How to Win a Scholarship

How to Win a Scholarship College Financial Aid Experts: The Tanabes Gen and Kelly Tanabe are the authors of ten books on college admission and financial aid including Get Free Cash for College, 1001 Ways to Pay for College, and The Ultimate Scholarship Book, which are available on their website, SuperCollege.com. Their websites also offers a free, searchable scholarship database. Visitors can also ask Gen and Kelly questions about scholarships and paying for college. Related Articles I Need a Sample Essay to Win a Scholarship I Need a Sample Essay to Win a Scholarship Easy Scholarships Easy Scholarships Scholarship Writing Tools Scholarship Writing Tools The Interview LoveToKnow (LTK): How many scholarships did you win to pay for college? Gen and Kelly (GK): We each won eight to twelve scholarships ranging in value between $500 and $80,000 and totaling more than $100,000. LTK: What can students look for to find easy scholarships to win? GK: The best place to look for scholarships that are easy to win is in your own backyard. Local scholarships are the ones that you'll have the best chance of winning because you're not competing against thousands of students from across the country but with hundreds, dozens, or even a handful of students in your own community. Here are some places where you can find local scholarships: High school counselor College financial aid office High school or college websites Local businesses Local organizations and service groups Chamber of Commerce Local newspaper Clubs or organizations that you or your parents are members of Your employer or your parents' employer LTK: What is the most important thing students can do for finding the best scholarships? GK: Exhaust every resource! Don't rely on the Internet to neatly deliver every scholarship that you should apply for. It takes a little digging, but by using not only the Internet but books, people, and organizations to find scholarships, you'll find those that best fit you. LTK: What is the biggest misconception about scholarships?

An Adulterous Love Affair During the Russian Revolution - Literature Essay Samples

In Boris Pasternaks Doctor Zhivago there is an adulterous love affair between Yurii Andreievich Zhivago and Larisa Feodorovna Guishar that is carried on throughout the novel. Although the affair is essential for the movement of the story, it is not the only significant factor in the plot. World War I, the Russian Revolution and the Civil War all take place in the lifetimes of the two protagonists. Thus, the time and place play a central role in the adulterous relationship, for Yurii and Larisas love affair is driven by the historical context of Doctor Zhivago. Unlike other adulterers and adulteresses, Yurii and Larisa are not condemned for their relationship; instead, their love is perhaps the most positive and hopeful aspect of Pasternaks entire tragic novel. There is a revealing passage towards the end of Doctor Zhivago, wherein Larisa speaks of what is happening to Russia and her people, and this passage encapsulates the entire novel. At this point, Yurii has been separated from his family for a few years, and Larisa has been separated from her husband for just as long. Yurii and Larisa have been engaged in their affair for a considerable amount of time and it appears that their marriages are forever destroyed. With all this in mind, Yurii asks her, But then what spoiled your marriage, if you loved each other so much? In response, Larisa tells Yurii:But its strange that I, an ordinary woman, should explain to you, who are so wise, what is happening to human life in general and to life in Russia and why families get broken up, including yours and mine. Ah, it isnt a matter of individuals, of being alike or different in temperament, of loving or not loving! All customs and traditions, all our way of life, everything to do with home and order, has crumbled into dust in the general upheaval and reorganization of society. The whole human way of life has been destroyed and ruined. All thats left is the naked human soul stripped to the last shred, for w hich nothing has changed because it was always cold and shivering and reaching to its nearest neighbor, as cold and lonely as itself. You and I are like Adam and Eve, the first two people on earth who at the beginning of the world had nothing to cover themselves withand now at the end if it we are just as naked and homeless. And you and I are the last remembrance of all that immeasurable greatness which has been created in the world in all the thousands of years between them and us, and it is in the memory of all those vanished marvels that we live and love and weep and cling to one another. (403)In her response Larisa brings together the fundamental themes and issues of Pasternaks novel, and also provides an explanation for the adultery. The dual aspect of the revolution public and personal is emphasized in this passage and throughout the novel. Accordingly, Larisas explanation begins with the nature of the times war, revolution, and social turmoil and the effect on traditio nal ways of life for all Russians; then she personalizes the effect when she discusses Adam and Eve, and concentrates on Yurii, herself, and their families.The beginning portion of the passage focuses on the turbulent nature of the war and revolution, and the widespread effects of such rampant social restructuring. Larisa begins by saying: Ah, it isnt a matter of individuals, of being alike or different in temperament, of loving or not loving! All customs and traditions, all our way of life, everything to do with home and order, has crumbled into dust in the general upheaval and reorganization of society. The whole human way of life has been destroyed and ruined.This statement summarizes the catastrophic consequences seen throughout Doctor Zhivago. These effects are important because they bring about the moral collapse of society that eventually leads to occurrences like Yurii and Larisas affair. Initially in this passage Larisa is not concerned with individuals; she speaks of so ciety as a cohesive whole, and focuses on the general destructive effects of the Revolution. Yet Larisa is not the only one who has a grasp on the dreadful outcomes of the Russian revolution. Yurii also understands the changes everyone must endure. In a supporting passage, he explains: It was partly the war, the revolution did the rest. The war was an artificial break in life as if life could be put off for a timethe revolution broke outeveryone was revived, reborn, changed, transformed. You might say that everyone has been through two revolutions his own personal revolution as well as the general one. (146) Yuriis description echoes Larisas in that it addresses both the public and the personal.As expressed in Larisas passage, everything has crumbled into dust, and this image of complete destruction and ruin is evident throughout the novel. Yurii and Larisa constantly watch everything around them crumble into dust. In another passage it is explained: years of changes, moves, uncertainties, upheavals; the war, the revolution; scenes of destruction, scenes of death, shelling, blown-up bridges, fires, ruins all this turns suddenly into a huge, empty, meaningless space. (164) It is in the empty, meaningless space, after the complete destruction of their way of life, after they have been revived, reborn, changed, transformed, that Yurii and Larisa find one another. Thus, the war and revolution are a necessary prelude to their tale of adulterous love.Beyond the general life changes and massive destruction the revolution brings about, Larisa specifically mentions the effects on marriage and family in the passage. Furthermore, Larisas primary goal within the passage is to explain why families get broken up because the entire passage is Larisas response to Yuriis question, But then what spoiled your marriage, if you loved each other so much? (403) Larisa focuses on All customs and traditions, all our way of life, everything to do with home and order in her r esponse. Thus, Larisas answer, and Pasternaks theory throughout the novel, is that the institution of marriage and family life is undermined by the necessities of war and revolution. In