Falling in Love with a Language at MIT

Falling in Love with a Language at MIT I met Will and Kristina in very different parts of campus. I was psetting at Next House during spring semester of freshman year when Will popped up and started speaking to my friend in Chinese. I hardly even got his name, but in my mind, he was already The Hispanic Guy Who Speaks Really Good Chinese. I got to know him better last January on an IAP trip to Korea during which he still brought out his workbooks to study Chinese Kristina and I were teammates on the MIT Sport Taekwondo team. While we all waited to fight at tournaments, Kristina would do her Chinese homework, sometimes asking me for help. When I see Chinese-language updates on Facebook, Gchat, or Tumblr, there’s a good chance it’s from her. I came to America from China in 2000, having just finished second grade. The next time I took a Chinese class would be at MIT and I ended up taking three more to fulfill the concentration requirement. While my speaking, writing, and reading abilities have all improved through these classes, I have a sneaky suspicion that if I just stop using Chinese (which has been the case since I finished Chinese IV last spring), my language skills will once again hover at second-grade level. When I see Will and Kristina display so much enthusiasm for a foreign language, I feel ashamed. Past the guilt, however, I cant help but feel inspired to hold on to my native language. Here, Will and Kristina talk about how they fell in love with Chinese at MIT. And for a soundtrack press play on this video of Will (CubanCrescendo!) singing JJ Lin’s “?????”, recorded right here on campus in Maseeh Hall: (Really, this guy did not know Chinese before coming to MIT.) How did you first become interested in the language? Kristina: My mom had a career with the State Department, during which she learned several languages. Growing up, she told me stories of being able to connect with people when she spoke to them in their native language. That connection drew me to language in general. I decided to learn Mandarin because its the official language of the most populous country of the world, and also because it connects the speaker to a rich history spanning millennia. Will: Before I got to MIT, I basically had 0 Mandarin-speaking friends. My high school friends were mainly Spanish speakers, some people from the Philippines, some Cantonese speakers, but Im talking like maybe 7-8 or so close friends fit this category. When I got to MIT, and especially when I got to Next House, lets be real.all I heard was Chinese. I remember my closest friends freshmen year were Chinese-Americans, but they spoke to their families in Chinese on the phone. I would just sit and listen as they spoke to their moms and dads on the phone and continually wondered what the heck they were saying. I started remember parts of their conversations and then I would go up to random Chinese friends I had to practice and they would laugh so hard at me because I thought I was saying certain things right, but they were so wrong! Now its not so much like that, now i get more respect for the amount of stuff I know. But anyways, I participated in the Student Leadership Program (SLP) through China Development Initiative (CDI) and so I had the opportunity to go to Shenzhen and I think that was when I was really really really really really really interested and wanted to keep studying it. It was so fun being around the language and watching native Chinese faces with their look of surprise at how much I knew. But after coming back from that 2 week trip to China, I immediately emailed the Chinese department at MIT and explained my interest! Overall, it was definitely a combination embracing my “culture shock” and see how fast of a learner I was. Im sort of a perfectionist when it comes to language, so when my Chinese friends told me things like its close enough, I never settled for that. Id say the same word over and over and over again till it sounded spot on. I think the drive to sound more authentic was definitely a big factor. How much Chinese did you know before coming to MIT? What about now? Kristina: I didnt know any Chinese (not even ?? nihao!) before coming to MIT. Now, Id say Im somewhere between conversationally fluent and being able to speak Mandarin in a professional setting. Will: Before MIT, I can recall one character that a Cantonese friend of mine taught me in high school, ?(dong), which means winter or cold. I dont even remember how we started talking about the character, but I never forgot it. Aside from that character and my unyielding belief that Panda Express was the best Chinese food in the world, I basically had no idea what Chinese people, language or culture was like. Now my view is unbelievably different even to the point where some of my American Chinese friends tell me youre more Chinese than I am!. Thats always funny, but at the same time, it feels really good because to me it shows that my hard work has paid off. Im starting to be recognized linguistically and culturally by the Chinese-speaking population. People often describe me as fluent, but to be honest, I am nowhere near that level. In fact, thats one thing that Ive always loved about the language is that I feel like Ill need another 5 or 10 years before I even feel close to fluent, so theres so much left to learn and explore. Its something I had never felt while studying another language before (I studied German and Portuguese before I began my Chinese adventure). I can say that Ive definitely grown much more comfortable with my Chinese over the last few years. Ive gotten to a point where its not really about learning the language itself anymore, now its more so about continually pract icing all the skills Ive already acquired. Id say Im pretty conversational, I can read and understand most of what I write. (Having the chinese version of Facebook really helps). How did your time at MIT contribute to you learning the language?   