HR Alignment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

HR Alignment - Assignment Example What makes this pioneer fruitful is that when he assumed control over his situation, there was development impediment issue with the association. There was anyway a change plan arranged by the past administration to pick up development in a time of five years. Despite the fact that the Head of Corporate Affairs was not part of the drawing of the change plan, he could assemble each required asset and sort out the human asset he came to meet so that in only three years, the multi year development plan was at that point yielding outcomes. In light of the activity taken by the pioneer and the methodology utilized in making the progress, there are three significant exercise I have found out about the most basic segments of driving and executing change. The first of this is a self discipline, which goes about as a natural inspiration for the individual who is to impact the change. This is on the grounds that despite the fact that the pioneer was not part of the advocates of the change, he had an exceptionally solid will to guarantee that the objectives set were accomplished. The second is praiseworthy administration. Specifically about our pioneer, it was seen that he didn't simply ready to boss others around. Or maybe, he would consistently start to lead the pack in accomplishing something, which made all others go with the same pattern. At long last, the need to adhere to design is extremely fundamental for any change plan. The explanation this is said is that consistently, the pioneer guaranteed that there was no devi ation from what should have been finished. In the assessment of Denton (1996), change forms that are not executed with much concentrate frequently fizzle in light of the fact that there is deviation into doing what isn't initially part of the

Bugs vs. Cottontail essays

Bugs versus Cottontail papers In the wake of watching the short film of Bugs Bunny going about as Super Rabbit with his mate Cottontail Smith I was a little confounded about what I was to compose for this reaction. I reflected upon the significant occasions that were going on in our general public at the time that this animation was made in 1943, and obviously World War 2 rings a bell. The war was among America and Europe, with America ending up as the winner. On the off chance that this clasp has something to do with the wild war, at that point either Bugs Bunny or his adversary Cottontail Smith would need to speak to one of the two nations. Consequently I am bothered in light of the fact that the character playing Cottontail Smith in the film was clear to be our American saint John Wayne, otherwise called The Duke. Bugs Bunny then again, likewise is by all accounts another of our saints, implying that he is consistently the hero and more often than not proves to be the best. I made some hard memories recognizin g whether it was Bugs Bunny or Cottontail Smith speaking to our country. In the animation during Bugs and Cottontails war, Bugs had his carrots that mysteriously transformed him into a Super Rabbit with the cape and all, while Cottontail was a lot greater than he, and furthermore had some ammo. Cottontail loathed hares and was out to get Bugs Bunny so he basically pulled out his gun and besieged him. Bugs being Super Rabbit, essentially found the bomb coming at him without a perspiration and went about as though it were a ball, in a way potentially taunting Mr. Cottontail Smith. He was by all accounts having fun and having only an incredible time, that is until his carrots sneaked out of his rabbit hands as he was as far as anyone knows making all the difference flying through the sky, and he tumbled to the ground. As he gazed upward starting from the earliest stage saw the entirety of his carrots that had been eaten to pieces by Mr. Cottontail Smith, who by the way was presently wearing the cape and appeared to have won the war. Prior in this reaction I referenced that I was befuddled and this is e ... <!

The Best Personal Essay Topics (2020 Edition)

The Best Personal Essay Topics (2019 Edition) Table of Contents1 What is a Personal Essay?2 Personal Essay Topics2.1 College Topics2.2 College Application Topics2.3 Common App Topics2.4 Middle School Topics2.5 High School Topics2.6 Elementary Student Topics2.7 Higher English Topics3 Conclusion If you are trying to think of some good personal essays topics, the best place to start is with you yourself.   You are a unique individual with likes and dislikes.   This is your idea pool.   This is where you should go to think of a topic that suits you well.   A personal essay should be about you and about something you know a lot about.   It doesn’t have to be a hobby you enjoy.   It doesn’t have to be a favorite team you like to root for.   It can be about something you can’t stand.   It can be about the noisy dog across the street that keeps you up at night.   Or it could be something really, truly meaningful that you feel has made a big impact on your life.   The beauty of the personal essay is that it’s your essay.   You make it special.   To help give you an idea of how to come up with your own topic, here are a few we’ve come up with that we think might help! What is a Personal Essay? A personal essay is a brief essay that is about you.   It can be conversational, informal, formal, intimate, sarcastic—whatever suits you and your topic and your audience.   Those are the things you want to keep in mind when you write a personal essay:   who is for, what is the subject, and what should the tone be?   Ask yourself:   How do I want to come across in this personal essay?   What do I want my audience to feel?   Do I want my reader to feel sorry for me?   Do I want me reader to be shocked, surprised, angry, happy, or laughing?   Answer these questions and you’ll be able to answer what your personal essay should be.   In truth, it is whatever you want it to be.   The personal essay is your personal gift to the world, so don’t feel at all constrained to stuff it into a box and make it look conventional or like some pre-fabricated piece of writing.   Your essay should be special, not generic.   So, really, no one can tell you wh at a personal essay is other than you.   So long as it is in some way related to you—to what you think, to how you see things, to some experience you’ve had, or to some experience you would like to have, it will work. Personal Essay Topics College Topics Leadership Leadership is a great topic for a personal essay in college. College is a time when you step up your game and start thinking about how you can lead others.   Use this opportunity to reflect on your own experiences either as a leader or as a follower of a leader you really admired.   Describe your experiences, how they shaped you, and what you learned from them. Education When you’re engaged in higher learning, it really is high time to think about the point of all your years of education. What has education done for you?   Has the rest of your family achieved as much education as you have?   Are you the first to go to college?   Do you hail from a long line of college grads?   What has your college experience been like?   What do you think so far?   What worries do you have going forward?   These are just a few of the questions you should think about when using education for a topic. Lessons Learned in Life Surely you’ve learned so significant lessons by now. Maybe they weren’t learned in the classroom, but maybe you picked them up somewhere.   Maybe you learned them on the field, or from working a job, or from being around friends.   Maybe you took a risk and got burned.   Maybe you pursued a dream that was loftier than it first seemed.   Maybe you came to a deeper understanding of your place in the world by becoming a more spiritual person after an eye-opening experience.   Think about the big lessons you’ve learned so far and share that knowledge and experience in your personal essay on this topic. Where You See Yourself in Ten Years and Why When you look ahead into the future, you probably have a picture of where you want to be and what you want to be doing. Maybe it’s a film director in Hollywood.   Maybe it’s a basketball player in the NBA.   Maybe it’s a rocket scientist working for SpaceX.   Maybe it’s a school teacher.   Describe where you see yourself in a decade and what steps you plan to take to get yourself there. What You Want to Accomplish at School Most people argue that school is a great stepping stone in life. However, a lot of students get there and don’t have a solid idea about what they want to do there.   If this is you, no worries.   Write about your various feelings and ideas and what you could be doing in school.   Sometimes writing about it helps to clarify one’s thoughts and allow one to take direction.   If you already know what you want to accomplish, write about that.   This is a great topic you can use either for exploring your own personal issues in terms of what you want to accomplish at school or for defining your ambitions and making clear your goals. Why You Chose Your Major If you’ve chosen a major at school, this could be a great topic for you. Tell why you selected the field or discipline you’re in, what it was that drew you to it, what you plan on doing after school with your degree, and why you feel you will be good at it. College Application Topics Experience When applying for college, reviewers like to see that you have a sense of self and understand what it takes to succeed in higher education. They want to know you’ve considered the challenges that lie ahead and they want to feel confident that you’ll be able to overcome them.   The best way to show them that is to show that you have experience in overcoming obstacles, that you’ve done it before, and that you can do it again. Growth Reviewers also like personal essays on growth. Whenever you can identify a period in your life where you experienced some personal growth that made you into a better person and helped set the stage for the next development in your life, it’s an opportunity waiting to be used in a personal essay. Opportunities You’ve Enjoyed Not everyone gets the same opportunities or chances in life. Reviewers respect an applicant who is able to identify when he’s been fortunate enough to have an opportunity to succeed. Think about the opportunities you’ve been given—whether they were opportunities to learn, to lead, to develop, to grow, to contribute, to help, or to honor someone else.   Adopt a humble tone:   it takes a little humility to recognize when and where an opportunity has been given. Ways You’ve Contributed to the Community Another thing reviewers like to see is the way you may have contributed to a community. Community is important as a support network, a place of engagement, and a place where people can practice being inclusive.   Tell about some civic engagement in which you took part.   Maybe you helped to get out the vote for a local and national candidate.   Maybe you took part in building a new rec center or in helping a local underserved population by organization a food and clothing drive. How You Have Brought Change to or Touched People’s Lives You don’t have to have helped an entire community to show that you’re a good person. People touch the lives of others all the time in small ways that might not even go noticed.   Think about some of the ways that you have made a difference in someone’s life.   Don’t be shy.   Give yourself a pat on the back when writing your essay on this topic.   That’s the whole point! Your Goals Surely you have some goals in your life. Maybe they seem like dreams or maybe they are very practical and achievable.   The only way to know is to write about them, analyze them, and look at them objectively.   Use this topic to get to know yourself a little bit better. Common App Topics Things That Define You What are the things that you choose to identify yourself by? Is it your work?   Your beliefs?   Your family?   Your culture?   Your gender?   What makes you you?   Think about what makes you special and write your personal essay on that. Your Interests What are the things you find interesting? Do you like to read books, learn about technology, study ancient civilizations, meet new people?   What interests you about the world?   What things would you like to explore in detail if given the opportunity and why? How You Spend Your Free Time When you get time away from work, what do you like to do? One of the best ways to show you’re actually a real live human being is to show that you have fun ways of spending your free time.   Maybe you enjoy skiing or bowling or fishing or singing.   Think about what you like to do—even if it is just geeking out over old episodes of Star Trek. What You Do for Work The other thing people like to know is what you do for a living. One’s work is another activity that can define one or tell something about the person’s character.   Think about the job you do, why you do it, why you like it, and whether there is another line of work you would like to get into. Middle School Topics Games You Enjoy If you’re in middle school, no doubt you still like playing games. Whether they are board games, card games, sports games, or video games, think about the ones you enjoy most and write a personal essay about why you enjoy them, whether or not you are good at them, and whether or not your friends enjoy them too. Write about the good times you’ve had playing one of these games and why it was fun for you. Movies You Like Everyone likes movies. Don’t focus so much on the movies so much (because this is an essay about you, not about movies).   Focus instead on why they appeal to you and what you find interesting in them.   Write about the experience from your own personal point of view of going to see a movie or discovering a new genre of cinema. Books You’ve Read More Than Once Are they comic books? Serious books?   Funny books?   Which books have made you come back to read them again?   What did you learn about them the second time around?   Have you ever recommended them to others?   What is your experience in reading or sharing these books? Music You Want to Hear Again and Again Have you ever heard a song that you had to listen to over and over? Why?   What was it about the song that spoke to you?   Describe your experience of listening to music, what it makes you feel or think about it, and why it is important to you. Your Favorite Artists Do you enjoy art? Have you ever been to an art museum?   Are your favorite artists people you know?   Are you your own favorite artist?   Have you ever read Vasari’s Lives of the Artists? Your Favorite Foods You probably have a favorite food you could eat every day. What is it?   How did you discover it?   What is it about the food that makes you want it all the time?   How do others feel about it?   Is your favorite food unique or ordinary? Your Favorite Places to Travel with Your Family Does your family ever take trips together? If so where do you go?   What have you seen?   Do you enjoy these trips or is there something about them that you don’t enjoy so much?   Describe it! High School Topics Social Issues That Concern You You’re growing up so now it is time to start thinking about the wider world. What social issues are you aware of that are important to you?   Have you any intention to address them as you grow? Subjects You Would Like to Know More About You’ve probably touched on a few subjects that interested you in your life and that you would like to spend more time learning about. What are they?   Why did they interest you? Interesting Ideas You Have Learned What ideas have shaped your perspective? What ideas nourish you?   What ideas do you live by?   What ideas do you find yourself constantly communicating to others? What Gives You Hope for the Future When you think about the future, what comes to mind? Are you hopeful?   What do you find within yourself or your life that gives you hope and support? What Makes You Pessimistic about the Future Are you discouraged by what you see happening in the world? Why?   What issues or events affect you negatively?   What are you going to do about it? Areas of Your Life That You Think You Could Improve Reflect on your own ability to achieve your goals and what obstacles are preventing you from reaching them. How could you overcome these obstacles in a practical way? Elementary Student Topics Toys or Games You Play With What is your favorite toy? What game do you play all the time?   How do you play with it?   Who plays with you? Your Friends Who are your friends? What do you do with your friends?   How long have you been friends? Your Family How many people are in your family? Who are they?   How old are they?   What do you do with your family?   Do you spend time with one family member more than any others? Your Home What is your home like? Do you have your own room?   Do you share a room?   Do you have neighbors?   Are there noisy dogs or cars on your street? Your Pets Do you have any pets? What are their names?   How long have they been with you?   Who takes care of them?   What do they eat?   Where do they sleep? Your Favorite Shows What is your favorite show to watch? What is it about?   Why do you like it?   If you could make a show, what would it be about?   Why? Higher English Topics Literature That You Find Compelling What literature motivates you? What literature do you find yourself talking about most when in the company of other educated people? Subjects You Would Like to Teach If you could teach, what subject would you teach? What do you know the most about?   Would you enjoy teaching?   Do you think you would be good at it?   Why? Problems in Society You Would Like to Discuss What problems in the world do you most enjoy discussing? What is your solution for them?   Why do these problems most concern you?   Do they personally affect you in some way? Ways You Like to Debate In what ways to you most like to debate? Do you argue?   Yell?   Mock?   Use satire?   Who is your favorite debater?   What tips could you pick up from this person to make your own debating technique more impressive? Conclusion The best personal essay topics are the ones you yourself come up with.   Take a moment to sit and think about who you are.   Consider how you got to where you are now.   Consider what you would like to be doing if you didn’t have to write a personal essay—then write about that!   Seriously!   Anything and everything can be put on the table to write about—so don’t be shy.   Select a topic and go for it.   And, as always, if you’d like help writing your personal essay, our writers are standing by to provide you with a 100% unique, custom-made example that you can use to guide your own writing.   Order yours today.

The Roman Empire A Sophisticated Civilization - 1262 Words

G.Max Cruz World History 7.2 March 24 , 2015 The Roman Civilization The Roman empire was a very sophisticated civilization. The empire lasted from 27 BC through 476 CE. They had a republic government that was very strict,there was also times ruled under emperors. It was a powerful nation with a strong in military leadership, agriculture, and trade. The world as it is known today would not be the same without the existence of the determined leadership of the Roman empire. The Roman empire began in 27 BC and ended in 476 CE. In between these years, there were times of conflict and times of ease. During the first 450 years, the Roman empire was a republic, ruled by many government officials. After existing as a republic for 450 years, a man named Julius Caesar, named himself official dictator of the Roman empire. With Julius Caesar ruling, a time period known as the â€Å"Golden Age of Peace and Prosperity† ensued, this was the height of the Roman empire. This era ended soon after, due to a greedy ruler named Commodus. The Roman empire ended in 476 CE by Rome s last leader, Romulus. He was over powered by a Germanic Leader named Odoacer. The geography has greatly affected the Roman civilization. The Roman civilization is bordered by the Tiber River and two mountain ranges. With this geography the civilization was well protected. When threats occurred the Roman army went around the border to keep watch of for any intruding invaders. Since the civilization was so close to aShow MoreRelatedThe Literary Works Of The First Century Romans993 Words   |  4 PagesUnderstanding ancient civilizations is always a hard process. The only resources that are readily available, are the texts written by people of the times. But which helps better the understanding of the society and political structures: historical or literary works? The first century Romans are a great example of this. The literary works of the first century Romans, help further the knowledge about the ancient civilization. While the historical works do show a lot of the facts from the era, theRead MoreCompare And Contrast Rome And Han Empire1342 Words   |  6 Pagesthroughout their respected parts of the world. Although both ran a very similar government, both successful civilizations did so using different methods. The Han would govern using imperial rule in addition to the Analects of Confucianism to run their political ideology. The Han Dynasty would eventually even change the text of the Analects per how they ruled through the original tablets. The Roman Empire would also use their religion of the Imperial Cult, worshipping past emperors and their families. UsingRead MoreThe Greek And Roman Civilizations830 Words   |  4 Pages . The Greek and Roman Civilizations were quite similar in their Art, their Women’s Rights, and their Geographic location. The Greek believed their painted, sculpted and carved depictions of the people should be absolutely perfect. Especially the men. They found that the physical form was most pleasing to the eye and wanted to accentuate that beauty and deliver it through art. They sought out to present infinite elegance. Flawless statues and paintings showedRead MoreAnalysis Of Ruins Of An Ancient City, By John Martin1456 Words   |  6 PagesUnited States, and Latin America. The characteristics typical of Romantic painting consist of landscapes, freedom, and beauty. John Martin s Ruins of an Ancient City, completed around 1810-1820, depicts desolate ruins that remind us that all civilizations will eventually collapse. In its wake, a new culture will develop out of the previous one, with or without knowledge of the past. The piece implicitly shows that the ruins serve as a place of sightseeing, where visitors can marvel at the ruinsRead MoreHow Did The Technology Of Roman Empire Impact It?1741 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Roman Empire started to gain strength. They broke treaties and conquered neighboring countries. They revised battle tactics, weapons, legions, but mostly technology to emerge as an undisputed leader of the Mediterranean. The Roman Empir e was eager to find new ways, new technology, to help the empire grow beyond imaginable. Arches, military weapons, and basic technology were all created by the Empire. However, the question trying to be answered is, â€Å"How did the technology of Roman Empire impactRead MoreRoman Ethnography : Bias Of The Roman Empire1014 Words   |  5 PagesRoman Ethnography: Bias of the Roman Empire The Roman ethnographies, interpretations of outside cultures, on the tribes people they encountered during the Empire’s expansion reveal more about unique Roman characteristics than the characteristics of the barbarian tribes. The Roman Empire was vast, densely populated, and militarily, politically and socially sophisticated. This structure created shared customs, religious beliefs, orders, values, and goals for all Roman citizens. During theRead MoreComparative Look At The Roman Empire And Han Dynasty Economies Essay1409 Words   |  6 Pages A COMPARATIVE LOOK AT THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND HAN DYNASTY ECONOMIES Scott Hosier History 111: World Civilization Before 1650 December 27, 2016 â€Æ' The Roman Empire and Han Dynasty had simple economies--when compared to current global economies--founded on agriculture, mining, trade, and taxation. Although those economies were straightforward it allowed civilizations to grow and eventually collapse. However, the two civilizations had drastically different methodologies on the exchange ofRead MoreSummary of People and Empires844 Words   |  3 PagesSummary of People and Empires. This book is a Short History, of western empires which explain how European civilization and includes chronology of key events are influenced by the empires that was formed in it, like the Roman empire. It starts with Alexander and his Greek army and ends with the EU. 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A Christmas Memory Essay - 632 Words

It is curious that as children, humans have the ability to observe and remember details of specific situations and instances yet lack the ability to describe them. Truman Capote, as a grown man, took advantage of his vivid memories and composed the short work, A Christmas Memory. The story begins in late November, a month symbolic of all the years gone by that Capote could remember beginning preparations for Christmas fruitcakes. The year he has chosen, though, is that of the last Christmas three friends spend together. A boy of seven, Capote has but two friends: his sixty-something year old distant cousin and a loyal, happy pooch named Buddy. Although the age difference between the cousins is great, it is clear that the two are†¦show more content†¦An uncommon usage of colons is employed throughout his work to present different areas of text. Although mostly used for introducing lists or great excerpts of quotes, Capote uses colons for lists as well as for dividing lines of text to break the monotony. Even more so, they are used as directions for the reader to understand peoples’ movements and the exact details of the story. For instance, at one point Capote writes: Enter: two relatives. Very angry. It is as if the story is a play and he is the director telling the reader how to interpret the scenes. Capote’s description of things is also different from the typical person’s description. For example, to the laymen, the sun is a big, bright, shiny ball of fire. To Capote, the sun rises †¦round as orange and orange as hot weather moons, balanc[ing] on the horizon, burnish[ing] the silvered winter woods. His word choice elicits more than just a visual sense of what he is describing; they entice all the senses to jump into his memory. It is distressing that the friends lack any real interaction with the others in the household other than to be scolded. The reader feels as if perhaps the neglected ones should be pitied. Yet, it is comforting that they find consolation in each other and can appreciate each moment for its beauty. In the end, Capote recalls his friend looking upon the land in front of themShow MoreRelated Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory Essays818 Words   |  4 PagesTruman Capote’s A Christmas Memory Truman Capote’s story A Christmas Memory, is about Capote’s childhood memory of a particular holiday season and how he enjoyed that moment in time with a special friend. Capote is illustrated by the main character, Buddy. Buddy and his distant cousin have a bonding friendship and tell of their exploits during that Christmas. They pick out a very special Christmas tree, make each other presents, and make fruitcakes. 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Before going to the hospital, my family (minus Grandma and Grandpa) went to the Christmas eve service. It was different going to the Christmas Eve service in Sioux Falls, it seemed lonelier—something was missingRead More Personal Narrative - Christmas Memory Essay539 Words   |  3 PagesI think Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays. Maybe because of the special atmosphere that you can feel everywhere, in shops, restaurants , pubs and even streets, where you can hear the magical carols, or maybe its because of its religious background, but what I can tell you for sure is that I cant think of anything more exciting than the image of the entire family preparing the Christmas Tree or fixing the Christmas dishes. When I think of Christmas the first thing that popsRead MoreEssay about Personal Narrative - Christmas Memory556 Words   |  3 Pages Christmas Memories Approaching Grandmas, our family anticipates the grand holiday about to be rekindled once again. 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In today s society, it seems everyone has to be politically correct as to not offend anyone. Retail establishments and the workplace alike have also de-valued the true meaning of Christmas. Celebrations allowing coworkers the opportunity to mingleRead MoreHow Can the Use of Mental Images, Concepts and Schemas to Organise Our Thinking Help Us to Improve Our Memory?1740 Words   |  7 PagesHow can the use of mental images, concepts and schemas to organise thinking help us to improve our memory? Cognitive psychology is primarily concerned with the study of subjective internal mental states. However, the subjective nature of cognitive activities such as thinking, memory, learning, perception, and language make it difficult to directly and empirically test these mental processes. Cognitive psychology therefore relies on a fundamental assumption of reductionism, where the dynamic andRead MoreEssay on The Characters of the Three Ghosts in A Christmas Carol877 Words   |  4 PagesHow does Charles Dickens present the characters of the three ghosts in A Christmas Carol. In this essay, I will find out how Charles Dickens presents the characters of the three ghosts in ‘A Christmas Carol’. This story is about Scrooge. He was a selfish man who had a solely friend, called Jacob Marley. After seven years of Marley’s death, on Christmas Eve, Scrooge saw Marley’s ghost dragging chains of cashboxes that Marley forged in life. Marley told Scrooge that three spirits would visit

Marketing Mix of Apple

Question: Discuss about the Marketing Mix of Apple. Answer: Introduction Apple Inc. is a multinational technological giant headquartered in California, USA. The company sells consumer electronics, software and online services. The most popular products of the organization are iPhones, iPad, iPod and Mac personal computers. Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne and initiated its operations in 1976 with the sales of the personal computers (Rawlinson, 2016). It is one of the largest technological company and second largest mobile phone manufacturer (Dent, 2015). It has a strong brand loyalty and considered as the most popular brand by the world. One of the most popular products of the company, iPhone was launched in 2007 by Steve Jobs as a combination of Smartphone and iPod. It has become immensely popular and each new model of the company is awaited by the loyal customers in anticipation. The marketing strategies adopted by the company also contribute to the popularity of the device. It promotes the devices with several methods which creates eagerness in the mind of the customers. The marketing mix is the basic concept of marketing and refers to the operational part of the marketing plan. It contains controllable marketing tools which a business organization can manipulate to create response from the target market (Richter, 2012). In this regard, in this report, the marketing mix of Apple Inc. in the Australian market is discussed. The report focuses on the marketing mix of the company for the iPhone 6, a popular product. Along with it, the report discusses the contemporary issues in the business environment that can affect the firms marketing strategies. Subsequently, several recommendations are made so that the company can improve its marketing mix. Marketing Mix of the Apple iPhone The marketing mix of a company indicates how the firm adapts itself to the changing marketing conditions and the competition. A business organization addresses the market conditions and the competition by manipulating the variables of marketing mix. Traditionally, the marketing mix encompasses four variables (product, price, place and promotion) which are now extended to eight variables, namely, product, price, promotion, distribution, partnerships, people, processes and physical evidence (Crane, 2012). In the below section, the marketing mix of the iPhone is examined. Product: Apple Inc. offers an exclusive product with distinguished qualities in the form of iPhone 6. The most enchanting feature of the product is its Apple ios operating system. The competing operating systems such as Windows and android were launched after ios operating system; therefore, the customers were attracted towards it due to its capabilities and fast processing speed (V3, 2014). Durng the launch of iPhone 6, the company never tries to copy other brands but compete with itself and launch other features. Itunes and the Apple store are other attractive features of the product. It creates premium products and follows the product development intensive growth strategy. In this strategy, the company constantly strives to create innovative and technologically-advanced products (Cornell, 2014). Price: The Company follows the skimming pricing strategy. It focuses on the premium customers who are willing to pay high prices for the products. In comparison to the competitors, the prices of the Apple iPhone 6 are high (Kidman, 2016). It does not believe in competition with other companies in terms of pricing and use price as an aspiration for the customers and do not determine it according to the utility of the products. This pricing strategy assists the company in maintaining the luxurious brand image for itself. Moreover, as per this marketing strategy, the market share of the company encompasses a specific target customer base composed of middle and upper class. However, it does not impact on the profitability of the company as higher prices increases the relative profitability (Neilson, 2014). Promotion: Apple Inc. follows a detailed and focused promotional strategy. With the launch of new products, it launches mega annual events wherein the media and the management are invited. It creates a big promotion for the products (Farfan, 2016). They also focus on establishing good relations with the media so that the news regarding the new product launches are published in the leading newspapers and the magazines. In the above the line promotional strategies, the company uses mass media such as television, radio, and newspapers. The iPhones are also promoted with below the line marketing with hoardings and point of sale advertising in the retail outlets of the company (Eadicicco, 2014). Distribution: Apple Inc. has presence in major cities in Australia. As it targets only the premium customers, the store of the company are opened only in the large cities of the country. Moreover, these stores are found at the busiest locations and prime shopping malls in alignment with the brand image of the company. It has also implemented corporate tie-ups wherein the top management and the CEOs of the company are given the smartphones of Apple Inc. It also channels its product through a number of e-commerce websites such as Flipkart, Snapdeal and Amazon (Farfan, 2016). Partnerships: The partnership refers to the major partners or the government agencies, their collaboration and management. The corporate resellers are the major partner of Apple Inc. They implement the advanced technical solutions offered by Apple Inc. in their companys operations. It includes the use of iPhone 6 (Apple, 2017). In addition to it, the company has also collaborated with Deloitte to increase the enterprise sales of the product (Reuters, 2016). People: One of the core strengths of the company is its talented workforce. The company recruits the best talent in the industry which is responsible for the constant innovation and technically advanced products. In order to attract the best people, the company selects the people with excellent education, academic performance and work experience. It also provides attractive remuneration packages to retain the talent within the organization (Lev-ram, 2014). Processes: Apple has a systematic method for all of its operational processes. It has numerous factories in the world and a robust supply chain. It outsources manufacturing process and the raw materials from the low-labor cost countries and sells them all across the world. It increases the efficiency and the productivity of the system (Supply Chain, 2013). Physical evidence: The physical evidence refers to the service of the company and where it is delivered. There are several factors that affect the physical evidence, such as ambience, service personnel or the corporate brand. It can be evaluate that Apple Inc. extends qualitative experience to its customers. The stores of the company are designed to provide a unique experience to the customers, inspired by the simplicity theme of the organization. Contemporary Issues for the Business Organization In the present business scenario, several contemporary issues have emerged. A business organization has to address these issues to become successful. At present, the government has become stricter regarding the environment degradation and the role of the corporates in it. As a result, the companies are adopting practices to reduce the environmental impact of their operations. Supplier Responsibility and Labor Rights Although Apple has become an iconic brand in the field of mobile technology, it suffers from the human rights and the labor law issues in its supply chain. A large number of the companys suppliers are from China wherein several challenges exist in terms of ethical and safe working conditions (Triple Pundit, 2015). The company is combating this issue by creating sustainable facilities and empowering workers. Another challenge for the company is usage of the raw materials which can cause potential harm to the environment and degrading it. In China, the enormous workplace pressure has resulted in employee suicides and degradation of health. Additionally, the supply chain materials have also lead to the incidents of workplace poisoning and metal contamination (Watts, 2011). Globalization Due to globalization, the competition among the smartphones manufacturers has increased. Several companies have emerged in the smartphone market which are proving good and at par features to the customers at a very cheap cost. Moreover, these companies are also entering the markets predominated by Apple Inc. and snatching away its market share. Moreover, there are several challenges and significant risks in the international operations of the company. While trading in different countries, the companies have to take into regard the laws and the taxation of that country. Without adequate knowledge of the laws, the companies may be subject to fine and penalties. Moreover, while operating in a different country, a company also has to take regard to the differences in the culture and values. Some differences are stark clear whereas few differences are subtle but can create a huge dent to the firms business (Thompson, 2017). The smartphone manufacturers also find difficulties in working in different countries. The privacy and the taxation laws in China are entirely different from other countries. Therefore, many companies struggle to create profitable business here (Jeschke, 2012). Social Media Interactions Today, social media is considered as a significant tool inn marketing and connecting with the customers due to its wide outreach and consumer engagement. However, there are significant challenges in the social media marketing strategy to increase its effectiveness. The foremost challenge is establishing an authentic connection with the consumers. Connecting with the consumers will result in building a humane and authentic brand. Another challenge for the companies is to engage the people through the communication. The companies also have to be prompt in responding the consumers and considerate of the feedback of the customers. It is important that the business organization should implement a strategy to enhance the customer satisfaction in the purchase process. In the present, the consumers provide feedback and their experience with the company on their social media websites. It is important that the companies provide a good consumer experience so that it increases the word of mouth publicity of the company rather than increasing criticism (Fekel, 2017). Recommendations to Improve Marketing Mix of the Organization Product: Apple Inc. should focus on improving the operating software for all the current version of the iPhone 6. Along with it, the company should also increase the hardware rigidity and the glass screen (Crane, 2012). Price The company follows the premium pricing strategy to distinguish itself from other brands. It should follow the same strategy to maintain its brand image. However, Apple can also strategize to release a cheaper version of phone from its sister company Nokia to tap the price sensitive market share (Ferrell et al., 2014). Promotion: The company can enhance its promotional strategy by using social media and blogs to connect with the customers. In the above discussion, it has been identified that the social media is a crucial tool in the promotional strategy. The companies can use social media to connect with them. It is also beneficial in identifying the response of the consumer towards a specific product and the current social trends (Ferdinand Kitchin, 2016). Distribution: The company follows an appropriate distribution strategy. However, it can enhance its distribution strategy by directly selling its products through online mediums. It will eliminate the middle man and the gross profit of the company will enhance. It also has appropriate distribution channels which transfers the raw material in the supply chain (Ferdinand Kitchin, 2016). Partnership The company can focus on developing long-term partnerships with its suppliers and distributors. It will increase the operational performance of the organization and increases its profitability (Ferdinand Kitchin, 2016). People At present, Apple Inc. tries to recruit the best talent in the industry through attractive remuneration packages. Since it is a technological company, it can also recruit the fresh graduates from the several world-class programming competitions (Ferdinand Kitchin, 2016). Process In its supply chain, the company should implement supplier code of conduct for all of its suppliers so that the internationally recognized standards can be created. Moreover, the company should focus on increasing the transparency of the supply chain (Reic, 2016). Physical Evidence Apple has invested in creating a unique ambience and infrastructure for the company. It can enhance the humane experience by giving training to the front desk executives to increase the customer satisfaction in the dealings (Chaffey Smith, 2013). Conclusion Apple Inc. is a leading business organization in the technological and smartphone industry. The iPhone manufactured by the organization have immense popularity and large fan following. It has developed a specific market share for itself by offering a distinguished product. The iTunes and the operating system of the smartphones are unique features of the product. The company follows a premium pricing strategy wherein the affluent and rich customers are targeted. It does not determine the price upon the product utility but to create a desire in the minds of the customers. It also follows a specific distribution strategy wherein it opens its stores in the shopping malls and busy locations. There are several contemporary issues in the marketing mix of the organization such as social media interaction, labor laws, globalization and the supply chain issues. A business organization has to create its marketing strategy by focusing on these contemporary issues. It is important that a firm det ermines and uplift the standard of all the workers and enhance the transparency in the supply chain. It will also augment the brand image of the organization and establish the culture of ethical practices. It can also focus on creating long-term relationships with its clients and suppliers to enhance trust and operational efficiency among them. In its distribution strategy, the company should also initiate to directly sell the products to the consumers through online mediums. It will increase the operational efficiency and profitability for the organization. References Apple. (2017). What can a business partner offer? Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://www.apple.com/lae/buy/corporateresellers/ Chaffey, D., Smith, P.R. (2013). Emarketing Excellence: Planning and Optimizing Your Digital Marketing. London: Routledge. Cornell, S. (2014). What Are the Advantages of Using an iPhone? Chron. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-using-iphone-69061.html Crane, F.G. (2012). Marketing for Entrepreneurs. SAGE. Crane, F.G. (2012). Marketing for Entrepreneurs: Concepts and Applications for New Ventures. SAGE Publications. Dent, S. (2015). Huawei passes Microsoft as third-largest mobile phone maker. Engadget. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/31/huawei-microsoft-smartphone-sales/ Eadicicco, L. (2014). Apple Plans To Boost IPhone Sales With A Big Promotion That Will Entice You To Upgrade. Business Insider Australia. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://www.businessinsider.com.au/apple-iphone-promotion-2014-5 Farfan, B. (2016). When Does Apple Use Promotional Pricing? The Balance. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://www.thebalance.com/apple-deals-promotions-2891801 Ferdinand, N., Kitchin, P.J. (2016). Events Management: An International Approach. SAGE. Ferrell, O.C. et al. (2014). Marketing Principles PDF. Cengage Learning Australia. Flekel, A. (2017). 5 Reasons Why Social Media Marketing Is Important. Yahoo. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/5-reasons-why-social-media-marketing-important-172938196.html Jeschke, C. (2012). Apples China Challenge. Social Media Club. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://www.socialmediaclub.at/2012/02/apples-china-challenge.html Kidman, A. (2016). Apple's iPhone 7 pricing strategy is really Weird. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://www.smh.com.au/technology/mobiles/apples-iphone-7-pricing-strategy-is-really-weird-20160908-grbjcg.html Lev-ram, M. (2014). Apple unveils new perks to attract talent. Fortune. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://fortune.com/2014/10/02/apple-employee-perks/ Neilson, S. (2014). Apples premium pricing strategy and product differentiation. Market Realist. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://marketrealist.com/2014/02/apples-premium-pricing-strategy-product-differentiation/ Rawlinson, N. (2016). History of Apple, 1976-2016: The story of Steve Jobs and the company he founded. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/apple/history-of-apple-steve-jobs-what-happened-mac-computer-3606104/ Reic, I. (2016). Events Marketing Management: A consumer perspective. London: Routledge. Reuters. (2016). Apple Deepens Enterprise Push With Deloitte Partnership. Fortune. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://fortune.com/2016/09/28/apple-enterprise-deloitte-partnership/ Richter, T. (2012). International Marketing Mix Management: Theoretical Framework, Contingency Factors and Empirical Findings from World-Markets. Logos Verlag Berlin GmbH. Supply Chain. (2013). Is Apples Supply Chain Really the No. 1? A Case Study. Supply Chain 247. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://www.supplychain247.com/article/is_apples_supply_chain_really_the_no._1_a_case_study Thompson, V. (2017). What Issues Arise When Doing Business Globally? Small Business Chron. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/issues-arise-doing-business-globally-56877.html Triple Pundit. (2015). Apple Talks Corporate Social Responsibility. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://www.triplepundit.com/2015/05/apple-talks-corporate-social-responsibility/ V3. (2014). Top 10 Apple iPhone benefits over Android devices. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2335075/top-10-apple-iphone-benefits-over-android-devices Watts, J. (2011). Apple Secretive about Polluting and Poisoning Supply Chain say Report. The Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2017 from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/jan/20/apple-pollution-supply-chain

The Use of Tone in Man of La Mancha Essay Example

The Use of Tone in Man of La Mancha Essay In the play, Man of La Mancha, written by Dale Wasserman, a conglomeration of techniques is used to set or change the emotional feel of a scene. Lighting is lowered to create a sinister feel, or to show that that scene is in the prison, and sometimes it is increased in order to portray joy, or show that the scene is in the poet’s story. Musical crescendos and decrescendos are also used to show this. But even more important than these, are the tricks used by the actors themselves. Blocking, body language, and emotion are all very important, but one specific thing that I noticed was the tone of the performers. In the scene with the barber, the gypsy girl, and the â€Å"Golden Helmet of Mambrino†, the barber’s confusion and slight fear can be clearly heard, even through his minimal lines. Also, the profuse sincerity of Sancho Panza, not to mention his worry for his master, is clearly expressed in each and every of his scenes, especially the opening scene Cervantes’ tale and the final scene where Don Quixote dies after being reunited with his Dulcinea. Even while singing, (I Really Like Him) his tone and emotion remained consistent with the feel of the scene. The actor’s tone also remains constant to his character throughout the play, never becoming too brusque, or too insipid. Mainly though, the character with the most control over, and who had the best use of his tone, was Don Quixote. In the scene, for example, where Don Quixote is faced with the Knight of the Mirrors and his attendants, his cries of agony at the realization of his situation perfectly depicts the terror which is meant to accompany it. We will write a custom essay sample on The Use of Tone in Man of La Mancha specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Use of Tone in Man of La Mancha specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Use of Tone in Man of La Mancha specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer His sadness on his deathbed, his ecstatic joy in the recovery of his memories, and his humility when begging to be officially knighted, are all perfectly portrayed, primarily by the tones he uses to emphasize what he is saying. You can truly believe that he is dying, or remembering his love, or believes that the hotel is a fortress, and it’s landlord , a king. It takes many parts to make a play successful. The following of cues, memorization of lines, and the timing of special effects are all important. On a deeper level, the actor’s concentration, dedication, and skill levels are also crucial. A key part though, which can make or break the play, is the actor’s tone when he or she says her lines. With the incorrect tone, the scene feels wrong and the illusion of the play is broken. In this rendition of Man of La Mancha, the actors placed their tones perfectly, which successfully brought forth the underlying messages in the story, which are usually unintentionally omitted.

American Red Cross Society

American Red Cross Society Introduction Hopkins (2009, p. 6) defines nonprofit organization as â€Å"an entity that is not permitted to engage in forms of private benefit (increment).† Nonprofit organizations are organizations that often offer service or charities. They are non-compulsory and involve some degree of voluntary participation.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on American Red Cross Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A mission statement is a clear and concise statement that summarizes who the agency is what it does, to whom it does it and region of operation (Roberts, 1996). This paper reviews the mission statements of two nonprofit organizations. These are the American Red cross society, a humanitarian organization and the Japanese cultural and community centre of Northern California (JCCCNC). Discussion American Red Cross Society The current mission of the American Red Cross society states: â€Å"The American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, will provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies† (American Red Cross, 2011). This mission statement includes the purpose, which is the provision of assistance to disaster victims, support people in initiating preventive measures and responding to their needs when emergencies arise. Inherent in the purpose are the services provided by the organization. In addition, the beneficiaries are indicated as the victims of disaster. This statement however fails to capture the values of the organization that include helping other people in need, unity, an organization with a charitable character and learning that is continuous. The revised American Red Cross Mission statement could be read as â€Å"†¦ our mission is to work through voluntary spirit, in a united manner to provide relief to victims of disaster, help Americans prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies, while learning from these experiences.† Japanese Cultural and Community Centre of Northern California The company’s current mission statement states, â€Å"The JCCCNC strives to meet the evolving needs of the Japanese American community through offering programs, affordable services and facility usage† (JCCCNC, 2011).Advertising Looking for thesis on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The mission statement only highlights the purpose and the beneficiaries, yet even the services offered are not specific since the firm offers programs, affordable services and facility usage. It ignores other components of a mission statement that include a specific purpose, values and services. Japanese cultural and community centre of Northern California mission statement c ould be revised to become: â€Å"Through dedication and dream for the future, JCCCNC tries to meet the educational, cultural and social needs of the Japanese American community by preserving their cultural and historical heritage.† References American Red Cross. (2011). The American Red Cross Society. Retrieved from: https://www.redcross.org./ Hopkins, R. (2009). Starting and managing a non-profit organization. (5th Ed.). New York, NY: Wiley JCCCNC, (2011). Japanese cultural and community centre of Northern California. Web. Roberts, S. (1996). The business of personal training. Illinois: Human Kinetics.

A Look into Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Poem

Vincent Millay could be justified by the fact that readers can easily relate to it because it talks about a universal theme, which is love. Although it reeks of regret and loneliness, the poet effectively successfully used palpable symbols and words to describe the past events that transpired in her life. In the poem, the speaker casts herself as a â€Å"lonely tree†. One writer, Epstein (2001) proclaims that this poem is â€Å"a summing up of [the author’s] love life to date, and an occasion to invoke the classic themes of elegy, the tempus fugit and the ubi sunt† (p. 139): What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why I have forgotten, and what arms have lain Under my head till morning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain For unremembered lads that not again Will turn to me at midnight with a cry. Thus in the winter stands the lonely tree, Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one, Yet knows its boughs more silent than before. It seems that the speaker in the poem is an aging lady signified by the songless tree. Indeed, she is an epitome of loneliness and regret, one that we might be tempted to read as a prototype of abandoned womanhood, pathetic and powerless. Male desire in the love sonnets where the woman as a speaker always masquerades feminine weakness and sentimentality; often beseeching, and consumed by desire. However, when a male lover speaks, it would imply â€Å"authority of suffering and, perhaps more importantly, with the authority of convention†. When Millay masquerades as a male poet masquerading as a lovesick woman, the â€Å"sense of where sincerity meets gesture and how authority aligns itself with gender is confused† (Freedman, 1995, p. 113). In its structure, the poem is classified as a sonnet that has a particular rhyming pattern: abbaabba cdedce. The poem uses alliteration and assonance. It is also rich in naturally-occurring symbols, which all readers can easily connect. The poem begins with a one-sentence octave that presents the situation in which the narrator finds herself–inside a house during the rain, reminiscing about her past and forgotten lovers. The inverted sentence structure of the first two lines almost suggests a question rather than a statement: How many lovers were there? The alliterations in the first line additionally emphasize the repetitiveness of the narrator’s sexual encounters. At the same time, the perfect tense mean that this phase of her life has been completed, and the body part symbolisms of lips, arms, and head imply her distance from the experience. In the third line, Millay moves to the present tense, where she describes the memories of her lovers (using a ghost metaphor) aroused by the rain, a symbol for gloom and melancholia. These are the lovers that â€Å"tap and sigh†. The narrator seems insinuating that the lovers themselves are irrelevant. For the same reason, â€Å"Millay picks a metaphor that hints at facelessness and lack of welcome and resonates with the specific time of the midnight hour†. The central phrase in this section is â€Å"quiet pain,† an â€Å"almost-oxymoron suggesting that the narrator’s grief is muted or accepted† (Schurer, 2005). As signified by the forward movement of tenses, Millay gives the readers a slight glimpse of things to come as well: However, undeniably, she   regrets everything and she expects no intimacy in the future. In the end, the female narrator seems not interested in the identity of her lovers as in the memory of the emotions they allowed her to experience.   Despite the sadness and regret, the narrator presented peace or redemption as a â€Å"faint echo of the emotion of love from her youth† (Schurer, 2005). Despite the lonely themes and symbols, we can sense of equality in love; to the demand by women that they be allowed to enter the world of adventure and experiment in love which men have long inhabited. However, Millay does not sound to be any feminist to argue for that equality. She just makes it subtle, exhibits it in this poem and turns it into beauty. Works Cited Epstein, Daniel Mark. What Lips My Lips Have Kissed: The Loves and Love Poems of Edna St. Vincent Millay. New York: Holt, 2001. Freedman, Diane P., ed. Millay at 100: A Critical Reappraisal. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1995. Schurer, Norbert. â€Å"Millay’s what lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why†, The Explicator, 63.2 (Winter 2005): 94-97. A Look into Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Poem Vincent Millay could be justified by the fact that readers can easily relate to it because it talks about a universal theme, which is love. Although it reeks of regret and loneliness, the poet effectively successfully used palpable symbols and words to describe the past events that transpired in her life. In the poem, the speaker casts herself as a â€Å"lonely tree†. One writer, Epstein (2001) proclaims that this poem is â€Å"a summing up of [the author’s] love life to date, and an occasion to invoke the classic themes of elegy, the tempus fugit and the ubi sunt† (p. 139): What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why I have forgotten, and what arms have lain Under my head till morning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain For unremembered lads that not again Will turn to me at midnight with a cry. Thus in the winter stands the lonely tree, Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one, Yet knows its boughs more silent than before. It seems that the speaker in the poem is an aging lady signified by the songless tree. Indeed, she is an epitome of loneliness and regret, one that we might be tempted to read as a prototype of abandoned womanhood, pathetic and powerless. Male desire in the love sonnets where the woman as a speaker always masquerades feminine weakness and sentimentality; often beseeching, and consumed by desire. However, when a male lover speaks, it would imply â€Å"authority of suffering and, perhaps more importantly, with the authority of convention†. When Millay masquerades as a male poet masquerading as a lovesick woman, the â€Å"sense of where sincerity meets gesture and how authority aligns itself with gender is confused† (Freedman, 1995, p. 113). In its structure, the poem is classified as a sonnet that has a particular rhyming pattern: abbaabba cdedce. The poem uses alliteration and assonance. It is also rich in naturally-occurring symbols, which all readers can easily connect. The poem begins with a one-sentence octave that presents the situation in which the narrator finds herself–inside a house during the rain, reminiscing about her past and forgotten lovers. The inverted sentence structure of the first two lines almost suggests a question rather than a statement: How many lovers were there? The alliterations in the first line additionally emphasize the repetitiveness of the narrator’s sexual encounters. At the same time, the perfect tense mean that this phase of her life has been completed, and the body part symbolisms of lips, arms, and head imply her distance from the experience. In the third line, Millay moves to the present tense, where she describes the memories of her lovers (using a ghost metaphor) aroused by the rain, a symbol for gloom and melancholia. These are the lovers that â€Å"tap and sigh†. The narrator seems insinuating that the lovers themselves are irrelevant. For the same reason, â€Å"Millay picks a metaphor that hints at facelessness and lack of welcome and resonates with the specific time of the midnight hour†. The central phrase in this section is â€Å"quiet pain,† an â€Å"almost-oxymoron suggesting that the narrator’s grief is muted or accepted† (Schurer, 2005). As signified by the forward movement of tenses, Millay gives the readers a slight glimpse of things to come as well: However, undeniably, she   regrets everything and she expects no intimacy in the future. In the end, the female narrator seems not interested in the identity of her lovers as in the memory of the emotions they allowed her to experience.   Despite the sadness and regret, the narrator presented peace or redemption as a â€Å"faint echo of the emotion of love from her youth† (Schurer, 2005). Despite the lonely themes and symbols, we can sense of equality in love; to the demand by women that they be allowed to enter the world of adventure and experiment in love which men have long inhabited. However, Millay does not sound to be any feminist to argue for that equality. She just makes it subtle, exhibits it in this poem and turns it into beauty. Works Cited Epstein, Daniel Mark. What Lips My Lips Have Kissed: The Loves and Love Poems of Edna St. Vincent Millay. New York: Holt, 2001. Freedman, Diane P., ed. Millay at 100: A Critical Reappraisal. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1995. Schurer, Norbert. â€Å"Millay’s what lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why†, The Explicator, 63.2 (Winter 2005): 94-97.

Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 25

Questions - Assignment Example iver products that carry out similar functions, it is imperative to distinguish one product from another, detailing what is different and what makes a particular product special. This can only be done through live demonstration. After reviewing the RFP Tutorial from the lecture this week, share your thoughts about the steps outlined for creating an RFP. What value does an RFP bring to finding and buying the right HRIS system? What are some of the risks in using an RFP process? The steps that have been outlined in the development of an RFP are such that they clarify the situation to both the parties involved i.e. the vendors and the customer. The customer highlights their requirements in a clearly and orderly manner and as such enables the vendor to understand what is required from him and to respond accordingly. The steps benefit both parties as it eases the purchasing of products and services and accelerates the bidding process. In relation to an HRIS system, the RFP enables one to review their current situation, note what is missing, communicate their requirements and need for change and finally request proposals from vendors. It enables one to evaluate proposals from vendors according to a common blueprint delivered to all vendors and find those that have meet all the conditions stated while eliminating those that were unable to. One of the main risks of an RFP process is that the vendors may utilize unknown resources (Sant, 2004). The vendor may use third party resources in order to complete some components of the product. This may lead to complications in the future as the company has to deal with more members who are not included in the contract. Another risk is that the RFP may have an imprecise service level agreement thus causing problems after implementation of the product. The third risk is that the vendor my compromise the project so as to fit the selection criteria. If cost is the main criteria, the vendor may under-bid or cut corners thus causing

EMBA 560 Executive position week 4 discussion 4 Essay

EMBA 560 Executive position week 4 discussion 4 - Essay Example It brings to mind the famous words of Alfred Lord Tennyson: â€Å"Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why. Theirs but to do and die.† The poem â€Å"The Charge of the Light Brigade† is full of brio and bluster, but all the same the 600 soldiers it described all charged to their death without knowing why. Had their leaders explained why they had to make the charge, then the soldiers would have known that â€Å"someone had blunder’d† and probably would have declined to charge. Many executives avoid having to explain the â€Å"why† because it invites dialogue and discussion, it engages the followers to scrutinize the rationale of the action plan and to offer their own opinions, questions, and suggestions. It brings the followers to the level of the executive even for but the duration of the question’s consideration. Reasoning brings people to the common level that logic imposes on people. When a person explains why, he/she lays before his audience the thought process that led him/her to the action plan. The thought process is therefore laid bare to the audience for their consideration – and judgment. The judgment may be favorable, and it may be not. In case it is not, at least to some people, then the natural human behavior would be to ask questions which the person doing the explanation. If that person was in a position of leadership, and he could not defend his logic from the questions, then it reflects on his followers’ perception of him as a leader. 2.A link to the Martin Luther King "I Have a Dream Speech" can be found in the webliography.   The full speech is only 17 minutes long and well worth your time.   There are valuable lessons for executives in the structure and delivery of the talk.   Listen to and analyze the speech.   What makes this talk so inspiring? The speech itself is full of imagery, metaphors, and descriptive adjectives. An example of a metaphor is the likening of the Declaration of Independence as a check or promissory note, and continued discrimination to the default of the check. It also makes use of repeated phrases â€Å"Go back to –â€Å" , â€Å"I have a dream-â€Å", and â€Å"Let freedom ring –â€Å" mentioned repeatedly draws emphasis to specific points and images. The speech was effective in creating a sense of urgency (â€Å"Now†), and drawing emphasis on the immediacy of a full and impartial resolution. Structurally, the speech is effective because it first makes the case for the legitimacy of the colored people’s plea for equality, calling upon the promise of the Declaration of Independence declaring all men equal. Then while it praises the new militancy of the colored people, it also cautions against violence and distrust against white people and points out that freedom and equality for the blacks is necessarily linked to the enjoyment of freedom of the whites. After that, Dr. King creates a visio n of blacks and whites living harmoniously together as equals – his famous â€Å"I have a dream† series of proclamations. He quotes profusely from popular patriotic songs (â€Å"My country tis of thee†) and finally, he ends with a well-known Negro spiritual and makes it the high point of the entire speech. In the manner of delivery, Dr. King makes well-placed pauses, and in some places runs on from one sentence to the next to maintain momentum. The sentences were longer in the beginning and the imageries delivered with emphasis, and towards the end as momentum was built up the sentences became shorter and more

Diamond Mining :: Mine Mining Techniques Diamonds

All over the world are different locations where you can find this precious jewel, Africa being the main location. How do we get diamonds out of the earth you ask? By MINING them!!! The definition of Mining is the act, process, or work of removing ores, coal, etc. from a mine, glacial deposit, etc. Physical Properties of a Diamond Hardness: Diamond is a perfect "10", defining the top of the hardness scale Clarity: Diamond is transparent over a larger range of wavelengths more than any other mineral Thermal Conductivity: Diamond conducts heat better than any other mineral Melting Point: 3820 degrees Kelvin (the highest) Lattice Density: Diamond atoms are packed closer together than are the atoms of any other substance. Where are diamonds from? Diamonds have been found in every single continent. Most of the diamonds today are mined in African countries. They were formed by molten lava millions of years ago. Before any diamonds are found you must look for its indicator minerals. Different indicator minerals are found as you go deeper into the soil. The indicator minerals of a diamond include garnet, chromite, ilmenite, clinopyroxene, olivine, and zircon. What is alluvial mining? Diamonds can be found in alluvial, or loose earthy material deposited by running water, formations. Alluvial mining is done by the open-pit method. The process involves removing the overlying barren ground, digging up the bearing ground, and then extracting the diamonds. In Sierra Leone the technology involves shovel and pan, with some hand sloshing to gravitate diamond to the bottom of the pan so that it can be sorted out. What is kimberlite mining? Diamonds can be found in volcanic pipes filled with a blue rock called kimberlite. when mining a kimberlite pipe the initially loose and eventually hard ore material is removed with large hydraulic shovels and ore trucks. Hard rock is drilled and blasted with explosives so the broken material can be removed. When deep the mining goes underground with vertical shafts descending to horizontal drifts, or passageways that enter the pipe. It requires 20 tons of kimberlite to yield a diamond on average. How can you take part in this career? Be a Mining Engineer! Mining engineers mostly work in the mining industry, planning, designing and operating surface and underground mining operations. These mines, which are located in all 50 states and every country of the world except Antarctica, produce the minerals needed to help clothe, feed, and house the world's population.

Independent learning Essay

STUDENT VOICES BOOK_Layout 1 2011/10/07 11:57 AM Page 115 The Foundation Programme, I think, taught me how to work and be a person who is more reliant on myself. So if I don’t do the work and I don’t get the grades, I know it is on me. Varsity is where you have to be more responsible for all your actions. You have to be aware of whatever you are doing. You just can’t be negli- gent. (Chipo ? MSAFP) At university, you are just given assignments at the beginning of [the] semester and then you have to make sure that you do them well in time. There is no one to manage you and push you to do those assignments. In high school the teachers al-ways ask you about the assignments: â€Å"Did you do it? Why didn’t you do the as- signment well, and on time? † But here if you don’t do the assignment on time, they subtract marks and then you fail. (Lebogang ? MSAFP) Like them, Tony and Jaco also emphasised that a student must take responsibil- ity for their studies. For Tony, rather than parents, â€Å"you decide† and for Jaco, â€Å"everything is just up to you†. I think it is all about you taking responsibility for your own work. You ? nd in high school, if you’re with your parents, your parents are there to put pressure on you. You ? nd your parents saying, â€Å"No more TV. Go and study now. † But now, it’s you yourself. You decide your study times. You decide whether you’re going to do an assignment or not. You balance your social life and your school life. You balance it yourself. It’s not your parents who do that for you now. (Tony ? MSAFP) Basically time management is left to you for everything. You don’t have people telling you that this has to be done. Everything is just up to you. For me, it wasn’t a challenge because I had come from a working background. (Jaco ? MSAFP) Similarly, former DoTS students highlighted that taking responsibility to learn is essential for persisting with university study. Pip and Copernicus also empha- sised the importance of keeping up to date without the guidance of teachers and parents. For Pip, taking responsibility was â€Å"quite hard†, while for Copernicus, taking responsibility was â€Å"one of the biggest things†. I suppose just learning for ourselves and taking that much responsibility for our own learning, that was quite hard. (Pip ? DoTS) Compared to high school, everything’s your responsibility now. You have to make sure you do it. I think that was de? nitely one of the biggest things for me. If I was going to struggle with anything, it was being responsible. (Copernicus ?DoTS) Alicia, Kirsty, Tara and Max considered taking responsibility for their studies to be part of becoming independent. For Alicia, â€Å"you’ve got to keep on top of it† and for Kirsty â€Å"it’s all independent† and â€Å"there’s no one chasing you†. It’s very independent here. You’ve got to keep on top of it. There’s no one to tell you, â€Å"This is where you’ve got to be at. † (Alicia ? DoTS) It’s all up to you I suppose. It’s all independent. If you don’t do the readings, there’s no one chasing you to say you’ve got to do them. If you don’t have an as- signment in, there are not many excuses you can use to get an extension. (Kirsty ? DoTS) CH A P TE R 6 INDEPENDENT LEARNING 116 STUDENT VOICES BOOK_Layout 1 2011/10/07 11:57 AM Page 116 Like them, Tara and Max emphasised the importance of taking responsibility for their studies. For Tara, â€Å"it’s up to you†. For Max, university study involves â€Å"less guidance basically† and you â€Å"do it on your own†. Obviously it’s up to you to get the assignment in on time. To write it, you’re not really going to have a lot of help from other people like teachers. It was hard to be responsible for yourself, not having the teachers constantly having tabs on you and things like that, and not guiding you through. That took me a little while but I got used to it eventually. (Tara ? DoTS) First year wasn’t dissimilar to high school. It was with less guidance basically. So there was just the requirement for you to be more independent, to go out and do it on your own. (Max ? DoTS) For school leavers who were used to being reminded by teachers to complete their work, an adjustment to independent learning at university was a stark con- trast, but they emphasised the centrality of independent learning in university study. Rachel, Meg and Caitlyn each re? ected on the dif? culty of working inde- pendently. For Rachel, studying without a teacher supervising her was the hard- est. While for Meg, adjusting to not having anyone to remind her was the most dif? cult thing, Caitlyn observed â€Å"nobody is going to chase you†. Having to work by myself at home I’d say was the hardest, because the teachers weren’t sitting there saying, â€Å"Right, you’ve got 45 minutes to get this piece of work done. Go and do it. † (Rachel ? DoTS) The most dif? cult thing was probably not so much the fact that you are on your own, but the fact that people won’t remind you. You’ve got to make sure that you’ve got that assignment done. That’s all on you. I think the responsibility was pretty heavy because you’re so used to everybody else taking care of you. Now you’re a grown-up, you’re here and you’ve got to do it yourself. (Meg ? DoTS) Here you have to be independent. Nobody is going to chase you if you don’t hand in the assignment. Not that lecturers don’t care, but you’re just another name on the list. Their job is to teach and your job is to learn and if you’re not keeping up your end, I guess it’s just too bad. (Caitlyn ? DoTS) Besides taking responsibility for their own learning, former pathways students also struggled with self-motivation, self-discipline, and self-direction. Sammy, Marie and Tony all learned to direct themselves to study. For Sammy, â€Å"you have to learn to do things†. For Marie, â€Å"you don’t have anyone on your back telling you†. For Tony, not completing work is the student’s â€Å"loss†. Independence matters most. I would also say self-motivation. It taught me to study for myself because of the deadlines and the lecturers were pushing. You have to learn to do things for yourself because no one is going to do them for you. (Sammy ? MSAFP) I think a lot of people struggle with self-discipline, especially if you don’t have anyone on your back telling you, â€Å"Look, it’s 8 o’clock. You have to go to class. † (Marie ? MSAFP) If you don’t do it, it is your loss. (Tony ? MSAFP) INDEPENDENT LEARNING 117 6 STUDENT VOICES BOOK_Layout 1 2011/10/07 11:57 AM Page 117 In contrast, Jaco arrived as a very self-directed student who had no trouble keep- ing up to date. For Jaco, â€Å"if you start something, you ? nish it†. I’m one person to really work to my timetable. I don’t like to be late for anything. If anything needs to be done, it needs to be done the proper way. That’s some- thing I’ve grown up with from my parents. If you start something, you ? nish it, period, within the time frame. (Jaco ? MSAFP). Choosing to be a university student and making a conscious decision to learn are important for becoming a self-directed learner. Caitlyn, Denise and Sorcha pointed out that each student must make the choice to study for themselves. For Caitlyn, a student ? not the person’s mother ? must â€Å"make the decision to do it†. For Denise, a student must â€Å"want to do it†. For Sorcha, a student must become self-regulated and must â€Å"be interested in studying†. Being independent, having to do things for yourself, is hard. The work is chal- lenging, but I expected that. It’s not like when you’re in Year 12 and your mum wants you to ? nish and your school wants you to ? nish. My mum probably could- n’t have told you what I was doing at uni. There is no one to sort of push you along. You have to make the decision to do it yourself. (Caitlyn ? DoTS) Studying at school you’ve got no choice. You’ve got people on your back remind- ing you of what you have to do, when it has to be done, and how to do it, whereas at university you have to be motivated and want to do it. You have to be self-directed. (Denise ? DoTS) You have to be interested in studying, otherwise no amount of motivation or teacher-input can help. You’ve got to be a self-regulated learner. You can’t lean on your friends to take you through an exam. (Sorcha ? DoTS) Deciding to learn is not always an easy process for new students. Having com- menced the DoTS pathway three years after ? nishing high school, Nursing stu- dent Vaughan struggled to become a self-directed learner. A dif? cult thing was probably the self-directedness of uni. I’ve never been self-di- rected. I still struggle with it a little bit [in my third year]. (Vaughan ? DoTS) While Vaughan struggled with self-directedness throughout his degree, during the DoTS pathway, he sought professional advice to ? nd that he had to â€Å"get on with it† himself. I’d gone and seen the counsellors and they alerted me to the reality that no one is going to do it except me, so there are no quick ? xes there. We had a bit of a chat about things and you realise you have to get on with it. (Vaughan ? DoTS) Becoming a self-regulating learner involves taking individual responsibility for learning, for keeping up to date, and for becoming independent. These require- ments for university study appear to be well recognised by former pathways stu- dents even though many struggled, as do most new university students, with the initial transition. CH A P TE R 6 INDEPENDENT LEARNING 118. STUDENT VOICES BOOK_Layout 1 2011/10/07 11:57 AM Page 118 PUTTING IN EFFORT Putting in effort to learn, to understand the materials and to complete the re- quired work are among the most demanding aspects of university study. In South Africa, Accounting lecturers at Stellenbosch University assumed high stu- dent failure rates were due to poor preparation on the part of the students. Their Accounting students agreed, with one third suggesting that their classmates did not put in suf? cient effort and half believing they themselves did not study hard enough. These students also suggested that attending class and putting in effort  were among the most important factors for persisting with university study (Steenkamp, Baard & Frick, 2009: 151? 152). Former MSAFP and DoTS pathways students attested to the importance of putting in effort. Pip, Lisa, Vaughan, Sorcha and Reap explained putting in effort in terms of understanding course materials. For Pip, it was important to â€Å"make an effort to understand†. For Lisa, it was important to â€Å"get the answers† and â€Å"know your stuff†. For Vaughan, it was important for a student to learn the course materials and â€Å"know† they â€Å"did it† by themselves. I always make an effort to understand. I de? nitely don’t do the amount of work outside my contact hours that I should, but I make an effort to understand it. When I do have contact hours, I’ll make an effort to understand it and, if I don’t, then I go out and read up on it. I think it makes a difference if you want to be here and you actually want to understand the work. I think that’s what makes a good uni student. (Pip ? DoTS) I know that I’ve got to get things done. If I don’t get them done, then I’m not going to get the answers. We have quizzes each week and you can’t answer the quizzes if you haven’t studied and you don’t know your stuff. (Lisa ?DoTS) I read my chapter and I don’t collaborate with other people. I just tend to do it by myself because I want to know that I did it by myself, not because someone else has written down all the answers for me. (Vaughan ? DoTS) Like them, Sorcha and Reap emphasised the importance of making an effort to learn. For Sorcha, â€Å"you can become smart† with hard work and effort. For Reap, â€Å"you can’t fake it†. You can be smart and not do the work and not be successful and not achieve your goals, whereas if you have the time, the passion and all that, you can become smart. (Sorcha ? DoTS) You can’t breeze through uni. You’ve got to be able to do the work. You can’t fake it. (Reap ? DoTS) A willingness to put in effort to learn involves having the right attitude toward study which includes commitment and dedication. Barbara and Kendall believed that without the right attitude it is dif? cult for new students to adapt to univer- sity and experience academic success. For Barbara, university â€Å"has to be your number-one priority† and for Kendall, a student should â€Å"work so hard for it†. I think you have to be committed. You have to be committed to go to uni. Just be- cause you’ve got the brain, you got the marks, you got accepted, you might as  INDEPENDENT LEARNING 119 6 STUDENT VOICES BOOK_Layout 1 2011/10/07 11:57 AM Page 119 well go and do it ? it’s not really the right attitude, because you’re a nuisance, mostly to the tutors and lecturers. You have to be committed. You have to be there because you want to be there. I think it has to be your number-one priority to a certain extent. Get your assignments done. Get your uni work done. Then play. (Barbara ? DoTS) I just think you have to be dedicated. You have to know what you want. You have to work for it. It’s not just going to fall in your lap. Once you get it, it’s the best. Like I’m not even ?nished my course yet, but I’ve just got a job as a Division Two nurse and I’m wrapped. You work so hard for it and when you get there, it’s the best. (Kendall ? DoTS) A willingness to put in effort coupled with an attitude of dedication and com- mitment are attributes of an independent learner. Becoming an independent learner involves a new approach to study. Former pathways students contrasted their expectations of university learning with their experiences of becoming independent learners. Anna and Simon re? ected on different ideas about students and study. For Anna, a student should be â€Å"smart†,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"independent† and have a â€Å"love of learning†. For Simon, study at university in- volves thinking, discussing, â€Å"collaborating your thoughts and learning new things† as well as reading, reasoning and writing. [st3:When I was in Year 12 I would say that you have to be smart to come here. But doing DoTS teaches you what you need to be. You have to have a love of learning. You have to be an independent learner. (Anna ? DoTS) I remember in high school that I didn’t know what studying was. Now, for me, studying means doing what I need to do. I think of doing the work that re- quires me to think and learn something outside a lecture. Thinking is part of studying and so is discussing. It’s a process. You’re collaborating your thoughts and learning new things. An assignment is a good example. Because you have to read extra material, you have to have an understanding, you have to do your rea- soning and you have to put your ideas down. (Simon ? DoTS) Like Simon, Tony recognised the differences of degree study. For Tony, study at university involves â€Å"work on your own† and â€Å"research on your own†. In MSAFP I was used to having, let’s say, three tutorials in a week and in those tu- torials I could work through that assignment with my lecturers and ?nd out what I have to do. But you ? nd in undergrad you only have one tutorial in a week and you have to do your work on your own, research on your own and everything. (Tony ? MSAFP) Becoming an independent learner involves students also recognising when they need help. Asking for help is an issue that new university students, and particu- larly pathways students, ? nd challenging. For example, in the UK, low SES stu- dents studying at Shef? eld Hallam University tended not to ask for help but rather accepted their dif? culties with university study as though they were a nor- mal part of life. In in-depth interviews, both mature-aged students and school leavers reported they rarely approached tutors and instead preferred to draw on informal supports and peer networks. One student reported being afraid the CH A P TE R 6 INDEPENDENT LEARNING 120 STUDENT VOICES BOOK_Layout 1 2011/10/07 11:57 AM Page 120 tutor would think she was a â€Å"slacker†, while others drew on a â€Å"strong sense of self-reliance† coupled with an â€Å"immense determination to succeed† (Clegg, Bradley & Smith, 2006: 107? 108, 111). Similarly, in a survey of 101 direct entry Business students in Scotland, the majority did not disclose personal issues that  might affect their study (Barron & D’Annunzio-Green, 2009: 20). Although students may be reluctant to consult tutors in person, they are also reluctant to seek help online. In Australia, at a new suburban campus of the Uni- versity of Queensland, students knuckled down to study independently and without assistance. More than 80% of the students rarely, if ever, asked for help, support, or assistance online (Ballantyne, Madden, & Todd, 2009: 306). New stu- dents may not feel comfortable to ask for help when they deal with new lectur- ers and tutors each semester. Both mature-aged students and school leavers at  the University of Wollongong felt that interaction with their lecturers, whether online or face to face, was important in feeling comfortable enough to ask for help (Lefoe, Gunn & Hedberg, 2002: 44). Other students, studying Psychology at Macquarie University, found they only received help from a tutor when they asked directly for assistance (Plum, 1999: 244? 245). While former DoTS students described independence at university as being â€Å"up to you†, they also pointed out that assistance is available when requested. Paige, Therese and Helen each stressed the importance of seeking assistance and asking for help. For Paige, it is important not to be scared to seek advice. For Therese, it is important to â€Å"ask them†. For Helen, it is important to â€Å"take the initiative† and â€Å"go and ask for help†. I think you have to make sure that you’re not scared about going to ask for help, because people are there to help you. (Paige ? DoTS) My brother did say to me once that the lecturers are there to help you. If you have a question, you must ask them. (Therese ? DoTS) I think you have to be more independent. You have to be willing to put in the work and you have to be willing to ask for help. Those who aren’t willing to ask  for help, they fall by the wayside. When you know you might be drowning, you’ve just got to get up and take the initiative. Like in a workplace, no one will come and ask you. You’ve got to go and ask for help yourself. (Helen ? DoTS) Furthermore, Helen outlined the strategies she used in asking for help when, as a pathway student, she was â€Å"afraid† or just â€Å"con? dent enough† to seek advice. I would just go and ask whoever I needed to ask. I’d knock on people’s door ? lecturers, tutors, anyone. If I was a bit afraid of asking, I’d actually ring and ask at the front of? ce, â€Å"Who do I speak to? † and they’d put you through. I was con? dent enough to do that, I think, from working in my gap year. If I hadn’t worked that year, I think I probably wouldn’t have been. (Helen ? DoTS) Putting in effort helps a student adjust to the new style of independent learning at university. Independent learning requires a student to become metacognitive about their learning and study habits, so they are aware of when to seek advice. Taking the initiative to ask for help is an attribute of a student who is taking con- trol of their learning and becoming independent. INDEPENDENT LEARNING 121 6 STUDENT VOICES BOOK_Layout 1 2011/10/07 11:57 AM Page 121 THE RIGHT ATTITUDE. Students cannot become independent learners unless they have the right attitude to study and a willingness to learn. Melinda, Lisa and Vaughan recognised the importance of a willingness to learn in university study and each drew on their vocational motivation to persist with university study. For Melinda, wanting to learn is â€Å"probably number one†. For Lisa, it is important to â€Å"want to learn†. For Vaughan, it is important to have a â€Å"desire to learn† to absorb information. Wanting to be a student and wanting to learn are probably number one. Wanting to actually do it, because you’ll never do it if you don’t want to. You have to want to learn. If you just want to be a nurse, you can be a nurse with just a pass. But to be a good nurse, you have to want to be a student. You have the chance to learn, so you can get High Distinctions, so that you can be a great nurse, not just a nurse. (Melinda ? DoTS) I want to learn. I never used to want to learn, but I do now. I actually want to learn about all the different things and how everything works in Nursing. (Lisa ? DoTS) I think it’s about willingness to learn too. There’s a mountain of information out there. If you’ve got no desire to learn, you’re not going to take any of it in, so  you’ve got to want to be there. (Vaughan ? DoTS) The right attitude helps a student actually complete the work. A student’s atti- tude to learning is important in accepting the responsibility of a university work- load. Whether a student’s most recent learning experiences were at a secondary school, a vocational college, or in the workplace, becoming an independent learner in a university environment necessitates a different attitude (Booth, 1997). Age may also in? uence a student’s attitude. In Australia, mature-aged students have been found to be more committed to study than school leavers. Compared  to school leavers in outer western Brisbane, twice as many studying parents (over the age of 25) never skipped classes and regularly used support services. Moreover, students more than one year out of school were more con? dent and decisive than school leavers and were seven times more likely to complete the weekly readings (22% versus 3%) (Ballantyne, Madden & Todd, 2009: 307? 308). While it may be the case that mature-age students have the right attitude to study, many school leavers in the MSAFP and DoTS pathway also demonstrate the right attitude. Having a willingness to change may best indicate a student’s capacity to ad-just to independent learning as well as to enable academic engagement and epis- temological access. In the UK, a University of Nottingham survey of History stu- dents found two-thirds of students expected to change over the period of their degree, suggesting that adjustment to university is an ongoing process and not just a dif? cult phase at the beginning of the ? rst year. These History students, who preferred discussion and debate over any other method of learning, ex- pected to develop open-mindedness, interpersonal communication skills, and in- dependence (Booth, 1997: 209, 214; see also Brownlee, Walker, Lennox, Exley &  CH A P TE R 6 INDEPENDENT LEARNING 122 STUDENT VOICES BOOK_Layout 1 2011/10/07 11:57 AM Page 122 Pearce, 2009). Their positive attitudes to learning enabled them to persist with study. Similarly, former MSAFP and DoTS pathway students highlighted the in? u- ence of a student’s attitude in persisting with university study. Persistence de- pends on motivation and engagement as well as commitment and a sense of re- sponsibility to learn. Sammy, Elaine and Lindy af? rmed a willingness to learn underpins success in university study. You have to want to do something to achieve success in it. (Sammy ?MSAFP) If you put your mind to it and tell yourself you can do it, you can be successful. That’s what I think. (Elaine ? MSAFP) I tell myself, â€Å"This is your future. The future is in your hands. † Nobody can write my exam for me. Nobody can study for me. It’s my future. It’s my life and the way I live it is my choice. I make myself study by looking at everyone else studying. When they’re all studying, I get motivated to study. (Lindy ? MSAFP) Like them, Meg, Paige and Therese each clearly articulated a willingness to learn and recognised that university study is serious business. Meg and Paige high-lighted that the right attitude helps a student achieve success, while Therese stressed that skills development is made possible when a student has the right attitude. When I came here, I was 19 and I was ready to start being a grown-up. What I do now is going to play out my future. Every step I take is towards where I want to be. (Meg ? DoTS) I think I’m a lot more focused now. I know what I have to do and what needs to be done, that I can’t slack off and that I have to meet deadlines. I know that be- cause I’ve chosen to do this, I have to put in the effort. (Paige ? DoTS) You should actually want to be here and to take it seriously. You’re not here just to have fun. With skills, you can develop them over time. You can teach yourself how to study and what’s the best way to study, how to ? nd information that you need and that is relevant, then to be able to differentiate between what’s relevant and what’s not relevant. But that comes with time I think. (Therese ? DoTS) Other former pathways students expressed an awareness of their changing atti- tudes to study. Caitlyn recalled, with some humour, the dependent attitude she overcame during the ? rst semester of the DoTS pathway. I remember actually asking the lecturer if I could have my birthday off, and he said no! (Caitlyn ? DoTS) Chloe and Lisa re? ected on their changing attitudes toward their social lives as they became more serious about study. Chloe gave up excessive partying on weekends, while Lisa changed her â€Å"party life into uni life† I went out every weekend and got drunk. I’ve given that up now, because a hang- over lasts quite a few days with me. It really knocks me down. (Chloe ? DoTS) I just needed to change my party life into uni life. I liked to hang out with my friends more and go out on the weekends. But that’s changed now. (Lisa ? DoTS) INDEPENDENT LEARNING 123 6 STUDENT VOICES BOOK_Layout 1 2011/10/07 11:57 AM Page 123. Vicky, Lisa and Melinda reiterated that a student’s attitude is re? ected in their be- haviour and highlighted that choosing to attend classes re? ected a commitment to study and a sense of responsibility to learn. Turn up to- class. Don’t just say, â€Å"If I miss this lecture, it won’t matter,† because it will. The blackboard site doesn’t give you everything. (Vicky ? DoTS) I know there are compulsory classes, but you have a choice of what you want to learn and what you want to do. (Lisa ? DoTS) If you don’t want to go to lectures, don’t. If you don’t want to go to tutes, don’t. If you don’t want to do the readings, don’t. It’s your education that suffers from it and it’s your grades. I don’t want to say there are not people there to help you, but they’re only there if you ask for help. (Melinda ? DoTS) Former students of both the MSAFP and DoTS pathways point out that success- ful students are self-disciplined. Sammy, Chitalu and Chloe re? ected on how self- discipline helped them not only to keep up to date, but also to enjoy studying. I have a personal laptop and when I ? nd myself playing [games], then I think that tomorrow I have a tutorial and if I have studied enough for that. If I haven’t, I im-mediately switch off, so I start reading my lecture slides and trying to understand the questions that might be discussed in the tutorial. (Sammy ? MSAFP) It’s not really hard work when you are disciplined and you do what you’re sup- posed to do. But when you take it lightly and you just have fun, it really becomes hard work. (Chitalu ? MSAFP) I don’t really need to make myself do it because most essays I enjoy writing and enjoy learning. I guess I’m pretty disciplined. (Chloe ? DoTS) Yet, other former pathways students also pointed out the risks of procrastination and avoidance. Chipo, Tara and Lisa re?ected on wasting time and delaying, or avoiding, study commitments. For Chipo, postponing study is â€Å"time wasted†, while for Tara and for Lisa, it was easy to â€Å"put things off† or put â€Å"everything aside†. If you waste your time, time wasted is time that you can never get back. I had to learn these things as I went along because, you know, you postpone things. You say, â€Å"Oh no, I’ll do it later† and then next thing you discover you’ve got an assign- ment due tomorrow. (Chipo ? MSAFP) I tend to procrastinate a little bit and to put things off. (Tara ? DoTS) At the start, I was too busy stressing out and putting everything aside and not  even thinking about it. In the second half of my ? rst year, I got the hang of what uni is all about and what you’ve got to do to get by. (Lisa ? DoTS) Like them, Daniel, who returned to study from the workforce, tended to pro- crastinate. The solution was to have his life â€Å"timetabled†. I’m a terminal procrastinator. I always have been and stupidly enough I’ve been conditioned to actually continue to do so because I keep getting reasonable results in spite of procrastinating. I timetable a lot. I have my life timetabled so I start the semester saying, â€Å"Alright, I have this on this day and this on that day† and then. CH A P TE R 6 INDEPENDENT LEARNING 124 STUDENT VOICES BOOK_Layout 1 2011/10/07 11:57 AM Page 124 around work I schedule one day where I focus on each subject. On that day, whether it is travelling on the train or at home in the afternoon, I do all of the reading and work on assignments and stuff like that. I allocate the time to do the work. (Daniel ? DoTS) One aspect of independent learning that former pathways students found easy was being â€Å"in control† of their own study. In contrast to high school where stu- dents felt pushed, particularly by teachers and through competition with their  peers, at university students directed their own learning. Lindy found being in control â€Å"the easiest thing† about becoming an independent learner. The easiest thing was being in control. I didn’t have a very hard time getting used to being in control. (Lindy ? MSAFP) Like Lindy, Grace, Andrew, Julia and Max appreciated the autonomy of univer- sity study. Arts students Grace and Andrew both preferred studying at university over studying at high school. Grace felt she was â€Å"making up for† bad habits at high school, while Andrew felt as if he were ? nally â€Å"doing something†. In high school I hated studying, so I ? nd it really strange. I ? gure I’m making up for what I didn’t do in high school. (Grace ? DoTS) I did uni pretty well actually. I kind of preferred it to high school. Because, for one, I felt like I was doing something. With high school, it’s kind of like what you have to do. We were there because we had to be. At uni, it was where I wanted to be. (Andrew ? DoTS) Similarly, Julia and Max had no trouble taking control of their learning. Educa- tion student Julia viewed her learning as an opportunity, while Arts student Max found his own progress â€Å"inspiring†. I can’t believe people don’t hand work in because that’s just beyond me. I just  think why would you not even give yourself a chance? When I saw the mark for attendance, I thought I’m going to make sure I attend every class because that’s marks I can count on and I would never not hand anything in because every mark is another step closer. (Julia ? DoTS) It’s all on yourself. You’re responsible for failing. You’re responsible for doing your assignments. You’re responsible for passing. You’re responsible for your grades. There’s no one pushing you along. It’s inspiring to think that you’re con- trolling your own learning. (Max ? DoTS) Having the right attitude to study is important for success. Regarding themselves as serious, responsible and goal-oriented students, some former pathways stu- dents were openly critical of their peers who did not share the same â€Å"right atti- tude† to study. Andrew and Rachel were both critical of students who aim for a minimum pass, regarding them to be â€Å"unmotivated†. I come across a lot of unmotivated students who are like, â€Å"I’m just here to get a pass and get my degree and get out. † (Andrew ? DoTS) I actually ? nd a lot of people are only motivated to get that pass score. They are not that motivated to go the extra mile. (Rachel ? DoTS) INDEPENDENT LEARNING. 125 6 STUDENT VOICES BOOK_Layout 1 2011/10/07 11:57 AM Page 125 Like them, Jenna regarded some of the other students as having the wrong atti- tude for studying. Describing their attitudes as â€Å"very lazy† and â€Å"very blas †, Jenna contrasted her own willingness to learn and to put in effort with their lack of motivation and poor attitudes. There are de? nitely some students who are very lazy in their attitude. They don’t go to classes. They don’t do the reading. They have a very blase attitude and I ? nd that very frustrating because I’m here to learn and I put in the time and effort. (Jenna ? DoTS).