a different passage that supports Larisas explanation in the main passage, she explains:She had noticed a sharp change around her recently. Before there had been obligations of all kinds, sacred dutiesBut now that the war was lost (and that was the misfortune at the bottom of all the rest) nothing was sacred any moreThere was no one around, neither family nor people whose judgment you respected. (127)The least important misfortune is the lost war, for during the fighting purity is lost. In Larisas life obligations and sacred duties are gone, and family is just not around. The sacred duties to society, to family, to husband and wife, to children have been stripped away by the fighting of the lost war. Amongst the dead soldiers lie the moral values and obligations of a people long defeated. Yur ii and Larisa are just two of the unfortunates who are left devastated by the loss of former obligations and duties, of a long gone sanctity.In the passage Larisa conveys that their families have already been broken up by the Revolution. This idea that the families have been broken up for some time is also revealed in an earlier passage when Larisa tells Yurii, Even if I managed to prove that I was his [Pavels] wife, it wouldnt have done me any good! What do wives matter to them at a time like this? The workers of the world, the remaking of the universe thats something! But a wife, just an individual biped, is of no more importance than a flea or a louse. (301) The most important point is that wives do not matter at a time like this. When the whole world has been turned upside down and shaken up as Yurii and Larisas world has been family and marriage become negligible. The significance is the time period, for while the universe is being remade a wife means nothing, she is just another biped, another being walking on two legs.Also in the passage Larisa begins to explain that the collapse of the sanctity of marriage opens the doorway for new forms of love, of love outside the binds of wedlock. She says, Ah, it isnt a matter of individuals, of being alike or different in temperament, of loving or not loving! Her point is that though she and Yurii have committed adultery, their acts do not negate the love they feel for their other halves. To prove this, Yurii tells Pavel at the very end, had you any idea how much she loved youshe said that you were the embodiment of what a human being should be, a man whose equal she had never metand that if she could go back to the home she had shared with you she would crawl to it from the end of the earth. (462) It is not that Larisa does not love her husband Pavel and it is not that their marriage is spoiled; it is that her love gets lost in the midst of the violent upheaval and rebuilding of the universe. If she knew w here home and Pavel were, there is no doubt Larisa would make it there. The same is true for Yurii and his wife Tonia.In the passage Larisa goes on to say, All thats left is the naked human soul stripped to the last shred, for which nothing has changed because it was always cold and shivering and reaching to its nearest neighbor, as cold and lonely as itself. This builds on the idea that the world has crumbled and all that remains amongst the ashes are forlorn and devastated people. The people have been utterly torn apart and stripped to the last shred, so that the best they can do is reach out to anyone or anything nearby. Yurii and Larisas affair is a perfect example of reaching for the nearest neighbor, as cold and lonely as itself. While the world is slipping from under their feet Yurii and Larisa find love and compassion in one another; and at a time like this love and compassion are hard to come by and certainly not ignored.The concept that Yurii and Larisa are alone in t he world and in need of one another is further developed in the passage when Larisa makes the biblical allusion to Adam and Eve. She says:You and I are like Adam and Eve, the first two people on earth who at the beginning of the world had nothing to cover themselves withand now at the end if it we are just as naked and homeless. And you and I are the last remembrance of all that immeasurable greatness which has been created in the world in all the thousands of years between them and us, and it is in the memory of all those vanished marvels that we live and love and weep and cling to one another.When Larisa compares her relationship with Yurii to the relationship of Adam and Eve there are several powerful implications. Foremost it develops the idea that Yurii and Larisa only have one another to turn to, for Adam and Eve were the only two people on earth and had no choice but each other. Also, God brought Adam and Eve together, and this suggests that a greater force likewise bring s Yurii and Larisa together. Also, it implies that God sanctions Yurii and Larisas relationship, as he did Adam and Eves, even though it is an adulterous affair. The parallel is complete because ultimately Adam and Eve sinned and were forcibly removed from the Garden of Eden, thus ending their perfectly pure existence, and this corresponds to the pain and suffering Yurii and Larisa endure. It is through all the hardships that Yurii and Larisa live and love and weep and cling to one another.Larisas mention of Adam and Eve is not the only biblical allusion in Doctor Zhivago, for Yurii also evokes an image from the Bible when he says, The sea of blood will rise until it reaches every one of us and submerges all who stayed out of the war. The revolution is this flood. (182) The flood is a reference to the flood in the Bible that covered the entire world and destroyed all life. However, in this image it is not a regular flood, but a sea of blood that engulfs absolutely everything an d everyone. This image of the world completely submerged fits accordingly with the images painted throughout the novel of the world crumbling into dust, and there being nothing left. After the great flood in the Bible the world had to be rebuilt and restructured, so the revolution is truly playing the role of a great flood. The biblical inclusions evoke powerful images of a primordial world, and work to justify Yurii and Larisas coming together in a time of utter devastation.In her passage Larisa ends with sayingit is in the memory of all those vanished marvels that we live and love and weep and cling to one another. The final image is people clinging to one another. A scene that illustrates Yurii and Larisas desperate need for one another their clinging to one another is when Yurii is ill in Larisas apartment. He does not know where his wife and children are, he has been through an arduous ordeal for a couple years, and he lays there cold, sick, delusional, and utterly alone in the world. Then from all the external madness, Larisa comes back to her apartment, Suddenly he realized that he was not deliriousthat sitting beside him, leaning over him, her hair mingling with his and her tears falling with his own, was Lara. He fainted with joy. (394) Pasternak accentuates the bliss and beauty in their relationship, not the infidelity or impropriety. It is at moments like this when Yurii and Larisa truly need each other. The image of Larisa leaning over Yurii evokes true love and compassion, for she brings him life. It goes on to say:He [Yurii] had complained that Heaven had cast him off, but now the whole breadth of heaven leaned low over his bedtheir love was great. Most people experience love without becoming aware of the extraordinary nature of this emotion. But to them and this made them exceptional the moments when passion visited their doomed human existence like a breath of eternity were moments of revelation, of continually new discoveries ab out themselves and life. (395)Yurii and Larisa hold on to each other as the only form of humanity they can find in a completely disillusioned world. This scene perfectly portrays Larisas image of the naked human soul clinging to its nearest neighbor.The point Larisa makes in her explanation to Yurii is the same point Pasternak continually emphasizes throughout the novel that the adultery in Doctor Zhivago is completely driven by the circumstances of the time and place of the story. Most importantly, the world that Yurii and Larisa live