Kristina: When I first got to MIT, I jumped right into language classes. I took Chinese I (21F.101) in conjunction with 21F.076, Globalization, the Good, the Bad, and the In Between. In my sophomore year, I participated in MISTI-Chinas China Educational Technology Initiative (CETI), travelling to Hunan province to teach high school science. This early exposure to language combined with an early opportunity to travel is something that I think is unique to MIT. Being able to apply language and connect with my students when teaching inspired me to continue studying Chinese. I guess it goes along with MITs mens et manus approach to learning. Application is instrumental to learning. Here, Kristina takes a photo with a CETI student at Zhuzhou No.8 Middle School, after a massive water balloon fight demonstrating projectile motion.   Will: I think MIT contributed in three major ways: 1. The Chinese department is amazing. I remember after coming back from Shenzhen, I was deciding whether I wanted to take Chinese 1 or Chinese 3 (only the odd classes are offered in the fall, even classes in the spring, so 2 was not an option). I wasnt sure if I had really learned enough in my free time with my friends to cover 2 semesters of college Chinese. I had to go and interview with ??? and luckily that experience confirmed that I was ready for the higher level. In Chinese 3, I was the only student that went to office hours weekly to make sure I knew everything from Chinese 1 and 2 as well as all the material we were covering in 3, but ??? encouraged me beyond belief and helped me grow in confidence. I dont even know where to start with ???. Hes gotta be one the funniest guys I have ever met and his humor in the classroom and overall belief in my Chinese abilities is what ultimately led me fall more and more in love with the language. There was a Chinese speech and talent comp etition at U-Mass Boston and he really pushed me to enter saying I know youll at least get 3rd place and Ill never forget the look on his face after I won the entire thing. I owe a lot to him in terms of my Chinese education, he always had faith in me and its given me the same faith in myself. 2. As I mentioned before, MIT really gave me the Chinese friends that were so essential to practicing my language skills I had never had. I cant tell you how many times I met someone from China or Taiwan and immediately just started practicing with them. I would check almost every homework assignment with a native speaker to get any questions I had out of the way. I definitely owe a great deal to all my friends who pushed me and continued to encourage my love of the language. 3. Heres my advice: If youre serious about doing a language and want to learn it really well, go anywhere and immerse yourself wherever the language is spoken. I mentioned my experience in Shenzhen, but I had the best summer of my life this past year teaching throughout Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mainland China with the CETI program. Not only did I have meet tons of students and friends and experience new places, but it was so fun to rely on the Chinese language to survive. Even now while I am back in America and no longer at MIT, my main method of keeping up with Chinese is by chatting with my students, friends and family in East Asia. I cant express enough how valuable this experience was for me and I really want to do it again (and I encourage you to do it as well). That summer honestly changed my life in more ways than one. It confirmed for me that I wanted to go into Education and gave me a means by which I could practice and improve my Chinese, which I was scared I would lose after leaving MIT. Will teaching and traveling in Taiwan   What are your goals for learning more in the future, do you think this love can be sustained after MIT? Kristina: Now, as I finish my last year here at MIT, I plan on taking advantage of MISTI-Chinas internship programs to begin building international internship experience between graduation and graduate school. This will help me achieve my goal of using my language skills in a professional setting. Eventually, Id love to go beyond Mandarin and learn other dialects of Chinese. MIT was instrumental in giving me the tools to take the first steps towards learning Chinese. Learning is a life-long process, and Im confident in my ability to sustain my passion after graduation. Will: As for the future, Im pretty excited for what it holds in terms of Chinese. As I mentioned, I think that this past summer gave me dozens of friends that I will always keep up with. Some of my students want to come to college in America or even just come and visit and Ive welcomed and encouraged them to make that their goal. This winter alone, my students from Beijing are coming to visit America and I have every intention of