation by this firm would be the installation of continuous audit software that would continually monitor the data being input into the system. This would increase the effectiveness of auditing the stores. With the continuous audit software, Kudler would be able to follow-up on any abnormalities earlier as this software runs automatically. This would assist Kudler in handling any fraud issues that might arise as well. System Integrity and ValidationKudler Fine Foods hired this corporation to establish a new electronic data system to handle the accounting and inventory needs of the company. As part of the proposal, this company will recommend ways to audit the information that the system creates. Once the data has been input into the system, audit procedures can take place to ensure the information is correct and that the company is performing well. This company will help Kudler establish audit processes for each area of the business.As Kudler moves forward with the new automated accounting software as recommended earlier, it is important that an auditing process be established also. Since the accounting process has been converted to an accounting information system, computerized audit productivity software needs to be established as well. This will increase the productivity and profitability of Kudler because the data used by either internal auditors or external auditors can be more quickly obta ined and analyzed than doing the process manually. Kudler will need to determine which software works best for the needs of the company.Electronic work papers have many features to evaluate which include the importing of data, the analysis of that data, being able to export this data to excel or other formats, and automatically generating the working papers at the conclusion of the audit. All the recommendations for Kudler Foods are to make the company more profitable and automated. Computer assisted auditing techniques (CAATs) â€Å"assist auditors in obtaining sufficient, reliable, relevant, and useful evidence to support predefined audit objectives† (Hunton, p.184). It is important that Kudler audit the accounts even though the company is not a publically held company. As outlined previously, this company recommends different auditing techniques depending on the area being audited, but highly recommends the findings and recommendations audit to ensure that the new system i s operating appropriately and the information is accurate. There are 10 key steps in the CAATs system that range from planning and implementation to documenting in the work papers.With each audit, it is critical that the auditor know what information is being looked for so when the data is accumulated, the auditor will understand the data and know if it is accurate. The auditor will work closely with the accounting personnel at Kudler to determine the objective of the audit. Based on the objective, the correct auditing format will be chosen. The ISACA Standards Board has issued guidelines governing the use of CAATs and provides guidance to the auditors. There are two categories of techniques that CAATs is used for.The first is to validate the application integrity, â€Å"the objective being to determine whether the source code has been compromised, either intentionally or unintentionally† (Hunton, p. 188). Tests might be run with a parallel simulation to determine if the soft ware is working properly. In this situation, the auditor will create a test set of data and run the auditing techniques against that data. If the system creates the expected set of data, then the system is working as it should. The second category is to verify the data integrity.This technique centers around data extraction and analysis to ensure the data is imported and exported correctly. With using an automated system, Kudler auditors can pull all the information and test for accuracy or abnormalities instead of only being able to pull a sample of the data. These two techniques help to validate the testing that will occur against the real data being reviewed for Kudler Foods. The CAATs is also used to detect any type of fraud that is occurring within the company.By using an automated accounting system along with the automated auditing system, Kudler has the ability to review 100% of the data and locate duplicates and gaps in the data. By using an automated system, Kudler can not only validate the integrity of the application and data, but also determine what could possibly be missing. A continuous audit technique might be one choice to consider for Kudler as it might work well for detecting fraud. A continue audit would be a program that is imbedded within the software that will look for things outside the norm. This would enable Kudler to find erroneous information faster.According to investopidia (2013), a continuous audit is â€Å"an auditing process that examines accounting practices continuously throughout the year. Continuous audits are usually technology-driven and designed to automate error checking and data verification in real time. A continuous audit driven system generates alarm triggers that provide advance notice about anomalies and errors detected by the system. † By using the continuous audit, this could be a time saver not only in auditing but in detecting the issues within the system and correcting them more quickly. System Integrity and Validation Kudler Foods Summary of RecommendationsThis company has established a new accounting information system to assist in all three stores. As part of this system, this firm recommends utilizing audit productivity software to enhance the system already recommended by this firm. Using audit productivity