Malcolm Xs Life and Accomplishments - 628 Words

Malcolm X, Born name Malcolm Little, was born in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925. His mother was Louise Norton, which had eight children including Malcolm. His father’s name was Earl Little, who was a Baptist preacher and strong supporter of the Black Nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Before Malcolm’s fourth birthday, the family was forced twice to relocate due to death threats from the white supremacist organization, Black Legion. Despite their efforts to get away from them in 1929, the Legion burned their home down to ashes. After two years, Earl was killed and found laying on the trolley tracks in the town. The police ruled these events as accidents, the Little family was sure that the Black Legion were the people responsible for killing their father and husband. After this, Louise was put into a mental institution because of her emotional breakdown years after the death of her husband. Growing up, Malcolm was a smart and focused student. He lost his interest in studies from school, when his favorite junior high teacher told him that trying to become a lawyer was â€Å"not a realistic life goal for a nigger†. He later dropped out of school and spent time in Boston, MA, and Harlem, New York. He worked odd jobs and committed petty crimes. Malcolm began putting together multiple narcotics, prostitution, and gambling rings. Later in life when he was determined for striving for greatness, he said, â€Å"early in life, I had learned that if you want something, you had better make someShow MoreRelatedMalcolm Xs Life and Accomplishments1407 Words   |  6 Pages Malcolm X was an African American minister and civil rights leader. Unlike many activists of his time, he took a different approach on the movement. In his lifetime, from 1925 to 1965, he was known as an advocate for the rights of blacks, and has been named one of the greatest and most influential men in hi story. Early Life Malcolm was born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska to Louise and Earl Little. His Father, Earl, was a Baptist minister and an active member of the Universal Negro ImprovementRead MoreThe Death Before Disunity : Malcolm X, Civil Rights Activist And Muslim Leader1173 Words   |  5 PagesDeath before Disunity Malcolm X, Civil Rights activist and Muslim leader, was an advocate of unity by all means necessary. Throughout history, people have often pondered what X intended to obtain before his tragic death at the hands of Talmadge Hayer, Norman 3X Butler, and Thomas 15X Johnson (â€Å"Biography†). Several people downplay X’s achievements in comparison to the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Majority of activists such as Mohandas Gandhi, Rosa Parks, and Cesar Chavez are notoriousRead MoreAfrican Americans And The Civil Rights Movement1624 Words   |  7 Pagespolitical movements also arose as a result of the assassinations of some of the most influential leaders in America. Malcolm X changed the way Americans viewed oppression and discrimination of African Americans. The movie Malcolm X is an accurate depiction or a product of its time. It showcased many of the problems that lead up to the civil rights movement within the life of Malcolm X as well as what proceeded after he became a prominant civil rights leader.What’s interesting about this movie is thatRead MoreMalcolm X Essay855 Words   |  4 PagesMalcolm X was one of the most prominent and controversial leaders during the civil rights era of the 1950’s and 1960’s. By the early 1960’s he had grown frustrated with the non violent, integrated struggle for civil rights and worried that blacks would ultimately lose control of their own movement. Malcolm X was a key spokesman for the nation of Islam, epitomized the â€Å"Black Power† philosophy. Malcolm became an influential leader of the nation of islam, which combined Islam with black nationalismRead MoreMalcolm X : A Influential Figure Of The Nation Of Islam1497 Words   |  6 Pagesleader, Malcolm X fough t for equal rights for African Americans. He viewed civil rights differently than most civil rights activists; this is why when he is talked about, there are mixed emotions. Many know of Martin Luther King Junior’s standpoints and highlighted moments, but less know of the many accomplishments that Malcolm X had as well. He sometimes came off harsh to the public, because non-violence was the tactic used for other advocates. Also a former member of the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X developedRead MoreMalcolm X And The Civil Rights Movement1180 Words   |  5 Pagesby Negros. With racial injustice at its hand, America was blessed to receive civil rights activists Malcolm X. In order to understand Malcolm X’s philosophies, one must look back and examine his past, paying attention to key events which led him to become the black nationalist he is known as today. Born in a little town in Omaha Nebraska on May 19, 1935, Malcolm Little, soon to be known as Malcolm X, was born to Louise and Earl Little. His mother was a homemaker while his father was a preacher andRead MoreAnalysis Of Malcolm X By William F. Martin Luther King Jr.975 Words   |  4 Pagesmillions who had never heard it before. His name was Malcolm X. As the title of the book suggests, The Autobiography of Malcolm X tells the life story of Malcolm Little from his childhood in Lancing, Michigan, up to his assassination (told in the epilogue) in 1965. His childhood was rough, his father was killed by a racist mob, and his mother was committed to a mental home when he was young. After moving to Boston to live with his sister, Malcolm fell in with the various â€Å"hustlers† in the city involvedRead MorePhysical Appearance Says What Words Cannot: Comparing Gandhi and Malcolm X831 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout their lives, both Malcolm X and Gandhi had similar and contrasting physical traits. In many ways, how they appeared on the outside shaped the people they were on the inside. Clothing became a device of nonverbal communication. Whether they recognized that themselves or not, that’s how it was. Had they not been colored, they would not have had advocated for justice. Though their personal philosophies drove th em in different ways to resolve oppression; one with violence and the otherRead MoreMalcolm X Education Essay1560 Words   |  7 PagesMalcolm X once said â€Å"education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today†. From adolescence to adulthood almost every person is put through schooling. As one gets older in age, the education they obtain becomes more rigorous in order to stretch their minds far beyond two plus two or what color the sky is. The strategies of critically thinking and being able to analyze/decipher information in front is them is reinforced routinely in the educational systemRead MoreMalcom X s Experiences Inspired His Autobiography1223 Words   |  5 PagesMalcom X’s Experiences inspired his Autobiography Considered as one of the greatest and influential in African Americans in history, Malcon Little was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska, and murder on February 21, 1965 in New York by three Nation of Islam members. Best known as Malcon X, he was also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, an American Muslim minister and a human rights activist. Malcon X was a fervent advocate the separation of black and white Americans, and rejected the civil rights

Discuss the view that the influence of religion on UK society is declining Free Essays