in has abandoned morality and propriety for mere survival. Though some love affairs may arise out of bourgeois boredom, this is not the motivation for Yurii and Larisa. The situation is not that Yurii and Larisa are bored with their lives and spouses and so they turn elsewhere for the sake of diversion and pleasure. It is more a sense of holding on to one another while everything around them is violently falling apart. It is amazing that surround ed by so much depravation the two are still able to experience love in any form. Their love is a product of their time, and so it stands apart from other forms of adulterous love that are driven by a different motivation than historical context. Yurii and Larisa are not condemned for their relationship mainly because they are not so much drawn to each other, as thrown together.BibliographyPasternak, Boris. Doctor Zhivago. Pantheon Books: New York, 1958.The period confirmed the ancient proverb, Man is a wolf to man. Traveler turned off the road at the sight of traveler, stranger meeting stranger killed for fear of being killed. There were isolated cases of cannibalism. The laws of human civilization were suspended. The jungle law was in force. Man dreamed the prehistoric dreams of the cave dweller. (378)She was still a child, but even then, the alertness, the watchfulness, the restlessness of those days it was all there, you could read it all in her face, her eyes. All the th emes of the century all the tears and the insults and the hopes, the whole accumulation of resentment and pride were written in her face and bearing, which expressed both girlish shyness and self-assured grace. She was a living indictment of the ageIts predestination. Something nature endowed her with, something to which she had a birthright. (461)Larisas reaction to what happens with Komarovsky:She sat before her reflection in the mirror, and saw nothing. Then, folding her arms, she put them on the dressing table and buried her head in them. If her mother learned about it she would kill her. She would kill her then she would kill herselfnow she was what was it called? A fallen womanand tomorrow she would go to school and sit side by side with those other girls who were like children compared with her. (45)Theres something broken in me, theres something broken in my whole life. I discovered life much too early, I was made to discover it, and I was made to see it from the very worst side a cheap, distorted version of it through the eyes of a self-assured, elderly parasite, who took advantage of everything and allowed himself whatever he fancied. (398)The Rowan TreeOn the edge of the taiga just outside the camp Yurii sees a Rowan Tree, Here a splendid, solitary, rust-colored rowan tree had alone kept its leaves. Growing on a mound that rose above the low, squelchy, hummocky, it reached into the sky holding up the flat round shields of its hard crimson berries against the leaden, late-autumn sky. (353)He sees the tree and remembers, Laras strong white arms and imagines the tree is Lara. (375)And Russia too had been a marriageable girl in those days, courted by real men, men who would stand up for her, not to be compared with this rabble nowadays. Now everything had lost its glamour. (310)Her favorite color was a violet mauve, the color of church vestments on certain solemn days, the color of lilac in the bud, the color of her best velvet dress and of he r set of crystal wine glasses. It was the color of Russia too, in her pre-Revolutionary virginity. (311) GaluzinaBut where is reality in Russia today? As I see it, reality has been so terrorized that it is hiding. (224) YuriiAnd everyone wants to live. This is a transitional period, when there is still a gap between theory and practice. (260)

Benefits of Physical Activity for Children Essay Thesis

Essay on Physical Activity Benefits for Kids A lot of health care workers are worried about the problem of lack of physical activity all over the world, which is quite understandable. Modern kids’ obesity is increasing all over the world, bringing potential problems for them when they become adults. Health ramifications caused by obesity problem are the reasons why kids face different types of diseases when they grow up (hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, cancer). Parents are the only ones who can prevent their kids from such sufferings. That is why it is vitally important to understand the whole importance of physical activity and all consequences of its absence. It’s no wonder that kids believe that nothing will ever happen to them and their health, that is why parents have to explain them the main benefits of physical activity. It is possible to start with the idea that those kids who like doing exercises, look much better than the ones who have motionless way of life. Moreover, physical activity is a good helper when it is necessary to overcome some sort of anxiety or stress. It can help kids go through depression and feel the energy of life in their busy days. There’s also social effect that physical activity brings into the life of every child. When children participate in different sport clubs, they get an opportunity to make friends with the other kids and find their best friends there! Physical activity causes long-lasting effects and that’s the main advantage of it. It helps to maintain an appropriate weight which in future will prevent illnesses and positively influence self-confidence. Kids, who devote much time to regular physical activities, grow up feeling comfortably with their bodies. Their self-esteem is transferred to the other areas of their life and helps them to get more and more friends because, as it is well-known, friendship which starts in the childhood can last till the end of life. To provide kids with

How to Study for Fill in the Blank Tests

Of all the test question  types, fill-in questions may be the most feared. But this type of question doesnt have to give you an immediate brain drain. There is an effective strategy for preparing for this type of test question. In most cases, the best tool for test preparation is great class notes. When you take good notes from your teachers lecture, you usually have about 85% of the material youll need to prepare for any type of test,  right on hand. Most teachers create tests straight from their lecture notes. When preparing for a fill-in test, your class notes are even more important than ever. If you have been able to record your teachers notes word for word, you may have some fill-in phrases for the test right in front of you already. If youre preparing for a fill-in-the-blank test right now, pull out those class notes and try one of these two study strategies. Strategy 1: Leave Out a Word The great thing about this method is that it actually prepares you for all types of questions. Youll find that this method makes it easy to answer most any essay question, as well as the fill-ins. Read over your class notes and underline new terms, important dates, noteworthy phrases, and the names of key people.Put parentheses around the sentence that contains your key word or phrase.Copy each sentence onto a clean sheet of paper, leaving out the key word or phrase.Leave a blank space where they key word or phrase should go.At the bottom of the paper  containing your sentence (or on a separate page), make a list of the key words and phrases. This will serve as your key.Read over your sentences and attempt to fill in the blanks with correct answers in very light pencil. Consult your notes when necessary.Erase your work and continue this process until you can answer all your fill-in questions with ease.For insurance, read through the relevant chapters in your text to find any words or phrases you didnt find in your notes.Go through the same process of copying sentences and filling in the answers until they all come easily. Strategy 2: Dry Erase Practice Test You can create your own reusable practice test by using the following steps. Make a photocopy of your class notes or textbook pages.White out key words, dates, and definitions.Slip the new page with blank spaces into a plastic sheet protector.Use a dry erase pen to fill in answers. You can easily wipe away your answers to practice again and again.