software will decrease the time necessary to audit the accounts as this will now be computerized. This will also increase profitability by decreasing money and time spent in the audit process and Kudler will be able to make alterations to the process more quickly than if audits were handled manually.Another recommendation by this firm would be the installation of continuous audit software that would continually monitor the data being input into the system. This would increase the effectiveness of auditing the stores. With the continuous audit software, Kudler would be able to follow-up on any abnormalities earlier as this software runs automatically. This would assist Kudler in handling any fraud issues that might arise as well. System Integrity and ValidationKudler Fine Foods hired this corporation to establish a new electronic data system to handle the accounting and inventory needs of the company. As part of the proposal, this company will recommend ways to audit the information that the system creates. Once the data has been input into the system, audit procedures can take place to ensure the information is correct and that the company is performing well. This company will help Kudler establish audit processes for each area of the business.As Kudler moves forward with the new automated accounting software as recommended earlier, it is important that an auditing process be established also. Since the accounting process has been converted to an accounting information system, computerized audit productivity software needs to be established as well. This will increase the productivity and profitability of Kudler because the data used by either internal auditors or external auditor s can be more quickly obtained and analyzed than doing the process manually. Kudler will need to determine which software works best for the needs of the company.Electronic work papers have many features to evaluate which include the importing of data, the analysis of that data, being able to export this data to excel or other formats, and automatically generating the working papers at the conclusion of the audit. All the recommendations for Kudler Foods are to make the company more profitable and automated. Computer assisted auditing techniques (CAATs) â€Å"assist auditors in obtaining sufficient, reliable, relevant, and useful evidence to support predefined audit objectives† (Hunton, p.184). It is important that Kudler audit the accounts even though the company is not a publically held company. As outlined previously, this company recommends different auditing techniques depending on the area being audited, but highly recommends the findings and recommendations audit to en sure that the new system is operating appropriately and the information is accurate. There are 10 key steps in the CAATs system that range from planning and implementation to documenting in the work papers.With each audit, it is critical that the auditor know what information is being looked for so when the data is accumulated, the auditor will understand the data and know if it is accurate. The auditor will work closely with the accounting personnel at Kudler to determine the objective of the audit. Based on the objective, the correct auditing format will be chosen. The ISACA Standards Board has issued guidelines governing the use of CAATs and provides guidance to the auditors. There are two categories of techniques that CAATs is used for.The first is to validate the application integrity, â€Å"the objective being to determine whether the source code has been compromised, either intentionally or unintentionally† (Hunton, p. 188). Tests might be run with a parallel simulatio n to determine if the software is working properly. In this situation, the auditor will create a test set of data and run the auditing techniques against that data. If the system creates the expected set of data, then the system is working as it should. The second category is to verify the data integrity.This technique centers around data extraction and analysis to ensure the data is imported and exported correctly. With using an automated system, Kudler auditors can pull all the information and test for accuracy or abnormalities instead of only being able to pull a sample of the data. These two techniques help to validate the testing that will occur against the real data being reviewed for Kudler Foods. The CAATs is also used to detect any type of fraud that is occurring within the company.By using an automated accounting system along with the automated auditing system, Kudler has the ability to review 100% of the data and locate duplicates and gaps in the data. By using an automat ed system, Kudler can not only validate the integrity of the application and data, but also determine what could possibly be missing. A continuous audit technique might be one choice to consider for Kudler as it might work well for detecting fraud. A continue audit would be a program that is imbedded within the software that will look for things outside the norm. This would enable Kudler to find erroneous information faster.According to investopidia (2013), a continuous audit is â€Å"an auditing process that examines accounting practices continuously throughout the year. Continuous audits are usually technology-driven and designed to automate error checking and data verification in real time. A continuous audit driven system generates alarm triggers that provide advance notice about anomalies and errors detected by the system. † By using the continuous audit, this could be a time saver not only in auditing but in detecting the issues within the system and correcting them mor e quickly.