string(92) " Christian denominations meet and work together as Christians this is called Ecumenicalism\." The UK is lucky to have such a vibrant, diverse and cultured population from migrants that have entered our small islands from the past few thousand years. However each time they make Britain there home, they bring there religion. This gives rise to the many religions and there denominations that have a presence. We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss the view that the influence of religion on UK society is declining or any similar topic only for you Order Now But what is a religion? According to the Penguin Dictionary of Sociology it is â€Å"A set of cultural ideas, symbols, and practices that focus on the meaning of life and the nature of the unknown. † Secularisation had been happening for long time before Nietzsche proclaimed, â€Å"God is Dead† and is a far more complex process than just a drop in church attendance. Marxists believe that religion is form of social control on the proletariat by the bourgeoisie. He saw religion as the opium of the masses, teaching them acceptance which was reinforced by hymns like ‘All things bright and beautiful’ which had verses akin to â€Å"The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate, God made them, high or lowly, and ordered their estate. † aided there exploitation by teaching them to accept there place in society because it was God wished. When Marx wrote this, churches had a high monopoly on truth so people would be more inclined to believe it. Looking at statistics of ex and current communist countries it is clear that secularisation is very high with the majority of Britain from Chinese decent claiming they have no religion, it is also known that countries that follow a Marxist, however stringently, doctrine that government officials must have no religion, this is very widely enforced within the Peoples Republic of China’s administration but not as obligatory within the soviets of the USSR. With only one class there should be no reason for a religion to control society, however when countries became communist the did not all suddenly drop there views and become atheists, even if these values were taught at school, they were still taught in the home as primary socialisation always comes before secondary such as the school. The media openly ridicules religion by broadcasting comedies such as Father Ted and The Vicar of Dibley which portray very un orthodox Ministers and there they very un orthodox parishioners. But the media does not stop there it regularly comments on the flaws in religion through various mediums such as articles printed about the bonuses of secularisation and TV programs calling for religions to be abolished in the bid for world peace. However many of the Abrahamic religions forgot the second commandment â€Å"Though shall not worship false idols† but would God really smite the celebrities that use there fame to help highlight charitable work and those less fortunate than ourselves? However jealous a god he is, does he approve of celebrities such as The Pope or Grand Ayatollah? Even with there religious leadership they still fit the job description of a celebrity. Religions are often accused of being behind the times on items seen as very taboo yet have always been there, especially gay rights and abortion. Many religions see all human life as sacred and that abortion is an act of killing one of gods children so a sin, they also conform to functionalist view of homogonous, heterosexual, monogamous marriage been the only appropriate view on raising children. Within the past hundred years many laws have been passed that work towards an egalitarian society in which no person is superior or inferior to another such as gay rights, abortion rights and gender equality, which have been advocated for as long as Plato in his â€Å"The Republic† in which he sees men and woman indifferent albeit for childbirth and strength, to which he argues that some woman are stronger than some men. Moreover, some religious organisations have moved slightly with times, notably the Anglican faith which no allows gay and female Vicars, abortion in certain circumstances as well as divorce and remarriage. So as many equality principles have been oppressed by religion and are only recently winning it over, only one has been supported which is race equality, which was lead and fronted by one the most famous men in the world, a Methodist minister, Dr Martin Luther King. But to counter that the Dutch Reform Church openly supported Apartheid in South Africa, as well as many Far Right Political Groups mainly National Socialism Groups such as Hitler’s Administration but also the BNP and NF groups which solely believe in Aryan Protestants to be the superior race, a dumbfounded patriarchal view that contradicts many statements within the bible including when Jesus Christ died on the Cross for our sins he removed all barriers including that of gender, race, and nationality. This is as said by the apostle Paul â€Å"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ then you are†¦ heirs according to the promise† (Galatians 3:28-29). Weber first introduced his theory of rationalization in his book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, He predicts a decline in religion due to industrial advancement, plurality of religions and a rise in science and technology to answer questions that gave rational answers juxtaposed to religions ambiguous statement of it was Gods will. He looks at the Protestant denomination of ‘Calvinism’ who believed in predestination and worked hard to beat their anxiety on whether they would be accepted into heaven. Eventually this evolved from a monopoly on truth to a monopoly of industry with many Calvinites becoming successful capitalistic businesspeople, for which Weber argued was inevitable. A rise in religious pluralism also adds to secularisation as individual religions are loosing their monopoly on truth as they are co-habiting and recognising other religions. Many large religious buildings now have faith rooms in which all religions are welcome. Also some Christian denominations meet and work together as Christians this is called Ecumenicalism. You read "Discuss the view that the influence of religion on UK society is declining" in category "Papers" Within the past 250 years scientific advancement has gone from virtually nothing to a vital part our lifes today, religion has caught along on this bandwagon as well, but to only a certain extent. Darwin’s theory of evolution is still questioned by some many religious individuals however these are mainly creationists. Weber suggested that eventually the mystical ideas would be succumbed by scientific ones. Durkheim (1965) suggests that religion was about celebrating the rules of your society and making the citizens keep to those rules. Yet, he argues, that as a society becomes more complex religion struggles to bind individuals due to industrialization and social fragmentation that regulate religion into a corner of where it becomes one of many beliefs and fails to unify members of society. Secularists and Antidisestablishmentarians have fought along side the broad left and broad right respectively, but hardly any battles have been as severe as the Spanish civil war (1936 – 1939) The Republicans were secularists and some of the more radical groups within in them such as the Stalinists NKVD committed terrible atrocities against the catholic church in Spain such as massacring clergy and destroying churches and monasteries. While the Nationalists were led by the infamous General Francisco Franco and had largely fascist yet catholic views and ties. They suppressed the terrorist secularist activities by executing teachers that promoted the removal of the church from education. Clear Statistics prove a decline in church attendance (All Protestant and Roman Catholic) from 30% of the population in 1900 to 12% in 1990, Hamilton (? ) Table 1. However a Social Attitudes Survey (1992) cited in Haralambous et al (2000) table 7. 19 pg 479 states that 75% of people believe in at some point God with or without scepticism, while the remaining 25% either stated they were Atheists, no answer or that they did not if there was a God and believed there was no way to find out. As 75% of people still believe in God at some point, this adds to the point that people may not be attending churches but still are retaining faith and does indicate a rise in Atheism. Davie calls this â€Å"believing without belonging†. Returning back to the Penguins Dictionary of Sociology’s definition of religion in no point of the description does it state that one has to attend a specific place of worship to practice there religion. This adds to the point that people have not stopped believing in god but merely openly practicing in public, this could be that a conventional church does not fit in with there views of a religion or their lifestyles. In America Evangelical Christians have used the TV to their advantage and started to broadcast live sermons, this is taking the idea of songs of praise to a new level and with channels emerging such as GOD channel, religious sermons can make it into our homes – if we choose. Furthermore, Christian Church attendance was only mentioned above so what would be held for other religions and the attendance at there place of worship. Other data suggests that Christianity is just for Christmas According to UK Census Data (2001) 71. 6% claim to be Christian, 2. 7% to be Muslim, 1. 0% to be Hindu, 0. 6% to be Sikh, 0. 5% to be Jewish, 0. 3% to Buddhist and 23. 2% either have no religion or did not state one. However, comparing this with data from Social Trends 30 (2000) cited in Moore (2001) pg 417 suggest that while Christianity may be on the decrease other religions are not. Islam in the UK had increased 380% from 130,000 individuals in 1970 to 495,000 individuals. As well the amount of people stating their religion as Sikhism increased 250% from 1970 to 1990. Interestingly, participants of other non-Christian religious institutions had increased 231% over the twenty-year period, these could be institutions that conform to the description of a religion but are either world rejecting or world affirming. World rejecting religions promise savoir on judgement day and normally have very tight, strict rules and regulations placed upon their members, and most of all see the world as a bad place in which will not make it into heaven. World affirming religions on the other hand are too promised savour but do not have as many tight restrictions on its members but maybe one or two, such as no sex before marriage or no drinking alcohol and most importantly do not see the world as a bad place. There are many methodical issues raised when researching any religion topic, let alone secularisation. There are many points to include when research is undertaken for instance the reliability of the data, would a different research get the same results or if a different sample of participants and method of data collection was used. Is their a true representative sample, this would be important as Britain is a highly religiously diverse country and a poor sample could obscure the results. How valid is the data actually gained; is it what the researcher aimed to find in their question or is it irrelevant due to an ambiguous question. Religion is a very private matter and a researcher must question there self on how far they may be intruding on a participant’s life or institution. Finally a researcher must be sensitive to the data and interaction with participants, as beliefs are very sacred to a person they must be fully aware of their customs so that they do not offend. Secondary sources must be looked at with great care and what they say applied today for example a woman practicing herbal medicine would not be seen as anything bizarre in today’s world but 400 years ago burnt at the stake for witchcraft. In conclusion the debate of secularisation has rage on with the sociological world for many year, yet a unified decision has yet too be and probably won’t be made. Bellah (1967) and Luckman (1996) both argue that religion is not in decline but is merely changing form. They say that the public side of religion may be in decline but the private side of religion and personal belief is not. Berger (1967) on the other hand says that religion is loosing its traditional place within society saying how the growth of science and technology has questioned it, and suggests that religion, as a way of life is no longer in capacity to do so. Wilson (1966) described secularisation as â€Å"the process whereby religious thinking, practices and institutions lose their social significance† But even though there is a drop in church attendance, society is not loosing its belief in a religion. Many religions have religious buildings to worship their god, yet with some religions it is not compulsory to attend them regularly, such as Islam and Judaism – perhaps Christianity has to learn from its religious ‘relatives’. On the contrary Voas (2005) gives evidence for a significant rise in church attendance around Christmas time, which can rise by 330% in some diocese in Anglican Britain. Perhaps this suggests that Anglicans choose to go to church only at special religious occasions. Many sociologists looking at secularisation focus on Britain and do to take into account other countries that have taken a huge rise of fundamentalism such as the USA and Iran, which are closely linked too politics. Fundamentalists, such as the Christian Coalition, helped shape the policies of the Reagan and Bush administrations, Bruce (1995). Finally Stark and Bainbridge (1990) suggest that secularisation and strong religious belief alternate in a cyclical pattern. From this I agree with Bellah and Luckman that religion is not in decline but merely changing the form in which it presents its self within society, as there is more corroboration between researchers that suggest people have not lost faith. How to cite Discuss the view that the influence of religion on UK society is declining, Papers

Social Mimicry free essay sample

Humans are creatures of a social nature. Our veins are filled with a burning desire to make new acquaintances and broaden our social network. From an evolutionary standpoint, this craving is imperative to survival so others can watch our back. The need for relationships dates back to hunter-gatherer times; those who chose to go on their own tended to succumb to predators and mother nature faster than those in large groups. This tendency is seen across many species of animals, not just humans; wolves exemplify this phenomenon with the common mantra, â€Å"wolf pack.† Taking into account the importance of social interactions, humans have developed many ways to facilitate this process; one of these methods is mimicry. Go out and try to buy a car. No, go right now. Go to a car dealership; pose an interest in purchasing a vehicle and pay attention to the salesperson and his actions. They have mastered social interaction to such a level that you’ll leave feeling good about si gning over a year’s worth of paychecks. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Mimicry or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page So how do they do it? How does a stranger become your best friend? Among the many tools in their arsenal lies in the careful manipulation of certain social and physical variables, one of them being mirroring. Biologically, we mimic others’ movements the moment we come out of the womb, both verbally and physically. We frequently see parents repeating words or actions in an attempt to get their child to perform the same thing. Mimicry has evolved as a way of learning. Mothers loom over their child while repeating phrases that we’ve all heard such as, â€Å"Say Mommy!† in hope that the infant will reproduce the sound. This skill has boundless educational potential. We learn new sports or skills by watching professionals and mimicking their actions. Furthermore, beyond using it for instructive purposes, this ability can be used to facilitate social interaction, and in the case of the salesperson, to warm up to the customer. You like yourself. That’s an undeniable fact; at the basic, cognitive level, we are predisposed to like ourselves. So naturally, we like others that seem like us; this is where mirroring comes into play. Psychologists have done numerous experiments in regards to this concept and have all reached the same basic conclusion: mirroring leads to smoother interpersonal interactions and great likability. Most mirroring comes naturally. We mirror the way a person talks by mimicking their speech, tone, pace, volume and the type of vocabulary that they use- we notice that we build an instant connection with them. We don’t consciously notice every tick and mannerism of our peers but sometimes we copy them exactly. This concept can be deliberately controlled and mastered to enhance a relation or to add an emotional bond. In the previous example, the salesman can use this tactic to gain people’s trust and to facilitate persuasion. Day in and day out we control our posture and gestures, the way we dress, and the tone of our voice to fit in. We are conditioned to act in such way that facilitates and increases our interactions with our peers and makes us successful. Mimicking or mirroring another person is like a tango. It requires a certain sequence of sensory acuity, diligence, and good timing. Have you noticed that it is so much easier to build a relation with someone after a face-to-face encounter rather than after a phone conversation? So what the aforementioned salesperson does through conscious mimicry is create a warm atmosphere, build rapport, and increase the chances of a sale. The mimicry simply makes us feel good; it’s almost a form of physical flattery and we don’t feel as awkward or anxious anymore. To quote the textbook Social Psychology, mimicry is the â€Å"first step on the road to harmonious interaction and goodwill.† However, this subtle strategy, if employed inadequately, can backfire; if the mirroring is performed too immediately or too obviously, then it might become offensive or bothersome and turn into mockery. Therefore, salespeople have to master this technique to not come off as a farce. A real world portrayal of mimicry’s powerful effect is the operations in the military. Why do the armed forces insist so heavily on uniforms, synchronized marching, and strict protocols? All of these efforts are geared towards creating camaraderie out of complete strangers, which, in a war situation, is very important. There have been psychological studies investigating the effect of marching in unison and have discovered that it generates familiarity and interpersonal liking. In these institutions, you almost become â€Å"one† with each other, joined by the forced guidelines. Our existence takes place within a social matrix, embedded with dynamic and ever-changing rules, norms, and expectations. To our surprise, whether we like to admit it or not, we conform to each other, and to society. We change our behavior constantly under peer pressure, looking for common ground. Evolutionarily, mirroring is used as a method of learning and unconsciously as a way of generating rapport and smooth interactions. However, someone consciously aware of this will be able to employ this skill in all facets of his or her social interaction, to a greater extent, and will facilitate networking. Subtle but complex, mirroring is an integral part of human nature an interpersonal interaction.

Its All about Jazz Fusion free essay sample

Its All about Jazz Fusion BY Jackie Its All About Jazz Fusion Of the Jazz styles studied In this module, I prefer jazz-rock-fusion. I enjoy listening to this style of jazz because it creates a rock mood by its different melodies, complex rhythms, tones and harmonies. Jazz -fusion, melds rock rhythms and the use of electronic instruments with collective improvisation (Ferris). Jazz music in general is mostly improvised music, so its melody is an interesting element to its listeners. I feel that being a jazz musician has to be complicating.There are so many, extreme ranges In volume, rapid shifts In meter, tempo and mood, In Jazz-fusion (Ferns). Therefore. These musicians are creating art every time he or she plays. After listening to some of the jazz-fusion music clips, it is hard for me to tell that they are all apart of the same genre. This makes me prefer this style of jazz even more because listening to the same pieces of music sounds different even if the same musicians play it. We will write a custom essay sample on Its All about Jazz Fusion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Whereas in popular music, the same melody is repeated constantly with little or no variations.Another reason why I prefer Jazz-fusion style Is because a lot of people cant listen to a type of music if there are no lyrics. I appreciate the listeners that can listen to instrumental music because not a lot of people can. I feel that most popular artists are usually singers because they are the ones who sing the melody, while the other instruments are Just heard in the background. Jazz-fusion music is not appreciated by a lot of listeners because they think its Just background music. I have a deferent outlook as a listener of the Jazz-fusion style.I know there are multiple melodies, rhythms, harmonies, and tones In this style of music, but I can still appreciate how It Is played. The aesthetic notes that are being played by the different instruments are the lyrics in my mind. You do not need words to be sung by a singer in a song for you to have your mood set by a genre of music. All music makes one feel a certain way when they listen to it depending on the tones, type of scales and melodies that are being played. An artist that I like to believe Is the face of Jazz-fusion styled music Is Miles Davis.I have listened to a lot of his songs from his On the Corner album and I find him to be one the greatest jazz-fusion artist. His improvisation talent amazes me. Some of the songs that Ive listened to from his On the Corner album, I found to have some peculiar timbre from some of the instruments. According to Americas Musical Landscape text, The album features an amazing array of instruments, including an Indian sitar, and a rock (funky) drumbeat (Ferris). His creativity of the jazz-fusion music made me look at this style of Jazz from a new perspective.I know that Jazz- rock-fusion Is not limited to Just some rock and rhythm and blues being thrown together to create music but it is a work of art that can be turned to funk like Miles Davis has shown which has inspired other musicians to do as well. I feel that jazz- rock-fusion is the style that is likely to have the most influence on future musicians. Every style of music is always evolving but I feel that jazz-fusion would have the largest impact on future musicians because a lot of the sounds are electronic like entities to evolve, as musicians explore new technology and world sounds (Ferris).Without technology, the music that is being played today would not be alive. Future musicians goals are to be popular. To achieve their goals, they have to be apart of the digital trend and use electronics to create the background in todays music. The electric sounds of a synthesizer, organ, guitars, drums, etc. Have all evolved from somewhere, someone, or something. Hence, why I feel that Jazz-rock-fusion is likely to have the most influence on future musicians. No other style of Jazz has the monuments to create contemporary music like Jazz-rock-fusion does.In conclusion, I prefer to listen to Jazz-rock fusion. Its melodies are beautiful and unpredictable. The improvisation that was used to create this amazing style of music is incredible. Miles Davis kept this style of music alive and that is why the instruments that are used in jazz-fusion are timeless. Music being made today uses instruments that have evolved from the Jazz-fusion style and this is why I feel it is appropriate to say that this style of music has the most influence on future musicians.

Save Money in College 9 Useful Tips

Save Money in College 9 Useful Tips The college – or university – years can be considered a cruel time in one’s life: it’s when most students are on the cusp of adulthood, enjoying many of its perks and only some of its responsibilities; yet they’re also not quite adults, a majority of which are more like overgrown teenagers still dependent on their parents for financial stability, among other things. But, see, college tuition is quite expensive. It sets up many middle- and lower-class students for a lifetime of debt. This means these students generally want to graduate with a degree as quickly as possible, which implies they don’t have a great deal of time for making money – but rather a time for classes, homework, studying, taking exams, etc. So what little money students generally have (whether they’re given an allowance or have to work to support themselves), there are trying to hold on to it. The problem is this: ironically, due to the nature of the fundamental conflict most college students face – the aforementioned paradox – college can be a very thrilling, exciting time: being young, broke, healthy but feeling good about getting an education, as well as enjoying the many freedoms of adulthood. But, generally, being financially independent is not one of those freedoms college students get to enjoy.  This reality means being smart with money is even more crucial for the everyday student. 9 Proven Ways to Save Money in College: Set Up a Bank Account Quite a few banks offer college students free checking and saving accounts. This translates to avoiding fees on withdrawals as well as fund transfers; plus, with free checking, students aren’t penalized for having a certain amount, which is often the case with many banks. The student also benefits from having a bank account because they can monitor their own activity, especially with online banking. It helps them keep track of their money, when and where and how they’re spending it, and can help them save and plan as they move forward as adults. Save Receipts; Get Organized When one saves their receipts, they are essentially doing bookkeeping very much like a business would operate to keep tabs on their expenses, which is crucial for a business to grow and thrive. In order for a business to make money, it has to document and monitor spending so that it is not blindly losing money on things unnecessary. The same goes for any person. Perhaps it would be best if students were to record in a journal of all of their expenses, writing down information from their receipts to better budget and understand their spending habits. After a person begins seeing spending patterns, bad spending habits can be eliminated. Set a Budget – and Stick to it No Matter What Setting a budget is basically creating financial goals for certain periods of time. But what matters is adhering to these goals – all with the aim of ultimately saving money. Going back to keeping receipts: a student has to be cognizant of not only their financial obligations, such as paying bills and other required expenditures on time; they also have to be aware of their spending habits, such as going out to restaurants, spending money on retail, expensive outings, etc., so they can make sure they’re not being too frivolous with their spending. Most times, a student should set aside a certain amount of money each week for bills and necessary expenditures. But they should also cap a limit on the amount of money they can spend each week on other non-essential expenditures, like restaurant meals, drinks, and late-night food. Most importantly, to save money, students should put aside money each month that they will not spend – unless it’s an absolute emergen cy. Buy a Simple Phone Plan There are tons of affordable plans out there. But many plans are without Internet access, high-quality cameras, and voice-activated texting. And on a campus, that’s not a bad thing. The Internet can be accessed on almost every inch of a modern-day college campus. So, for those students trying to save money, who have to pay their own bills, it is most certainly a wise choice to buy a simple, cheap phone plan that has the most basic of functions. Buy that nice phone with the extensive plan after landing that first job out of college. Be patient – nicer things will come. Get a Job – It Helps Prioritize Time Again, it’s hard finding time to make money in college. But there are plenty of those who DO find the time. Some have no choice. They have to work to survive. It is very interesting to observe how the more things one has to accomplish in a day, the more they find they can get done. It’s all about time management. It’s about prioritizing what little time there is left in the day aside from classes and homework and studying. Remember: the more people work, the more they earn and save †¦ because they are not spending money while they earn it. Be Creative with (Legally) Obtaining Books for Courses There are numerous ways to obtain course textbooks in college without spending the required exorbitant amounts on brand-new ones. (Legal ways, of course; as in not stealing them.) For one, many books required for college courses – especially literature courses – can be rented from almost any library. On top of that, there are numerous resources that offer students the choice of renting most brand-new and mostly new textbooks for a very cheap price. In this case, the student only has to pay the semester-long rent fee and return the books in excellent condition at the close of the semester. Also, there is the option that students can form a sort of buddy system; they can find someone in their class with which they can share the price of the book needed for the course. Or they can just borrow a classmate’s book. Embrace Free Leisure Activities – Especially Those on Campus (The Ones That Are Deceptively Built into the Price of Tuition) Whether it’s using the campus-provided shuttle that takes students to nearby locations, spending time outside reading or engaging in other fun, free activities, or taking advantage of free on-campus events, such as concerts, talks and seminars and conferences, there’s no shortage of ways students can save money in college and still enjoy themselves. There are times for going out to restaurants; and there are times to stay at home and find creative ways to enjoy one’s time – activities that cost nothing. In other words, fun outings don’t have to cost a thing. Student Loans Can Help Save Money Short-Term The majority of students from lower- and middle-class families have to take out loans to afford college. Some academic institutions cost $30- $40,000 for two semesters; others – probably the majority – are about $15- $20,000 for two semesters. By taking out loans with banks, students can pay for their education years down the road, after they graduate, often in monthly payments, until they pay off their debt. So this way they DO save money while still in college, only they will owe more money over time to the bank because their loans will have accrued interest. (By the way, many students – through getting student loans to fund college – get to live on campus during these years without having to pay a cent. Most times this includes a meal plan, too. It makes sense. But it depends on the student’s financial needs and/or limitations.) Or, Live off Campus and Get Roomies Then, there’s the option of living off campus, in cheap housing, sharing the rent with roommates. It’s a wise choice for those who can afford to pay the rent, either on their own or with the help of their parents.

10 Things Hiring Managers Wish You Knew When Applying For Jobs

10 Things Hiring Managers Wish You Knew When Applying For Jobs There is a lot of advice about how to interview out there. But the people we should really be asking for advice about the interview process are the people who conduct those interviews- the hiring managers. Here are the 10 things hiring managers wish you knew. Make their jobs easy, and you just might get the job.1. Be early, but not too earlyWhatever you do, do not be late. That said, if you show up 30-45 minutes early, you could really distract or annoy the hiring manager, who might have better things to do and not want to interview you on the fly. If you end up at the office with this much time to spare, grab a coffee or do some last minute prep on your own before going in. Aim to be 10-15 minutes early. Most hiring managers agree that is the sweet spot.2. Don’t apply unqualifiedIf you don’t meet 85% or more of what the job description says they’re looking for, don’t bother interviewing. The hiring manager will just feel like you are wasting his time. Mak e sure you meet the minimum requirements (and that you go a few steps beyond as well) before going in for an interview. You don’t have to be perfect or overqualified, just not obviously underqualified.3. Do your homeworkToo many applicants head into the interview room without doing research into the company, their potential manager, or their role in the industry at large. Don’t fall victim to this laziness.Do your homework! Look up specifics! Familiarize yourself with the company’s workings, their numbers, and their day-to-day operations. This will impress the interviewer and give you plenty of topics about which to converse. Don’t go in the room until you feel comfortable reciting in one sentence what the company does and why. Internalize the narrative and tailor your answers to emphasize how well you understand what they are looking for.4. Treat it like a first dateInterviews can be a bit like speed dating, and that’s okay. It’s your chanc e to see whether the company would be a good fit for you, and their chance to see whether you’d be a good fit for their culture. Chances are, if you got the interview, you’re already a technical fit given your qualifications and experience. You’re in the room to get to know each other. Treat it like a date; don’t talk too much about yourself. Ask questions. Listen. Be respectful, but also make sure to show off your best traits.5. Bring questionsPart of doing your homework is coming armed with questions. You will be asked. Make sure you don’t get caught without a good one. Think of what you’re curious about that you weren’t able to find online or on the company’s website. When in doubt, ask about some of the specifics for the position you’d be filling, or potential growth opportunities within the company.6. Lead with your software skillsBefore you even show up for the interview, you need to convince the hiring manager tha t you have the skills necessary to be qualified in the first place. If you don’t already have a list of all the software programs in which you are proficient, put that in immediately. If they see that you’re a rockstar with the one program they use most, you’re almost guaranteed to get an interview.7. Don’t lieIf you lie, either on your resume or during the interview, you will almost certainly get caught. Resumes and references are checked. Fluffing yourself up a little is a human tendency; a little spin on your accomplishments in one position might be justified. Just don’t bend the actual truth. And be prepared to prove yourself.8. Say thank youThere is no excuse for not sending an immediate, handwritten thank you note. Or at very least, a thank you email.9.  Be patientNothing is likely to get you bumped out of the running more than constantly badgering the hiring manager about when the decision will be made. Ask for a timeframe for decision-mak ing when you’re in the room, then don’t make a peep until a day or two beyond that. A short, respectful follow-up email will do. And if you don’t hear back? You didn’t get the job.10. Know that hiring managers are people tooPut yourself in your hiring manager’s shoes for a second. They see dozens of people. It’s your job to make their job easier, and to make yourself memorable. It’s also your job to ask the questions you need answered; don’t just assume this information will be handed to you.Imagine meeting with a person who has been looking at three hundred similar resumes for the same position. Try to dazzle them. They’ll thank you for it, even if you don’t get this particular job. And it’s a great skill to learn for next time.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 117

Assignment Example Possibly, the decrease in MMP-2 in the presence of interfering mutated Ras resulted to the observed decrease in the amount of invaded cells. B) Based on figure b, MMP-2 signal is very apparent when the mutated Ras, N17Ras, is absent. On the other hand, MMP-2 signal is decreased in the presence of N17Ras. And since in the next figure the absence of N17Ras was shown to increase the number of invaded cells per field, then it is highly likely that invasion can be attributed to the presence of MMP-2, which is Ras-dependent. Again, as mentioned in part A, N17Ras competes with the wild-type Ras in the latter’s interaction with the factors that lead to the upregulation of MMP-2 (Kin et al. 55) These findings were determined using gelatin zymogram assay, as well as in vitro invasion and transwell migration assays. Particularly, gelatin zymogram assay determines the presence or absence of gelatinolytic activity of the conditioned media. This assay takes advantage of the inherent gelatinolytic activity of MMP-2 to determine the molecules presence or absence. Thus, liquidation of gelatin predicts the presence of MMP-2 (Kin et al.

The Iconography in the Work The Clinic of Dr. Gross by Thomas Eakins Term Paper

The Iconography in the Work The Clinic of Dr. Gross by Thomas Eakins - Term Paper Example This social divide may have been typical of many societies throughout history that it is sometimes ironic that the products of this opposite side are â€Å"honored†, collected, or soon appreciated by the prevailing side (politically and economically well-off). With this premise, this paper will try to determine the representation of The Clinic of Dr. Gross. But prior to a full understanding of any artist’s work, it is important to comprehend the artist: or at least an overview of his life, his art work themes, passion, and others that may shed light to any perceived mystery or message that might be conveyed in a certain work. This is applicable to Thomas Eakins’ The Clinic of Dr. Gross. Thomas Eakins Eakins is one of the more important American realist painters who was also an avid photographer and innovator in the field of photography. In addition, he was also a passionate educator who rose from being a volunteer in 1876 to director by 1882 in Pennsylvania Acade my (Foster, 102). In his paintings, Eakins used Philadelphia personalities as his subjects and he has focused on the human figure moving, the anatomy of human and animal body as depicted in his commissioned work with William Rudolf O’Donovan in 1893 to 1894 that created the Lincoln and Grant bronze sculptures in Brooklyn, New York (Goodrich, 282). Eakins is known to have finished hundreds of paintings and his subjects depicted his friends, family, and people known to him. He has been described by Goodrich as the most profound and strongest realist in his time and maybe, beyond (Goodrich, 283). In the words of Kimmelman (P 5), Eakins’ work: is bound up with our national identity as much as any other American artists’, to the point that it remains nearly impossible to see America, or at least to look back on the country in the 19th-century, without some refraction through his art (1). Eakins painted nude men swimming, rowers, sailors, baseball players, his student s, himself, professors, sitters, models and artists, boxers, wrestlers, and more (Simpsons, 28). While most of his active life as an artist showed a difficult appreciation by the public, Eakins was recognized starting in 1902 when he was made National Academician. His wife Susan Macdowell Eakins, also an artist, had been cooperative and provided much of Eakins’ paintings to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Goodrich, 283). The Clinic of Dr. Gross For a modern viewer and un-initiated, the painting, a large 96 inches by seventy eight inches, depicts a theater, probably spherical because behind was the audience, and yet, the painter’s perspective was at the front. There in the middle was the main subject in his coat; much the same like the others. His erect body posture exudes confidence and power, while all about him, the men of the same dark colored outfits attend to their business, except for one who has a fro ck and dress but also of the same dark garment, whose face was turned, her hand and fingers clawed as if to defy pain. The audiences on the background were either attentive or sleepy, but there was one who seems to be busy taking down notes. With the bloodied hands, the exposed flesh, and the medical instruments on the foreground, one will conclude

Debt and Trial Balance Essay Example for Free

Debt and Trial Balance Essay DRIVE PROGRAM SEMESTER SUBJECT CODE NAME BK ID CREDITS MARKS ASSIGNMENT WINTER 2013 MBADS/ MBAFLEX/ MBAHCSN3/ MBAN2/ PGDBAN2 1 MB0041 FINANCIAL AND MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING B1624 4 60 Note: Answer all questions. Kindly note that answers for 10 marks questions should be approximately of 400 words. Each question is followed by evaluation scheme. Q. No Questions Marks Total Marks 1 Give the classification of Accounts according to accounting equation approach with its meaning and examples. Compare the traditional approach with modern approach of accounting equation approach. Analyze the transaction under traditional approach. a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. 20. 1. 2011 Paid salary Rs. 30,000 20. 1. 2011 Paid rent by cheque Rs. 8,000 21. 1. 2011 Goods withdrawn for personal use Rs. 5,000 25. 1. 2011 Paid an advance to suppliers of goods Rs. 1,00,000 26. 1. 2011 Received an advance from customers Rs. 3,00,000 31. 1. 2011 Paid interest on loan Rs. 5,000 31. 1. 2011 Paid instalment of loan Rs. 25,000 31. 1. 2011 Interest allowed by bank Rs. 8,000 Classification of accounting equation approach with meaning and examples Analysis of transaction –with accounts involved-nature of accountaffects and debit/credit 2 4 10 6 The following trial balance was extracted from the books of Chetan, a small businessman. Do you think it is correct? If not, rewrite it in the correct form. Debits Stock Purchases Returns outwards Rs. Credits 8250 Capital 12750 Sales 700 Returns inwards Rs. 10000 15900 1590 Discount received Wages and salaries Rent and rates Sundry debtors Bank Overdraft 800 2500 1850 7600 2450 Discount allowed Scooty Carriage charges Sundry creditors Bills payable 800 1750 700 7250 690 Journal entries of all the transactions Conclusion 3 6 10 4 From the given trial balance draft an Adjusted Trial Balance. Trial Balance as on 31. 03. 2011 Debit balances Furniture and Fittings Buildings Rs. Credit balances Rs. 10000 Bank Over Draft 16000 500000 Capital Account 400000 Sales Returns 1000 Purchase Returns 4000 Bad Debts 2000 Sundry Creditors 30000 Sundry Debtors 25000 Commission Purchases 90000 Sales Advertising 20000 Cash 10000 Taxes and Insurance 235000 5000 General Expenses 5000 7000 Salaries TOTAL 20000 690000 TOTAL 690000 Adjustments: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Charge depreciation at 10% on Buildings and Furniture and fittings. Write off further bad debts 1000 Taxes and Insurance prepaid 2000 Outstanding salaries 5000 Commission received in advance1000 Preparation of ledger accounts Preparation of trial balance 4 6 10 4 Compute trend ratios and comment on the financial performance of Infosys Technologies Ltd. from the following extract of its income statements of five years. (in Rs. Crore) Particulars 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 27,501 22,742 21,693 16,692 13,893 Operating Profit (PBIDT) 8,968 7,861 7,195 5,238 4,391 PAT from ordinary activities 6,835 6,218 5,988 4,659 3,856 Revenue (Source: Infosys Technologies Ltd. – Annual Report) Preparation of trend analysis Preparation of trend ratios 4 Conclusion 5 4 10 2 Give the meaning of cash flow analysis and put down the objectives of cash flow analysis. Explain the preparation of cash flow statement. Meaning of cash flow analysis Objectives of cash flow analysis 3 Explanation of preparation of cash flow analysis 6 2 10 5 Write the assumptions of marginal costing. Differentiate between absorption costing and marginal costing. Assumptions of marginal costing (all 7 points) 4 Differences of marginal and absorption costing (Includes all 8 6 points) 10

How Clarice Influenced Montag in Fahrenheit 451 Essay examples -- Ray

Guy Montag is a fireman who is greatly influenced in Ray Bradbury's novel, Fahrenheit 451. The job of a fireman in this futuristic society is to burn down houses with books in them. Montag has always enjoyed his job, that is until Clarisse McClellan comes along. Clarisse is seventeen and crazy. At least, this is what her uncle, whom she gets many of her ideas about the world from, describes her as. Clarisse and Montag befriend each other quickly, and Clarisse's impact on Montag is enormous. Clarisse comes into Montag's life, and immediately begins to question his relationship with his wife, his career, and his happiness. Also, Clarisse shows Montag how to appreciate the simple things in life. She teaches him to care about other people and their feelings. By the end of the novel, we can see that Montag is forever changed by Clarisse. Montag never appreciated the simple things in life. He would never walk or drive slow enough to see the colors of things. This bothered Clarisse McClellan very much. She loved to catch raindrops on her tongue, and she always left little presents for Montag to make sure he appreciated these simple things. Through her spirit and her small simple presents, Montag finds the strength to also appreciate these things.â€Å"And then very slowly as he walked, he tilted his head back in the rain for just a few moments and opened his mouth..†(Bradbury 24). Montag begins to see that no matter how hard life gets, he will always have these smaller things that he can enjoy. In the beginning of the novel, Montag thinks he cares about everyone and their feelings. Once Clarisse steps into his life, this changes right away. She shows him that the world he lives in ignores people's feelings .They make games out of kill... ... chin. She tells Montag that this means she is in love. When she rubs the dandelion underneath Montag's chin she has a very different result. There is no powder. â€Å"'What a shame,' she said. 'You're not in love with anyone' 'I am very much in love!' He tried to conjure up a face to fit the words, but there was no face 'I am!'† Montag goes home, and thinks about this. He later realizes that he isn't in love, and would not care if Mildred died. Montag is influenced by Clarisse a lot. And, her impact on him is tremendous. She questions his whole life, teaches him to appreciate the simple things, and to care about other people and their feelings. â€Å"You're peculiar, you're aggravating, yet you're easy to forgive..†(Bradbury 23) Through all Clarisse's questioning, Montag knows that she is trying to help him. Because of her help and impact on him, Montag is changed forever.

The Great Change (Langston Hughes)

One of the most important men in the Harlem Renaissance was Langston Hughes. His identity was formed in the neighborhood of New York City although it was said that he had much travel in his life that he can be considered as the man with no roots at all. But Langston had his heart dedicated to voicing out the experiences and the sorrow of the African American people. During his time, he created poems, plays, and books about the black making real their status in the society. He was one of the great men who were against racism and inequality. He found direction in his life not just through writing but also to listening to jazz and blues. He was the kind of man who would sit in a bar and listen to music and in that way he created a new direction not just in his poetry but in art itself. His importance and value was seen in the way he made other blacks to reach out their longings to the society, their wanting not just to be free from racism but also to be seen and valued like the whites. Hughes spoke of value as a man for the Blacks.The Harlem Renaissance characterized by new ideas was emphasized by Hughes through his music and poetry. One of his famous poem was â€Å"The Negro speaks of River† helped him make a good start in the world of poetry and cultural exposition.The Negro Speaks of Rivers (to W. E. B. B. DuBois)I've known rivers: I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.My soul has grown deep like the rivers.I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it. I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln wentdown to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy bosom turnall golden in the sunset.In this poem, he gave significance to the â€Å"Blacks† being the builders of civilization, something that should be considered in history. For a long time, prior to the African American Cultur al Movement, the black people have experienced injustice in different forms, whether at work, in school and in the community as a whole. Their existence was seen to be less than the white where some African American people would say that they never really existed at all. The poem speaks of the places known to every black, and it can be noticed that these places all have historical significance.The persona and his comrades not only look for significance and visibility but also for home. The poem creates an image of longing for home where there is comfort and justice. The words â€Å"lulled me to sleep† are quite powerful for the readers to see what is being longed for by the persona, that’s none other than tranquility within. This can be related to the home that the blacks have searched for a long time in the community of whites who dominated and received the best of what the world could offer. The poem also raises the blacks’ voice of considering them the builde rs of growth and civilization because they have always been there, in the past, in the present and in the future. Hughes tried to create an immortal stand of the blacks against invisibility, an element that made racism flourish.Another poem by Langston Hughes entitled â€Å"Dream Deffered† exposes sorrow and heavy burden in life. â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore and then run?†Ã‚   The poem is made of questions that seem to be unending. The tone is with hopelessness. The language used was simple, simple enough to be understood that it’s all about dreams of the blacks that were held long enough by time. Possibilities and ways of the process of disappearance can be seen in the poem like for example drying up from the heat of the sun which was mentioned a while ago.The line â€Å"Does it stink in a rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over – like a syrupty sweet?† is another question that may be related to the kind of death that blacks experience. The image of a rotten meat suggests something mournful and intolerable while the latter is an image of a sweet death. It makes one wonder just how tolerable is it to just throw one’s body into the river because the one who died is not really that significant and his existence is not really valued, a very common scenario of the black people who are enslaved and sold to the market of the whites. But more than the question of privilege for a peaceful death is their â€Å"right† to have it. If they are removed of the privilege to have even a good burial or death, should the question on chances for a good fate be questioned still?The tone for â€Å"Quiet Girl† can also be likened to â€Å"Dream Deffered† as it speaks also of grief over a status or position but the difference is that there is a glimpse of hope that can be seen in it.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"I would liken you to a night without stars were it not fo r your eyes. I would liken you to a sleep without dreams were it not for your songs.†   The night without stars can be seen as another hopeless case of some sort in the scene, however, it is given a sprinkle of a good chance through the eyes that was silently assumed to sparkle instead of the stars. The songs were made powerful in attaining a tranquil sleep even if there was no dream. The wonderful thing that can be derived from the poem is the sound of continuity of life despite some faulty circumstances in the lives of the black. There is the balance that is being claimed from the poem, the balance that could give meaning to the blacks’ existence.But if there is one particular poem that can characterize the present African Americans, with the way they react and live in the present society, that would be the poem â€Å"Me and the Mule.†My old mule, He's gota grin on his face. He's been a mule so long He's forgotten about his race.I'm like that old mule   Black — and don't give a damn! You got to take me Like I am.A mule that is known for its good working ability for an animal not only works for nothing, but also works for a master. But that can be one point of the poem. It can be seen also in a positive sense in the way that there is a courage directly shown from the mule and from the persona to not care, yes, not care at all from all the discrimination that he has experienced and from what the world tells about him. The mule just like the persona shall continue to live no matter how hard it is to exist and no matter how heavy the load seems. The present though doesn’t change the blacks’ past. Still, even after the Harlem Renaissance, it can’t be denied that they were still despised of their rights to experience a just treatment. But right now they are already visible, yet they will still be like the mule that won’t give a â€Å"damn† to the society’s offensive thoughts. Perhaps, ju st like the mule, giving no â€Å"damn† will make them live longer, and stronger.Hughes was able to see and react on the basis of his position and his art, his love for music, poetry and plays made him more than a figure of the Harlem renaissance. He made himself and his race visible to the world and worth it of the great and positive changes with the way blacks are treated. More than a poet, Langston Hughes was the big difference of the Harlem Renaissance.Sourcesâ€Å"A Renaissance Man.† April 23, 2007   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Langston Hughes.† April 23, 2007 â€Å"Langston Hughes Biography.† April 24, 2007 â€Å"Langston Hughes.† April 24, 2007

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 28

I Will Have to Require a First-Place Victory â€Å"Question number one,† my father says. â€Å"How many touchdowns will McNabb throw against the Saints?† I can hardly believe I am actually eating a sit-down meal with my father. Mom smiles at me as she winds spaghetti around her fork. She even shoots me a wink. Now don't get me wrong, I am happy that Mom's plan has worked out, and I am delighted to be eating a meal with my father, having a conversation even – and I am especially happy to see my parents playing with love again – but I also know my father, and I worry that a single Eagles loss will turn Dad back into a grump. I worry for Mom, but decide to ride out the moment. â€Å"Ten touchdowns,† I tell my father. Dad smiles, pops a small sausage into his mouth, chews enthusiastically, and then tells my mother, â€Å"Pat says ten touchdowns.† â€Å"Maybe eleven,† I add, just to be optimistic. â€Å"Question number two. How many touchdowns will undrafted rookie sensation Hank Baskett catch?† Now, I fully realize that Baskett has only caught one TD in the first five games, but I also know my family is being overly optimistic tonight, so I say, â€Å"Seven.† â€Å"Seven?† Dad says, but smiling. â€Å"Seven.† â€Å"He says seven, Jeanie. Seven!† To me Dad says, â€Å"Question number three. In what quarter will quarterback Drew Brees finally suffer a concussion because he has been sacked so many times by the Eagles' superior defense?† â€Å"Um. That's a tough one. The third quarter?† â€Å"That is incorrect,† my father says, shaking his head in mock disappointment. â€Å"First quarter is the correct answer. Question four. When are you going to bring home that broad you're always running with? When are you going to introduce your girlfriend to your father?† When Dad finishes asking question four, he slurps a load of spaghetti into his mouth and then begins chewing. When I fail to respond, he encourages me with his left hand, tracing invisible circles with his index finger. â€Å"Did you see that Pat found his wedding pictures and put them back up in the living room?† Mom says, and her voice sort of quivers. â€Å"Jake told me you were over Nikki,† Dad says. â€Å"He said you were into this Tiffany broad. No?† â€Å"May I be excused?† I ask my mother, because my little scar is itching, and I feel as though I might explode if I don't start banging my fist against my forehead. When my mother nods, I see sympathy in her eyes, which I appreciate. I lift for a few hours, until I no longer feel the need to punch myself. In the new reflector vest my mother has recently bought for me, I run through the night. I was going to open Tiffany's letter this evening because I was so excited about having dinner with my father, but now I know I am most definitely not in a good mood, so opening the letter would be a violation of the rules Tiffany clearly laid out for me two nights ago. I almost opened the letter last night, when I was in an excellent mood, but it hadn't been forty-eight hours. As I run, I try to think about Nikki and the end of apart time, which always makes me feel better. I pretend that God has made a bet with me and if I run fast enough, He will bring Nikki back, so I begin sprinting the last two miles of my run. Soon I'm running so fast, it's amazing – faster than any human being has ever run before. In my mind I hear God tell me I have to do the last mile in under four minutes, which I know is almost impossible, but for Nikki I try. I run even faster, and when I am a block away, I hear God counting down from ten in my mind. â€Å"Five – four – three – two – † And when my right foot lands on the first concrete square of my parents' sidewalk, God says â€Å"One,† which means I ran fast enough – that I made it home before God said â€Å"Zero.† I am so happy. I am so impossibly happy! My parents' bedroom door is closed when I go upstairs, so I shower and then slip under my comforter. I pull Tiffany's envelope from under the mattress of my bed. I take a deep breath. I open the letter. As I read the several typed pages, my mind explodes with conflicting emotions and awful needs. Pat, Read this letter start to finish! Do not make any decisions until you have read the entire letter! Do not read this letter unless you are alone! Do not show this letter to anyone! When you have finished reading this letter, burn it – immediately! Do you ever feel like you're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks? Well, there was nothing I could do to bring my Tommy back, and the inability to accept his death kept me ill for two whole years – but then you came into my life. Why? At first I thought, God is sending me a new man, a replacement for my Tommy, which made me mad, because Tommy is irreplaceable (no offense). But when I listened to the way you talked about Nikki, I realized God had sent you to me so I might help you find the end of apart time. This was to be my mission. And so I have been working on it. â€Å"What?† I can hear you saying right now. â€Å"How can my friend Tiffany end apart time?† Well, this is the part that might make you mad. Are you ready, Pat? Brace yourself. I've been talking to your Nikki on the phone – regularly. Every night for the past two weeks. I got the phone number from Veronica, who – through Ronnie's conversations with your mom – has been providing Nikki with information about you ever since you were permanently assigned to that neural health facility in Baltimore. It turns out that your family banned Nikki from obtaining information about you, which they could do because Nikki divorced you soon after you were permanently admitted. I know this bit of news has most likely upset you terribly. Sorry, but it's best just to state things plainly at this point. Don't you think? Okay, this next part is bad too. Nikki was able to divorce you because you committed a crime, which you do not remember. (I am not going to tell you what that crime was, because you have probably blocked it from your memory intentionally; most likely, you are not yet mentally ready to deal with this very frightening reality. My therapist Dr. Lily and I theorize that you will remember committing this crime when you are mentally and emotionally ready.) Nikki was granted a divorce and all your assets, and in exchange, someone else dropped all charges against you. Of course, the deal also sent you to the bad place indefinitely for â€Å"rehabilitation.† You agreed to all of the above at the time and were deemed to be â€Å"of sound mind† by your therapist Dr. Timbers, but soon after being put away for good, you â€Å"lost† your memory and your marbles as well. I am not telling you all of this to be mean – quite the contrary. Remember, God put me in charge of helping you end apart time. It turns out Nikki has wanted to communicate with you very much. She misses you. This is not to say she wants to marry you all over again. I want to be clear about this. She still remembers what you did – the crime you committed. And she is a little afraid of you as well, as she fears you might be mad at her and want to retaliate. But she was married to you for years and she wants to see you well, and maybe even become friends again. I have reported your desire to reconcile with Nikki. To be honest, your desire is much stronger than hers. But you never know what might happen if you begin to communicate again. Two problems: One. After you committed that crime, Nikki took out a restraining order against you, so technically it is illegal for you to contact her. Two. Your parents – on your behalf, and probably in retaliation – took out a restraining order against Nikki, claiming any contact she made could jeopardize your mental health. So it is also illegal for her to contact you. Even still, Nikki would like to communicate with you, if only to smooth over what happened. Her guilt is glaring. She walked away with all your assets, and you had to spend years in a mental institution, right? So. Coming to the point. I am offering myself as a liaison. The two of you can communicate through me, and there will be no trouble. You will be able to write Nikki letters – one every two weeks. I will read these letters to Nikki over the phone. She will be able to dictate her responses to me, again over the phone, which I will type up on my laptop, print out, and present to you. Pat, we are friends, and I value our friendship very much. That having been said, you must appreciate that what I am offering puts me in a very precarious position. If you decide to take me up on my offer, I would be putting myself at risk legally, and also I would be jeopardizing our friendship. I need to inform you that I will not be your liaison for free, but am offering you a trade. What do I want? Remember when I said I was scouting you? Well, I want to win this year's Dance Away Depression competition, and I need a strong man to do it. â€Å"What is Dance Away Depression?† I hear you asking. Well – it is an annual competition organized by the Philadelphia Psychiatric Association that allows women diagnosed with clinical depression to transform their despair into movement. The sole focus is supposed to be diminishing depression through use of the body, but judges award a wreath of flowers to the second-best dance routine and a golden trophy to the first-place dance routine. Dancing solo, I have won that fucking wreath two years straight, and this year I want to win the golden trophy. This is where you figure in, Pat. God sent me the strongest man I have ever met in my entire life; tell me this isn't divine intervention. Only a man with your muscles could perform the type of lifts I have in mind – award-winning lifts, Pat. The competition will be held at the Plaza Hotel in center city, on a Saturd ay night – November 11th. Which gives us just under a month to practice. I know the routine already, but you'll be starting from scratch, and we both will have to practice the lifts. This will take a lot of time. I told Nikki about my conditions, and she wants to encourage you to be my dance partner. She says you need to broaden your interests, and that she had always wanted to take dance lessons with you. So it is more than okay with her; she encourages you to do this. Also, I'm afraid I will have to require a first-place victory in exchange for being your liaison. Lucky for you, the routine I have choreographed is first-rate. But in order to win, you will have to immerse yourself in dance. Below are the non-negotiable conditions. Should you decide to be my dance partner, you will: Give up Eagles football for the duration of our training. No going to games. No watching games on television. No discussing Eagles football with anyone. No reading the sports pages. You may not even wear your beloved Baskett jersey. End your weight training by two o'clock each afternoon, at which point we will go for a five-mile run, after which we will rehearse from 4:15 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on weekdays. On weekends we will rehearse from 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. No exceptions. Make sure at least 15 of your friends and relatives attend the dance recital, because the judges are often swayed by applause. Do whatever I say without asking any questions. Assure I win the competition. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Tell no one about our arrangement. You can tell people you are training for a dance competition, but you cannot tell anyone about my demands and my contacting Nikki on your behalf – never ever. Should you meet all six demands, I will act as a liaison between Nikki and you; I will attempt to end apart time, and then who knows what will happen between you and your ex-wife. If you fail to meet my demands, I am afraid you might never talk to Nikki again. She says this is your only shot. Contact me within 24 hours with your decision. Reread my list of demands, memorize each, and then burn this letter. Remember, if you want me to be your liaison, tell no one I am in contact with Nikki. With best intentions, Tiffany I reread the letter over and over all night. Parts I do not want to believe are true – especially the parts about my committing a crime and Nikki divorcing me, which are ideas that make me feel like smashing my fist against my forehead. What type of crime would put me in such a situation, and who would drop charges when I checked myself into a neural health facility? I can understand Nikki's divorcing me because I was a bad husband, especially because, well, I was a bad husband. But I have a hard time believing I actually committed a crime that could result in such drastic legal measures. And yet Tiffany's letter seems to explain so much – my mother's taking down my wedding pictures, all the awful things Jake and Dad said about Nikki. If I am really divorced, everything my family has done to keep Nikki out of my memory would have been for my protection, especially since they are not optimistic enough to realize that I am not dead and therefore still have at least a shot at getting Nikki back, which I don't have to tell you is the silver lining to the letter. Of course, I cannot be sure about anything, since I have no memory of the past few years. Maybe Tiffany made up the story just to get me to perform in her dance competition. This is possible. I certainly would not have volunteered to be her partner, even if I am practicing being kind now. I realize that Tiffany's letter might be a trick, but the possibility of communicating with Nikki is too good to chance – as it may be my last opportunity. Also, Tiffany's mentioning God's will seems to suggest that she understands what apart time is all about. It makes sense that Nikki would want me to take dancing lessons. She always wanted me to dance with her, but I never did. The thought of dancing with Nikki in the future is enough to make me accept that I will be missing the three Eagles games before the bye week, including the home game against Jacksonville. I think about how angry this will make my father, Jake, and maybe even Cliff, but then I think about the possibility of finally living out the happy ending to my movie – getting Nikki back – and the choice is obvious. When the sun comes up, I open the window in the downstairs bathroom, burn the letter over the toilet, and flush the charred remains. Next, I run across Knight's Park, jog around the Websters' house, and knock on Tiffany's door. She answers in a red silk nightgown, squinting at me. â€Å"Well?† â€Å"When do we start training?† I ask. â€Å"Are you ready to commit fully? Ready to give up every-thing – even Eagles football?† I nod eagerly. â€Å"Only I can't miss my therapy sessions on Fridays, because some judge will send me back to the bad place if I do, and then we won't be able to win the competition.† â€Å"I'll be outside your house tomorrow at two o'clock,† Tiffany says, and then shuts the door. The first floor of Tiffany's in-law suite is a dance studio. All four walls are completely covered by full-length mirrors, and three have railings like you see ballerinas using. The floor is hardwood, like a pro-basketball court, only without any painted lines and with a lighter varnish. The ceiling is high, maybe thirty feet tall, and a spiral staircase in the corner leads to Tiffany's apartment. â€Å"I had this built when Tommy died,† Tiffany says. â€Å"I used the insurance money. Do you like my studio?† I nod. â€Å"Good, because it's going to be home for the next month. Did you bring your photograph?† I open the bag that Tiffany instructed me to bring and pull out my framed picture of Nikki; I show it to Tiffany, and then she walks over to the stereo system behind the spiral staircase. From an iron hook on the wall she removes a pair of headphones – the kind that cover your entire ears like earmuffs – and brings them to me. A very long cord is attached. â€Å"Sit,† she says. I drop to the floor and sit with my legs crossed. â€Å"I'm going to play our song, the one we are going to dance to. It's important that you feel a deep connection with this song. It needs to move you if it's going to flow through your body. I've picked this song for a reason. It's perfect for both of us, which you'll soon see. When I put the headphones on you, I want you to stare into Nikki's eyes. I want you to feel the song. Understand?† â€Å"It's not a song played by a soprano saxophonist, is it?† I ask, because Kenny G is my nemesis, as you know. â€Å"No,† she says, and then places the headphones on my ears. My ears are enveloped in the padding. Wearing the headphones makes me feel as if I am alone in this large room, even though if I look up, Tiffany will be there. With the frame in my hands, I stare into Nikki's eyes, and soon the song begins to play. Piano notes – slow and sad. Two voices taking turns singing. Pain. I know the song. Tiffany was right. It is the perfect song for both of us. The song builds, the voices become more emotional, and everything inside of my chest starts to hurt. The words express exactly what I have felt since I was released from the bad place. And by the chorus, I am sobbing, because the woman singing seems to feel exactly what I am feeling, and her words, and her emotion, and her voice †¦ The song ends with the same sad piano notes that began the number. I look up and realize that Tiffany has been watching me cry, and I begin to feel embarrassed. I set my photo of Nikki down on the floor and cover my face with my hands. â€Å"I'm sorry. Just give me a second.† â€Å"It's good that the song makes you cry, Pat. Now we just have to transform those tears into motion. You need to cry through your dancing? Understand?† I do not understand, but I nod anyway.

Aztec Empire essays

Aztec Empire essays Do Aztec Empire deserved to be destroyed? Is destruction of Tenochtitlan a loss to history? The Aztecs was a great empire in year 1519. They were very strong and their capital city Tenochtitlan was a huge city that built in the middle of the lake and it was man-made. Tenochtitlan was the largest city in the world at that time. But in 1521, the Spanish discovered the Aztec empire and destroyed all the things they had. Tenochtitlan was surrounded soon and the Aztecs were over. Aztecs people were clever and talented in same ways, but there were also ways that they were foolish and uncivilized. So I am going to talk about do the Aztec empire deserved to be destroyed, and is destruction of Tenochtitlan a loss to history. There were many ways that showed the Aztecs were talented and civilized. First, the Aztecs were skilled architectures, engineers, and designers, they could build huge city on the middle of a lake, they also building temples that surrounded the old ones when there is a new empire. The Aztecs were good farmers also, they were skilled to get water from mountains using irrigation even though Mexico is a dry country. Science and technology were also advanced in the Aztec Empire, people built gardens that contain natural medicines. All these evidences tell us that the Aztecs shouldnt deserve to be destroyed and the destruction of Tenochtitlan is a loss to history. Although the Aztec Empire had many ways that shown they didnt deserved to be destroyed, there were certain ways that tell us the Aztecs arent civilized and even very foolish in some ways. Religion was a very important part in the Aztec empire. The Aztecs people treated their god top of everything else and worship them blindly. The Aztecs would do anything to please their god, and even horrible and cruel things like human sacrifices. The priest would do human sacrifice in a cruelly by cut and taking a live mans heart out from his body. T ...

ACT Math Questions, and What to Do About It

How You'll Get Stuck in SAT/ACT Math Questions, and What to Do About It SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips So you’ve been staring at one math problem for what feels like forever, or maybe you’ve gone through your solve and none of the answer choices match what you found. Or maybe you just feel like somewhere along the way you made a huge mistake†¦. Well, never fear! Right now you might be stuck on a math problem, but we’ve all been there and there is always a way to recover. We’ll walk you through both how to recognize when you’re stuck (it’s not always obvious until too late) and what to do about it when it happens. Overall Test Structure The SAT math section and the ACT math section are designed and structured differently. Though many principles of how to solve a math problem (and how to get out of a math bind) will hold true for both tests, there are some unique pitfalls and benefits hidden in each test. So let’s look at a little background and structure for both the SAT and the ACT to give a better foundation for the kinds of ways you can get stuck on a math problem and how to get out of it. About the SAT Math Section The SAT math section requires that you put your mathematical knowledge to work in ways that may seem strange or unfamiliar to you. Most SAT math questions won't look like the kinds of questions you see on your math tests in school and this may be a challenge to deal with at first. But while the questions may be unusual, each and every math topic used on the test is one that you are likely familiar with and have studied for a number of years. If you’re not used to the structure of the SAT, there are two main ways you can find yourself trapped into the no-man’s-land of selecting wrong answers: by overestimating the difficulty of each question or by underestimating the difficulty of each question. (Yikes!) Some students get so turned around by the twisting and unusual presentation of the questions that they forget the fact that they will be familiar with most, if not every topic on the SAT math section. This kind of student tends to panic and either make wild guesses or leave many questions blank that she likely could have solved. Other students, however, go in the complete opposite direction and underestimate how tricky the questions on the SAT can be. Many questions (though not all) are set up in ways that will steer anyone who isn’t paying close attention off the right track. And all the answer choices on the multiple choice section are most often generated by common student errors, so it can be easy to fall for the many â€Å"bait† answer choices available. In the next section, we’ll show you how to tell when you’re falling into one of these traps and how to get out of it. About the ACT Math Section The ACT math section will occasionally give you a question that is set up in a strange or unfamiliar way, but for the most part, ACT math questions will be fairly â€Å"straightforward.† Do you know how to set up and solve for an average? Do you know what a rational number is? A significant portion of your ACT math questions will look just like the ones you've seen in school. Though many ACT math questions are far from easy, the presentation of the questions is not specifically designed to trick or trap you. ACT math questions are challenging mostly for two reasons: you will be on a much stricter time crunch than you would be on the SAT (see our article on the differences between ACT math and SAT math for more detail on this) and the topics in question may be more obscure to you. For instance, most students will be far less familiar with trigonometry or sequences than they are with single variable equations, but these are all topics that will be on the ACT. Because the ACT math section must be completed quickly, it's crucial that you realize when you’re going down the wrong mathematical path. So let’s take a look at how to spot it when it happens. Time is a precious resource on both tests, so it's important to change course quickly if something's going wrong. How to Tell When You’re Stuck (or Going Down the Wrong Path) Almost every math question on both the ACT and the SAT can be solved in 30 seconds or less. If you’re familiar with the material, you can absolutely solve almost every single math question with plenty of time to spare. In addition, each and every question on the test is designed in such a way that a student can solve it without a calculator. Though you should use a calculator on the test to boost your speed and accuracy, always keep in mind that you don’t technically need one. How does this knowledge help you? Well, if you find you’re going down the rabbit hole and need 30 steps to solve a problem, or if you start getting bizarre strings of decimals or weird root systems, then stop! If the problem is taking two or three minutes to solve or you think it would literally be impossible (or just really, really difficult) to solve without a calculator, then something went wrong and you should stop and go back to the beginning. Let’s look at a few examples of ACT and SAT problems and some common student errors to see this in action. Let’s say you got to this problem and were going so quickly through the test that you misread the word â€Å"area† and thought you were supposed to solve for the perimeter instead. This may seem like an obvious mistake right now, but never underestimate the effects of adrenaline and fatigue on your ability to think logically. It’s all too easy (and all too common) to make a mistake like this on the test and pay the price in lost time if you do. But if you read â€Å"area† as â€Å"perimeter,† then you would see that the â€Å"perimeter† of triangle DFH was 10, which would mean that each side was $10/3 = 3.33$. Hmm. This is already mighty suspicious. Remember- you should be able to solve any question without a calculator, so if you have decimal points, they will almost always be 0.5 or, more rarely, 0.25. To get a decimal of 0.33 is suspect. But if you kept going, you would find that each side of triangle DFH is made up of two sides of the smaller triangles. This would mean that the side of each smaller triangle was: $3.33/2 = 1.67$ Now a red alert should be sounding in your head! You’ve gotten two â€Å"weird† decimal values in a row and you still haven’t found your answer yet. It’s a good idea to pause and see if you’ve made a mistake somewhere before you waste time going any further. [Note: the way to actually solve the problem is to either find the area of each small triangle- $10/4 = 2.5$- and multiply by the total number of small triangles, or to set up a proportion of the area of DFH to AFK. Either way, your final answer will be E, 62.5] Now let’s take a look at another example, Last time, we said that perhaps you simply misread the problem. This time, maybe you thought you knew enough about the topic to solve the problem, but ended up stuck halfway through. For instance, let’s say you were familiar enough with quadratic equations to recognize that this was one, but didn’t know a whole lot else about them. Well it says that the value of $x$ is -3, so that must mean we replace $x$ with -3 and solve from there, right? $x^2 + mx + n = 0$ $-3^2 + 3m + n = 0$ $9 + 3m + n = 0$ Hmm. Well this doesn’t look promising. We could try to isolate $m$ to find it’s value, in which case we would say: $3m + n = -9$ $3m + -9 - n$ $m = -3 - {n/3}$ But we still don’t know the value of $n$, so that doesn’t help us much. We could try to factor it, but without knowing the value of $n$, we still can’t find $m$. We’re well and truly stuck. [Note: the way to solve the problem is by understanding how factoring quadratic equations works at its core. If -3 is the only value for $x$, then it must mean that our quadratic factors out to be a square. Our factors must therefore look like: (x + 3)(x + 3) for $x$ to equal -3 since $x + 3 = 0$ = $x = -3$. If we properly distribute $(x + 3)^2$, we will get $x^2 + 6x + 9 = 0$, which means the answer is C, $m = 6$.] Sometimes, you’ll be able to see pretty quickly (as with our first example) when you’re going wrong, and sometimes it will take a few steps before you hit a wall (as with our second example). But, as you get more practice solving SAT and ACT math questions, you’ll start to get instincts to feel when you’ve taken a left turn somewhere, and this is the point at which you must take a step back. But what do you do once you realize you’ve run into a problem? Let’s take a look. We can save this, not to worry. Well...probably. Pretty sure. (Gross) What to Do When You’re Stuck As you go through your test, answer your questions by following these steps: Step 1: Always Answer the Easiest Questions First As a general rule of thumb when taking the either the SAT or the ACT, always root out and answer the questions you can complete the fastest and with the most confidence. Remember- each and every question is worth one point, so it doesn’t matter if it was the easiest problem or the hardest. No one is judging how you complete your test, so don’t feel you have to ignore the simpler problems for the sake of the more difficult ones. Get your points where you can and keep moving forward. The ACT math section is arranged in ascending order of difficulty, so the earliest questions will also be the "easiest." The SAT is a little more complicated, since the math portion of the test is divided into three sections- two entirely multiple choice and one combination multiple choice and grid-in. SAT multiple choice questions are also arranged in order of ascending difficulty (so the early questions will also be "easiest"), but the difficulty level resets for the grid-in section. This means that the first question on the grid-in portion will be much easier than the last multiple choice question in that math section. Be especially careful in the combination multiple choice and grid-in SAT math section for this reason. If any question starts to give you trouble or seems to be taking a long time, mark it and come back to it only after you’ve completed all of your easy questions. Once you’ve identified these potential â€Å"problem questions,† approach them based on why they were problematic in the first place. Step 2: If You Can See Your Error, Redo the Problem Once you’ve identified that you’re going down the wrong track, stop working and read the question again. Did you try to find the wrong variable? For instance, did you solve for $a$ instead of $2a$, the perimeter instead of the area? Did you write down the wrong values for your givens? Or did you realize you simply don’t know enough about, for instance, functions to solve the problem? If you can spot your error and correct it in a few seconds, go ahead and start over and solve the problem again the right way. If you really think you can solve the problem this time, then it’s definitely worth your time to work through it again. If you can’t spot why or how you went wrong (just that you did), move on to the next step. Step 3: If You Can't See the Error, Find an Alternative Solving Method Sometimes you might know enough about the topic (or are just familiar enough with the test) to see that you don't know how to solve a particular problem in the traditional way. Now is a good time to turn to one of your alternate solving methods, namely plugging in answers or plugging in your own numbers. Let’s say that you went up against this question: Maybe you didn’t know where to begin, or maybe you attempted the problem and felt that you started getting trapped in the algebra. Well luckily, there is almost always another way to solve any ACT or SAT question! In this case, we have variables in both the problem and in the answer choices, which is a key feature for a PIN question. With that in mind, we can pick our own value for $x$ and find the answer choice that corresponds to this value. Let’s say that we said $x = 2$. (Why 2? Why not!) Now we find the value of our given function. ${x + 1}/{x^3 - x}$ ${2 + 1}/{2^3 - 2}$ $3/6$ $1/2$ Now we need to find which answer choice is equivalent to $1/2$, when we use the same value of $x$ ($x = 2$). Answer choice F gives us: $1/{x^2} - 1/{x^3}$ $1/4 - 1/8$ $1/8$ This does not match our found value of $1/2$, so we can eliminate answer choice F. Answer choice G gives us: $1/{x^3} - 1/x$ $1/8 - 1/2$ $-{3/8}$ This does not match our found value of $1/2$, so we can eliminate answer choice G. Answer choice H gives us: $1/{x^2 - 1}$ $1/{4 - 1}$ $1/3$ This does not match our found value of $1/2$, so we can eliminate answer choice H. Answer choice J gives us: $1/{x^2 - x}$ $1/{4 - 2}$ $1/2$ This does match our found answer of $1/2$, so we can keep answer J in the running. We should still test answer choice K, however, just to make sure we do not have any duplicate correct answers. Answer choice K gives us: $1/{x^3}$ $1/8$ This does not match our found answer of $1/2$. We can eliminate answer choice K. This leaves us with only one answer that matches what we found as our given when $x = 2$. This means that answer choice J (and only answer choice J) must be correct. Our final answer is J, $1/{x^2 - x}$ Step 4: If Your Alternate Solve Doesn't Work, Move On Sometimes taking a standardized test means learning to let go of a question. Your time is precious and limited, so if you can solve two questions in the time it takes you to solve one, it’s always best to solve the two. If you find yourself trapped on a question and can’t find any way to solve it, let it go (for now). If you’re taking the ACT, bubble in your best guess answer, but do so lightly enough that you can come back and change it later, time permitting. If you’re taking the SAT, simply skip the question for now (don’t bubble in a guess!) and come back later. If you have time after you’re done with the rest of your questions, come back to any that you had to skip or bubble a guess on. Sometimes all you need is fresh eyes, and then the method to solve the problem will become apparent. If you still can’t find the correct answer in any of the â€Å"traditional† ways, you can try to strategically eliminate answer choices until you’ve at least narrowed down your odds. For more information on how to do this, check out our guides for how to best guess on the SAT math section and how to best guess on the ACT math section. Otherwise, simply let it stay blank (if taking the SAT) or stick with your first guess answer (if taking the ACT). Learning to let go of a problem can be just as important as learning when to stick with a problem and try an alternate solving method. The more you practice, the better you'll get at balancing these techniques. The Take-Aways The more practice you have with taking standardized tests, the more skilled you’ll become at spotting your mistakes and heading them off at the pass. So don’t despair if it seems like an impossible task right now- you’ll get better at it. Be sure to practice on quality ACT and SAT study materials and stop if you feel any misgivings while solving any particular question. Remember- if it takes more than 30 seconds, or you think you would absolutely need a calculator, you’re probably on the wrong track. Take a breath, back up, and see where and how you can resolve the problem. And don’t be afraid to let a question go if you need to. One question won’t matter too much in the long run, but getting stuck for five minutes will absolutely take away time from other questions and have a detrimental impact on your final score. What’s Next? Worried about your math formulas? Learn which formulas you'll need to memorize for the ACT, which formulas you'll need to know for the SAT, and how to put your formulas to their greatest effect on both the ACT and the SAT. Running out of time on your math sections? Learn how to beat the clock on both the ACT and the SAT so you can reach your greatest potential in the time allowed. Trying not to procrastinate? Our guide will help you beat those procrastination urges and get you back on track. Want to get a perfect math score? Check out how to get a perfect 36 on the ACT math section or a perfect 800 on the SAT math section. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math strategy guide, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial: Disappointed with your ACT scores? Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.