visiting them and showing them a little bit of America the same way they were so willing to welcome me into their country. Building off of the fact that I did not really have many Mandarin speaking friends in my community growing up, I hope I can be able to bring that new part of me back here to Los Angeles. Since returning after graduation, one of the things that my students and friends are most interested in are my travels abroad and so many people are interested in learning the language. Im currently enrolled in a teaching credential program at USC and ho pefully I can be teaching it to students in my area soon. If theres one thing Ive learned from studying Chinese its that the number of opportunities you have after learning it are endless. You make new friends, gain the ability to communicate with about 1/5 of the population, and get exposed to a whole different kind of culture. Chinese has helped me find a new side of myself that I never realized existed before MIT, it has transformed and defined my undergraduate career at the Institute and I already know that it will impact and continue to influence the rest of my life. As I try to reach for my own life goals of mastering French and Korean (and keeping at the Chinese), I know Ill continue looking to these two as inspirations. Let me know if you have any questions about foreign languages and study abroad at MIT or anything else!

Herbal Remedy Use By Latino Immigrant - 1929 Words

Herbal Remedy Use by Latino Immigrant to the United States John Williams April 23, 2016 Cultural Competence in Healthcare Erin Stegall Introduction The members of the largest ethnic group being granted legal permanent residence in the United States are from Mexico. According the 2010 census 16.3% of the population of the United States is Latino (Spector, 2013). The Latino population will increase to 30 % of the total population by the year 2050 based on current projections (Juckett, 2013). There are several barriers to health care faced by many in the Latino population. They include: language barriers, lack of health insurance, mistrust, not have a legal status and a different culture of health care (Juckett, 2013, p. 48). Juckett also points out that most medications that require a prescription in the US are obtained without prescriptions in immigrants’ home countries (2013). It is estimated that 20% of the U. S. population use herbal medicine. â€Å"The prevalence of herbal medicine use by some ethnic and cultural groups in the US may be even higher; one meta-analysis found that 4% to 40% (mean 30%) of Latinos living in the United States regularly used herbal medicine† (Kiefer, Tellez-Giron, Bradbury, 2014, p. 64). The growing number of Latinos in the US and their reliance on herbal remedies is something that healthcare providers are going to have to address to be able to provide culturally competent care to this population. Methods Two Latino individuals wereShow MoreRelatedHeritage Assessment Tool For The Field Of Medicine And Health Essay1517 Words   |  7 PagesEven though people from India speak different languages English becoming a second language. Older people still minimal understanding of English. In traditional Indian society, extended family members usually live together as a single-family unit. Immigrant Indian men in the U.S. have high occurrence of coronary heart disease, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, lower high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels and hypertriglyceridemia.  Women are obese due to high fat diet and low exercise. AsianRead MoreHealth Promotion Among Diverse Community1053 Words   |  5 Pagespreventable diseases or deaths and the availability of their health status (National Center for Health Statistics). The prevalent health situation of Hispanics are Diabetes, Heart diseases, stroke, liver diseases, cancer asthma, obesity and tobacco use. Heart disease is the mai n cause of death among all ethnic groups in the United States. Obesity and smoking being are of the risk factors for developing hypertension. Hispanic whites have higher rates of diabetes and obesity, whereas non-Hispanic whitesRead MoreResearch Assignment : Mexican Americans1971 Words   |  8 PagesMexicans came to the US. Many Mexicans worked as ranchers, miners, and herders. There was also issues surrounding racial discrimination and some Mexican Americans were even lynched as a result. When the Mexican revolution ended around 1910, more immigrants came into the United States. Again, there was still a great need for cheap laborers and the people immigrating were willing to fill these positions (Mexican Immigration, Library of Congress). It has been said that there have been cycles of immigrationRead MoreSelf Assessment Of Cultural Competency1582 Words   |  7 Pagessix racial categories recognized. Those are: White American, Black or African American, Native American and Alaska Native, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. The United States Census Bureau has identified the Hispanic and Latino Americans as ethnicity not a race. Besides these we also come across with some other cultures, like Asian Indian, Middle Eastern and Russian/Eastern European. It has been found from the statistics that, there are more than 40 million Americans bornRead MoreCase Studies13817 Words   |  56 Pagesher to launch a guerrilla marketing campaign on her own campus to create buzz for Fashionforward! among her peers. The CEO challenged her to register 100 new clients within the week. A member of a sorority since her freshman year, LeBlanc decided to use her Greek connections. She appeared at four campus sororities that week. Promising a free Fashionforward! T-shirt with the sororitys name for every membership purchased, LeBlanc registered 300 new members in one night. Reporting to work the next day