Explanatory Story

You will want to interview more than two people to get good material, but you must include quotations or paraphrases from two people who are identified by name and their university of Illinois affiliation or other local tie. At the end of your story, make an Informal source list. Include websites and background resources. Include contact Information for your Interviewees for possible use In verification. For both direct and indirect quotations, be sure to attribute your information to a primary source document, to your interviewees, or to other sources.Remember that o cannot use information from other news outlets. For example, instead of quoting the Associated Press, track down the sources the AP used and quote those documents or people from your own direct contact, if you want to use the information. Be sure to answer the who, what, when, where and why of your story. And the how. Explanatory stories tell how. You may use a feature lead or a summary lead. Possible outline l. Attenti on-getting lead that uses an anecdote or sets a scene (one or two paragraph II. Nut Graff. Why this is a story now – some sort of news peg that includes 5 Was.Ill. Quotation from source that backs up the lead or nut Graff. IV. More facts about topic. V. Quotation that explains the facts or reacts to them. VI. More facts, reaction, quotations VI'. Strong ending. Telling fact or punchy quotation. What kind of story An Interesting one. Http://www. Washington's. Com/WAP-sir/special/metro/urban- story describes owl encounters and Incorporates quotations. It also builds In natural links too map of the area and a Youth video. Communications Library; Enter 122 Gregory Hall and then go downstairs 2 to 5 Wednesdays and 1 to 5 Thursdays

SAT Math vs ACT Math Whats the Difference

SAT Math vs ACT Math What's the Difference SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Which is better/easier/faster- the SAT Math section or the ACT Math section? How does each stack up over the course of the entire test? Most importantly, which math section is right for you? We’ll break down both the similarities and differences in this SAT Math vs ACT Math guide and help you decide which standardized test suits you better. SAT Math vs ACT Math: Test Organization First, let us look at how each test is structured as a whole and how each math section fits into that overall form. ACT Test Organization The ACT is broken into four sections (five, if you take the ACT + Writing), making for a two-hour and 55-minute test (or a three-hour and 35-minute test), not including break times. Each topic section is taken all at once, meaning they are not broken into smaller subsections, and the topics will always appear in the same order. Here is an overview of the ACT Math section: ACT Section Order on Test # of Questions Total Time Time per Question Math 2 (after English) 60 60 mins 60 sec The ACT Math section will always be the second section and therefore will always be sandwiched between ACT English and ACT Reading. You'll have no opportunity to come back to the Math section once your time is up, so you'll have to balance your timing and strategies yourself. Even if you have an extra 10 minutes left on the Reading section, you can't come back to answer more questions on the Math section. This kind of structure tends to appeal to those who can focus on one task for long stretches of time or those who like to finish tasks completely before moving on. The trade-off is, of course, that you'll need to be vigilant when taking the section (if, for any reason, you always get very sleepy in the second hour of taking a standardized test, there goes your entire Math score!). SAT Test Organization The SAT has three main sections (four if you take the SAT with Essay) that, like the ACT, will always appear in the same order. The test is a total of three hours (three hours and 50 minutes with the optional Essay), with the Math section taking up 80 minutes total. Similar to the ACT, once the Math section is over, you'll have no opportunity to go back and answer any questions you might have missed. Here is an overview of the SAT Math section: SAT Math Section Order on Test # of Questions Total Time Time per Question No Calculator 3 (after Writing) 20 25 mins 75 sec Calculator 4 38 55 mins 87 sec The SAT Math section is the only section on the test that's broken up into two segments: a No Calculator subsection (for which you may not use a calculator) and a Calculator subsection (for which you may use a calculator). The No Calculator section comes first after Writing and is 25 minutes long, whereas the Calculator section comes afterward and is 55 minutes long. The SAT testing structure tends to appeal to those who feel more confident in their math abilities and don't need or want to rely on a calculator as much. You'll also get more time per question with the SAT Math section than you will with ACT Math, so it's ideal for those who'd like more time to solve problems and check their answers (we'll talk more about this in detail later). The difference between the two test structures mostly depends on how you like to test. For some people, solving math problems without being able to check them with a calculator is a huge challenge. Others might prefer getting the math section done as early as possible. There is no "better" test design for everyone- just the one that appeals to you more or works better for you specifically. Each test will always have its own predictable structure so there will never be any surprises. SAT Math and ACT Math: Question Types Although many of the math topics covered by the SAT Math section and the math topics covered by the ACT Math section are the same or similar (with some notable exceptions- we'll talk about this more in a moment), the way each test presents its questions is markedly different. Now that we've seen how each exam is organized, let's look at the type and presentation of each math question on the SAT and ACT. ACT Math Question Types The ACT tends to present math questions in a fairly straightforward manner. The questions may test you on challenging mathematical concepts, but they are not specifically designed to test your reading comprehension, nor are they set up to lure you to select bait answers. Basically, ACT Math questions test how well you have memorized a particular math concept and whether you can appropriately recognize and utilize it when necessary. Again, this is not to say that ACT Math questions are easy- many of them are quite challenging- but they're designed to test how well you know specific math concepts and not how well you can solve a puzzle you've never seen before, or how well you can translate a long paragraph that sets up an unusual math scenario. For example: Do you know what a rational number is? And: Do you know how to find the tangent or cosine of a particular angle? (For answers and step-by-step tips on how to solve these questions, check out our guide to the hardest ACT Math questions.) Note that each question gives you five answer choices, so you will always have a 20% chance of getting a question right, even if you were to just venture a guess. You will not be provided with any formulas on the test, so you must have them all memorized before test day. (For a complete list of formulas to know for the ACT, check out our guide to the 31 formulas you'll need to memorize.) Compared to the SAT, the ACT covers a slightly wider range of math topics, such as graphs of trig functions, matrices, and logarithms, none of which is on the SAT. But you must only memorize a few specific rules and formulas for each topic. In addition, geometry makes up about 35-40% of ACT Math but a far smaller percentage of SAT Math, so if you're really good at geometry, the ACT might work better for you. Essentially, the ACT casts a wider mathematical net than the SAT does, but each topic is covered a little more shallowly (except for geometry). SAT Math Question Types The SAT Math section is very similar to the ACT Math section in that questions generally test the same broad math topics (with a large emphasis on algebra) and are all fairly straightforward. In terms of content, the SAT has a much smaller focus on geometry than the ACT does (less than 10% of SAT Math is geometry questions). Furthermore, SAT Math tests fewer math concepts as a whole. While the ACT has slightly more questions that deal with trigonometry, the SAT only has a few at most, so if you're not really good with sines, cosines, and tangents, the SAT might be a better fit for you. The SAT Math section does have a large emphasis on word problems and data analysis, more so than the ACT Math section does. The data analysis problems are often connected across many questions as well. For example: Can you understand how algebra relates to a real-life scenario? And: Do you know how to interpret tables and charts? In terms of formulas and necessary information, the SAT will always give you a formula box at the beginning of both the No Calculator and Calculator sections. Despite this, we still suggest making time to memorize the most important formulas so there are no surprises on test day. Another big difference from the ACT Math section is that the SAT Math section has 13 grid-ins, or student-produced response questions, which account for a whopping 22% of questions on SAT Math. For these, you must come up with your own answer to a problem- there are no answer choices to choose from! Finally, as you could probably tell from the examples above, multiple-choice SAT Math questions will always have just four answer choices as opposed to the ACT's five answer choices. This gives you a slightly better chance (25%) of getting a question right if you were to guess. Each test gives you a slightly different array of math topics and problems, but, once again, there is no "better" test for everyone. If you are stronger in geometry and want to always have access to a calculator, then the ACT might be a better fit. On the other hand, if you like connected data analysis problems and are confident in your math abilities without a calculator, then the SAT might be the ideal exam for you. So let's talk scores (and hopefully none of us will be the throw on the top right). ACT Math vs SAT Math: Scoring For both the ACT and SAT, the balance of correct and incorrect answers gives you what is called a raw score, which is converted into a scaled score. Let’s break down this process and look at how each test differs in its scoring approach. ACT Scoring The entire ACT Math section is multiple choice with five different answer options. For each question on the ACT, you will earn the following points: +1 raw point for each correct answer 0 raw points for any incorrect or blank answer There is no penalty or negative points for wrong answers on the ACT. Once you have a raw score, you can convert it into a scaled score out of 36. This scaled score, in turn, will show you how you rank nationally in terms of your percentile, which indicates how you compare with other students who took the test. For example, if you scored in the 60th percentile, you scored better than 60% of all students who took the test (and 40% of all students received a higher score than you). For details on how to find your raw score, scaled score, and percentile, read our guides on how