Teens, Drug, and Alcohol Use Essay - 593 Words

Teens, Drug, and Alcohol Use There is no simple answer to why a teen might begin using drugs or alcohol. Many times, it is a combination of several things. They may turn to drugs to escape stress or loneliness or to overcome shyness in social situations. They may want to be seen as grown up, or they may simply be curious. Teens often want to be like their role models as well; so, if their favorite music group or a cool friend at school uses drugs or alcohol, they may also use drugs or alcohol to be like them. (Teen Health) Adolescence is often a time of low self-esteem, which can develop as a result of not being able to grow and change as quickly as desired. A young person with low self-esteem may feel they are not as smart,†¦show more content†¦Among 10th graders, Ecstasy use rose from 4.4 percent to 5.4 percent; and among 12th graders, from 5.6 percent to 8.2 percent. (2/3 Teens try drugs) A survey released in 2002 from the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University indicates that 95 percent of teens that smoke cigarettes start at or before age 15. Ninety three percent of teens that drink alcohol start at or before the age 15. In addition, 86 percent of teens that smoke marijuana start at age 15. (CASA) If a parent suspects that their teen is using they may feel the need to catch them. So, they search their room, or control their activities and friends. Which are normal feelings, after all parents want their kids to be safe. However, it might be more helpful to talk with them and let them know of the changes they have observed and what the cause is. (Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission) Preventing teen drug use is possible; parents and guardians need to learn the warning signs and dangers. They may ask themselves, how can I know if my teen is using? Well, here are some warning signs: Mood swings Personality changes Self-centered Change in dress or friends School problems Being paranoid (Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission)Show MoreRelatedPromoting A Drug Awareness Program For Teens1695 Words   |  7 PagesPromoting a Drug Awareness Program for Teens Teen drug use/abuse is common. According to the U. S. Department of Health Human Services, the most common drugs teens use are alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and prescription drugs (2016). Other drugs used are inhalants, over-the-counter medications, and other illegal drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. The use of drugs and alcohol increase the risk of injury or death. According to WebMD, alcohol and drug abuse is a leading causeRead MoreTeenagers, Drugs, And The American Academy Of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry1450 Words   |  6 Pages Teenagers abuse a variety of drugs, both legal and illegal. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry names the following as the legal drugs that teens experiment with: alcohol, prescription medications, inhalants (fumes from glues, aerosols, and solvents) and over-the-counter cough, cold, sleep, and diet medications. The most commonly used illegal drugs according to the American Academy of Child and Adoles cent Psychiatry are: marijuana (pot), stimulants (cocaine, crack, andRead MoreUnderage Alcohol At A Young Age : The Peak Of Growth And Self Discovery1165 Words   |  5 Pagestest new boundaries. Because of this, most teens turn to experimentation with drugs or alcohol out of curiosity and when looking for a new way to have fun. Just think, teenagers are too old for games and too young for adult activities and responsibilities. Slurring words or acting in an altered way can provide entertainment for many teens. According to the Teen Rehab Center, 68% of high school seniors have tried alcohol at some point (â€Å"Drug†). Drinking alcohol at a young age can be detrimental. For exampleRead MoreDont lower the drinking Age1229 Words   |  5 Pagesbeen made; however, no hard evidence suggesting lowering the minimum drinking age would help have surfaced. Although there are countless studies of how alcohol has many harmful effects on teenagers, there is a great deal of negative cr iticism about what if the drinking age is lowered. Some would say the morally right decision is to not allow teens the chance to hurt themselves. Everyone is entitled to having his or her own opinions and beliefs. However, the overall health of the youth of our countryRead MoreWhy Kids Turn to Drugs1524 Words   |  7 PagesWhy Kids Turn to Drugs There is no simple answer to why a young person might begin using alcohol or other drugs. Many times, it is a combination of several factors, including society, family and peers. They may turn to drugs to escape stress or loneliness or to overcome shyness in social situations. They may want to be seen as grown up or as a risk taker. Or, they may simply be curious. Teens often want to be like their role models as well. So, if their favorite music group, older sibling, parentsRead MoreMarijuana Should Not Go Without Suspicion913 Words   |  4 Pagesunlikely suspect of thousands of drug induced accidents and/or deaths in Australia today, especially among teens. At first thought, many may believe alcohol is the outright cause of such accidents, but at a closer look at the facts and figures one will discover that marijuana should not go without suspicion. The vast amounts of chemicals of which marijuana contains each have their own impacts unto the human body, not to mention the increas ing use of the drug among teens. It is here then obvious thatRead MoreDrug and Alcohol Abuse Essay1174 Words   |  5 PagesAlcohol abuse is a serious problem, driving while drunk or under the influence of drugs is an even bigger problem that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Abusing either one of these substances can lead to the death of you or the death of someone else or even cause a major change in their life like Jacqueline’s story, her whole life has been changed because of another person’s ignorance and carelessness. Therefore, you should know the facts about drug and alcohol abuse before you do something you may regretRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered1170 Words   |  5 Pagesways alcohol has been a reason for death such as, alcohol poisoning or drunk driving. Americans death rate has increased in the past few years for alcohol poisoning in the adolescence stage. Just because the majority of teens consume alcohol underage does not mean the l egal drinking age should be lowered. Although the legal drinking age in the U.S. should stay at twenty-one years old due to small reasons such as, drinking under the influence or alcohol poisoning, the MLDA has helped teens withRead MoreEssay about Health Education Plan922 Words   |  4 Pagesawareness of the effects of drug and alcohol use amongst this vulnerable group. It will be held Sunday, April 22, 2012, from 3pm to 7pm at the Campo YMCA in Valrico Florida. Permission from all minors has been obtained from the parents, prior to this education forum. Pizza and soda will be served after presentation. Description of Educational Need Researchers proved a long time ago that teens that drink or use drugs before age 21, will more likely develop a serious alcohol or drug related issue. BecauseRead More why kids turn to drugs Essay1513 Words   |  7 Pages Why Kids Turn to Drugs There is no simple answer to why a young person might begin using alcohol or other drugs. Many times, it is a combination of several factors, including society, family and peers. They may turn to drugs to escape stress or loneliness or to overcome shyness in social situations. They may want to be seen as grown up or as a risk taker. Or, they may simply be curious. Teens often want to be like their role models as well. So, if their favorite music group, older sibling, parents

