Thursday, December 26, 2019

University of Wyoming Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university with an acceptance rate of 96%. The main campus is located in Laramie, Wyoming, just north of the border with Colorado. Undergraduates can choose from 80 areas of study across the universitys eight schools and colleges. The University of Wyomings strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned the school a chapter of  Phi Beta Kappa. In athletics, the Wyoming Cowboys and Cowgirls compete in the NCAA Division I  Mountain West Conference. Considering applying to University of Wyoming? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, University of Wyoming had an acceptance rate of 96%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 96 students were admitted, making UW less competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 5,293 Percent Admitted 96% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 37% SAT Scores and Requirements University of Wyoming requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 37% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 530 640 Math 520 640 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of University of Wyomings admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to University of Wyoming scored between 530 and 640, while 25% scored below 530 and 25% scored above 640. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 520 and 640, while 25% scored below 520 and 25% scored above 640. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1280 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at UW. Requirements University of Wyoming does not require the SAT writing section or SAT Subject tests. Note that UW does not superscore SAT results; your highest composite SAT score will be considered. ACT Scores and Requirements University of Wyoming requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 75% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 21 28 Math 20 27 Composite 22 28 This admissions data tells us that most of University of Wyomings admitted students fall within the top 37% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to UW received a composite ACT score between 22 and 28, while 25% scored above 28 and 25% scored below 22. Requirements Note that University of Wyoming does not superscore ACT results; your highest composite ACT score will be considered. UW does not require the ACT writing section. GPA In 2018, the average GPA of University of Wyomings incoming freshmen class was 3.50, and over 58% had average GPAs of 3.5 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants to University of Wyoming have primarily A and high B grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph University of Wyoming Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to University of Wyoming. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances University of Wyoming, which accepts over 95% of applicants, has a slightly selective admissions process. If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA fall within the schools average ranges, you have a strong chance of being accepted. However, University of Wyoming is also looking for students who have completed a high school success curriculum of challenging  college preparatory courses  which include four years of English, Math, and Science; three years of social science; and four years of a combination of foreign language, fine arts, performing arts, or career and vocational courses. UW has fixed admissions requirements, and students with an average GPA of 3.0 or above in the required high school success curriculum, as well as a 21 or higher on the ACT, or 1060  or higher on the SAT (ERWM) will be eligible under the fixed admissions program. Students with lower GPAs and test scores are considered under UWs Admission with Support process. Applicants submitted under the admission with support program will be required to complete the universitys Bridge Program the summer before their fall enrollment. In the graph above, the green and blue dots represent students who were admitted to the University of Wyoming. As you can see, the great majority of accepted students had a high school GPA of B- or better, an ACT composite score of 19 or higher, and a combined SAT score (ERWM) of 1000 or better. A few applicants were admitted with grades and scores below these lower ranges, but a significant percentage of applicants had grades in the A range. If You Like University of Wyoming, You May Also Like: Oregon State UniversityWashington State UniversityUniversity of MichiganUniversity of OregonStanford UniversityUC BerkeleyUCLA All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and University of Wyoming Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Humanist Theory in Education - 3751 Words

Outline four (4) principles of one the following theory of learning. Humanistic Explain, using appropriate classroom examples, how you would apply your understanding of the theory outlined, in implementing four (4) central task of teaching in your classroom. Shavon Benjamin SJ116545 2B St Joseph’s Teachers’ College Strategies of Teaching Learning Mrs. Francis April 8, 2013 Humanism There are many different theories of how people learn and in considering their application to how students learn and how teachers teach; educational programmes must be of holistic value. Learning according to the humanistic theory speaks to the holistic value that must be communicated through the process of acquiring new†¦show more content†¦The student-centred approach as a part of the humanistic theory allows students to be active participants in discovering new information in a creative and independent way. As a means of student-centeredness students participate in group activities, especially co-operative learning, in order to develop social and affective skills. Collectively, theorists responsible for the shift from teacher-centred to students-centred learning believe that through student centeredness an important goal of the humanistic theory – emotional support – will be offered to each student. The student centred approach aims at supporting individual ity and diversity by finding the similarities among children (Thompson, n.d.). The main idea behind the student-centred approach to learning is to make learning meaningful to students’ lives, needs and interest. An example of this would be a teacher teaching students about the body’s control, and starts the lesson by asking â€Å"what are the different body activities that the brain controls† (Students’ answer may include: hearing, touching, thinking, breathing, tasting, talking†¦). This approach, as a way of addressing students’ learning need example uses their experience to aid learning as the lesson progresses, the teacher monitors conversation and participation in discussion and/or activities to encourage students’ interest by making connections to their lives and also satisfies his/her teaching goals in the interim. According to Maslow’s perspectiveShow MoreRelatedbehaviorism vs humanism1043 Words   |  5 Pagesvs. Humanism Behaviorism and humanism are two theories of learning. Both theories are very important, and have many good qualities, which makes it difficult to say that one is better than the other. When it comes to learning, behaviorism does not consider mental processes, rather it looks at our response to stimuli in our environment. Whereas, humanism sees learning as personal, and is dependent on each individual self. Even though the two theories seem completely opposite of each other, thereRead MoreEssay Development and Diversity1006 Words   |  5 Pagesexplain the main components of the humanist theory. Two American psychologists, Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers paved the way for this new approach to understanding personality and improving the overall satisfaction of individuals. Next, I will show how the humanist theory is used in the classroom and what problems are possible. Finally, a 3rd grade learning activity that uses some aspect of the humanist theory will be outlined. Humanist Theory Humanistic theory deals with the whole person, by focusingRead MoreBehaviour Management Essay1653 Words   |  7 PagesThis essay will compare and contrast two theories of behaviour management by Carl Rogers and BF Skinner and argue ways in which one of these theories could be implemented for a particular context and practice. Roger’s theory is based on a humanistic approach, while Skinner’s theory takes a behaviourist approach; each theory has both benefits and shortcomings. Their views form opposite ends of the learning spectrum. These theories will be examined as their respective works address the underlying issueRead More Humanism Essay example1241 Words   |  5 PagesHumanism and Literature Humanists searched for wisdom from the past.   They copied the lifestyles of the ancient Greeks and Romans.   They also traced their families back to the days of the ancient Romans. They endeavored on archaeological expeditions to recover ancient manuscripts, statues and monuments so that they may better understand human nature.   The Christian humanists, however, were sometimes skeptical as to the authority of the ancient writers.   Medieval humanists accepted pagan and classicalRead MoreNorthern Humanist Essay1154 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ The Northern Humanists were firm believers in higher education. Yet, they were also very critical of the way it was carried it out. Analyze their main criticisms of higher education and learning. The Northern Humanists are strong believers in higher education.   They differed from the more Italian approach; The Northerners emphasized education across a broader band of society, not just a more scholarly yet secluded class of intellectuals.   Somewhat oddly, the study of the ancientRead MoreThe Key Assumptions Of The Behaviourist School Of Thought1452 Words   |  6 Pagesimportance of the behaviourist perspective is the development of competencies and demonstrating technical or psychomotor skills. Van Vonderen (2004). It is also important when a change in behaviour is the expected outcome of learning. In addition, in an education setting, it is pertinent that students are given feedback even for incorrect concepts in line with the principle of contiguity that is, the feedback should be given immediately after performance of behaviour. Hewson and Little (1998). Viewing howRead More The Impact of Education on the Renaissance Essay694 Words   |  3 PagesThe gigantic effect that education had on Renaissance society was greatly stimulated by the new development of humanism. Humanism was responsible for the curiosity of many intellects during the Renaissance, which ultimately led to the discoveries and developments that made the Renaissance such a remarkable time. It proposed a different way of thinking, unprecedented by scholars. Without humanism and the educational interest that it brought about, the Renaissance would not be known as the explosionRead MoreUnit 502 Task A1145 Words   |  5 Pagesanalyse some of the theories, principles and models in education and training. I will report on how these can be applied, and how they can enable inclusive learning, through exploring my own research. The report will also show how learners preferences should be taken into account as per of inclusive teaching and learning. A – Analyse theories, principles and models of learning and models of learning preferences Wilson, L (2014) has shown that there are three main schools of theory: The BehaviouristRead MoreLearning Theories, Motivation And Engagement Constructivism And Humanist Approach1667 Words   |  7 Pagesenvironment and draw on a range of different perspectives on theories and perspectives used in Early Childhood Learning Framework. Different theories about early childhood inform approaches to learning and development. â€Å" Early childhood educators draw upon a range of perspectives in their work †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (EYLF p.11). In this essay there will be three learning theories explained; behavioural views of learning, motivation and Engagement constructivism and humanist approach to learning. The viewpoints that will be explainedRead MoreMaslow s Hierarchy Of Needs982 Words   |  4 PagesAbraham Maslow was one of the most influential and important educational psychologists and is recognized by many for his theory on mankind’s hierarchy of needs. Maslow’s theory which is known as â€Å"Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs† is best e xplained as a pyramid of needs that we as humans must meet in order to progress to another stage of needs. There are five stages in the pyramid of needs and they go as follows: physiological, safety, love and belongingness, esteem, and finally self-actualization. Maslow