The Effects Of Unemployment On The Economy - 1656 Words

An economic problem can be defined as a fundamental idea that a scarcity of resources exists in the economy. This means in the sense that only finite and insufficient resources are available to satisfy the needs and wants of all human beings. Since resources are scarce the basic idea revolves around how resources should be allocated and utilized effectively and efficiently. Moreover how resources can be put to use to give out a maximum efficient output. Human beings are one of the greatest resources present in the economy. The underutilization of human beings in terms of their expertise as a medium of economic development and progress is one of the leading problems not only just in the United States but also around the world. One of the major problems faced in different economies all around the world is unemployment. Even though the idea of unemployment may seem to be a usual day-to-day problem, the effects of unemployment are adverse on the health and well being of an economy In the United States; unemployment has been fairly low (5% or lower) for much of the past two decades. However even a low unemployment rate affect and undermine economic growth. Let us examine what unemployment means; Unemployment is a situation when there are simply not enough jobs for people who wish to have one. Every economy in the world has some unemployment because people leave jobs (by their choice or against their will) and are usually unemployed for a time before they find new employment.Show MoreRelatedUnemployment And Its Effects On The Economy1452 Words   |  6 PagesUnemployment occurs when a person who is actively seeking employment but unable to find work. It is often used as measure of the health of the economy and has been one of Australia’s most serious long term economic challenges in recent decades. 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Library vs. Internet Free Essays

COMPUTERIZED LIBRARY SYSTEM: Foreign Study Chapter I Project Overview Introduction Nowadays, in a highly technological society, human productivity is made more efficient through the development of electronic gadgets. Now, with the advent of such modernization in education, one way to globalize the process of research is to realize that technology is advancing at an incredibly fast pace. Computers are not confined to being used for entertainment but its role in education is also vast. We will write a custom essay sample on Library vs. Internet or any similar topic only for you Order Now Library is derived from the old French term â€Å"librairie† which means â€Å"a collection of books. † Reading materials in school are stored in libraries. Library is a place in which books and related materials are kept for use but not for sale. It is also organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution or a private individual. In addition, it is a place in which we get information in any format and from many sources. The librarian has to keep the room neat so that it is conducive for learning. The librarian is also the person who is liable for monitoring all the books that are borrowed and returned by the borrowers. http://www. studymode. com/essays/Computerized-Library-System-427957. html Local Studies About Library System- A Sample Thesis Library systems, comparisons and contrasts. For the children of today, going to the library,  searching  through the card catalogue to look for books on topics they need to research on is quite archaic! However, many of us still remember how time consuming this was. The kids of today certainly have it easy. Imagine getting all the information you need with one-click of your mouse!?! An  integrated library system  (ILS), also known as a  library management system  (LMS), is an  enterprise resource planning  system for a  library, used to track items owned, orders made, bills paid, and patrons who have borrowed. An ILS usually comprises a  relational database, software to interact with that database, and two  graphical user interfaces  (one for patrons, one for staff). Most ILSes separate software functions into discrete programs called modules, each of them integrated with a unified interface. Examples  of modules might include:  §Ã‚  Ã‚  acquisitions (ordering, receiving, and  invoicing  materials)  §Ã‚  Ã‚  cataloging  (classifying and indexing materials)  §Ã‚  Ã‚  circulation (lending materials to patrons and receiving them back)  §Ã‚  Ã‚  serials  (tracking  magazine and  newspaper  holdings)  §Ã‚  Ã‚  the  OPAC  (public interface for users) Each patron and item has a unique ID in the database that allows the ILS to track its activity. Larger libraries use an ILS to order and acquire, receive and invoice, catalog, circulate, track and shelve materials. Smaller libraries, such as those in private homes or  non-profit organizations  (like churches or synagogues, for instance), often forgo the expense and maintenance required to run an ILS, and instead use a library computer system. (Wikipedia) Automation of the catalog saves the labor involved in re-sorting the card catalog, keeping it up-to-date with respect to the collection, etc. Other tasks which are now automated include checking-out and checking-in books, generating statistics and reports, acquisitions and subscriptions, indexing journal articles and linking to them, as well as  tracking  interlibrary loans. Since the late 1980s,  windowing systems  and multi-tasking have allowed the integration of business functions. Instead of having to open up separate applications, library staff could now use a single application with multiple functional modules. As the  Internet  grew, ILS vendors offered more functionality related to computer networks. As of 2009  major ILS systems offer web-based portals where library users can log in to view their account, renew their books, and authenticate themselves for access to  online databases. (Wikipedia) In recent years some libraries have turned to major open source ILSs such as  Koha  and  Evergreen. Common reasons noted were to avoid vendor lock in, avoid license fees, and participate in software development. Librarytechnology. rg does an annual survey of over 1,500 libraries and noted in 2008 2%[3]  of those surveyed used open source ILS, in 2009 the number increased to 8%[4]  and in 2010(most recent year available) 12%[5]  of the libraries polled had adopted open source ILSs. (Wikipedia) Read more:  http://ivythesis. typepad. com/term_paper_topics/2011/06/local-studies-about-library-system-a-sample-thesis. html#ixzz2DsPW4UYZ http://ivythesis. typepad. com/term_paper_top ics/2011/06/local-studies-about-library-system-a-sample-thesis. html Library: foreign literature The network libraries now have autonomous library systems (TINLIB version 280 of IME) with reciprocal access to each others catalogs via the PHnet. Training on site and in UK has been provided by IME to the staff of the network. Staff expertise on the use of all the modules of TINLIB running on UNIX has been brought to a level where the staff can now confidently train others and maintain the system. Online support via the Internet is also provided by IME upon request. The choice of a common library system was decided by the technical committee of the network libraries to have a uniform platform, training programs, import profiles, etc. cross the network and for ease in establishing a user group/systems administration group. TINLIB was chosen because it met the systems specifications prepared by the technical working group, and had favorable references from users. Additional features which gave it an edge over other systems is its utilization of hypertext techniques, client-server arc hitecture, and ability to import and export data from any of the databases existing in the network libraries. The library directors and heads are under tremendous pressure to continue and expand the networked services. Four of the services which need to be implemented immediately are:          1) the creation of a union catalog for books, audio-visual, serials and Filipiniana articles and researches;          2) access to CD-ROM abstracts and indexes and full text journals and references from any site on the network, subject to copyright and licensing agreement with suppliers and publishers;          3) development of networking navigation tools and training programs; and          4) building of sufficient monetary resources and/or commitment of university officials to allocating sufficient funds for the maintenance of the network. ) transforming the College of Science library into a National Science Library and Information Center to widen the scope of its services http://www. studymode. com/essays/Library-Foreign-Literature-906068. html How to cite Library vs. Internet, Essay examples

Transcendental Ideas in Dead Poets Society free essay sample

Transcendental ideas in, Dead Poets Society Transcendentalism was a prominent philosophical movement in the mid 1800s. Poets such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman were transcendentalist literary work artists who believed that society and its institutions impeded individual self reliance. The poets mainly disobeyed the conformists and the traditional ways of society. These poets also believed that an individual needs to find their individual self, and not let any other things in society encumber the ability to have self reliance. Knox Overstreet, Neil Perry, and Mr. Keating are all characters in the movie that express Transcendentalist ideas as expounded by Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman. Transcendentalism is present in the film, â€Å"Dead Poets Society,† because the characters evoke non-conformist attitudes, a central concept of the philosophy of Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman. Neil Perry is a prominent character in the movie, who believes that it is more important to trust in one’s own ability to analyze and form ideas as opposed to accepting verbatim authoritarian rules and regulations. We will write a custom essay sample on Transcendental Ideas in Dead Poets Society or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In Emerson’s writing called â€Å"Self-Reliance, he describes beliefs similar to that of Neil Perry’s. Emerson writes, â€Å"Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself and you shall have the suffrage of the world† (Emerson, â€Å"Self Reliance†). The quote is saying that an individual should view themselves in a manner that allows them freedom to express ideas without fear of retribution. Sometimes traditional autocratic points of view within a culture or organization can be antithetical towards ones non-conformist point of view. In Neil Perry’s situation, we find that his father is domineering and cantankerous. Neil Perry’s quest to be a performer in a Midsummer Nights Dream shows that he is a non-conformist since he goes against his fathers will to become a doctor. When Neil Perry’s father gets a wind of the situation, it causes much consternation and later develops into a very volatile situation. As in Emerson’s quote, to keep ones own integrity is above all more important than resigning oneself to a status quo. Unfortunately Neil Perry’s situation leads to him committing suicide which is an extreme, however, he follows the precepts of transcendentalism even until the end. Like Neil Perry, Knox Overstreet, is another character in the film who goes against the traditional ways of society. Knox Overstreet, one of the overly exuberant boys at Welton Academy, takes the term, â€Å"Carpe Diem,† and incorporates it in his persona. In Thoreau’s writing called â€Å"Why I went into the woods,† Thoreau explains philosophical ideas related to the term â€Å"Carpe Diem. † I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, to discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear† (Thoreau, â€Å"Why I went into the woods†). Thoreau is promoting a lifestyle that is contrary to traditional society. Thoreau would rather enjoy the beauty of the natural world that surrounds him rather than subject natural beauty to a strict set of parameters. In Thoreau’s yearning to go against a natural order of society, he understands that it is risked involved that may cause him to be ostracized by his peers. Knox Overstreet takes a big risk in kissing Christine, and also by showing up in her class giving her flowers and reciting poetry. This caused Christine great embarrassment, but as in the case of Thoreau, the risk that Overstreet took causes him to be ostracized for the moment. Overstreet was viewed as a non-conformist by Christine and people in her classmates because his actions were out of the ordinary. Nevertheless, Christine comes around and affords him her friendship and even accepts a date. While Knox Overstreet is a very exuberant non-conformist, Mr. Keating is a very influential non-conformist who makes an impact on many of the characters. Mr. Keating appears to be a reluctant employee of an institution steeped in tradition, and resign to developing a set of policies and procedures that must be strictly adhered to. However, Mr. Keating is not one to always follow the rules to the letter of the law. Mr. Keating is a non-conformist, and he enjoys stepping out of the box to make his subject matter come to life and convey a philosophical ideal to the students whom he interacts with. Two transcendentalist writers come to mind when thinking of Mr. Keating and his precarious situation. Walt Whitman once said, â€Å"Do I contradict myself? Very well I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes. ) I concentrate toward them that are nigh. I wait on the door-slab† (Whitman, Song of Myself). Mr. Keating contradicts himself by merely contractually maintaining employment with Welton Academy. Mr. Keating vehemently disagrees with the structure Welton Academy wishes to enforce on the student body and the teachers. Nonetheless, Mr. Keating must stay in an attempt to mold young minds to believe in independent thought. It can be said that Mr. Keating like Whitman is contradicting himself for the greater good. In Thoreau’s â€Å"Walden,† Thoreau discusses the importance of experiencing life to its fullest potential. Thoreau once said, â€Å"I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan like as to put to rout all that was not life. † Mr. Keating often talks about â€Å"sucking the marrow out of life† (Thoreau, â€Å"Walden†). A depiction of this zest for life is evident when Mr. Keating teaches the boys about the Dead Poets Society. The Dead Poets Society completely goes against the traditional conservative teachings of the school, making Mr. Keating a non-conformist. The Dead Poets Society teaches the boys to think for themselves and to focus on the true meaning of life through the wonders of poetry. Neil Perry, Knox Overstreet, and Mr. Keating like the transcendentalist poets Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman, came to a point in life where an important decision had to be made as to which path they would follow. The movie, Dead Poets Society, is conveying to the audience through the characters the importance of following the right path in life even if that path may be very difficult, and could cause a lot of discomfort. However, in the pursuit of happiness, one must discover freedom of thought, expression, and spirituality. It is easy to conform to the status quo. To go against the traditions of society one could be subject to ridicule. The film shows how the ruling class who makes the rules, and imposes them on those of us with lesser status and power can thwart our ability to pursue our dreams and achieve inner peace. In the film, â€Å"Dead Poets Society,† it is clearly shown that the teachings of the transcendentalist philosophies are present in this film.

puritan dilemma Essay Example

puritan dilemma Essay There are many different reasons why migrations from the early days up to present time took place as they did. Why would people leave their place of birth or their place of comfort Thats the big question! Just like John Winthrop and his puritan believers they left England to form the America we know now, which In their eyes was New England. To begin this essay lets start of with the obvious, one reason the puritans migrated was because of the way they felt about how they viewed religion and how the church of England functioned . From the beginning allpuritans wanted to do was purify the church. They wanted ministers to teach , simplify rituals so every one could understand the masses whether you were in high class or in the low class. They also believed the church of England thought they were highest authority , in which the puritansdisagreed because they believed the bible was the righteous authority. They wanted not to only purify the church but toteach every men the righteous way , the wayof the teaching of the bible.Within these large group of puritans like in any other group you had your extremist puritans and then the more liberal puritans you might say. The liberals they really believed that the church of England could be saved and reformed but the only problem with that was people could of thought it was a act of treason going and disagreeing with the church. Up to this pointthe church of England was the most powerful hierarchy in England , some would argue even more powerful than the King or Queen of England. However the extremist were called the Separatists. These were people who gave up on any possibility that the church would be reformed in any way of their liking, the separatists were also thefirst group of people to migrate to New England later would be called pilgrims, the MassachusettsBay Company voyage to New England was thefirst voyage along with John Winthrop to be successful. Some priests

Last Minute SAT Prep Programs

Last Minute SAT Prep Programs SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Only have a couple days left before the SAT? There’s still time to improve your scores!A few hours of focused prep can make a big difference in your test performance, especially if you have obvious mistakes that you haven't noticed. Here are some guidelines that will help you design a last minute SAT study plan that works for you. I'll also give you a bunch of last minute SAT tips to raise your score. Time-Based Study Plans First, figure out how much time you can afford to devote to SAT prep in the short time you have before the test.Don’t forget to factor in other commitments and make sure you’re getting enough sleep so you can take full advantage of your review. The 5 Hour Plan If you have five hours to study and you haven’t studied at all before now, you should use your time to take an SAT practice test. This will help you get more comfortable with the format of the test and the types of questions to expect.You can improve your scores slightly just by taking a practice test! If you have already taken a few practice tests and don’t think it will be as helpful for you to take another one, use your five hours to take a closer look at missed questions.Focus on where you tend to make the most mistakes, and try to understand why they're happening.See the 15 hour plan below and this article to learn more about how to review your mistakes. You should also think about how much time you’re spending per question.For Math, it should be no more than a minute. For CriticalReading and Writing, it should be no more than 30-45 seconds. Familiarize yourself with how it feels to spend this much time on a question so you will know how to structure your time on the test. If you find yourself spending a longer amount of time on a question, you should skip it and move on to the next one so you will get to every question in the section and not miss easy points later! The 15 Hour Plan With this much time, there is potential for a substantial improvement in your scores. Let's break it down hour by hour. Hours 0-5: Take a Practice Test If you haven’t studied yet, this will help you get an idea of your weak spots and where you should focus the rest of your time.Be sure to take the test with realistic time constraints so that you can diagnose the problems you’re having accurately (often the main issue students have on the SAT is time). Hours 5-10: Review 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. Also keep track of the questions where you had to guess. Even if you got some of them right, you still want to review anything that you didn't quite understand on the test. Usually mistakes fall into four categories: 1. Not Enough Time: You didn’t get to the question Study Strategy: Practice doing questions within the time constraints for the test so you get used to moving faster. Learn how to effectively skim reading passages, and make sure you know when to skip questions. Remember, you get a minute for math questions and 30-45 seconds for reading and writing questions. 2. Question Comprehension: You didn’t understand what the question was asking or got tricked by it Study Strategy: Slow down and read the questions more carefully! Sometimes it helps to write down the question in simpler form before answering. It also can't hurt to practice similar questions so your familiarity with the format will prevent confusion. 3. Unknown Material: You didn’t know the material covered in the question Study Strategy:Find a source for lesson material on the topic you don’t understand, and practice more questions that are similar.This is an area where a program like PrepScholar could really help you because it targets your weak content areas. 4. Careless Mistake: Your brain tapped out for a sec Study Strategy: Why did you make the mistake? Time pressure? Read the question too fast and missed an â€Å"except† or other critical word?Work on your time management so you can leave yourself a few minutes at the end of a section to go over your answers. On the flip side,be sure that you’re not going through questions faster than you should and making these mistakes as a result. Hours 10-15: Get Specific This is when you can really focus on the section or sections where you are making the most mistakes.Practice questions for that section and review any material that is unfamiliar to you. If you really want to make the most of your study time, you might consider signing up for PrepScholar.We’ve shown a 100 point improvement for 15 hours using our prep program. This is because we help you accurately determine your strengths and weaknesses across all sections of the test and will tailor your prep time to your needs so you get the most out of it. If you sign up now, you can also use PrepScholar to prepare for the next time you take the SAT. The faceless spectre of time will never tire from pursuing us all, especially on the SAT. General Tips for Last Minute Studying Here are a couple of additional pointers to help you get the most out of your last minute study time. Take a look at this article for even more tips. Spend more of your last minute study time on analyzing your mistakes than on practice testing You’re going to see the biggest difference in your scores if you take the time to understand your mistakes.As I mentioned earlier, you should be able to explain why your answer was incorrect as well as the rationale behind the correct answer. That way when you come across a similar question later, you'll know exactly how to answer it! Know the facts Take a look at these formulas you should know for the SAT.Also familiarize yourself with grammar rules for the writing section so you can feel more confident about your answers. You don't want to run into any big surprises on the test. Be time-conscious If you have a tendency to fall victim to time pressure, practice doing questions with the same time constraints you would have on the test.This will help you get used to the pacing and prevent you from accidentally lingering for too long on a question you should have skipped initially. Plan your essay Don’t go into the SAT essay without anything prepared!Come up with some versatile concrete examples that you will be able to use in your argument. Looking Ahead If you think you’ll take the SAT again, try not to procrastinate as much on studying for the next test date.Short cram sessions aren’t going to cut it if you’re looking to boost your score a few hundred points or more.It can take over a hundred hours of studying to achieve really big score improvements.See these estimates for score improvements vs. study time: 0-50 SAT Composite Point Improvement: 10 hours50-100 Point Improvement: 20 hours100-200 Point Improvement: 40 hours200-300 Point Improvement: 80 hours300-500 Point Improvement: 150 hours+ Figure out your target SAT score based on which schools you plan to apply to, and then decide how you’re going to get there. Also check out these study plans for ideas on how to structure your studying over a longer period of time.Remember, last minute studying can be helpful, but it shouldn’t be your only prep method! In conclusion... What's Next? If you're still looking for more last minute SAT tips, head on over to this article. It will give you some test-taking strategies and advice for how to prepare on the day of the test. For additional last minute SAT prep, you should consider reading these guides. Here's a link to eight SAT practice teststo kickstart your studying! Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: