The American Dream and College Essay example -- Personal Narrative Edu

The American Dream and College My junior year of high school was filled with high emotions, stressful moments, and tension about where to apply to college and where I would be accepted and ultimately attend. At a â€Å"Making the Most out of your Sixth Semester† forum that year, the entire junior class experienced lectures from the school’s college resource counselors about how to prepare for this arduous battle of college admissions. The way Sue Biermert, who is the College Admissions Counselor at my high school, opened the forum was by asking a question to the parents that put everything into perspective: â€Å"How many of you parents feel like you are successful?† Every single hand shot up from the 500 parents in the auditorium. Of those that had their hands up, she asked, â€Å"How many of you parents received an Ivy League education?† Every hand went down. I could see friend’s mouths sit there in awe that getting an Ivy League education is not necessarily th e greatest factor at having a good life. Even though these shocked students were the ones hoping to be accepted by Yale and Harvard, they all simultaneously recognized that going to an Ivy League school is not a guarantee for success in life. The reality about American culture is that success is the result of individual experiences that suit the needs of each person, not necessarily the prestigious institution of learning that one attends. The college resource counselors that night wanted to stress one central problem that we were all going to face in the next twelve months. Invariably, they highlighted with personal stories and anecdotes that the admissions process is the most untrustworthy and unpredictable game anyone can get involved in. ... ...d reach the top. Unless there is a consensus in public opinion to challenge class reproduction, this system in our culture will grow exponentially more competitive annually. America is not what it once was, and it is an extremely arduous task to carry on a job without a college degree. While there is a rush to get married and have a family still at a young age, people still realize that you need to know where your next paycheck is coming from to support yourself. The â€Å"American Dream† is still a looming theory that people are striving to attain, and those people are the students of America that are being told from our elders that this is what it takes to reach that point. While it may be dirty politics to do what it takes it get by and be accepted, American culture has become a love for the game in order to perceive that desired image of success.

Cinema Paradiso Analytical Paper

These also gave him hope in real life. But, movies were more detrimental to Toto. It made him blind to what reality is. He had less focus on life because of the movies. Movies became blurred between reality and fantasy. One example was when his mother told him his father died. It is expected when a loved one dies, people mourn. However, Toto even smiled when he saw a particular film poster. 2. The rusty anchors by the seashore symbolized Tot's views on life and love that were greatly influenced by films, and his loyalty and commitment to films.He was severely attached to his love or Elena, being and his village life, even when clearly there were a lot of other opportunities to pursue his passion. Alfred tried to explain that like the deep blue sea beyond there is a bigger world for Toto to explore, a world which will develop his passion and talents fully, and reach his potential. The unwinding yarn that was knitted by Salvatore mom symbolized Tot's life unwinding itself as he was bac k where he came from. It hinted that he came back to search himself for unsettled questions.He looked back to his life that was once a dream. Finally, fortunately he got answers and remembered where e came from. The demolition of Cinema Paradise symbolized a new beginning for the townspeople of Canonical, and new advancement in technology which was the television. Let symbolized the destruction of the old way of living of the Canonical community. Because this structure served as the heart of the tofu wherein people gathered and bonded with each other, the demolition symbolized the end of Alfalfa's life and the increased distance among the townspeople like Tot's life.But, even though the building was destroyed, the townspeople gathered one last time to mourn, heirs and relive the memories of Cinema Paradise. Their tradition may be lost, but it has opened new opportunities to build a new tradition. 3. Think his act of breaking up Salvatore and Elena was wrong though he was filled with good intentions. He thought this was the right thing to do for Toto to have a good life. With this act, it seemed like he truly cared for Tot's future, like a father would care for his children. But, he did not give Toto to freely decide for his destiny He forced him to choose only one option.Their relationship was not even hurting anyone. If he purely and truly loved Toto, he would have guided him better, let him learn, grow, decide for himself and with the risk of mistakes. Even though what he did was wrong, somehow viewers can sympathize to Alfalfa's good intentions and as to why he did this: he lived a life of regret because he did not have the good life he aspired for. Yet, I think he was a possessive selfish father that caused more harm than good to Toto. 4. I think the scene where teary-eyed Salvatore was watching the montage of kissing scenes gave us a look at his relationship with Alfred and Elena.Movies were an essential part of his life. The kissing scenes in movies were censored so it led him to be fascinated and curious. When he finally watched the kissing scenes, it made him wistful, happy, and teary-eyed because he felt Alfalfa's love for Toto, and his overwhelming praise to Tot's achievements. Let served as a gift, a prize and a reward to Toto. Also, the scene interpreted the ephemeral passionate and glorious past and unfortunate future with Elena. Elena was his one and only true love. It stirred up his emotions and his passionate memories of youth and love with Elena.

Financial and non-financial implications of Winston Barkwith’s proposal Essay

Introduction: For my analysis I simplified ‘normative investment process’ model (original source: Pike and Dobbins, 1986), which I would like to use to determine the future viability of the project plan put forward by Winston. The basic idea which underlies the model is that the process of capital investment can be considered to flow from strategic planning through to search for investment opportunities to meet that plan. The opportunities are screened and defined for the subsequent analysis by management. If the project is sanctioned then the investment is made, making sure that there are no cost overruns. Once a project has been commissioned and running for a time it is useful to assess whether it is meeting the expectation promised at the evaluation stage. Audit technique can be used at latter stages to ensure appropriate control. In order to evaluate Winston’s proposal I used in depth qualitative cost-benefit analysis and also numerical techniques, such as cash flow forecast and payback (see Appendix 1). Main body of the report: 1) Strategic plan. Strategic plan of the North West Trust for the Protection of Wildlife is very well reflected in the aims of that organisation, which state the following: â€Å"h to encourage farming practices in the region which will not endanger local animal life; â€Å"h to enable the region’s residents to enjoy the local countryside; â€Å"h to educate the region’s young people on how to look after and enjoy the local countryside and wildlife. 2) Search, Screen and definition of investment opportunities. There are two projects put forward before the committee. One of which is the proposal made by the newly elected chairman of the committee, which involves reorganising Moult Hall property into quad biking course. On the other hand, there is a proposal made by Jonathan and Ingrid, who are senior members of the committee. Their idea is to restructure Moult Hall. This would allow young and disadvantaged members of society access to the property. 3) Evaluation of investment opportunities. In this section of my work I would like to concentrate on the cost-benefit analysis of Winston Barkwith project, because it is one which is most contradictory to organizational aims and raises most concern among the members of the Trust’s committee. I mentioned the word contradictory because according to the opinion of many leading financists capital investment decisions should allocate resources within the organisation to offer the best potential for meeting its objectives. Benefits: As understood by me, the idea of financing profit oriented recreational facility is a relatively new one for the organisation. Therefore, the estimates of future profits and cash flows can’t be made using the past experience as a guide. Consequently, form financial point of view they are going to be subjects to greater risk by being the product of forecasts and estimates. The riskier the project the more return the company is likely to require. In the case of Winston’s proposal we can consider the venture as a diversification, which is usually associated with required return of at least 30%. Although no discount factors are given, the nominal figures predicting amazing cash inflow, which can be used to finance other projects. Use of money from the venture could give the organisation opportunity to help more people than they currently do. Dramatic increase in the capital inflow may  give the Trust prospect to achieve much wider objectives than its original ones, e.g. go nation-wide, create or support government lobby, international ventures, etc. There are other, mainly non-financial, advantages of the proposal as well, such as possible boost to the local economy. Organising of quad biking courses will create money inflow into the local economy, which will be magnified by the positive multiplier effect with the end result being increase in wealth for the local community. Let me demonstrate, employees and sub-contractors paid by the owners of Moult Hall are likely to be spending significant proportion of their incomes in the nearby area, which in turn means increases in revenue for the local businesses. Increase in revenue for businesses is likely to result in greater variety, create jobs and allow for more taxes to be collected by the local council, which than can be spend on such public programmes as support of elderly and disadvantaged members of the local community. Another benefit to the local economy which is likely to occur is an improvement in infrastructure. Improved infrastructure should breathe life into the local community; make Moult Hall’s and the Trust’s facilities more accessible. By accepting Winston’s project the Trust could gain invaluable City contacts. If the situation arises the Trust is likely to be in a better position to raise additional funds. Also, the customer segment the proposal is aiming for are extremely wealthy individuals, they are CEO’s (Chief Executive Officer) of large corporations. By cleverly promoting itself the Trust can attract some very influential beneficiaries or even become sponsored by one of the companies. It is not an unrealistic thought, since in the UK many companies which finance charitable organisations often get tax breaks from the government. To add more weight to my arguments in favour of Winston Barkwith proposal I would like to bring forward idea which belongs to one of the leading economic thinkers of the modern era. Milton Friedman of University of  Chicago holds the view that all businesses should use the resources available to them as efficiently as possible. Friedman argues that making the highest possible profit creates maximum possible wealth to the benefit of the whole society. Costs: A good starting point would be the issue of finance. It may be difficult to find finance capital for such a risky venture. It is unlikely that the Trust will have extra four hundred thousands to spend on the project with such a degree of risk. It is a new to the organisation business, there is a high chance of failure. Few of the possible reasons can be overstated or unrealistic customer figures; it may be illegal to destroy woodlands in the area. Also, the Trust, more likely than not, will have to apply for the planning permission for the stable conversion and the petrol tank installation, etc. To continue I would like to remind that organizational aims are the long-term intentions of the organisation to develop in a certain way. Their purpose is to create a common vision which everyone in the organisation should work towards achieving. They use the language intended to motivate within the firm and to convince those outside it of the company’s sincerity and commitment. By accepting Winston’s proposal the Trust will be acting against its stated aims. If the Trust will decide in favour of quad biking facility it will have serious detrimental effect on the local wildlife and farming practices. It will be especially harmful for the re-introduction of red kites project, which is supported by the Trust. An organisation’s aims should establish which stakeholder needs will be identified and considered when strategic policy is developed. Balancing the interests of stakeholders can be extremely difficult, if the aims of some of these groups conflict. The decision to continue with Winston’s proposal would undermine interests of existing stakeholders of the business, people who donated their money for the Trust to accomplish its organisational objectives. The trust is a charitable organisation. Its ethical behaviour is its unique selling point (USP). It will be really difficult to continue it’s fund raising activities if its existing beneficiaries will be thinking that their money invested into some profitable business ventures. On the finance side the organisation may loose more than it gains, since it is currently receiving eight hundred thousands from donations only. Bad publicity may outset revenue from the project (800k vs. 750k). The committee consists of people who look like they have strong ethical values. Introduction of unethical policy, which Winston’s proposal is, can create divisions within the organisation. One can even argue that by accepting the project the committee members would act in direct contradiction to morals which motivated the founder of the Wildlife Trust Doreen Barkwith. Conclusion: To a large extent but not entirely the proposal made by Jonathan and Ingrid is a better option for the organisations long-term growth and objectives. However, the Winston’s proposal no doubt is a more financially sound one. Nevertheless, one needs to remember that ethics are the moral principles that should underpin decision-making. An ethical decision means doing what is morally right; it is not a matter of scientifically calculating costs and benefits. A decision made on ethical grounds might reject the most profitable solution in favour of one of greater benefit to society as well the firm. On the other hand, we all have different world views and different interpretations of what is beneficial for society. Therefore, I would suggest a more democratic approach to the decision making or find a human solution, such as to use less noisy vehicles, go with a different proposal or even building indoor track course.

Importance of the Humanities Essay

There has been much debate about the importance and benefits of funding the humanities in school. Many people are of the view that the study of the humanities is a waste of time and that more money and effort should be expended on teaching the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). On the other hand there is the school of thought which express the importance of maintaining the humanities. Others like Christina Paxson in the article â€Å"The Economic Case for Saving the Humanities† have posited the view that there be a â€Å"cross pollination between the sciences and the humanities†. I am of the view that the humanities are essential and should remain an integral part of the education system. Like Paxson I agree that individuals should be exposed to both the humanities and the STEM disciplines. The humanities are basically the study of the different ways in which people from different parts of the world and during different periods of history have processed and documented the human experience. It is the humanities that we have used to make sense of the world in which we live and also to make records of our experiences. Humans have made sense of the world in which they live through philosophy, literature, religion, art, music, history and language. Having records of human experiences allows individuals to feel connected to those who were before us and also our contemporaries. I strongly believe that the study of humanities is important because not only does it allow us to understand the world in which we live but it also gives us insight into everything and brings clarity to our future. By doing the humanities individuals learn to think creatively and critically. They know how to ask questions and to reason. According to Paxson we need to create well rounded individuals who will be experts in any situation. She argues that the country does not need experts in one subject but a civil society in which everyone can provide meaningful insight into any topic of conversation. As Paxson points out we are living in a global world. As such it is important that we have knowledge of other cultures in order to negotiate our way in this complex village. The United States for example have to form relationships with other countries and it is important that the powers that be know who they are dealing with. Paxson cites the example of the importance of having experts in Arabic and the history of Islam after the September 11 attacks. Through their knowledge the US gained insight into what motivated these individuals and how to possibly respond to them. Knowledge of these people would not have been possible without the study of humanities. The humanities provide us with a number of intellectual and emotional skills that we need to have in order to operate in our society. These are not acquired naturally but rather through the study of a number of humanities. The humanities helped me a lot in my last job at a bank. It strengthened my communication skills both in written and spoken word. I was able to communicate with internal customers, coworkers, easily and without being socially awkward. I was also able to challenge and make recommendations to policies in a respectful manner. I dealt with external customers promptly and efficiently due to the fact that I was able to understand their transactions and queries. In the first part of the video â€Å"Why Look at Art† a lady says, â€Å"I think it’s important [that] people look at art, because we live in a visual world. † This is true; we definitely live in a visual world. Look at it this way, if it was not for art, computers and other electronic devices could only be used by programmers as they were just a series of codes and commands. The introduction of the GUI, Graphic User Interface, solved this problem. The GUI had images that everyone could relate and easy to use. If it was not for art these devices would not be as successful as they are today and would not form the backbone to our means of communication. Throughout this paper I have sought to highlight the importance of humanities as a course of study. Humanities encompasses a wide range of areas that can be applied to our daily existence and enhance our interpersonal interactions, it is therefore important that the humanities remain an integral part of one’s educational experience. This is basically to ensure that one becomes wellrounded, socially accepted individuals.

Knowledge is nothing more than the systematic organisation of facts Essay - 1

Knowledge is nothing more than the systematic organisation of facts. Discuss this statement in relation to two areas of knowledge - Essay Example This was classical definition of knowledge which was ultimately endorsed but initially was described by Plato. Some grasp of knowledge’s relationship to information is required by an understanding of knowledge. The difference between knowledge and information has long been the practice in everyday language (Daniel, 2006, pp. 36).â€Å"Knowledge is nothing more than the systematic organization of facts† is the main theme of this essay. This essay will discuss this statement in relation to two areas of knowledge, i.e. history and ethics. Furthermore, it will investigate the ways of knowing and the two areas of knowledge. The potential knowledge issues, the sort of real life situations which can be drawn out and the challenges and difficulties will also be addressed by this essay. The labeling and division of the knowledge we posses are referred to as the areas of knowledge. Eight different areas of knowledge are identified by the TOK course. Ethics and History are the two areas of knowledge, which I will consider. The study of how to live our lives morally or the moral philosophy is referred to as ethics. Ethics is a branch of knowledge which is concerned with moral principles. The issue of moral issues is an example of a key area of discussion in ethics. Conduct is influenced or governed by these moral principles. The study of morals is referred to as ethics. Since ethics is based on the mind of an individual, therefore, knowledge may be refuted by the idea of ethics. Ethics may be based on beliefs or religion or may be raised through our own experience. In order to list things as facts, there may not be a written formula booklet of ethics. Since ethics is created and related to the time we live now, therefore, it is not highly related to the past. An area of knowledge that studies the recorded past is referred to as history. Understanding of human behavior can be deepened through study

N Investigtion into Why E-Businesses Fil Dissertation

N Investigtion into Why E-Businesses Fil - Dissertation Example Since the dÐ °wn of the internet, Ð ° lot of businesses Ð °nd individuÐ °ls set Ð °bout estÐ °blishing online businesses in Ð ° bid to Ð °mÐ °ss mÐ °ssive profits. However, Ð °ccording to CrÐ °ine (2001) since the yeÐ °r 2000 Ð °pproximÐ °tely 200 online businesses went out of the business Ð °ccounting for more thÐ °n 50% of business closures. This high fÐ °ilure rÐ °te is of concern to the business Ð °nd finÐ °nciÐ °l community; Ð °s such closures will Ð °lso Ð °ffect stock mÐ °rkets Ð °nd shÐ °res. Some of the online businesses would hÐ °ve obtÐ °ined finÐ °nce to fund their ventures, Ð °nd business fÐ °ilures Ð °re bound to hÐ °ve negÐ °tive ripple effects. This is demonstrÐ °ted by CrÐ °ine (2001) who stÐ °tes thÐ °t forty stÐ °rt-up fÐ °ilures cost Ð °pproximÐ °tely $1.5 billion which represents losses of between 39% Ð °nd 60% on globÐ °l stock mÐ °rkets. Some of these businesses fÐ °ilures hÐ °ve been Ð °ttributed to inexperienc ed mÐ °nÐ °gers, poor business plÐ °ns Ð °nd low sÐ °les volumes (CrÐ °ine 2001), however the sÐ °me could be sÐ °id for other businesses thÐ °t do not hÐ °ve Ð °n online presence. These reÐ °sons for fÐ °ilures Ð °re therefore not unique to online businesses which suggest the presence of other fÐ °ctors. For instÐ °nce, e-commerce is Ð ° populÐ °r shopping method Ð °nd this is demonstrÐ °ted by the number of successful online businesses, Ð °nd the reported increÐ °ses in online shopping by the mediÐ °. Ð ccording to Ð bu BhÐ °kÐ °r (2001) the demÐ °nd for online businesses hÐ °s not reduced Ð °nd this is probÐ °bly due to the increÐ °sed Ð °vÐ °ilÐ °bility of the internet.... Chpter III: METHODOLOGY 3.1. Reserch design...29 3.2. Reserch Strtegy....29 3.3. Smpling..30 3.4. Dt Collection nd nlysis..31 Chpter IV: FINDINGS ND DISCUSSION 4.1. Findings...33 4.1.1. Cse Study One - Toys R Us...........33 4.1.2. Cse Study Two - mzon..35 4.1.3. Cse Study Three - Klhri.Net.....35 4.1.4. Boo.com...37 4.2. Discussion...38 Chpter V: CONCLUSIONS 5.1. Conclusions.46 5.2. Recommendtions..47 5.3. Limittions of Reserch..47 Bibliogrphy..48 Chpter I: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Introduction Since the dwn of the internet, lot of businesses nd individuls set bout estblishing online businesses in bid to mss mssive profits. However, ccording to Crine (2001) since the yer 2000 pproximtely 200 online businesses went out of the business ccounting for more thn 50% of business closures. This high filure rte is of concern to the business nd finncil community; s such closures will lso ffect stock mrkets nd shres. Some of the online businesses would hve obtined finnce to fund their ventures, nd business filures re bound to hve negtive ripple effects. This is demonstrted by Crine (2001) who sttes tht forty strt-up filures cost pproximtely $1.5 billion which represents losses of between 39% nd 60% on globl stock mrkets. Some of these businesses filures hve been ttributed to inexperienced mngers, poor business plns nd low sles volumes (Crine 2001), however the sme could be sid for other businesses tht do not hve n online presence. These resons for filures re therefore not unique to on line businesses which suggest the presence of other fctors. For instnce, e-commerce is populr shopping method nd this is demonstrted by the number of successful online businesses, nd the reported increses in online shopping by the medi. ccording to bu Bhkr (2001) the demnd for online

Macro 3.4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Macro 3.4 - Essay Example The horizontal movement represents all the resources that were used to come up with automobile while vertical movement represent all resources that were used to come with the forklifts. Additionally, the graph represents a trade off that may exist when resources are shifted to either automobile or fork lifts. This is usually done when resources are fully employed given the fact that technology and institutions remain constant (Tucker, 2011). Given all the above conditions, out potential for the two products may be able to be achieved at any point on the curve (Tucker, 2011). The law of increasing opportunity coast states that, when technology and resources are held constant, opportunity cost increases as the production of one out increases (Tucker, 2011). In this case, the production possibility curve above exhibit the law of increasing opportunity cost because production possibility curve above displays a convex shape (Tucker, 2011). ... Therefore, based on the above assessment it can be scrutinized that the production possibility curve above exhibit the law of increasing opportunity cost (Tucker, 2011). b) If the economy is at point C, what is the opportunity cost of 10 more automobiles? (5 points) If the hypothetical economy is at point C, the economy must sacrifice 20 units of automobile in order to produce 45 additional units of forklifts this is because movement along the vertical axis led to an increase in number of automobile units being sacrificed in order to produce additional units of fork lifts. On the other hand, a downward movement below point C along the vertical axis leads to an increase in number of additional units of automobile being produced as more and more units of forklifts are being sacrificed(Tucker, 2011). C) If the economy is characterized by this production possibilities curve and is producing 10 automobiles and 40 forklifts, what can you conclude about its use of its available resources? ( 5 points) When this economy produces 10 automobiles and 40 forklifts, it is an indication that, the hypothetical economy must sacrifice 10 units of automobile in order to produce 10 units of folk lifts. On the other hand, the economy must sacrifice 40 units of forklifts to produce 10 units of automobile. At this point of production we can say that economy is it’s attainable and efficient because the resources are fully employed while technology is held constant (Tucker, 2011). d) Is production at a point outside of the production possibilities curve currently possible? Could a future advance in technology allow production beyond the current production possibilities curve? Could international trade allow a country to consume beyond its current production possibilities