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Education Values Essay Example For Students

Education Values Essay Discussions on particular educational curricular issues or programs reflect not only educational values but societal values as well. Three areas in particular that have been eliciting much discussion are bilingual education programs, services within schools for gay and lesbian students, and inclusion of multicultural curricula. Among each of these programs, questions have been raised about their relativity to education and the comprehensive research to prove that these programs are beneficial to students. Bilingual education is a fairly new program, in which foreign-born students learn English for one period during the day while all their other classes are taught in their native tongue (Holloway). This program isnt just restricted to students who are learning English as their second language, it is also required of English speaking students as well. It gives them an opportunity to acquire a second language easily by allowing them to interact with foreign-born students in order to learn more about their culture and their language (Holloway). School Chancellor Harold O. Levy has supported this program from the beginning. The goal of dual-language models is to promote long-term literacy in both groups of studentswhether for cultural, economic or educational reasons, said Levy. Skeptics like Ron K. Unz said that dual-language programs require specialized teachers, and it is difficult to measure their effectiveness on immigrant children due to the scarcity and insufficient data to support whether they would work on a larger scale (Holloway). In many cases this program is very effective in the classroom, but outside the walls students seldom become bilingual (Holloway). This type of scenario is also evident in high schools when it comes to services for gay and lesbian students. At several high schools in Westchester County, homosexual students have chosen home schooling in order to avoid taunting and harassing school days (Lombardi). Although many schools have formed tolerance clubs and diversity club students still feel that change is coming very slowly. Homophobic comments ring throughout the hallways, but little is done to prevent it, especially when teachers refrain from doing anything about it. Students feel that toleration of these anti-gay slurs have driven them to dreading going to school because they are having a sense of isolation (Lombardi). On the other hand, many clubs have flourished in the past year, and are beginning to see more and more straight students attending. Linda Prendergast went on to say that Even if were nave enough to believe that there are no gay, lesbian or transgender kidsthe world is a bigger place, and theyre going to have to know how to negotiate the world with people who are different than they arethis is an issue of resp ect for all people. This belief can also be proven by multicultural education, in order to improve the students skills necessary to live within such a culturally diverse society. One of primary objectives of multicultural education is to try and help unify a deeply divided nation, not to divide one that is united (Banks). School leaders across the country are faced with the task to ensure that these diverse groups can make a large contribution to our society through education (Banks). With the addition of multicultural textbooks in the classroom and operative teaching strategies, students can develop a racially positive attitude and perception (Banks). Thomas J. Famularo disputes this idea by stating Multiculturalism is harmful because it attempts to deny the existence of a common American culture and emphasizes divisive group differences based on race, gender, and social class. At the end of the day, we are going to have to realize we live in a multicultural society, and eventually we will realize that studying one part of us does not divide us; it educates us, and it might even inspire us (Banks). .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27 , .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27 .postImageUrl , .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27 , .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27:hover , .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27:visited , .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27:active { border:0!important; } .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27:active , .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27 .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf322be6d3edd3ddf1a025e5319bacd27:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: How Art Improves Our Lives EssayIn our never ending battle to change the way we view the world, programs have been established in order for future leaders to have a better understanding of how different we all are. Developing these programs will instill new ideas to Americas youth that will give them a completely different perspective on how each of us live our daily lives. In order to accomplish this, we must look at groups of people such as the gay and lesbian community, foreign-born students, and cultures from all over the world, and take them from the margins of society, and place them in the center. Works CitedWilliams, Mary E. Education: Opposing Viewpoints. SanDieg o: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2000. Banks, James A. Multicultural Education is Beneficial. Williams 96-102. Caponi, Gena Dagel Multicultural Education is Counterproductive. Williams 103-108. Holloway, Lynette One Language One Day, a Second One the Next. New York Times 24 Jan. 2001: A1

Monday, December 2, 2019

Passing of Grandison free essay sample

During the midst of slavery, the slaves learned to make their lives easier by agreeing and pretending to hold the same values as their masters. Of course, this is an action that is used to make the masters believe that the slaves were loyal and happy with the families who bought them. In â€Å"The Passing of Grandison,† Grandison’s master perceives him as happy, loyal and simple minded, which later plays out to show that the Colonel had underestimated him. The colonel’s son was allowed to take one slave up north with him as help and Grandison was chosen for the job. Dick Owens wanted to free a slave for the woman he was courting, but his father gives him the most relentless of the plantation. During Owens’ and Grandison’s journey, Owens gives the slave every opportunity possible to escape the chains of slavery from long errands to leaving Grandison money while Owens went on a two day trip. We will write a custom essay sample on Passing of Grandison or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Owens even went as far as taking Grandison to Canada and says â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢If you wished, Grandison, you might walk away from me this very minute, and I could not lay my hand upon you to take you back. † Grandison replies, â€Å"I’s feared I’ll lose you ovuh heah an’ den I won’ hab no marster, an’ won’t nebber be able to git back home no mo† (Passing of Grandison, p. 722). Owens finally left him on the Canadian side and returned home and even then, the Colonel still did not blame Grandison; he blamed the abolitionists whom he thought had pressured Grandison into abandoning his master and his family back at the plantation. Grandison surprises the Colonel when he shows up weeks later having been abused. The colonel was so excited that he even killed a calf for dinner in Grandison’s name. About three weeks after Grandison’s return, he, his wife, mother, aunt, father, brothers and sisters went missing. It was then that the Colonel â€Å"†¦came near losing his belief in the fidelity of the Negro to his master†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Passing of Grandison, p. 725). He then set up an immediate search party for the slave family; that was a lot of valuable property to lose. The Colonel and his friends traced and followed the fugitive slave family from place to place, hot on their heels at times, but never were able to catch up with them because the slaves had the aid of the abolitionists and the Underground Railroad. Then when he thought he had the family within his grasp, he saw the whole family on a steamboat that was in full throttle towards the Canadian border. The family and one of the crew waved at the Colonel mockingly as they headed for real freedom. The Colonel shook his fist back at them being struck with the reality that Grandison and his family wanted to be free, not enslaved on a plantation. The original perception of Grandison was that he was a faithful, loyal, and happy slave to the Colonels family and plantation. I believe that the Colonel as well as most of the whites during that time perceived the Negro population to be simple minded and dependent upon the white folk to ultimately take care of them. Grandison voids the Colonel’s ignorant perception and underestimation of the Negro race when he decides to run for the border. Grandison could have run when Owens gave him the chance but he waited until he could bring his family with him.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Free Essays on Racial Faultlines

Brief #5-â€Å"Racial Faultlines â€Å" The article, Racial Faultlines by Tomas Almaguer, talks about the fact that people experience a variety of different â€Å"racialized relationships† in California. Due to a higher multiracial population where more Mexican, Indian, Chinese and Japanese populations live in the state, California had a much less binary racial mix than most areas. In many places, racial relationships are more binary, or black and white. Almaguer discusses how these different peoples are viewed within the social strata of the state using examples of how Mexican Americans are treated differently that Native Americans, although both races are dark complexioned, etc. He discusses how the different cultures were dominated by â€Å"whites† and how racial order and class hierarchy was determined by skin color and social conception. I really enjoyed the point that the author made when discussing the differences in the way indigenous Mexican Americans were treated as opposed to indigenous Indian Americans, although they were both dark skinned and often of shared ancestry. It really does give credence to the idea of race as a social construction. I see a direct correlation here between the local ruling classes of the Californio Elite and the treatment of the Mexican people, if Europeans detected a class system was in place, they would have considered this civilized in many ways. While the Indians had a completely different type of social stratification in their culture and totally alien religion. It is easy to see how people with a certain mindset might have considered them savage. As people often identify with the familiar and consider the unfamiliar to be bad, strange or even evil.... Free Essays on Racial Faultlines Free Essays on Racial Faultlines Brief #5-â€Å"Racial Faultlines â€Å" The article, Racial Faultlines by Tomas Almaguer, talks about the fact that people experience a variety of different â€Å"racialized relationships† in California. Due to a higher multiracial population where more Mexican, Indian, Chinese and Japanese populations live in the state, California had a much less binary racial mix than most areas. In many places, racial relationships are more binary, or black and white. Almaguer discusses how these different peoples are viewed within the social strata of the state using examples of how Mexican Americans are treated differently that Native Americans, although both races are dark complexioned, etc. He discusses how the different cultures were dominated by â€Å"whites† and how racial order and class hierarchy was determined by skin color and social conception. I really enjoyed the point that the author made when discussing the differences in the way indigenous Mexican Americans were treated as opposed to indigenous Indian Americans, although they were both dark skinned and often of shared ancestry. It really does give credence to the idea of race as a social construction. I see a direct correlation here between the local ruling classes of the Californio Elite and the treatment of the Mexican people, if Europeans detected a class system was in place, they would have considered this civilized in many ways. While the Indians had a completely different type of social stratification in their culture and totally alien religion. It is easy to see how people with a certain mindset might have considered them savage. As people often identify with the familiar and consider the unfamiliar to be bad, strange or even evil....

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Complete List of American Revolution Battles

Complete List of American Revolution Battles The battles of the American Revolution were fought as far north as Quebec and as far south as Savannah. As the war became global with the entry of France in 1778, other battles were fought overseas as the powers of Europe clashed. Beginning in 1775, these battles brought to prominence previously quiet villages such as Lexington, Germantown, Saratoga, and Yorktown, forever linking their names with the cause of American independence. Fighting during the early years of the American Revolution was generally in the North, while the war shifted south after 1779. During the war, around 25,000 Americans died (approx. 8,000 in battle), while another 25,000 were wounded. British and German losses numbered around 20,000 and 7,500 respectively. American Revolution Battles 1775 April 19 - Battles of Lexington Concord - Massachusetts April 19, 1775-March 17, 1776 - Siege of Boston - Massachusetts May 10 - Capture of Fort Ticonderoga - New York June 11-12 - Battle of Machias - Massachusetts (Maine) June 17 - Battle of Bunker Hill - Massachusetts September 17-November 3 - Siege of Fort St. Jean - Canada September 19-November 9 - Arnold Expedition - Maine/Canada December 9 - Battle of Great Bridge - Virginia December 31 - Battle of Quebec - Canada 1776 February 27 - Battle of Moores Creek Bridge - North Carolina March 3-4 - Battle of Nassau - Bahamas June 28 - Battle of Sullivans Island (Charleston) - South Carolina August 27-30 - Battle of Long Island - New York September 16 - Battle of Harlem Heights - New York October 11 - Battle of Valcour Island - New York October 28 - Battle of White Plains - New York November 16 - Battle of Fort Washington - New York December 26 - Battle of Trenton - New Jersey 1777 January 2 - Battle of the Assunpink Creek - New Jersey January 3 - Battle of Princeton - New Jersey April 27 - Battle of Ridgefield - Connecticut June 26 - Battle of Short Hills - New Jersey July 2-6 - Siege of Fort Ticonderoga - New York July 7 - Battle of Hubbardton - Vermont August 2-22 - Siege of Fort Stanwix - New York August 6 - Battle of Oriskany - New York August 16 - Battle of Bennington - New York September 3 - Battle of Coochs Bridge - Delaware September 11 - Battle of Brandywine - Pennsylvania September 19 October 7 - Battle of Saratoga - New York September 21 - Paoli Massacre - Pennsylvania September 26-November 16 - Siege of Fort Mifflin  - Pennsylvania October 4 - Battle of Germantown - Pennsylvania October 6 - Battle of Forts Clinton Montgomery - New York October 22 - Battle of Red Bank - New Jersey December 19-June 19, 1778 - Winter at Valley Forge - Pennsylvania 1778 June 28 - Battle of Monmouth - New Jersey July 3 - Battle of Wyoming (Wyoming Massacre) - Pennsylvania August 29 - Battle of Rhode Island - Rhode Island 1779 February 14 - Battle of Kettle Creek - Georgia July 16 - Battle of Stony Point - New York July 24-August 12 - Penobscot Expedition - Maine (Massachusetts) August 19 - Battle of Paulus Hook - New Jersey September 16-October 18 - Siege of Savannah - Georgia September 23 - Battle of Flamborough Head (Bonhomme Richard vs. HMS Serapis) - waters off Britain 1780 March 29-May 12 - Siege of Charleston - South Carolina May 29 - Battle of Waxhaws - South Carolina June 23 - Battle of Springfield - New Jersey August 16 - Battle of Camden - South Carolina October 7 - Battle of Kings Mountain - South Carolina 1781 January 5 - Battle of Jersey - Channel Islands January 17 - Battle of Cowpens - South Carolina March 15 - Battle of Guilford Court House - North Carolina April 25 - Battle of Hobkirks Hill - South Carolina September 5 - Battle of the Chesapeake - waters off Virginia September 6 - Battle of Groton Heights - Connecticut September 8 - Battle of Eutaw Springs - South Carolina September 28-October 19 - Battle of Yorktown - Virginia 1782 April 9-12 - Battle of the Saintes - Caribbean

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Slavery and The Genesis of American Race Prejudice Essay

Slavery and The Genesis of American Race Prejudice - Essay Example Degler however refers to the writing of Frank Tannenbaum to cast doubt to this assumption held not only by Tocqueville, but many others in regard to the issue, he argues that if slavery was the course of discrimination, then the ensuing prejudice should have been uniformly evident in all societies that embraced slavery. However, the levels of discrimination that Negroes in the United States underwent after slavery is significantly more severe than those suffered by Negroes in other parts of the world. Degler argues that that slavery cannot be seen as a cause for discrimination since the prejudice existed long before slavery, thus, he thus seeks to strengthen his position by examining the retrospective treatment of Negroes before the term slavery came to be applied socially and legally to them. He argues that before, and during slavery, a Negro free or slave occupied a lower and degraded position in society than any white man. Degler also opposes an argument suggested by Handlin that during the 17th century the position of the white servants was improving while that of the black ones was becoming worse; Degler demonstrates that white servants were very badly treated in New England. He uses this to prove that if the position of blacks was to be compared to that of the white servants, the fact that the former were worse off leaves one in doubt of the validity of the explanation that blacks were not being discriminated before slavery became a legal reality. Degler emphasizes that despite the fact that a negro was rarely called as lave before the 17th century, the position he held as an individual and a servant was subject to extreme discrimination and was at no time comparable to that of even the most oppressed white servant. The difference between the treatment of Negros, slave or free in the Iberian and English colonies is explained thus; in the English colony, discrimination antedated slavery ergo slavery when it was developed there simply inherited the attitude of Negro inferiority that was already in existence. Degler further assets that before the official use of the term slave, black servants were often in servitude that exceeded that of white ones, for example, in case of escaped servants, while white servants had time added to their term of service blacks were either made â€Å"servant† the rest of their natural lives. In some cases their punishment did not have to do with time since they were already serving for life, in addition, servitude, while a white servants children could not inherit it was often passed on from parents to children. Based on this and other reasoning Degler disputes the assumption that slavery gave birth to discrimination and attempts with a significant degree of success to prove that discrimination was not a result of slavery but it was borne off prejudice and xenophobia dating long before slavery. Degler has referred to several works in his quest to disabuse the notion that slavery gave birth to prejud ice and one of them is Frank Tannenbaum, he reasoned that the reason the inferiority of slavery did not continue in Iberian countries after slavery could be attributed to three factors (Charles). These were; that the Roman law of slavery, which was influenced, by the Catholic Church and constant contact with dark skinned people took a pragmatic view of slavery as a mere accident to which anyone despite their color could be a victim. Ergo, unlike the North America where slavery was mostly the reserve of the dark blacks and laws put up to

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Literature - Essay Example It is also clear that their heir feelings of nationalistic pride would have been greatly damaged following the humiliation of losing a war they perceived to be a draw. Germans were well aware that the rest of the world looked upon them with contempt and as the losers, giving them plenty of motivation for a new fight. This is why it can be said that the treaty was largely responsible for the Nazi’s rise to power and the inevitable violence of WWII. A great deal of the literature of this period remains focused on the individual and his or her attempts to discover some form of meaning in their lives. For example, Luitov in â€Å"My First Goose† attempts to find his place in a crazy world by abandoning his faith and his homeland in order to become one of the Cossacks. In the crazy world of the uneducated and rough Cossacks, though, he remains empty and unfulfilled because he is quickly branded an outsider and teased. His attempts to join the men in his rough treatment of the old woman and her goose also leave him unfulfilled because he is already feeling the ‘grating’ in his heart indicating that he has retained more of his family’s belief system than he had cared to admit. These stories typically illustrate that while we may not have much control over our lives or be provided with a world that makes any sense, we still have an element of individual control over the choices we make. Our reactions to the results of these choices help us to define who we are as people and help us develop our own sense of meaning. The Occupation of Japan went smoothly because the Americans didn’t try to come in and completely re-seat the Japanese administrative structures. However, things weren’t necessarily all that smooth. Postwar Japan was devastated by the fire bombing, living spaces were scarce and fuel and food were even less plentiful. When the U.S. went into Iraq, though, one of the first things they did was to remove the existing governmental

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Intermediate certificate in Human Resource Management Essay Example for Free