Marjane Satrapi s Depictions Of How She Lost Her Innocence

Marjane Satrapi’s Depictions of How She Lost Her Innocence Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a graphic memoir in which she shares her experiences growing up in Iran through her illustrations and captions. The majority of the memoir consists of Satrapi s childhood being spent observing the overthrowing of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the disastrous effects of the war with Iraq. She later spends her years in Vienna, but eventually, returns to her homeland as an adult. Overall, Persepolis provides a memorable image of the daily life of an Iranian throughout the late 20th century through the eyes of a young, rebellious and energetic, girl. The graphic novel format of the story allows Satrapi to intentionally†¦show more content†¦In contrast, after Uncle Anoosh’s execution, Marjane’s trust in God is shattered. On the only panel of page 71, Marjane is floating through space alone after yelling to God that she never wants to see him again â€Å"Shut up you! Get out of my life!!! I never want to see you again!† (4.70). The background of the illustration in which she is floating in is space, which is completely black. This black background portrays Marjane’s experience of her uncle’s execution and is the reason for her newly developed pessimistic view of God. With Marjane’s initial thoughts of being a prophet of God, the background of the illustration portraying that was white, this was when she had an innocent view of religion. But when she no longer wishes to be in association with God, the background portraying that is black, and this is when she loses her innocent view of religion. Thus, the transition from a white background to a black background in her illustrations depicts her loss of innocence throughout the story. Another way she uses the contrasting shadings of white and black to depict her innocence is by initially portraying her clothes as white, but later portr aying her clothes are black in illustrations. Shortly after the Islamic Regime imposed new restrictions on the people of Iran, Marjane’s mother allowed Marjane to attend her first protest with her and her father â€Å"She is coming too. She should start learning to defend her rights as a womanShow MoreRelatedPersepolis : A Revolutionary Book Revolutionize The Christian Perspective1265 Words   |  6 PagesPersepolis: A Revolutionary Book to Revolutionize the Christian Perspective Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel, Persepolis, is a spellbinding read. From start to finish, the story grips the reader with its thought provoking content and touching storyline. The author’s depiction of war torn Iran provides its audience with a better understanding of a people that many Western communities deem as ungodly and dangerous. By reading Satrapi’s work, it becomes clear that the Iranian people are much less one-dimensionalRead MoreWorld War II Comic Books Failed2324 Words   |  10 Pagesever experienced before, and then transitions over one frame back to Vladek’s past (McGlothlin 184). The connections between the past and present heighten the reader’s understanding that the events in the novel really happened by reminding them of how the past has an effect on the future of the world, and that message of Maus continues to be important in the present. Techniques such as the aforementioned engage readers with both the narrative and thema tic message of the comic in a way that perhaps

Valuation and Financial Statement Analysis †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Valuation and Financial Statement Analysis. Answer: Introduction The report intends to project a clear picture of Porters value chain management and its application. Porters value chain is an important tool that is used by most of the business organization at any given time. The objectives of the report are to uncover the key facets of Porters value chain management. The report will cover all the details of Porters value chain starting from its definition till its application. The report also covers the functional quality of the strategic management tool. Apart from that the advantages and the disadvantages of using Porters value chain as a strategic management tool are also discussed in the report. In order to understand in detail the application or Porters value chain, Landmark group has been taken as an example. The phrase Porters Value Chain Analysis brings forefront about a simple question; that is how does organization creates values and what are values for an organization. In order to put it simple, the processes and the methods that are undertaken by the management and the officials of any organization to change the inputs of the company into outputs in a fashion that the total cost spent on processing the inputs are lower than the processed output (Miles 2015). This very process according to which the marginal price of processing the inputs are kept lower than the final price of processed outputs makes all the difference. This process is not just a question but holds the fundamental importance that focuses in the economic trajectory of a company. The economic trajectory in correspondence implies the reason that a company is held in the first, middle or lower sections (Palandeng et al., 2018). However, the process of creating values is not that simple. At the very first hand, values are created by retailers in the way raw materials are collected from different sources and suppliers and turning the raw materials into usable products and services. The sections related to distribution of products and services are taken care of by the retailers. That is the retailers ensure that the products are well packed and are available to the customers. The selling price of the products holds the value of the company. Put in a simpler form, The value that is created by the company total cist incurred for creating the value = the marginal profit of a company (Grant 2016). Creating value benefits a company in myriad ways. When the value that is created by the companies are more, the marginal profit also tends to be on the higher side. The added advantage is the competitive edge that a company builds (Schmidlin 2014). Porters value chain is a measuring tool that was invented ad developed by Michael Porter, of Harvard Business School. Porter defined vale chain as the chain of activities are related to an organization in creating values to the company. That is the chain of processes like designing, producing, marketing, delivering and performing the supportive tasks for products and services can be termed as Porters value chain (Rothaermel 2015). Value chain takes into consideration the very initial of the processes, that is collecting raw materials till the sales of the end product. Value chain can majorly be divided into two categories. According to Porter, value chain consists of primary and secondary activities where primary activities are chiefly concentrated in the operations department, distribution of products and services and sales. The secondary activities are also known as support activities which takes into consideration human resource department. Need and purpose of porters value chain Companies to identify the opportunities that are related to secured cost advantages chiefly use Porters value chain. Companies and organizations also use Porters value chain to identify the opportunities in the context of creation of new products and services and create a difference from all the other existing products in the market (Porter and Kramer 2019). The figure attached below shows the various sections of Porters value chain and the process in which it works. The primary activities of Porters value chain creates the product, maintains the logistics, transfers the products from warehouse to the retail stores and sells. Put in simpler form, it maintains the Inbound logistics Outbound logistics Operations Sales and marketing Service and support The secondary or the supportive activities consists of human resource department, departments related to technological development and procurement Merits of Porters value chain Porters value chain is a strategic tool that is imperative to any business organization. It particularly helps in the identification of the competitors of a specific business. Apart from that it also helps to analyze the strategies that are followed by the rival companies that are responsible for flourishing them. Porters value chain is a flexible tool that can be used tactfully by the management and the officials of a company to diagnose and invent competitive advantages on the factors of cost and differentiation (Christopher 2016). Companies and organizations can use Porters value chain in order to understand the different issues faced by the employees to keep up with the promises of commitments related to value products for the customers. It particularly helps to draw the focus towards the processes and methods that needs to be undertaken so that the proposed values to the customers can be fulfilled. Though, SWOT analysis provides any company with an insight about the threats, weakness, strengths and opportunities. Yet, Porters value chain analysis can be used to compare the business model of a particular company with the other models that are followed by other companies to have a clear insight about the weakness and the strengths of the other companies. The former company to draw advantages can use the strength and weaknesses of the rival companies, thus acquired (Ayers and Odegaard 2017). Porters value chain and its advantages are yet not over. For its advantages in business context, it is being taught in almost all the business schools for the last twenty to twenty-five years. Weaknesses of Porters Value chain Similar to all other tools, Porters value chain also her certain demerits or disadvantages. The major disadvantages of using Porters value chain are listed below Since Porters value chain is a model that is flexible enough, its flexibility results in using the tool to a particular context. Business and its situations are susceptible to change. Porters value chain cannot take hold of the changing scenarios in business. Porters value chain can work at its best when the tool is applied to manufacturing business. Not all sections of business can make the best use of Porters value chain since the concept as held in Michael Porters boob Competitive Advantage talks about the system in the context of manufacturing industries (De Marchi, Di Maria and Gereffi 2017). Porters value chain is a complex strategic tool. That is, in order to make a proper analysis it may take a lot of time for organizations. Moreover, it must be understood that the scale and scope of Porters value chain may take a large amount of time if done correctly. However, once done it will be able to focus on the key strategies that are used by rival companies in order to succeed. Porters value chain is a concept that is known by all. The difficult part is the way one uses it. Its usage is uncommon and a very few holds expertise in it. Thus while hiring experts companies need to be sure that the employee have a background experience and can make the proper use of value chain. It is a sensitive tool and if not operated in proper manner, the company may face loss. At times, there are risks that the company would be taken into wrong directions as well. Adaption of the concept of value chain on one hand while it has increased the chances of identifying the strategies that are used by rival companies and helped to spot the rival companies. On the other hand it has also significantly reduced the crave for innovation, understanding and creating competitive advantage for companies. The more it is potent in identifying the rivals and the competitive strategies used by rivals, the more these companies are de-motivated of innovating techniques since it feels the techniques will be spot by Porters value chain. However, another interesting facet of porters value chain is that due to that that it is capable for identifying strategies and rivals, new information technology firms are using business information systems that are secured. That is, Porters value chain will be unable to identify the competitive strategies that are used by these rival companies since the system will be locked and secured. Application of Porters value chain In order to understand the application of Porters value chain, a company can be taken as an example. Landmark group is the company that has been chosen in this context. Application of Porters value chain in Landmark group will help to draw a clear picture about the process and work of Porters value chain. Landmark group is one of the largest retail chains in Oman. It also operates in Middle East, Africa and India. Founded in 1973 by Micky Jagtiani, apart from retail business it also holds expertise in hospitality and loyalty business. Some of the most popular international brands that the retail sectors of Landmark group deals with are babyshop, Splash, SHOEMART, centrepoint, iconic. Homecentre, shoeexpress, lifestyle and many more. The key strengths of the company lies in the fact that the employees of the industry are talented, the operations are done with efficiency and logistics are emphasized upon. Landmark group is the proud employer of approximately fifty five thousand employees across the world and have a total of fifty seven brands in its retail stores. It also have approximately two thousand three hundred company outlets or retail stores and has a retail space of thirty million square feet. From the measures it is self assertive about the royalty of the gigantic organization . The organization operates chiefly in twenty two countries across the globe. The company has reputation good enough across Middle East, Africa and Indian subcontinent. The main products that the company deals with are Apparels, footwear, consumer electronics, home improvement, furniture, hotels, E-commerce, healthcare and malls. The gross revenue that has been recorded in the year 2016 is of US $6 Billion. The Landmark group is mainly focused in MENA region. It has its headquarters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The success of Landmark have been skillfully handcrafted by its founder Micky Jagtiani and his wife, the CEO and chairwoman of Landmark group Renuka Jagtiani. Renuka Jagtiani has made major contribution in the context of expansion of Landmark group. She was the lead of strategic plan for expansion of the business overseas, launching the franchise divisions of the company and initiating e-commerce platform for the same. The main driving force behind the CSR objectives of the company is also her. Having analyzed the prospects and the success of the gigantic organization, a deeper delve towards the working process can be made. Applying Porters value chain in Landmark group it can be asserted that the company applies the tool in apt manner to look for an competitive edge (Porter and Heppelmann 2015). Primary activities of Landmark group: Owing to the space and strength of the organization, it is well understood that the suppliers of the company are scattered in more or less all geographical locations. The suppliers of landmark are the most important contributors to the company, since it is only because of the suppliers that the company has been able to keep its price lower as compared to the competitors in the market. Given the fact that, it buys raw materials in large quantities the prices are affordable (Johnson 2016). As such, managing prices are not difficult. More or less the company holds good bargaining power in this context. Apart from that since Landmark group buys a lot of quantity the prices are taken in wholesale basis. Landmark has successfully strived through and makes implementation of the strategies related to inventory management and supply chain management. This way the company has been able to manage successfully its supply chain costs. Not only the company has mastered the art of implementing stra tegies related to supply chain management and inventory management but at the same time, it also makes an appropriate use of the technology. Landmark group has equally potent sales in mobile apps and other e-commerce portals. The company has been able to keep with excellent logistics due to which the suppliers deliver raw materials in time as per the requirement. Since the delivery is made in time, the costs are also low. There are certain code of conduct that are applicable for the suppliers of Landmark group. In order to keep the prices low and to maintain the lowered prices, the company aims at establishing long-term professional relationship with the suppliers. Apart from that long term relationship also helps the company to offer the suppliers with the potential for high volume purchases (Johnson 2016). Lastly, it can be said that Landmark group has been able to manage its supply chain through the maintenance of the strategic partnership with its suppliers across the globe (Porter and Heppelmann 2014). As already known, Landmark operates chiefly in retail sector. It is also one of the largest leading retailer chains across the globe. At present, it has been seen that Landmark operates in 22 different countries and has a total of 2300 retail outlets with more than fifty brands working under it. It has a total of 44 years of experience until 2018. Out of the total brands the company has 27 in house brands and the rest 30 brands are franchised (landmarkretailgroup.com). Landmark started its initial business as a single store in 1973 in Bahrain. It employs 55,000 people worldwide (landmarkretailgroup.com). Cross docking is an interesting concept that is used by Landmark that refers to the technique of wrapping up the process of supply chain with inventory management. Landmark does not directly supplies the products and the materials as it receives from suppliers. All the products that are received from the suppliers are cross-checked or cross docked by the company before forwarding the same to the retail stores. Maintenance of this process turns beneficial for the company as it keeps the transportation costs low and the fixes the total time taken in the entire process. This in turns helps the company by always having enough and adequate stock of goods in the stores. The chances of unavailability of goods are less and the stores are replenished from time to time. While all these factors taken together are beneficial to the company and makes a significant difference in its overall production cost, it also passes the same advantage to its customers. That is, if the production costs are kept low the company offers more discounts and offers. This not only fetches more customers towards the company but also at the same time benefits the customers as well. It significantly strengthens the base of loyal customers of the company. Landmark at present owns more than 120 distribution centers (landmarkretailgroup.com). Marketing and sales It is the excellent marketing that the Landmark group does that fixes the pricing of the products of the company. Pricing strategy is one of the ruling factors of the company. The intermittent discounts, offers like buy one get one, Landmark cash benefits, prime member benefits are the most important marketing plans that helps to attract the customers by keeping the prices low (Rodriguez, Peterson and Ajjan 2015). There is no iota of doubt that Landmark group in its marketing and promoting of new brands and products spends more than billions. Perhaps the marketing strategy not only generates its revenue in time but also simultaneously fetches the company more than half of its profit. Another interesting factor is the way the company gets its products and services promoted in the market. Landmark group follows some of the most interesting and successful branding strategies that help the company to attract customers from all round the globe. More the customers are attracted the company is more opportune with chances to impress the customers (Wang, Gupta and Grewal 2017). Thus, the company gets the base of its loyal customers. Also, the base of loyal customers increases with the passage of time. The company carries on practices like traditional methods of advertising like banners, hording and bill boards. Apart from that, the company also makes the use of social networking sites as an important platform for advertising and promoting its new launches. Landmark group has also created its own official page on different social networking sites like facebook, instagram and twitter. Landmark group also customizes its advertisements. That is, in the creative advertisements that are developed by the company the happy reviews of the customers are incorporated. This induces an urge to pay the landmark group stores a visit among the other customers. Once customers visit the stores, the sales personals and their sense of hospitality leaves the customers in awe (Cometto et al. 2016). Apart from that the company maintains the quality of the products and also offers discounts. As such, landmark group ensures that all the customers revisits the store once visited. Closely connected to its brand and advertisement strategy are its customer service sections. Customer service sections are an integral part of branding and marketing in Landmark group. Since happy and satisfied customers are the only way the company can raise its standards high, it always maintains that customers should be given utmost priority. This is exactly what is done by the company. The customers advise and feedback are noted down intermittently. The managers and the officials also follows up the customers and enquires if they are happy about the services of goods and products at present. Not every time the customers replies with positive comments. It has been noticed that many times the customers revert back with negative feedbacks. Such cases are taken in optimistic manner by the staffs in the company. Landmark group feels that complaints and negative feedbacks are the only way to probe into the loopholes that the company has (Cometto et al. 2016). Negative feedback provides the company with golden opportunities to look into the matter and het the issue solve. Thus, a proper management of customer service section helps the company to serve the customers better. On the other hand, the customers also feels valued and important from the end of the company. Updated and advanced technology is used in all the sectors of the company starting from the supply chain management, sales and customers service. Mobile applications are used for online marketing whereas the managers and officials staffs to keep them updated about the changing scenario use other technological tools (Hendricks et al. 2015). Technology is an indispensible part of modern marketing. Human resource management During the initial period of its journey, Landmark group did not have enough potential of man power to expand its business overseas (El, Jamali and Harwood 2016). Apart from that since it was new in the market, the employees of the company were also not paid well. However, the company at the present proudly employs around 55,000 employees all over the world. Apart from satisfying the customers, the company has also been able to satisfy its employees too (Gereffi and Fernandez-Stark 2016). The company has also shown significantly good employee retention rates. No wonder that the gigantic organization that Landmark group is strongly focuses on its procurement. In order to keep its final prices low and to throw out intermittent sales and discount offers, it is imperative for the company to buy the raw materials in lowest possible prices. Of course the company maintains the quality. From its regular suppliers, Landmark group buy products that are rich in quality. Since the amount is bought in bulk, suppliers and the company manage the prices by meeting into a common price range. By the term infrastructure, it is not only meant the interior and the store spaces. It also refers to the organizational structure within the company. Owing to the gigantic structure of the company, there is no iota of doubt that the prevailing organizational structure would also be great and deep. Yet, the management structures it well enough so that all the departments are maintained. All the departments also works in coordination. Conclusion Towards the end it can thus be concluded that Porters value chain is an essential marketing tool that are being used by most of the business organizations. It not only helps in identifying the rival companies but also helps in understanding the strategies that are used by the companies. The managers and the officials can use the tool to further innovate plans regarding marketing and sales and stay competitive in the market. Recommendations: The competitive strategies identified by the managers can be altered and modified to be used in Landmark group. The customer service department can keep a check if online customers are satisfied with online purchases. Reference List Ayers, J.B. and Odegaard, M.A., 2017.Retail supply chain management. CRC Press. Basu, R., 2017.Managing project supply chains. Routledge. Bedeley, R.T., Ghoshal, T., Iyer, L.S. and Bhadury, J., 2018. Business analytics and organizational value chains: a relational mapping.Journal of Computer Information Systems,58(2), pp.151-161. Chen, D.Q., Preston, D.S. and Swink, M., 2015. How the use of big data analytics affects value creation in supply chain management.Journal of Management Information Systems,32(4), pp.4-39. Christopher, M., 2016.Logistics supply chain management. Pearson UK. Cometto, T., Le Meunier-FitzHugh, K., Labadie, G.J. and Roux, F., 2016. The Role of Sales and Marketing in Innovation Implementation, an Empirical Analysis in Six South American Countries. InMarketing Challenges in a Turbulent Business Environment(pp. 649-650). Springer, Cham. De Marchi, V., Di Maria, E. and Gereffi, G., 2017. Industrial districts, clusters and global value chains: toward an integrated framework. InLocal Clusters in Global Value Chains(pp. 15-32). Routledge. El Dirani, A., Jamali, D. and Harwood, I., 2016. Strategic human resource management: enablers and challenges of pursuing the CSR agenda. Gereffi, G. and Fernandez-Stark, K., 2016. Global value chain analysis: a primer. Grant, R.M., 2016.Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley Sons. Hendricks, D.J., Sampson, E., Rumrill, P., Leopold, A., Elias, E., Jacobs, K., Nardone, A., Scherer, M. and Stauffer, C., 2015. Activities and interim outcomes of a multi-site development project to promote cognitive support technology use and employment success among postsecondary students with traumatic brain injuries.NeuroRehabilitation,37(3), pp.449-458. https://landmarkretailgroup.com Johnson, G., 2016.Exploring strategy: text and cases. Pearson Education. Miles, L.D., 2015.Techniques of value analysis and engineering. Miles Value Foundation. Palandeng, D.I., Kindangen, P., Timbel, A. and Massie, J., 2018. Influence Analysis of Supply Chain Management and Supply Chain Flexibility to Competitive Advantage and Impact on Company Performance of Fish Processing in Bitung City.Journal of Research in Business, Economics and Management,(10),1, pp.1783-1802. Porter, M.E. and Heppelmann, J.E., 2014. How smart, connected products are transforming competition.Harvard Business Review,92(11), pp.64-88. Porter, M.E. and Heppelmann, J.E., 2015. How smart, connected products are transforming companies.Harvard Business Review,93(10), pp.96-114. Porter, M.E. and Kramer, M.R., 2019. Creating shared value. InManaging Sustainable Business(pp. 327-350). Springer, Dordrecht. Rodriguez, M., Peterson, R.M. and Ajjan, H., 2015. CRM/social media technology: impact on customer orientation process and organizational sales performance. InIdeas in Marketing: Finding the New and Polishing the Old(pp. 636-638). Springer, Cham. Rothaermel, F.T., 2015.Strategic management. McGraw-Hill Education. Schmidlin, N., 2014.The Art of Company Valuation and Financial Statement Analysis: A Value Investor's Guide with Real-life Case Studies. John Wiley Sons. Wang, R., Gupta, A. and Grewal, R., 2017. Mobility of top marketing and sales executives in business-to-business markets: a social network perspective.Journal of Marketing Research,54(4), pp.650-670.