the ACT is scored and ACT percentiles and score rankings. SAT Scoring As we explained earlier, the SAT Math section is broken into a combination of multiple-choice and grid-in questions. For each question, you will receive the following: +1 raw point for each correct answer 0 raw points for any blank answer Like with the ACT, there is no point penalty for incorrect or blank answers on the SAT. The total raw score on the SAT Math section gets converted into a scaled score on a scale of 200-800. This scaled score will, in turn, give you your percentile ranking, which compares your scaled score to everyone else who took the SAT. To learn more about how to find your raw score, scaled score, and percentile, take a look at our guides on how the SAT is scored and SAT percentiles and score rankings. ACT Scores and Percentiles vs SAT Scores and Percentiles Now, let's look at a side-by-side comparison of the raw, scaled, and percentile scores of the ACT and the SAT, and the percentage of the Math section you must answer correctly in order to score in these zones. All data below comes from official SAT and ACT practice tests, and current SAT and ACT percentiles. (Note that these are general estimates for the raw score needed to get a certain scaled score on SAT and ACT Math. In reality, the exact raw score you'll need to get a certain scaled score differs a little with each test to account for differences in question content and difficulty.) ACT Raw Score ACT Scaled Score ACT Percent Questions Correct ACT Percentiles 16-18 16 27-30% 25th percentile 25-26 19 42-43% 50th percentile 34-36 24 57-60% 75th percentile 49-50 30 82-83% 95th percentile SAT Raw Score SAT Scaled Score SAT Percent Questions Correct SAT Percentiles 20 450 34% 25th percentile 28 520 48% 50th percentile 39 600 67% 75th percentile 52 730 90% 95th percentile As you can see, to get the same percentile on the ACT and SAT Math sections, you'd need to get a few more questions right on the SAT than you would on the ACT. For example, to get in the 95th percentile, you'd need to get around 52 questions right on the SAT Math section but only 49 or 50 questions right on the ACT Math section. For more tips on how to strategically select your answers for each test and generate the highest score, check out our guides on how to best guess on the SAT and how to best guess on the ACT. ACT Math and SAT Math: Time Per Question Now, let's look at how the time constraints for the ACT and SAT stack up against each other. ACT Timing The ACT gives you 60 Math questions to answer in 60 minutes, which gives you an average of 60 seconds per question. Remember, too, that the ACT also tests your mathematical stamina a little more so than the SAT does: unlike the SAT, which separates Math into two subsections (No Calculator and Calculator), the ACT gives you all 60 Math questions at once, with no break in-between. SAT Timing The SAT Math section is divided into two subsections (No Calculator followed by Calculator), each of which has its own number of questions and time constraint: SAT Math Section # of Questions Total Time Time per Question No Calculator 20 25 mins 75 sec Calculator 38 55 mins 87 sec Note that there is a short five-minute break between the No Calculator and Calculator sections, so you're not actually solving all these questions at once as you are on the ACT! As you can see, compared to the ACT, the SAT gives you a little more time per question on Math. You'll typically have anywhere from 15 to 27 seconds more per question on SAT Math than you would on ACT Math. If you're worried about having enough time for each math question, the SAT would probably be a better option for you. "And so the problem remained; lots of people were mean, and most were miserable, even the ones with digital watches." - Douglas Adams (Probably because digital watches are not recommended for the SAT or ACT!) Summary: SAT Math vs ACT Math To more easily see the two tests compared side-by-side, let us recap. The ACT Math section has the following characteristics: Appears second on the ACT, directly after English Contains two more math questions than the SAT does (60 total compared to 58) Is only one section, which allows you to use a calculator throughout as needed Gives you an average of 60 seconds per question Does not issue a wrong-answer penalty Is entirely multiple choice, with every question having five possible answer choices Will not provide you with any formulas Tests a slightly wider variety of math topics than the SAT does Has a much larger emphasis on geometry than the SAT does The SAT Math section, meanwhile, has the following characteristics: Appears third on the SAT, directly after Writing and Language Has two less questions than ACT Math does (58 total compared to 60) Is broken up into two subsections: No Calculator and Calculator Gives you an average of 75-87 seconds per question Does not issue a wrong-answer penalty Consists of a combination of multiple-choice and grid-in questions Has four answer choices for each multiple-choice question Will provide you with a box of formulas before each subsection Tests slightly fewer math topics than the ACT does Has more emphasis on data analysis and word problems than the ACT does Everyone will weigh their pros and cons differently. Don't judge your scale against anyone else's- your choice is ultimately up to you. ACT Math vs SAT Math: Which Test Is Better for You? Unfortunately, you won’t know which test you like better or which test suits your strengths unless you actually sit down and take a practice test of each (you can find free practice SAT tests and free practice ACT tests here). Take each complete test with the proper timing rules and then score your results (SAT scoring guides and ACT scoring guides). If the difference in your scores is huge (you can use current percentiles to get a feel for how "good" your scores are), you have a clear front-runner. If not, go with your gut or whichever test felt more comfortable for you. Colleges do not prefer one test over the other, so the choice is completely dependent on how you like to test. Although it might sound extreme to take two lengthy tests in your spare time, it's well worth it to find the right test for you. Think of it this way- If you’re going to dedicate the necessary hours to succeed (and we recommend that you study around 40 hours total!), then you might as well spend the first few of them figuring out which test you feel more comfortable with. It'd certainly be a waste of your time and effort if you spent 40 hours studying for the ACT only to decide that you actually like the SAT better! Taking a real practice test will also help you set realistic study and scoring goals, and help you figure out how to make the best use of your time, both before and during the test. Once you find your raw and scaled scores, you can start the process of setting realistic goal milestones until you get your score to where you want it to be. If your standardized test of choice is your big boss fight, it's best to pick the one you can soundly thrash. The Takeaways: Should You Take SAT Math or ACT Math? Again, there is no one true "better" test- only the test that better fits your own strengths and preferences. Once you take a practice test for both the ACT and the SAT and examine your scores and your feelings while taking each, you'll be able to clearly decide how to proceed. Remember that you must weigh the pros and cons of each Math section against the entire test as a whole. If you like the SAT Math section better but do a lot better on the ACT as a whole, then you must make the decision about whether your comfort level and Math score are more important than your score on the entire test. Standardized testing is all about balance, so take time to weigh your pros and cons carefully. And once you do this, only practice and diligence will help you strike that perfect balance and achieve your greatest testing potential. What’s Next? Want to compare the ACT vs the SAT across the whole test? Check out our complete ACT vs SAT guide to learn more about the nuanced differences between the two exams. Ready to make an SAT/ACT study plan? First figure out how long you should study for the ACT and how long you should study for the SAT. Running out of time on the ACT or SAT Math section? If you took a practice test but couldn't finish it in time, then check out our tips for how stop running out of time on ACT Math and SAT Math. Looking to get a perfect score? Our guides to getting a 36 on ACT Math and getting an 800 on SAT Math (both written by a perfect scorer!) will help get you where you need to be. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

How to Use Instagram Stories the Best Way for Successful Campaigns

How to Use Instagram Stories the Best Way for Successful Campaigns Instagram is nowadays one of the best social media networks for marketers and advertisers. It has over  800 million users  with 500 million users active on a daily basis. We are talking about an audience wider than that of Twitter and Snapchat combined, an audience that grows with approximately 100 million users each month. Moreover, more than  70% of the total number of US Businesses  is already using this platform as their main marketing social media platform. As a consequence, 7 out of 10 hashtags are already branded. What’s great about Instagram is that the platform is also one of the best channels for a great return on investment. According to HootSuite, Instagram drives in an  engagement rate of 4.21%,  which is 120 times higher than what a marketer can achieve on Twitter and 58 times higher than Facebook. Successful apps and tools are, however, successful because they do not stagnate. Evolution is mandatory and the same thing happens with Instagram. In order to convince your users not to abandon you and spend increasingly more time on your platform, you need to come up with something new once in a while. In this case, that new and interesting thing was Facebook Stories, a featured that immediately caught on and became more popular than expected in a short span of time. Tip: Did you know you can manage all your social media marketing (and more) on one calendar with ? Table of Contents: What Are Instagram Stories? Why Include Instagram Stories in Your Marketing Strategy? What Are the Correct Dimensions for Instagram Stories? How Long Are Instagram Stories? How to Use Instagram Stories as Your Campaigns Main Content Format Instagram Stories for Advertisers What is Instagram Stories? This post has already established the fact that Instagram is great for business. However, there are several types of marketing strategies that a marketer is able to create for this platform only. Instagram Stories constitutes a solid ground for an effective marketing strategy and during this article, I am going to describe the methods and advocate their effectiveness in the short and long run. So, what is Instagram Stories and why should a marketer include this feature in their campaigns? Well, Stories was launched last year as a clone of a similar SnapChat feature. However, it managed to quickly surpass its and competitor and get into the mainstream with over  300 million users  worldwide in 2018. How to Use Instagram Stories the Best Way for Successful Social Media Campaigns by @katairobi via...Basically, with Stories, users are allowed to share with their fans and followers, slideshows of photos and short videos that are automatically deleted after 24 hours. This form of ephemeral content is not featured on users’ profile grids and neither on the main Instagram feed. As a consequence, in order to be able to view them, you need to be connected with the company or the user who shared them in the first place. Later, a new feature was introduced, one that allows Instagram users to save their Stories and make them available to their followers for a longer period of time. Why Include Instagram Stories in Your Marketing Strategy? While all the important reasons have already been listed in the introductive section of this article, let’s add some other important data a marketer should consider before starting to include Stories in their marketing campaigns. According to  Mediakix, there are 2 times more stories posted by brands on Instagram than Snapchat. This means that marketers are already favoring Instagram as their major marketing channel and at the same time, that there’s a wider audience on it. The same source suggests that in a single month, at least 50% of the brands active on Instagram have already posted at least one story. At least 50% of the brands active on Instagram have already posted at least one story.This is not all there is. More and more marketers are becoming aware of the incredible returns of investment Instagram is able to deliver. They invest more in the platform, they produce more content. At the same time,  30% of Instagram users  admitted having already made a purchase from a brand after they first heard about it on Instagram. What Are the Correct Dimensions for Instagram Stories? Images for an Instagram Story should be 1080x1920 pixels. That means a 9:16 aspect ratio as well. While other sizes can be uploaded, they will be cropped. How Long Are Instagram Stories? They run for up to 15 seconds. They disappear after 24 hours. Instagram Stories Length: Videos up to 15 seconds. Disappear after 24 hours. How to Use Instagram Stories as Your Campaign's Main Content Format Well, first and foremost, you need a working Instagram account and a content producing strategy.   Regardless of your final goals, it’s important to start on the right foot with any of your content marketing plans and in this case, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind before actually starting to post your stories such as: Your audience. It’s important to know a thing or two about the audience you are designing your messages for. Who are them? What’s the age group that your followers are a part of? What’s their social and economic status? Your goals. What is it that you want to achieve? Is it awareness? Or, do you want to drive in more sales? Maybe you want to gain more influence or to expand your audience? Whatever your goals may be, it is important to have them clearly stated before starting to work on your campaigns. In order to get from where you are now to where you want to be, you need to know what or where your destination is. Your visual identity. Stories are a form of ephemeral content which means that you don’t need to spend as much time brainstorming for ideas and designing the best possible slides. This is what the whole idea about this Instagram feature. It allows brands and individuals to be more creative by investing less in designs and more in spontaneity and truthfulness. However, this does not mean that you should neglect your visual identity and not take it into account. If you have such elements and they are popular among your audience or very well known, do not hesitate to include them in your Stories. You may benefit a lot from the awareness that is already there. Apart from the above, you should also consider the type of content you are going to start publishing. At this point, you have several options such as: 1. Product-Based Content Online shops and product manufacturers can leverage Instagram Stories by including some of their offers between their slides. Here’s an example from â€Å"The North Face† of a clever wordplay and a simple yet effective story that encourage their fans to shop for their bags: 2. Cultural/Social-Based Content If you are not in the business of selling goods, then you will have the liberty to post anything you want. If you are selling experiences, you can tie your content to the official purpose of your business. For instance, travel blogs or travel agencies can post collages from their most important and valuable destinations. Here’s an example from  National Geographic, which shared a story about the most visited national parks: 3. User-Generated Content Depending on how big is your fan base, you can leverage them to get even more awareness by challenging them to post on your behalf. You can either ask them to send you their pictures out of which you can design the stories or, you can ask them to publish their own stories. Their inputs can include branded hashtags, photos of products, services mentions and so on. The greatest example in this case comes from Red Bull, the true king of today’s online user generated content. They’ve created a whole media company to deal with this kind of content. There are however, other great examples as well. Here’s an example from Airbnb: 4. Other Types of Content There is no limit in what your stories can feature. It depends solely on your own inspiration and creativity and perhaps, the audience you are trying to engage with. For instance, you can announce company related news such as  Ben Jerry  did in this example: Or, you can provide valuable content, as this  New York Time’s  questions and answers story featured in the next image: Tips on Driving More Engagement Instagram provides you with numerous tools that you can use in order to attract more followers and convince them to  engage with your brand. You may already know that accounts with more than 10 thousand fans can include a swipe-up slide on their stories and link back to their own web pages. Apart from this option which I am sure it will be more than beneficial for your campaigns, let’s talk a little bit about some other important options featured here: Polls. One of the easiest and yet most effective ways to drive in engagement and to increase your sales or awareness on your brand, is through polls. You can insert simple and straightforward polls within the slides of your stories and ask people questions and let them answer. A good example, in this case, comes from a cosmetics retailer, Nykaa, who presented their followers with a question and two answers which both led to a possible purchase decision. Also, you can use the polls to get valuable data from your audience and conduct a simple yet thorough market research about information that you need in order to continue your campaigns or start new ones. Geotags. There are a lot of stickers available for Instagram Stories. One of the most interesting and yet, more powerful of them is the geotag location sticker. Here’s an example of how a tagged story can look like: Mentions. You can also use influencer in getting more attention from a larger audience. They can either mention your brand or, you can let them take over your stories and give yours and their followers inside looks at some exclusive content. Here’s an example that comes from  Maybelline New York, a cosmetics brand that used Jordyn Jones as an influencer for one of their campaigns. Highlights: One of the most acclaimed updates the Stories received during 2017 was the introduction of highlights. This new option allows you to save your stories as an archive that will live on your Instagram Profile. This means that you can easily curate the content posted as stories and choose what your followers will see first when they land on your profile page. Summary: The benefits of an Instagram Stories Marketing Campaign Instagram Stories is a free marketing and engagement tool. You can invite people to visit your website via the swipe-up feature. Video stories are being featured in the explorer section. You have creative and inspirational liberty. No need to focus on the design since the content is automatically deleted after a day. You can leverage influencers and geotag your posts. You can use Stories to drive in more customers, to raise awareness or in order to engage with your fans. You can also use this feature to share company related news, to promote new products or services, to announce new featured articles or  podcast episodes. Instagram Stories for Advertisers We’ve established the fact that Instagram Stories is a great marketing tool. You can leverage it to expand your pool of fans, to raise more awareness on your brand or to drive in more engagement or sales. In short, Instagram may prove to be one of the best channels for your  business marketing strategy. Did you know that Instagram Stories can also be used as an advertising channel? Did you know that you can post ads between the slides of other people’s stories? Well, you can and as a consequence, if your budget allows it, you can try this feature as well. Why? When you publish a story your reach is as high as the number of people that follow your Instagram account.

Eroding Local Control & The Influence and Climate Essay

Eroding Local Control & The Influence and Climate - Essay Example However, schools can perform best under instances where they undertake the responsibilities on their own without government intervention. The state should provide the resources that are necessary for the running of a school and leave the other responsibilities to the management. At times, the state education departments emerge as sluggish bureaucracies who have goals which are contradictory and not adaptable to the diverse local contexts (Brimley and Garfield, 2008, p. 73). This makes the state control over education less effective, and thus people do not prefer them. For a school to run in an efficient manner there should be various departments that should ensure that the school runs properly as the management intends. The administration of a school should incorporate various administrators and supervisory personnel who should oversee that all the operations of the schools are running smoothly. The administrative units in a school should entirely depend on the subjects that the school offers. There should be a department that deals with issues regarding the administration of students. This will ensure that all matters concerning admission and maintenance of students’ records are successful. The management should also set a department to deal with an examination in the school. The administration can assess the performance of students through offering examination in the school. There should be a department for the school of science and another for the school of arts. These will ensure that the departments represented in an effective manner a ll students who take science and art courses in the school. The department will cater for the requirement of the courses which are certainly vital to the success of the course. This is an indispensable department that the administration should ensure that it is efficient for students to succeed in their studies (Brimley and Garfield, 2008, p. 81). The management should also establish a department to deal with the employees of the school.