Intermediate certificate in Human Resource Management Essay Is the criticism of HR in the article justified? Yes and no! The quote in the article from Dona Roche-Tarry is fairly damning. She states the HR team should be equally responsible as they work alongside the CEO and MDs to recommend strategies for pay and bonuses. Whilst HR may work alongside the senior decision makers, they can only make recommendations. The ultimate decision and power lies with the CEO. However, another perspective could be that HR need to be influencers, and should be more efficient at managing upwards. What are the main accusations being laid at the door of HR in this scenario in terms of its competence? Not being responsive Lack of knowledge Being unethical What are the implications for HR here in relation to professional ethics, integrity and confidentiality? The main implication is being seen to be unethical to stakeholders. This could result in HR being seen as not communicating and could have a negative impact on how people perceive HR to be importance wise. Integrity is also damaged by not being seen to have provided a voice in relation to political equality. How might HR been able to influence the situation more? By managing relationships better across hierarchies, and also by forward planning, being market savvy, and risk management. Predicting the issues  before they arose and either finding ways to avoid them or developing damage limitation scenarios and plans. What other key behaviours from the CIPD’s HR professional map do you think are critical here for HR to display? Skilled influencer Courage to challenge Personally credible Collaborative What learning can HR take away from this experience/situation? The main learning is to be more responsive, and take more of an active role in discussions regarding important issues such as renumeration Being seen to consult stakeholders and provide senior stakeholders with a more accurate company and market view. Improved communication across all levels needs to be implemented.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Unferth in Beowulf and Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey :: comparison compare contrast essays

Unferth in Beowulf and Odysseus in the Odyssey   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kemp Malone in   his essay â€Å"Beowulf† comments that the hero’s swimming match with Breca, an episode of more than 100 lines, is â€Å"not told as such,† but set in a frame: â€Å"the flitting between Unferth and Beowulf† (Malone 144). This contention or challenge between the hero and a rude challenger appears not only in Beowulf but in other heroic poetry like the Odyssey.    When Beowulf and his crew of brave Geat warriors arrive to the court of King Hrothgar of Denmark, one of the king’s retainers, Unferth by name, has been drinking too heavily of the mead. This puts him into a drunken state of mind wherein he unwisely and rudely challenges the hero regarding a swimming contest sometime earlier:    Unferth, Ecglaf’s son,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   rose to speak, who sat at the fee  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   of the lord of the Scyldings; he unbound a battle-rune -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the journey of Beowulf, the brave seafarer,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   caused him chagrin, for he would not grant    that any other man under the heavens  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   might ever care more for famous deeds  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   than he himself: â€Å"Are you the same Beowulf  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   who challenged Breca to a swimming match  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   on the open sea? There out of pride  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   you both tested sea-ways, through foolish boasting risked lives on the deep. None could dissuade you,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   friend or foe, keep either of you  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   from that hapless trip, when you went swimming  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   out of the bay, your arms embracing  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the crests, sea-currents, flung out your hands  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to measure the sea-roads, the ocean of wind.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The steep seas boiled in winter’s pourings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   You both toiled seven nights driven by the waves,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and in that swimming he overcame you,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   had greater strength.(499ff.)    So far Unferth, a proud warrior himself, tells Beowulf that the hero is foolish and that he has been bested in this sea-competition by his opponent – both of which are big, embarrassing putdowns. Unferth continues to rub it in:    The sea cast him up   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   on the Heatho-Raems’ shore; from there at daybreak   he sought his homeland, beloved by his people,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   came back to the Brondings, fair peace-fort  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   where he had subjects, stronghold, and treasures.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The good son of Beanstan had truly fulfilled  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   his whole boast against you(519ff.)    Nothing like siding 100% with the foe! Before even hearing both sides of the story! Finally, in concluding, Unferth states his minimal expectations of Beowulf considering the latter’s utter failure against Breca:

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Closed Memo

JS6557 Professor Pratt  §16, Thursdays, 10:00 a. m. X Mailbox # 406 Final Draft Closed Memo September 5, 2012 Word Count: 2,975 On my honor, I submit this work in good faith and pledge that I have neither given nor received improper aid in its completion. /s/ JS6557 JS6557 Memorandum To: Managing Partner Salvo From: JS6557 Date: September 24, 2012 Re: McAnzen Case QUESTION PRESENTED DUIUnder Mississippi law, can McAnzen establish a defense of necessity for his DUI charge, when after realizing the severity of Hurricane Katrina and fleeing his home, he was arrested while driving under the influence even though that action was only done to prevent a significant evil and was his only adequate option to avoid the impending dangers of the storm? ESCAPE Under Mississippi common law, can McAnzen establish a necessity of defense to escape when he used no force or violence to flee custody, to avoid the mmediate threat of serious bodily harm, after he was pulled over and arrested during the o nset of the impending danger of Hurricane Katrina although he did not report himself immediately to proper authorities? BRIEF ANSWER DUI Probably yes. McAnzen will probably be able to survive a DUI charge because under Mississippi Law a defendant must meet three elements to establish a defense of necessity to DUI.He will likely meet all three elements because he drove under the influence only to prevent a significant evil, the harm he caused was disproportionate to the harm avoided, and driving was his last adequate option in hopes to avoid the impending dangers of Hurricane Katrina. ESCAPE Probably yes. McAnzen will probably be able to evade an escape charge because under Mississippi Law a prisoner must meet four elements to establish a defense of necessity to escape.Although he failed to meet all four of the elements undoubtedly, he will likely be able to establish his defense because he clearly met three of the four elements because the hurricane winds were an immediate threat of serious bodily harm, he did not have time to make a complaint to authorities, and he used no force or violence to make his escape to flee the impending dangers. STATEMENT OF FACTS After an argument with his wife, McAnzen wife left the home to recollect her thoughts while relaxed with a six-pack of beer while tuning into the local news station.The news graphically described the Hurricane that was predicted to hit but he didn’t give any warranty to it. Over the two-hour period, he consumed four of the six beers. A neighbor interrupted his television viewing to enlighten him of the actual severity of the storm and advise that McAnzen and his wife leave with him immediately. He declined the offered ride but began to worry about his wife’s absence. Although the weather began to worsen, he felt morally obligated to wait for his wife but could not find her. After waiting as long as he could he acknowledged that e had been drinking earlier in the night but if he did not leave he would have been endangered by the violent hurricane. He most likely wouldn’t survive the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. While driving he was being extremely careful but decided to put a CD in to assure he would stay awake and in doing so he crossed the centerline. He was then pulled over, in the middle of a detrimental hurricane, and eventually arrested for driving under the influence. After being pulled over for a traffic stop during the onset of Hurricane Katrina, McAnzen fled the scene as an â€Å"intention to avoid impending danger.After initially being pulled over and failing a field sobriety test, a huge gust of wind knocked over the arresting officer giving McAnzen time to escape the scene. He left the scene because he panicked after seeing the strong wind blow over the officer, which created a fear for his life. He fled to his sister’s home in Florida and when returning to Mississippi, he went immediately to his home, which indecently was completely destroyed by the destruction of the hurricane. He was then arrested. DISCUSSIONBoth of McAnzen’s decisions, driving under the influence and escaping from custody, are criminal actions but they were necessarily committed to ensure his personal safety during the onset of Hurricane Katrina. His actions are to be excused by the defense of necessity, which is when a person’s choices can be excused or justified even though they break a law because they were necessary. â€Å"Where a person reasonably believes that he is in danger of physical harm he may be excused for some conduct which ordinarily would be criminal. Knight v. State, 601 So. 2d 403 (Miss. 1992). Mississippi Courts generally find that for a defendant to establish a defense of necessity for a crime committed, he must prove that three elements were present: reasonable belief of fear, fear of physical harm, and no sufficient alternative. Id. In this situation he is charged with two separate crimes and both crimes are anal yzed differently according to specific elements that pertain to each of them.This is an affirmative defense because he has the burden of proof meaning he must prove that he met the elements of the defense to claim it. The following cases using the defense of necessity will help prove that McAnzen does establish his defense. The court in Stodghill v. State, 892 So. 2d 236 (Miss. 2005) found that the plaintiff George Stodghill’s attempt to use the defense of necessity in regards to his arrest for driving under the influence was not valid because he did completely satisfy all the elements of that defense.After a night of drinking at a remote cabin with family, his girlfriend became violently ill and exhibited symptoms of a seizure so he decided she needed immediate medical attention but felt like 911 would not come fast enough. Id. During the drive he committed two different offenses: speeding and crossing the centerline and subsequently he was pulled over and arrested. Id. He d id not fully comply with all of the elements because although he was trying to prevent a significant evil, there were alternative means for the transportation of his girlfriend that he chose not to rely on.Id. Willie Joe Knight, a black man, was driving along a road in a predominately white community in 1989 when after noticing a group of white children playing on the road side, he felt as if his vehicle had run over something. Knight v. State, 601 So. 2d 403 (Miss. 1992). After stopping to check for damages he concluded that he had probably run over something unimportant but was quickly startled by the screams of a witness claiming that he had run over a white child and that the child was trapped. Id.The angry crowd approached and he feared for his own safety because he, a black man, ran over a white child and with the rioting crowds pressure growing, he left the scene. Id. Knight openly stated he fled because he feared for the safety of his own life considering the racial aspect. Id. 406. The court concluded this was a case for a defense of necessity because he was motivated by fear and the present circumstances that induced that fear would be in a reasonable person in Knight's situation. Id. With this conclusion, his conviction was reversed and remanded. Id.In Corley v. State, 536 So. 2d 1314 (1988), the defendant escaped from the Carroll County Jail after he claimed to have been threatened by a jailer with a gun. After his escape he was consequently returned to the Carroll County Jail after being located at his home in Greenwood. Id. at 1317. He claimed a defense of necessity to escape because he had a fear for his life after the jailer’s threat but the Court held that his defense was not viable, therefore waived, because he chose intentionally to not return to custody after the danger was evaded. Their findings were ased on that Corley admittedly divulged that he planned on staying out of jail â€Å"as long as I could reckon. † Id. The Court found that failure to return to the authorities after reaching safety and failure to make a complaint about his danger demoted Corley’s reasoning and did not constitute his escape to be a defense of necessity because he did not meet all of the elements. Id. Since the elements were not met, the Court affirmed his conviction. Id. I. DUI McAnzen will most likely survive the DUI charge because can probably establish each element of the defense of necessity for that charge.Under Mississippi Law, to establish a necessity of defense, a defendant must prove: (1) the act charged was done to prevent a significant evil; (2) the harm caused was not disproportionate to the harm avoided; and (3) there was no adequate alternative. Stodghill v. State, 892 So. 2d 236 (Miss. 2005). 1. The act charged was done to prevent a significant evil; Courts have usually found that a defense of necessity was valid when the act charged was done to prevent a significant evil. This was established in Stodgh ill v. State, 892 So. 2d 236 (Miss. 2005).McAnzen chose to drive under the influence because it was the only way to ensure his safety from the hurricane. Like, McAnzen chose to drive under the influence because it was the only way to ensure his safety from the hurricane. His decision to drive under the influence was the only way to get him self to a safe environment although he had to break a law to do so. Like Stodghill, McAnzen drove under the influence because his only other option was not viable- to be physically harmed due to Hurricane Katrina. They both knowingly committed the same crime but only to ensure their own or other’s safety from their individual circumstances.It could be said that because hurricanes are common in this part of the country that he should have taken warnings of the storm more seriously. This cannot be entirely true because each hurricane has different levels of severity and when he realized the severity of Hurricane Katrina it was necessary that he leave his home immediately or risk being killed by the storm. 2. The harm caused was not disproportionate to the harm avoided; and Courts have previously found that a defense of necessity was valid when the harm caused was not disproportionate to the harm avoided. This was established in Stodghill v.State, 892 So. 2d 236 (Miss. 2005). McAnzen’s case easily proves this element because driving under the influence essentially saved his life because without making that decision he would have been likely killed by the effects of the storm. This is parallel to the situation in the Stoghill case because he had to make the decision to drive even though he had previously been drinking earlier in the night, in hopes to save his girlfriend who was suffering from a seizure. It could be said that McAnzen choosing to drive under the influence always has the chance to harm someone else in the process.This counter argument is not sufficient because who is to tell him that his life was not important just because he happened to drink earlier in the evening? Since the storm had rapidly gotten worse, most people had already reached safety making it a lesser chance that he would hit someone on the road. 3. There was no adequate alternative. Courts have formerly found that a defense of necessity was valid when the act is committed because there was no adequate alternative. This was not established in Stodghill v. State, 892 So. 2d 236 (Miss. 2005).The third element is established and provided by the moral obligation McAnzen felt for his wife. He declined the ride with a neighbor because he felt morally wrong leaving his wife, in the chance that she might return. When McAnzen could absolutely wait no longer for her return, he had no other adequate options but to drive to safety. His moral conscience was the reason that eventually he was stuck with no alternatives. Stodghill did not meet this. One could say that his moral obligation to wait on his wife was not an adequate r easoning to wait.He could have accepted the ride from his friend since his wife eventually never showed up and the acceptance was an adequate option. Because no one can define what a person’s certain moral obligations can or cannot be this counter argument cannot be found. He felt like he should wait on his wife, when she never returned his only option was to drive himself to safety. McAnzen frankly admits that he committed criminal acts when he operated a vehicle under the influence his argument provides that he had fitting reason to do so to ensure his own safety during the onset of Hurricane Katrina.In reference to the use of defense of necessity to his DUI charge, the court will find that it is his reasoning was appropriate and in accordance to all three elements. The Courts will likely find that a reasonable person would have made the same choices as he. I. Escape McAnzen will most likely survive the escape charge because can probably establish each element of the defens e of necessity for that charge. Courts have found that a prisoner’s escape can be permissible by law if the reason is the â€Å"intention to escape an impending danger† rather than the â€Å"intention to escape lawful imprisonment† which could not be justified.Under Mississippi Law, to establish a necessity of defense to escape, a defendant must prove: (1) immediate threat of serious bodily harm to prisoner; (2) prisoner has no time in which to make complaint to authorities about his danger (3) force or violence is not used in escape; and (4) a prisoner must intend to report immediately to proper authorities when he attains position of safety. Corley v. State, 536 So. 2d 1314 (1988). Although he does not undoubtedly meet all four elements it is likely the court will accept his defense because he clearly meets three; the fourth is very debatable. . Immediate threat of serious bodily harm to prisoner The first element is clearly met because there was an immediate threat of serious bodily harm to prisoner because McAnzen had a legitimate threat of serious bodily harm, the incoming Hurricane Katrina. His fear of impending danger was heightened when he saw the officer simply knocked over by the hurricane’s wind. Unlike McAnzen, in Corley the claim that an officer threatened him at gunpoint had not merit because it was never proven. It could be said that a gust of wind is not an immediate threat but that is not entirely true.The gust of wind was in fact an immediate threat of what was to come from the incoming hurricane. He knew that if a gust of wind was strong enough to knock down a grown man that the storm could easily kill him. 2. Prisoner has no time in which to make complaint to authorities about his danger; The second element, that the prisoner has no time to make a complaint about his danger, is easily met by the McAnzen case. Since he was arrested in the middle of existent hurricane weather he had no time to complain to authoriti es regarding his rationale for evading the danger.He was arrested without his viable reason even being considered. If the threat had been legitimate in Corley, Corley could have reported the incident to someone of authority instead of trying to handle the law himself. 3. Force or violence is not used in escape; and In the third element it states that force or violence is not used in escape. McAnzen used neither force nor violence because his escape was enabled after a natural occurrence of weather, the gust of wind, detained the officer.The argument cannot counter this because the gust of wind that knocked over the officer, allowing McAnzen to escape, was an act of nature not an act of force or violence. 4. A prisoner must intend to report immediately to proper authorities when he attains position of safety. The last element, that a prisoner must intend to report immediately to proper authorities when he attains position of safety, is the only element that is not clearly met by McAn zen but he is still likely to establish his defense.It is explicitly never met in Corley because he openly admits after the police collected him that he had no intentions of returning and would try to stay a free man as long as he could. McAnzen, on the hand doesn’t explicitly meet this element but has a completely different motive than the extreme one stated in Corley. He was forced leave the jurisdiction in which he was arrested to evade the danger of the approaching. He did not leave the jurisdiction to avoid his arrest; only to avoid the storm thus avoiding the impending danger.It will be countered that he should have immediately turned him self in. But neither who the proper authorities are nor when safety is obtained are explicitly defined. He could have believed the proper authorities were in the jurisdiction in which he was arrested. Thinking he should turn in himself in to Mississippi authorities would have given him no reason to do so when he arrived in Florida. It can be thought that he would turn himself in when returning home but his thought process was halted when he found his home had been completely destroyed.A reasonable person would have visited their home before reporting to authorities therefore this counterargument will not stand. CONCLUSION Both of McAnzen’s decisions, driving under the influence and escaping from custody, are criminal actions but they were necessarily committed to ensure his personal safety during the onset of Hurricane Katrina. He meets the individual elements of each charge that are required to establish the defense of necessity making his actions excusable. It is likely that the court will find that in his circumstances he made reasonable decisions.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Alternative Investments Essay

Executive Summary: The purpose of the report is to do an in-depth investigation, study and analysis on alternative investments. From the various alternative investments, our team of analyst chose commodities, variable annuities and hedge funds as our subject of interest for the study. Each financial product has its own aims as to cater to the different investment goals to meet the needs of investors. Thus, just by looking at the basis on expensiveness and tax-efficiency, and then from selecting the better one is unwise. We have to look at the overall picture and considering other indispensable factors like risks, liquidity, asset allocation which are equally important. Therefore, our basis of evaluation comprises of various important factors so as to make  a robust analysis. Firstly, commodities are a highly demanded investment which is traded using options and futures contract.. Moreover, they are also an element of diversification that investors can lower their vulnerability to market volatility. Despite its high volatility in its prices, it managed to gain a higher return as compared to stocks and bonds. As commodities have a low correlation with bonds and stocks, it is able to reduce unsystematic risk through diversification. Its high correlation with rate of inflation thus looks favorable in times of crisis and these enable investors to control its asset allocation decision. By using the 60/40 tax treatment, it has shown that it is indeed an efficient method in lowering taxes. Its high commodity market liquidity thus seem promising to investors as it correlates well with it market trading especially in corn, gold and precious metals futures. Moreover, it is advisable for them to allocate 5% to 10% of their investment to commodities so as for better diversification to eliminate unsystematic risk. As it has no or few substitute, it is advised that investor should take note of any unexpected risk involved. Variable annuities on the other hand are tax-deferred with a withdrawal date only after the age of 59 ½. The performance of its sub-accounts affects many aspect of variable annuity. This is so as the performance of varied underlying investments in the sub-account results in non-uniform distribution in its returns. Furthermore, variable annuity is relatively volatile as it returns tend to varies as accordance to the returns of its underlying investments. Thus, granted with a choice of an asset for the underlying investments, investors will choose an underlying asset that is non-correlated to their portfolio holdings. Variable annuity also incurs reasonable costs. However, the main benefit of investing in variable annuity is that it is highly tax-efficient as it is a tax-deferred vehicle. This reduces the tax burden on investors and at the same time creates an opportunity for them to invest in tax-inefficient vehicles before the withdrawal date as no tax is imposed before the date. The downside to investing in variable annuity is that it has liquidity risks. However, it can reduce unsystematic risk significantly due to the investment options for  its sub-account and this important aspect of it also provide investors with the ability to allocate their assets. The primary aim of most hedge funds is to reduce volatility and risk while attempting to preserve capital and deliver positive returns under all market conditions which brings investors an indispensable option to invest in hedge fund. With a low standard deviation of almost zero, hedge funds are highly of an advantage as it does not fluctuate widely within periods. However, volatility is not the only indicator of risk affecting the fund. For hedge funds, the skewness variations are not uniform across styles. While hedge funds offer potential for returns that are not highly correlated with other markets, their unique properties would also mean that they involve a high degree of risk. Its fees are regular thus investors should follow accordingly. Hedge Funds exploit different ways to minimize capital gains and income taxes for investors. With the Tax Exemption for Singapore Resident Funds, it places investment in Hedge Fund at an advantage. Putting their trust in the fund manager’s ability to meet the fund’s objectives, it is then recommended for investors to choose the right fund manager to manage their investments. From the in-depth analysis on alternative investments, we realized that there is no a perfect product to solely invest in. Each alternative assets has its advantages and disadvantages, thus we have to invest in varieties of asset classes but diversified it. There is also the need for proper asset allocation management and the use of investment strategies. Introduction: The continual search to reap higher risk-adjusted returns has led to a number of highly alternative assets to be considered for financial investment purpose. Thus, the growth of alternative investments market is outstanding. According to the 2010 Alternative Investment Survey of U.S Institutions and Financial Advisor, 36% of the institutional investors that are surveyed have $1-10 Billion in asset under management and 29% with greater than $11 Billion in asset under management. In this report, our team of financial analyst has chose to do an in depth analysis on commodities, variable  annuities and hedge funds. Through this report, we are going analyze the aforementioned alternative assets through various important factors namely its returns, risks, costs, other competitive advantages and disadvantages. At the end of this report, we hope to achieve an in-depth evaluation on the attractiveness of each subject of interest and make sound recommendations. Introduction to Commodities: Commodities are raw materials used for producing secondary goods which are transacted in volumes and classified into energy, metals, grains and livestock. Manufacturers in the commodities market purchase commodities needed on a â€Å"spot market† while speculators purchase and sell commodities using options and futures contracts. Commodity markets are real demand and supply markets. Thus with the increasing world population, there is now higher demand than supply for commodities, making commodities a viable investment for both the present and the future. Expected Returns: During inflation, commodities total returns will soar. When making an investment in commodities one can expect returns that are capital return. Commodities have been providing its investors with relatively high returns, exhibiting negative correlations with equities and bonds as well as hedge against risks. Based on the Commodity Price Index for the past year, expected returns were at 0.85%, volatility were at 0.0641 which is considered to be relatively low, while the return-risk was 0.1319. Volatility: Volatility in commodities’ prices fluctuated recently with their highs and lows due to the â€Å"interference† of the commodities market like political disputes and natural disasters. In 1973 to 2007, based on the S&P 500 Index, MSCI Index and Lehman Brothers Bond Index, it has an annualized return of 10.9% and 24.5% annual standard deviation, volatility. Although stocks performed better than commodity, commodities’ volatility was in the peak compares among stocks and bonds. Historical risk return on commodity had remained positive of about 5% during the years. T-statistic, outlining the level of confidence that the risk return is different from 0 shows a  figure of 2.84 which shows that it is higher than stocks and bonds. Distribution of returns [Refer to Appendix]: From the bell-shaped curve, we can surmise that the distribution of returns on commodities is widely distributed and tends to be close to a normal distribution as investors are concern about their real returns as they want to outperform inflation. As compared to stocks and bonds, the returns in commodities are positively skewed. Since returns for commodities investment is right skewed, it means that the amount of returns will be higher than stocks and bonds which are negatively skewed. Returns distribution is very wide as the returns show a greater than 3 excess kurtosis. However, this also means higher risk for investors due to the wide distribution of returns. Correlation with other asset classes: [Refer to Appendix]: From the table, it shows that Standard & Poor’s 500 and the company are closely related in contrast to the other asset classes. GSCI and 1 month T-bills with a correlation value of -0.003, proves that they are independent of one another. It is revealed that commodities futures are negatively correlated to returns of stocks and bonds with coefficients of -0.42 and -0.25 respectively. Therefore, by allocating funds to those assets of negative correlations, it provides the benefits of diversification when facing a stand-alone risk asset class. Fees, Trading and other expenses: There are many fees and expenses that are implied in commodities trading. When trading commodities, investors incur management and brokerage fees, service tax and a possible loss of investments. When a futures contract is purchased, an initial down payment on the total futures price (initial margin) is to be made. The margin requirement is basically a small percentage of the total purchasing price for a commodity. This margin requirement usually adds up to be less than 10%. Liquidity: Commodity market liquidity often correlates well with commodity market  trading profits. Investors can benefit in high commodity market liquidity. It is easier to enter and exit trades. With the high trading volume and liquidity, the statistics of predictive ability of time honored tools like Candlestick patterns formulates tend to be more precise. Commodities that offer good commodity market liquidity include trading in Corn and Gold futures. Each of these trades at high volume and high liquidity. However, they are driven by different factors. Gold and other precious metals perform well when investors are worried about inflation or when there is the threat of economic or political disruption. Corn is determined by supply and demand. Location: The location of where the commodity is produced is not an important factor that an investor should consider as there are similar products that will be sold regardless of where it has been produced. Hence investors’ consideration of location is not required when making an investment. Tax Efficiency: In commodities, it is quite tax-efficient as they follow the 60/40 tax treatment whereby 60% of the gain is taxed as long-term gains and 40% are taxed as short-term gains. Long-term capital gains are capped at 15% which is favorable for high income investors, meaning that 60% of gains will be taxed at 15% while 40% of gains will be taxed at 35% which both equals to 23% for commodities. Thus, it will help investor to save money in tax. Ability to eliminate or significantly reduce unsystematic risk: Investing in commodities does not reduce unsystematic risks. Firstly natural disaster and bad weather may affect a various types of commodities. Another risk is geopolitical risk. This risk occur as world’s natural resources are located in various continents and the jurisdiction over these commodities lies with sovereign governments, international companies, and many other entities. Thus, international disagreements over the control of natural resources are quite commonplace. Negotiations on the extractions are pretty tense as disagreements may easily rise over licensing agreements, tax structures, environmental concerns, employment of indigenous workers, access to technology, and many other complex issues. Ability to control the asset allocation decision: Investors are able to control asset allocation decision in commodities. This is so as commodities are not professionally managed unless you have the intentions to. Thus, investors who wish for professional money managers who specialize in commodity trading to handle their investments, they may turn to ETFs or mutual funds. With that, commodities traders are able to free decisions on the allocation of their assets. It is advisable for investor to allocate more of his investments to other types of investments and allocates 5 to 10% of his investments into commodities due to its volatility. Substitute? Any alternatives that achieve the same objective in a more efficient –less expensive and/or more tax efficient- manner: Commodities have few/no substitutes as they are generic goods that we utilize in our everyday lives. It’s suggested for any investor to take into consideration the unexpected risk such as natural disasters and bad weather. If they allocate most of their investment in commodities and when an adverse event strikes, they would be caught in a difficult position. Commodities have the best advantage against inflation. During inflation, prices of commodities have the tendency to rise. Therefore, as an investor in commodities, you would be able to gain much from the increment of value. Introduction to Variable Annuities: Variable annuities are tax-deferred investment vehicle that comes with a minimal insurance contract so they can qualify for their tax-deferred status. Variable annuities can be immediate or deferred. Once you reach 59 ½, you can begin withdrawing the funds without any penalty. Expected Returns: Variable annuity has no expected rate of returns as its return is based on the marketplace performance. Its fees will be subtracted from the returns. By diversifying assets, a portfolio may have a higher return potential with a lower level of risk than the portfolio’s components would achieve separately. Volatility: The standard deviation indicates the tendency of the returns to rise or fall drastically in a short period of time. Since the return on investment in a variable annuity is directly tied to the performance of sub-accounts that make up investors’ annuity, the fund would exhibit a high standard deviation as each year’s return of the fund may differ from its mean return. This in turn makes variable annuity riskier as it is volatile. Distribution of returns: Return on investment in a variable annuity is directly tied to the performance of sub-accounts that make up investor’s annuity. If the underlying investments are in stock and bonds for example, there’s potential for a greater return. However, this will be coupled with a higher risk of loss including loss of capital which involves the funding options. It means that payments and earnings are not guaranteed. Thus the skewness variations are not uniform as returns varies depending on the instruments it consists of in the underlying investments. Correlation with other asset classes: Variable annuity offers a range of investments options for the sub-accounts. Investors will have to choose a specific one of his interest. Thus, entitle with the benefit of deciding the underlying investments, it enable investors to pick an asset that is low correlated or non-correlated with other assets classes of his portfolio. Thus, variable annuity offers balance and diversification to investors. Fees: Firstly, there is the surrender charge. It is a type of sales charge that will be issued to the customer when they withdraw money from a variable annuity within a certain period (which may vary from six to ten years) after the purchase. It is to pay the financial professional as a commission for the sale of the variable annuity. It decreases gradually over the surrender period, usually 1% less each year. Next, it is the mortality and expense risk charge which is 1.25% per year. It compensates insurance company for insurance risks. Its profit is to pay the insurer’s initial cost of sale of  the variable annuity. Next up is the administrative fees which are charges for record-keeping and other administrative expenses and is charged 0.15%. Trading and other expenses: Underlying Fund Expenses are fees that will be charged indirectly and they are imposed by mutual funds which are the underlying investment options in the variable annuity. Fees and Charges for other features are other miscellaneous fees charged in special features offered in some variable annuities. Such features include stepped-up death benefit and long-term care insurance. Liquidity: Variable annuity has liquidity risk in it whereby the proceeds from the variable annuity may be unavailable at the time of withdrawal or it will be available but at a significantly lowered value. These are attributable to two factors. Firstly, because annuities are designed as retirement vehicles, getting out early can mean taking a loss. Many variable annuities assess surrender charges for withdrawals within a specified period, which can be as long as 6 to 8 years. Furthermore, any withdrawals before an investor reaches the age of 59 ‘/2 are subject to a 10% tax penalty by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) in addition to any gain being taxed as ordinary income. Secondly, if the holder is in a need for cash and must liquidate his variable annuity, there is a possibility that on the date of liquidation, its account balance is lower than what it was previously simply due to market fluctuations. Location: Annuities are a commonplace in the current world but actually it existed way back during the Roman times. It was then introduced in Europe and the United Kingdom. It made its mark in America in 18th century but was only fully aware of in the 1930s where the Great Depression caused Americans to â€Å"save for a rainy day†. Variable annuities were first created in America in 1952. Today, variable annuities is popular than ever with sales estimated to be USD40.2 billion and are offered in many countries due to its applicability for retirement purposes. Singapore is not excluded in the variable annuities  market as well. Manulife Singapore launched the first variable annuity, Secure Retirement Plus (US$), in 2007 and later introduced Secure Retirement Plus(S$) in 2008. Tax Efficiency: Variable Annuities are tax-deferred. It can help investors save more while reducing their overall tax burden. This provides investors with good opportunity to invest in tax-inefficient vehicles such as bonds and types of equities. However, there will be a taxable amount of 10% IRS penalty with withdrawal before reaching the age of 59 ½ years. This means that investors pay no taxes on the income and investment gains from their annuity until the withdrawal date. They may also transfer their money from one investment option to another within a variable annuity without paying tax at the time of the transfer. At their withdrawal of variable annuity, they will be taxed on the earnings at ordinary income tax rates rather than lower capital gains rates. Ability to eliminate or significantly reduce unsystematic risk: By diversifying, investing in variable annuity does reduce unsystematic risk. Investors are able to make payment purchase and allocate it to various asset classes such as small-company stocks, international government bonds and fixed annuities. Unsystematic risk decreases as the number of stocks in a portfolio increases. It could help to protect the investors against sustained losses in a single stock or sector of the market. Ability to control the asset allocation decision: Variable Annuity has an accumulation phase whereby the investor makes purchase payments in which they can allocate it to a number of investment options. Moreover, it is a flexible investment that allows investors to move their money into more stable accounts such as fixed account to preserve their gains. It also allows investors to have play in the strong stock market. Substitute? Any alternatives that achieve the same objective in a more efficient –less expensive and/or more tax efficient- manner: Exchange  Traded Note (ETN) is an alternative that can achieve the same objective of a variable annuity in a less expensive and more tax efficient way. A variable annuity can cost up to 4% a year in its fees, while ETN only charge 1% fees. Both ETN and variable annuities are tax efficient and there is no negative tax consequence till the ETN is sold. However, while an annuity is passed through death to its beneficiaries, its entire gain will be taxed. The ETN under the current estate tax laws, will be receiving a step up in basis, this makes it more tax efficient than the variable annuity. However, investors of ETN have to assume credit risk as it is an unsecured debt. Thus, we have to look at other equally important factors before deciding the better alternative as just using cost-effectiveness and tax-efficiency does not equate to a robust eva luation. Introduction to Hedge Fund: Hedge fund is a fund that can take both long and short positions through the use of arbitrage, buying and selling undervalued securities, trading options or bonds, and investing in any opportunity in any market where it foresees impressive gains at reduced risk. Its strategies vary enormously especially today with volatility and anticipation of corrections in overheated stock markets whereby many hedge against downturns in the markets. Main aim of most hedge funds is to reduce volatility and risk while trying to preserve capital and deliver positive returns under all market conditions. Expected Returns: Most hedge funds’ goal is to earn a positive return despite how the overall stock market is performing. It is refer to as an absolute return. Absolute return gains and losses of a hedge fund can be measured relative only to the assets in the fund itself and investors do not compare returns to market benchmarks. With the absolute return goal, hedge fund managers often use aggressive investment techniques like short selling and leveraging. Volatility: Standard deviation reports a fund’s volatility which indicates the tendency of the returns to rise or fall drastically in a short period of time. It measures this risk by measuring the degree to which the fund fluctuates in  relation to its mean return, the average return of a fund over a period of time. Since hedge fund seeks absolute returns independent of market movements; the standard deviation for this fund would then be zero as the fund’s return does not differ within periods. Hence it shows that hedge funds are highly at an advantage since the fund with the lower standard deviation would be more optimal as it is maximizing the return received for the amount of risk acquired. Distribution of Returns: By knowing which way data is skewed, one can better estimate whether a data future point will be more or less than the mean. For hedge funds, the skewness variations are not uniform across styles. For instance, when the number of funds increases, the skewness drops systemically and is negative for Fixed Income Arbitrage, Convertible Arbitrage and Event Driven Strategies while it increases slightly. The Kurtosis tends to be concentrated in the -0.5 to +0.5 range. Changes in kurtosis tend to less predictable and differ widely over time and across investment styles. However, diversification within some hedge fund strategies may appear highly attractive in mean or variance terms, but this is much less so when skewness and kurtosis are taken into account as assessing hedge funds based on return and volatility criteria maybe misleading because of the potential underestimation of return volatilities. Correlation with other asset classes: Correlation is interlinked with diversification. Investors aim for a sound portfolio which is achievable through applying diversification. However, traditional assets classes like bonds and stocks are increasingly linked. Hedge funds which performances often highly dependent on the qualities of individual investment decisions or strategies, as opposed to being highly correlated to an overall market, diversify risk thus bringing about high returns. Instead of achieving returns from market activities, hedge funds use unique investing strategies to exploit market inefficiencies that the markets have not perceived. This further intensified diversification which put them at a better stead than traditional asset classes. Fees: Hedge fund consists of 3 kinds of fees. Sales Charge. It is a one-time charge, generally 5% and it’s the front-end load or commission that is charged on the investment amount. Management fee. It varies around 2% and it is charged on an annual basis and imputed into the Net Asset Value of the fund. Performance fee. It varies around 10-20% above the benchmark and it is charged on an annual basis and imputed into the Net Asset Value of the fund. The benchmark can be simply the zero return line or a benchmark like the London Interbank Offered Rate. Performance fees are charged on a high water mark which means investors are only charged for excess returns with reference to the previous high. If investment drop in value, the manager must bring it back above the previous greatest value before they can receive performance fees. Trading and other expenses: Apart from the above fees, investors also need to pay expenses such as the accounting and tax preparation expenses, auditing expenses, costs and expenses of entering into and utilizing credit facilities and structured notes, swaps or derivative instruments. Liquidity: There are two forms of liquidity constraints that are impose on investors which are liquidity dates and lock-up. Liquidity dates refer to pre-specified times of the year when an investor is allowed to redeem shares. Hedge funds typically have quarterly liquidity dates. Moreover, it is often required that investors give advanced notice of the desired to redeem: these redemption notices are often required 30 days in advance of actual redemption. Lockup refers to the initial amount of time an investor is required to keep his or her money in the fund before redeem shares. Lockup therefore represents a commitment to keep initial investment in a fund for a period of time. For Singapore registered hedge fund, MAS guidelines stipulate one regular dealing day per quarter. Redemption of funds usually requires a notice period and it states that redemption proceeds must be paid to the end investor within 95 days from the dealing day the redemption request is accepted. Location: Funds with a regional presence outperform those without one. Risk-adjusted return difference between nearby and distant hedge fund portfolio is about 4% and is significant. A fund’s geographical proximity to the companies in which it invests the closer it is to its investments the greater the chances that the hedge fund will earn high returns. They are better able to take advantage of local information via short selling and the use of derivatives. Direct way for hedge fund to take advantage of local knowledge is to invest in stocks and bonds in their region. Moreover, Singapore is perceived as having a high level of transparency and reliability in business, economic and regulatory affairs. It boasts a stable political structure, well-established judicial system and forward-looking financial authority thus bringing an advantage to investors locally. Tax efficiency: Tax consideration can be a benefit of alternative investments, particularly hedge funds which exploit different ways to minimize capital gains and income taxes for investor. Investors might be worried of being charged at a higher rate for tax. Singapore has in place a tax incentive scheme which exempts offshore funds from tax. Broadly speaking, a qualifying fund will be granted tax exemption provided it is not 100% owned by Singapore investors. There is also Tax Exemption for Singapore Resident Funds. It requires pre-approval from the authorities and although it is aligned to the offshore fund exemption scheme, some additional conditions have been imposed. Ability to eliminate or significantly reduce unsystematic risk: To diversify from stock-specific risk known as non-systematic risk one can invest in a range of stocks with different characteristic. Most investors of such practice regard it as unwise not to diversify into non-systematic risk. However, killing two birds with one stone is a more attractive opportunity to be seized. Thus, we turn to hedge fund. The main idea behind diversifying your non-systematic risk into assets like hedge funds is that any investment with a positive expected return, low volatility and low correlation to the rest of portfolio, will have a great chance of reducing the overall  portfolio volatility which is an additional advantage as compared to diversifying through stocks and bonds. Thus, hedge fund is an indispensable option. Ability to control asset allocation decision: Hedge fund manager has total trading authority over the fund. They are not required to provide investors with information about the underlying holdings of the hedge funds. Thus, there’s a lack of transparency when investing in hedge funds. Investors are putting their complete trust in the manager’s ability to meet the fund’s objectives. As such, investors lose control over their asset allocation. Thus, it is essential to choose the right fund manager to manage their investments. Substitute? Any alternatives that achieve the same objective in a more efficient –less expensive and/or more tax efficient- manner: The primary objective of hedge funds is to reduce volatility and risk while attempting to preserve capital and deliver positive returns under all market conditions. The emphasis here is positive returns under all market conditions and thus this explains fully utilization of specialized and carefully selected investment strategies to achieve that primary goal. There are alternatives which are less expensive and more tax-efficient such as ETFs and ETNs. Both offer similar advantages which are lower fees, lower investment minimums and greater tax efficiency. However, both products have different investments goals. ETFs mirror the indexes they track by holding diversified collection of securities, such as stocks or bonds but traded like stock on an exchange while ETN is an unsecured debt typically issued by an investment bank that mirror index like ETF. Thus, from the way they operate, we are able to conclude that their investment aims just show differences with that of hedge funds.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Last Minute ACT Prep Programs

Last Minute ACT Prep Programs SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you don’t have much time left before the ACT, you may be wondering how you can maximize your scores with a short term study plan. If you’re looking for a big score improvement and you only have a few days before the test, you might not be able to reach your goal this time, but you can get a good head start towards it (and you’ll be better prepared to study harder before your next test session). But if you only need to improve by one or two points, really intense studying for a few hours could get you where you want to be, if you have some clear weaknesses you didn't know about! In this article I'll show how to create a last minute ACT study program and give last minute ACT tips to boostyour score. Time-Based Study Plans The first thing you should do is think about how many hours you can realistically devote to ACT prep in the short time you have before the test.Make sure to factor in sleep and all of your other commitments! The 5 Hour Plan If you can only fit in 5 hours of prep time between now and the ACT (and this is your first time studying), your best bet is to just take a practice test.This can help give you a little bump in your scores, especially if you don’t have much experience with the test until now.Make sure you take your practice test with realistic time constraints and with all the resources you will have on the real test (calculator, scrap paper, quiet environment). On the other hand, if you’ve already taken a bunch of practice tests, taking another one at this point probably isn’t going to do much. Instead, spend your five hours looking into mistakes you’ve made on questions in the past and planning how to avoid them. If that's too broad of a target, just focus on the section that is most difficult for you. You should also make sure you’re doing ok on time. Get a sense of how long you’re spending on questions so you know when to move on when you take the real test. On th ACT this means no more than a minute for Math questions, no more than 30 seconds for English questions, and no more than 45 seconds for Reading and Science questions. If you find yourself spending more time than this on a question, you need to skip it and move on to the next question so you don’t run out of time. You don’t want to miss easy points at the end of a section because you got stuck on a tough question! The 15 Hour Plan With fifteen hours of prep, you still have enough leeway to make significant improvements in your scores. Here's a rough idea of how you might spend your study time: Hours 0-5: Take a Practice Test Use this time to take a practice test so you can see where you stand score-wise and which questions are giving you the most trouble. Again, make sure you replicate the time constraints of the real ACT so you will know if time pressure is a problem for you. Hours 5-10: Dig Into Your Mistakes For each question you answer incorrectly, make sure you know why your choice was incorrect and how to arrive at the correct answer. You should also review questions where you had to resort to guessing (even if you got them right).There are four maincategories of mistakes on the ACT: 1. Time Crunch: You didn’t make it to the question Study Game Plan: Practice doing questions within the time constraints for the ACT so you get used to moving faster. You should be comfortable with skimming reading passages and skipping questions that are taking up too much of your time. Remember that you get a minute for Math questions, 30 seconds for English questions, and 45 seconds for Reading and Science questions. 2. Question Comprehension: You were tricked by the question or misinterpreted it Study Game Plan:Train yourself to slow down a bit and read questions more carefully. It's often helpful to write down the question in simpler form before answering to prevent yourself from getting confused. You should also practice similar questions so the format becomes more familiar to you. 3. Unfamiliar Content: You didn’t know the material covered in the question Study Game Plan: This is where a program like PrepScholar could really help you because it focuses on your weak content areas.Alternatively, find a source for lesson material on the topic you don’t understand and practice more questions that are similar. This poor guyencountered an ACT question with unfamiliar content AND entered into a cube-based alternate reality from which there is no escape. Luck was just not on his side today. 4. Silly Mistake: You should have known the correct answer, but you spaced out Study Game Plan:Work on your time management so you leave yourself time at the end of a section to go over your answers. You should also make sure you’re not going through questions faster than you need to and making careless mistakes as a result. Hours 10-15: Zero in on Your Problem Areas Now that you know the nature of your mistakes, focus on the specific test sections or types of questions where you have the most difficulty.Practice relevant questions and review any content that seems unfamiliar. You might also consider getting the PrepScholar program, which has shown a1-2 point ACT score improvement for 15 hours of use. It does your work for you by diagnosing your weak spots on the test and helping you practice questions in those areas until they become second nature. You can also use PrepScholar to study for subsequent tests if you’re planning on taking the ACT again. Some Final Advice for Last Minute Studying Here are a few overall tips for last minute ACT studying that will help you stay on track with your prep program. Make sure you know the formulas and grammar rules that you’ll need for the test The ACT does require you to know some formulas for the math section, so be sure you’re prepared.It’s also helpful to know the grammar that’s being tested so you’ll feel more confident in your answers on the English section. Analyze your mistakes on practice questions This is what’s going to help you make the most progress in the shortest amount of time.Make sure you fully understand your mistakes and know how to avoid them in the future if you come across similar questions. Check your timing As detailed in the 5 hour plan, make sure you’re not lingering on questions.Get used to how it feels to spend 30 seconds or a minute on a question so you can judge your efficiency during the real test. If you’re taking ACT with writing, come up with some examples you might use in your essay It’s really important to include concrete support for your essay argument.Try to come up with a couple of versatile examples you could incorporate into your essay so that you have something ready to go! Not an acceptable essay, no matter how much teen angst you feel. Looking Ahead If you think you will take the ACT again after this, try to plan your studying further ahead of time for the next test date.If you're looking for big point improvements, you’re probably not going to get there with a bunch of short cram sessions.Improving more than six points, for example, might take over 100 hours of prep. Here are estimates for the number of hours of studying that correspond to certain point improvements: 0-1 ACT Composite Point Improvement: 10 hours1-2 ACT Point Improvement: 20 hours2-4 ACT Point Improvement: 40 hours4-6 ACT Point Improvement: 80 hours6-9 ACT Point Improvement: 150 hours+ Start by figuring out your target ACT score and then determine what you’re going to need to do to get there.Take a look at these study plans to start thinking about how you might structure your time before your next shot at the ACT.Remember that last minute prep can be helpful, but it shouldn't be the only way you study! What's Next? Check out ourfast ACT prep planfor more ideas on how to make the most of last minute studying and dramatically raise your score. Are you trying to find some better study materials? Take a look at this list of the best ACT prep books of 2015. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial: