The Deutsche Mark and its Legacy

Since the Euro crisis occurred, there has been a lot of talk about the common European currency, its pros and cons, and the European Union in general. The euro was introduced in 2002 to standardize the money transactions and to push the European Integration, but from then, many Germans (and, of course, citizens of other members of the EU) still  could not let go of their old, beloved currency. Especially for Germans, it was rather easy to convert the value of their Deutsche Marks into Euros because they  were just about half  the  value. That made the transmission rather easy for them, but it also made it harder to let the Mark disappear from their minds. To  this  day, billions of Deutsche Mark bills and coins are still circulating or just lying somewhere in safes, under mattresses, or in collecting albums. The relationship of the Germans towards their Deutsche Mark has always been something special. The History of The Deutsche Mark This relationship has begun just after the Second World War, as the Reichsmark was no longer in use because of the high inflation and the lack of economic coverage. Therefore, people in post-war Germany did just help themselves by reintroducing a very old and basic way of paying: They practiced barter. Sometimes they bartered food, sometimes resources, but many times they used cigarettes as a currency. Those have been very rare after the war, and therefore, a good thing to swap for other things. In 1947, one single cigarette had the value of about 10 Reichsmark, which equals a purchasing power of about 32 euros today. That is why the expression Zigarettenwà ¤hrung has become colloquial, even if other goods are traded on the black market. With the so-called Wà ¤hrungsreform (currency reform) in 1948, the Deutsche Mark was officially introduced in the three western Besatzungszonen, the allied occupied zones of Germany to prepare the country for a new currency and economic system, and also to stop the flourishing black market. This led to inflation in the Soviet-occupied zone in East-Germany and to the  first tension between the occupants. It forced the Soviets to introduce its own eastern version of the mark in its zone. During the Wirtschaftswunder in the 1960s, the Deutsche Mark became more and more successful,  and in the following years, it became a hard currency with international standing. Even in other countries, it was adopted as legal tender during hard times, such as in  parts of  the former Yugoslavia. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is – more or less – still used  today. It was linked to the Deutsche Mark and is  now  linked to the euro, but is called the  Convertible Mark, and the bills and coins have a different look. The Deutsche Mark Today The Deutsche Mark has overcome many hard times and has  always seemed to represent the values of Germany,  such  as  stability and prosperity. That is one of many reasons why people still mourn the days of the Mark, especially during the financial crisis. However, that does  not  seem to be the reason why so many Marks are still circulation, according to the Deutsche Bundesbank. Not only has  a  large amount of the money  been transferred abroad (mainly to  the former Yugoslavia),  but  also, it is sometimes the way  in  which many Germans saved their money over the years. People often mistrusted the banks, especially the older generation, and just hid cash somewhere in the house. Thats why many cases are documented where large amounts of Deutsche Marks are discovered in houses or flats after the occupants died. After all, in most of the cases, the money might have  just been forgotten—not only in hiding places but also in pants, jackets, or old wallets. Also, much of the money that is still circulating is just waiting in collectors albums to be found. Over the years, the Bundesbank has always published new specially-made coins to collect, most of them with a nominal value of 5 or 10 Marks. The good thing is, though, that one can still change Deutsche Marks into euros at the Bundesbank in the exchange rate of 2002. You can also return bills to the bank and get them replaced if they are (partially) damaged. In case you find an album full of  a D-Mark collectors coins, send them to the Bundesbank and get them exchanged. Some of them can be very precious today. If they are not, with the increasing silver prices, it  might be a better idea to get them melted down.

7 Extinction Level Events Could End Life as We Know It

Women Of The Ancient Greek Work, The Iliad And The...

Roles of women in the ancient times have been generally been limited to household, childbearing, childrearing, performing domestic chores like cooking, weaving and providing comforts to their husbands and families. Many of the primitive societies were male dominated and women were considered inferior creature dependent on their male guardians throughout life. Historic accounts and epics of specific periods describe the role assigned to genders in those societies. This paper talks about the role of women presented in the ancient Greek work, the Iliad by Homer and the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh by anonymous author. Women role in the Iliad Homer’s Iliad contains an array of female characters that are both supernatural and human. The†¦show more content†¦Women, either wives or slaves, were to live with their husbands or masters even if it was against their wishes. The Iliad presents a patriarchal Greek society in which human women are viewed as inferior objects meant to serve and entertain men. Men are superior to women and can use them whichever way they want. Apart from women’s role as mother, wives, and daughters, they are used by men as prizes and rewards in battles or fights as well as for taking revenge or degrading other men. In particular, beautiful women are portrayed to be the source of enmity and discord among men and even states pushing them into fights and battles. Men are found fighting for possession of women in order to establish their power and honor. Most of the conflicts and wars among men, described in the Iliad, have women as the root cause. Whether it is the long battle of Troy or the internal conflict between the Greek warriors, the main reason is usually the possession of woman/women; â€Å"Let him who shall be victorious and prove to be the better man take the woman and all she has†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Iliad Book 3) . Helen, Chryseis and Briseis are the main human female characters in the Trojan War who are used as prizes that supplement male’s ego and pride. Helen is the reason for the main conflict between Menelaus and Paris. The abduction of Helen by Paris and Menelaus’ revenge and to get his wife back thus becomes the prime motive behind the

Americ The Great Wagon Road - 1151 Words

People came to America to get away from Britain rule, so when Britain governed most of the thirty – two colonies, thirteen colonies decided to rebel against the crown during 1775. America was growing fairly big with 2.5 million people and ninety percent lived as rural farmers. In addition, America became a big melting pot of different races. For example, Germans were six percent of the population, and they mostly lived in Pennsylvania. Scots – Irish were seven percent of the population, and they settled along the â€Å"Great Wagon Road.† Then, five percent of the multicolored population consisted of French Huguenots, Welsh, Dutch, Swedes, Jews, Irish, Swiss, and Scots – Highlanders. America was the land of opportunity, and anyone who was willing to work could go from rags to riches. Class differences emerged as a small group of aristocrats had all the power, and the black slaves were the lowest on the social ladder. It was best to be a clergyman or a physi cian. However, physicians were not that well trained and not highly esteemed. The first medical school opened in 1765. Unfortunately, this didn’t prepare them for the plague, small pox. Also, if you were a lawyer, you were assumed to be nosey scumbags. Finally, in 1750, lawyers were recognized as useful, and they defended many high profile cases and played important parts in American history. However, being a farmer was a great thing because it was a stable job. Soon trade became very popular in New England. They created a

The Vampire Diaries Dark Reunion Chapter Fourteen Free Essays

string(94) " Her pale green dress showed up in the gathering dark, but her auburn hair just looked black\." â€Å"He’s gone round the bend,† Matt said, staring at the empty doorway through which Stefan had disappeared. â€Å"No, he hasn’t,† said Meredith. Her voice was rueful and quiet, but there was a kind of helpless laugh in it too. We will write a custom essay sample on The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter Fourteen or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Don’t you see what he’s doing, Matt?† she said when he turned to her. â€Å"Yelling at us, making us hate him to try and chase us away. Being as nasty as possible so we’ll stay mad and let him do this alone.† She glanced at the doorway and raised her eyebrows. † ‘Anyone who does follow me, I’ll kill’ was going a bit overboard, though.† Bonnie giggled suddenly, wildly, in spite of herself. â€Å"I think he borrowed it from Damon. ‘Get this straight, I don’t need any of you!’ â€Å" † ‘You bunch of stupid humans,’ † Matt added. â€Å"But I still don’t understand. You just had a premonition, Bonnie, and Stefan doesn’t usually discount those. If there’s no way to fight and win, what’s the point of going?† â€Å"Bonnie didn’t say there was no way to fight and win. She said there was no way to fight and survive. Right, Bonnie?† Meredith looked at her. The fit of giggles dissolved away. Startled herself, Bonnie tried to examine the premonition, but she knew no more than the words that had sprung into her mind. No one can fight him and live. â€Å"You mean Stefan thinks-† Slow, thunderous outrage was smoldering in Matt’s eyes. â€Å"He thinks he’s going to go and stop Klaus even though he gets killed himself? Like some sacrificial lamb?† â€Å"More like Elena,† Meredith said soberly. â€Å"And maybe-so he can be with her.† â€Å"Huh-uh.† Bonnie shook her head. She might not know more about the prophecy, but this she knew. â€Å"He doesn’t think that, I’m sure. Elena’s special. She is what she is because she died too young; she left so much unfinished in her own life, and-well, she’s a special case. But Stefan’s been a vampire for five hundred years, and he certainly wouldn’t be dying young. There’s no guarantee he’d end up with Elena. He might go to another place or-or just go out. And he knows that. I’m sure he knows that. I think he’s just keeping his promise to her, to stop Klaus no matter what it costs.† â€Å"To try, at least,† Matt said softly, and it sounded as if he were quoting. â€Å"Even if you know you’re going to lose.† He looked up at the girls suddenly. â€Å"I’m going after him.† â€Å"Of course,† said Meredith patiently. Matt hesitated. â€Å"Uh-I don’t suppose I could convince you two to stay here?† â€Å"After all that inspiring talk about teamwork? Not a chance.† â€Å"I was afraid of that. So†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They gathered what weapons they could. Matt’s pocketknife that Stefan had dropped, the ivory-hilted dagger from Stefan’s dresser, a carving knife from the kitchen. Outside, there was no sign of Mrs. Flowers. The sky was pale purple, shading to apricot in the west. Twilight of the solstice eve, Bonnie thought, and hairs on her arms tried to lift. â€Å"Klaus said the old farmhouse in the woods-that must mean the Francher place,† Matt said. â€Å"Where Katherine dumped Stefan in the abandoned well.† â€Å"That makes sense. He’s probably been using Katherine’s tunnel to get back and forth under the river,† Meredith said. â€Å"Unless Old Ones are so powerful they can cross running water without harming themselves.† That’s right, Bonnie remembered, evil things couldn’t cross running water, and the more evil you were, the harder it was. â€Å"But we don’t know anything about the Originals,† she said aloud. â€Å"No, and that means we’ve got to be careful,† Matt said. â€Å"I know these woods pretty well, and I know the path Stefan will probably use. I think we should take a different one.† â€Å"So Stefan won’t see us and kill us?† â€Å"So Klaus won’t see us, or not all of us. So maybe we’ll have a chance of getting to Caroline. Somehow or other we’ve got to get Caroline out of the equation; as long as Klaus can threaten to hurt her he can make Stefan do anything he wants. And it’s always best to plan ahead, to get a jump on the enemy. Klaus said meet there after dark; well, we’ll be there before dark and maybe we can surprise him.† Bonnie was deeply impressed by this strategy. No wonder he’s a quarterback, she was thinking. I would have just rushed in, yelling. Matt picked out an almost invisible path between the oak trees. The undergrowth was especially lush this time of year, with mosses, grasses, flowering plants, and ferns. Bonnie had to trust that Matt knew where he was going, because she certainly didn’t. Above, birds were giving one last burst of song before seeking out a roost for the night. It got dimmer. Moths and lacewings fluttered past Bonnie’s face. After stumbling through a patch of toadstools covered with feeding slugs, she was intensely grateful that this time she’d worn jeans. At last Matt stopped them. â€Å"We’re getting close,† he said, his voice low. â€Å"There’s a sort of bluff where we can look down and Klaus might not see us. Be quiet and careful.† Bonnie had never taken so much trouble placing her feet before. Fortunately the leaf litter was wet and not crackly. After a few minutes Matt dropped to his stomach and gestured for them to follow. Bonnie kept telling herself, fiercely, that she didn’t mind the centipedes and earthworms her sliding fingers dug up, that she had no feelings one way or another about cobwebs in the face. This was life and death, and she was competent. No dweeb, no baby, but competent. They were gazing down on the Francher homestead-or what was left of it. It had crumbled into the earth long ago, taken back by the forest. Now it was only a foundation, building stones covered with flowering weeds and prickly brambles, and one tall chimney like a lonely monument. â€Å"There she is. Caroline,† Meredith breathed in Bonnie’s other ear. Caroline was a dim figure sitting against the chimney. Her pale green dress showed up in the gathering dark, but her auburn hair just looked black. You read "The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter Fourteen" in category "Essay examples" Something white shone across her face, and after a moment Bonnie realized it was a gag. Tape or a bandage. From her strange posture-arms behind her, legs stretched straight out in front-Bonnie also guessed she was tied. Poor Caroline, she thought, forgiving the other girl all the nasty, petty, selfish things she’d ever done, which was a pretty considerable amount when you got down to it. But Bonnie couldn’t imagine anything worse than being abducted by a psycho vampire who’d already killed two of your classmates, dragged out here to the woods and bound, and then left to wait, with your life depending on another vampire who had fairly good reason to hate you. After all, Caroline had wanted Stefan in the beginning, and had hated and tried to humiliate Elena for getting him. Stefan Salvatore was the last person who should feel kindly toward Caroline Forbes. â€Å"Look!† said Matt. â€Å"Is that him? Klaus?† Bonnie had seen it too, a ripple of movement on the opposite side of the chimney. As she strained her eyes he appeared, his light tan raincoat flapping ghostlike around his legs. He glanced down at Caroline and she shrank from him, trying to lean away. His laughter sounded so clearly in the quiet air that Bonnie flinched. â€Å"That’s him,† she whispered, dropping down behind the screening ferns. â€Å"But where’s Stefan? It’s almost dark now.† â€Å"Maybe he got smart and decided not to come,† said Matt. â€Å"No such luck,† said Meredith. She was looking through the ferns to the south. Bonnie glanced that way herself and started. Stefan was standing at the edge of the clearing, having materialized there as if out of thin air. Not even Klaus had seen him coming, Bonnie thought. He stood silently, making no attempt to hide himself or the white ash spear he was carrying. There was something in his stance and the way he looked over the scene before him that made Bonnie remember that in the fifteenth century he’d been an aristocrat, a member of the nobility. He said nothing, waiting for Klaus to notice him, refusing to be rushed. When Klaus did turn south he went still, and Bonnie got the feeling he was surprised Stefan had sneaked up on him. But then he laughed and spread his arms. Slowly, Stefan looked Klaus up and down, from the tails of his tattered raincoat to the top of his windblown head. What Stefan said was: â€Å"You asked for me. I’m here. Let the girl go.† â€Å"Did I say that?† Looking genuinely surprised, Klaus pressed two hands to his chest. Then he shook his head, chuckling. â€Å"I don’t think so. Let’s talk first.† Stefan nodded, as if Klaus had confirmed something bitter he’d been expecting. He took the spear from his shoulder and held it in front of him, handling the unwieldy length of wood deftly, easily. â€Å"I’m listening,† he said. â€Å"Not as dumb as he looks,† Matt murmured from behind the ferns, a note of respect in his voice. â€Å"And he’s not as anxious to get killed as I thought,† Matt added. â€Å"He’s being careful.† Klaus gestured toward Caroline, the tips of his fingers brushing her auburn hair. â€Å"Why don’t you come here so we don’t have to shout?† But he didn’t threaten to hurt his prisoner, Bonnie noticed. â€Å"I can hear you just fine,† Stefan replied. â€Å"Good,† Matt whispered. â€Å"That’s it, Stefan!† Bonnie, though, was studying Caroline. The captive girl was struggling, tossing her head back and forth as if she were frantic or in pain. But Bonnie got a strange feeling about Caroline’s movements, especially those violent jerks of the head, as if the girl was straining to reach the sky. The sky†¦ Bonnie’s gaze lifted up to it, where full darkness had fallen and a waning moon shone over the trees. That was why she could see that Caroline’s hair was auburn now: the moonlight, she thought. Then, with a shock, her eyes dropped to the tree just above Stefan, whose branches were rustling slightly in the absence of any wind. â€Å"Matt?† she whispered, alarmed. Stefan was focused on Klaus, every sense, every muscle, every atom of his Power honed and turned toward the Old One before him. But in that tree directly above him†¦ All thoughts of strategy, of asking Matt what to do, fled from Bonnie’s mind. She bolted up from her place of concealment and shouted. â€Å"Stefan! Above you! It’s a trap!† Stefan leaped aside, neat as a cat, just as something plunged down on the exact place he’d been standing an instant before. The moon lit the scene perfectly, enough for Bonnie to see the white of Tyler’s bared teeth. And to see the white flash of Klaus’s eyes as he whirled on her. For one stunned instant she stared at him, and then lightning crackled. From an empty sky. It was only later that Bonnie would realize the strangeness-the fearsomeness-of this. At the time she scarcely noted that the sky was clear and star swept and that the jagged blue bolt that forked down struck the palm of Klaus’s upraised hand. The next sight she saw was so terrifying as to black everything else out: Klaus folding his hand over that lightning, gathering it somehow, and throwing it at her. â€Å"Stay here! Right here!† he shouted, and bounded away. Those dreaded words. They catapulted Bonnie right up, and she was running after him before she knew what she was doing. And then the world turned into chaos. Klaus had whirled back on Stefan, who was grappling with Tyler, beating him. Tyler, in his wolf form, was making terrible sounds as Stefan threw him to the ground. Meredith was running toward Caroline, approaching from behind the chimney so Klaus wouldn’t spot her. Bonnie saw her reach Caroline and saw the flash of Stefan’s silver dagger as Meredith cut the cords around Caroline’s wrists. Then Meredith was half carrying, half dragging Caroline behind the chimney to work on her feet. A sound like antlers clashing made Bonnie spin around. Klaus had come at Stefan with a tall branch of his own-it must have been lying flat on the ground before. It looked just as sharp as Stefan’s, making it a serviceable lance. But Klaus and Stefan weren’t just stabbing at each other; they were using the sticks as quarterstaffs. Robin Hood, Bonnie thought dazedly. Little John and Robin. That was what it looked like: Klaus was that much taller and heavier boned than Stefan. Then Bonnie saw something else and cried out wordlessly. Behind Stefan, Tyler had gotten up again and was crouching, just as he had in the graveyard before lunging for Stefan’s throat. Stefan’s back was to him. And Bonnie couldn’t warn him in time. But she’d forgotten about Matt. Head down, ignoring claws and fangs, he was charging at Tyler, tackling him like a first-rate linebacker before he could leap. Tyler went flying sideways, with Matt on top of him. Bonnie was overwhelmed. So much was happening. Meredith was sawing through Caroline’s ankle cords; Matt was pummeling Tyler in a way that certainly would have gotten him disqualified on the football field; Stefan was whirling that white ash staff as if he’d been trained for it. Klaus was laughing deliriously, seeming exhilarated by the exercise, as they traded blows with deadly speed and accuracy. But Matt seemed to be in trouble now. Tyler was gripping him and snarling, trying to get a hold on his throat. Wildly, Bonnie looked around for a weapon, entirely forgetting the carving knife in her pocket. Her eye fell on a dead oak branch. She picked it up and ran to where Tyler and Matt were struggling. Then Matt was on top of Tyler again, holding Tyler’s head down, holding himself clear. Bonnie saw her chance and aimed the stick. But Tyler saw her. With a burst of supernatural strength, he gathered his legs and sent Matt soaring off him backward. Matt’s head struck a tree with a sound Bonnie would never forget. The dull sound of a rotten melon bursting. He slid down the front of the tree and was still. Bonnie was gasping, stunned. She might have started toward Matt, but Tyler was there in front of her, breathing hard, bloody saliva running down his chin. He looked even more like an animal than he had in the graveyard. As if in a dream, Bonnie raised her stick, but she could feel it shaking in her hands. Matt was so still-was he breathing? Bonnie could hear the sob in her own breath as she faced Tyler. This was ridiculous; this was a boy from her own school. A boy she’d danced with last year at the Junior Prom. How could he be keeping her away from Matt, how could he be trying to hurt them all? How could he be doing this? â€Å"Tyler, please-† she began, meaning to reason with him, to beg him†¦ â€Å"All alone in the woods, little girl?† he said, and his voice was a thick and guttural growl, shaped at the last minute into words. In that instant Bonnie knew that this was not the boy she’d gone to school with. This was an animal. Oh, God, he’s ugly, she thought. Ropes of red spit hung out of his mouth. And those yellow eyes with the slitted pupils-in them she saw the cruelty of the shark, and the crocodile, and the wasp that lays its eggs in a caterpillar’s living body. All the cruelty of animal nature in those two yellow eyes. â€Å"Somebody should have warned you,† Tyler said, dropping his jaw to laugh the way a dog does. â€Å"Because if you go out in the woods alone, you might meet the Big Bad-â€Å" â€Å"Jerk!† a voice finished for him, and with a feeling of gratitude that bordered on the religious, Bonnie saw Meredith beside her. Meredith, holding Stefan’s dagger, which shone liquidly in the moonlight. â€Å"Silver, Tyler,† Meredith said, brandishing it. â€Å"I wonder what silver does to a werewolf’s members? Want to see?† All Meredith’s elegance, her standoffishness, her cool observer’s dispassion were gone. This was the essential Meredith, a warrior Meredith, and although she was smiling, she was mad. â€Å"Yes!† shouted Bonnie gleefully, feeling power rush through her. Suddenly she could move. She and Meredith, together, were strong. Meredith was stalking Tyler from one side, Bonnie held her stick ready on the other. A longing she’d never felt before shot through her, the longing to hit Tyler so hard his head would come flying off. She could feel the strength to do it surging in her arm. And Tyler, with his animal instinct, could sense it, could sense it from both of them, closing in on either side. He recoiled, caught himself, and turned to try and get away from them. They turned too. In a minute they were all three orbiting like a mini solar system: Tyler turning around and around in the middle; Bonnie and Meredith circling him, looking for a chance to attack. â€Å"I did it! Yes. All right! Yes!† Bonnie shouted, flinging the stick away. Triumph erupted from her in a primal shout. â€Å"We did it!† She grabbed the heavy body by the back of the mane and pulled it off Meredith, where it had fallen. â€Å"We-â€Å" Then she broke off, her words freezing in her throat. â€Å"Meredith!† she cried. â€Å"It’s all right,† Meredith gasped, her voice tight with pain. And weakness, Bonnie thought, chilled as if doused with ice water. Tyler had clawed her leg to the bone. There were huge, gaping wounds in the thigh of Meredith’s jeans and in the white skin that showed clearly through the torn cloth. And to Bonnie’s absolute horror, she could see inside the skin too, could see flesh and muscle ripped and red blood pouring out. â€Å"Meredith-† she cried frantically. They had to get Meredith to a doctor. Everyone had to stop now; everyone must understand that. They had an injury here; they needed to get an ambulance, to call 911. â€Å"Meredith,† she gasped, almost weeping. â€Å"Tie it up with something.† Meredith’s face was white. Shock. Going into shock. And so much blood; so much blood coming out. Oh, God, thought Bonnie, please help me. She looked for something to tie it up with, but there was nothing. Something dropped on the ground beside her. A length of nylon cord like the cord they’d used to tie up Tyler, with frayed edges. Bonnie looked up. â€Å"Can you use that?† asked Caroline uncertainly, her teeth chattering. She was wearing the green dress, her auburn hair straggling and stuck to her face with sweat and blood. Even as she spoke she swayed, and fell to her knees beside Meredith. â€Å"Are you hurt?† Bonnie gasped. Caroline shook her head, but then she bent forward, racked with nausea, and Bonnie saw the marks in her throat. But there was no time to worry about Caroline now. Meredith was more important. Bonnie tied the cord above Meredith’s wounds, her mind running desperately over things she’d learned from her sister Mary. Mary was a nurse. Mary said-a tourniquet couldn’t be too tight or left on too long or gangrene set in. But she had to stop the gushing blood. Oh, Meredith. â€Å"Bonnie-help Stefan,† Meredith was gasping, her voice almost a whisper. â€Å"He’s going to need it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She sagged backward, her breathing stertorous, her slitted eyes looking up at the sky. Dazed, she turned to Caroline, who was shivering and retching, sweat beading her face. Useless, Bonnie thought. But she had no other choice. â€Å"Caroline, listen to me,† she said. She picked up the largest piece of the stick she’d used on Tyler and put it into Caroline’s hands. â€Å"You stay with Matt and Meredith. Loosen that tourniquet every twenty minutes or so. And if Tyler starts to wake up, if he even twitches, you hit him as hard as you can with this. Understand? Caroline,† she added, â€Å"this is your big chance to prove you’re good for something. That you’re not useless. All right?† She caught the furtive green eyes and repeated, â€Å"All right?† â€Å"But what are you going to do?† Bonnie looked toward the clearing. â€Å"No, Bonnie.† Caroline’s hand grasped her, and Bonnie noted with some part of her mind the broken nails, the rope burns on the wrists. â€Å"Stay here where it’s safe. Don’t go to them. There’s nothing you can do-â€Å" Bonnie shook her off and made for the clearing before she lost her resolve. In her heart, she knew Caroline was right. There was nothing she could do. But something Matt had said before they left was ringing in her mind. To try at least. She had to try. Still, in those next few horrible minutes all she could do was look. So far, Stefan and Klaus had been trading blows with such violence and accuracy that it had been like a beautiful, lethal dance. But it had been an equal, or almost equal, match. Stefan had been holding his own. Now she saw Stefan bearing down with his white ash lance, pressing Klaus to his knees, forcing him backward, farther and farther back, like a limbo dancer seeing how low he could go. And Bonnie could see Klaus’s face now, mouth slightly open, staring up at Stefan with what looked like astonishment and fear. Then everything changed. At the very bottom of his descent, when Klaus had bent back as far as he could go, when it seemed that he must be about to collapse or break, something happened. Klaus smiled. And then he started pushing back. Bonnie saw Stefan’s muscles knot, saw his arms go rigid, trying to resist. But Klaus, still grinning madly, eyes wide open, just kept coming. He unfolded like some terrible jack-in-the-box, only slowly. Slowly. Inexorably. His grin getting wider until it looked as if it would split his face. Like the Cheshire cat. A cat, thought Bonnie. Now Stefan was the one grunting and straining, teeth clenched, trying to hold Klaus off. But Klaus and his stick bore down, forcing Stefan backward, forcing him to the ground. Grinning all the time. Until Stefan was lying on his back, his own stick pressing into his throat with the weight of Klaus’s lance across it. Klaus looked down at him and beamed. â€Å"I’m tired of playing, little boy,† he said, and he straightened and threw his own stick down. â€Å"Now it’s dying time.† He took Stefan’s staff away from him as easily as if he were taking it from a child. Picked it up with a flick of his wrist and broke it over his knee, showing how strong he was, how strong he had always been. How cruelly he had been playing with Stefan. One of the halves of the white ash stick he tossed over his shoulder across the clearing. The other he jabbed at Stefan. Using not the pointed end but the splintered one, broken into a dozen tiny points. He jabbed down with a force that seemed almost casual, but Stefan screamed. He did it again and again, eliciting a scream each time. Bonnie cried out, soundlessly. She had never heard Stefan scream before. She didn’t need to be told what kind of pain must have caused it. She didn’t need to be told that white ash might be the only wood deadly to Klaus, but that any wood was deadly to Stefan. That Stefan was, if not dying now, about to die. That Klaus, with his hand now raised, was going to finish it with one more plunging blow. Klaus’s face was tilted to the moon in a grin of obscene pleasure, showing that this was what he liked, where he got his thrills. From killing. And Bonnie couldn’t move, couldn’t even cry. The world swam around her. It had all been a mistake, she wasn’t competent; she was a baby after all. She didn’t want to see that final thrust, but she couldn’t look away. And all this couldn’t be happening, but it was. It was. Klaus flourished the splintered stake and with a smile of pure ecstasy started to bring it down. And a spear shot across the clearing and struck him in the middle of the back, landing and quivering like a giant arrow, like half a giant arrow. It made Klaus’s arms fling out, dropping the stake; it shocked the ecstatic grin right off his face. He stood, arms extended, for a second, and then turned, the white ash stick in his back wobbling slightly. Bonnie’s eyes were too dazzled by waves of gray dots to see, but she heard the voice clearly as it rang out, cold and arrogant and filled with absolute conviction. Just five words, but they changed everything. â€Å"Get away from my brother.† How to cite The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter Fourteen, Essay examples

Hemingways A Farewell To Arms Essay Example For Students

Hemingways A Farewell To Arms Essay Hemingways A Farewell To ArmsThe book A Farewell to Arms, written by Ernest Hemingway, is a classicabout the love story of a nurse and a war ridden soldier. The story startsas Frederick Henry is serving in the Italian Army. He meets his future lovein the hospital that he gets put in for various reasons. I thought that AFarewell to Arms was a good book because of the symbolism, the excitingplot, and the constant moving of the main character. The symbolism in A Farewell to Arms is very much apparent. ErnestHemingway has always been one who is big on the symbolism of night as beingbad. To the main character in Hemingways novels, nights have always beena sign of death, or something negative to happen. Another one of thesymbolisms in A Farewell to Arms is when Henry tries to escape from theItalian army by jumping off one of the ships the army was traveling on andrunning away from the army. This symbolism was the water that he jumpedinto was a symbolism of the new, clean life that he was going to live fromnow on. At this time, Henry goes off and finds his wife to be. The plot in A Farewell to Arms was always active. They were neverstaying in one place too long. It had a very good story line, which was alove story that ended up in a tragedy. The main characters wife gotpregnant and she was off to have her baby when problems started occurring. They had to have a caesarean, and the baby dies, and when the mother of thechild starts to hemorrhage Henry knows that it was over for his wife and hewas right. From the beginning of the book until the end, the action was up. Eversince the front page Henry was traveling around to different towns so itwas not boring for the reader. That made it very interesting for thereader because it was always a new town coming up so they were beingintroduced in the new characters quite often. As the story goes on, thereader is not introducing as many new people, but they are still travelingaround quite a bit. Hemingway has a way with arranging the plots of all hisstories. They all have that right timing to them. He always introducesonly people that will affect the story, he does not introduce someone whowill be in the scene for five minutes and then leave. I felt that theauthors planning on putting this novel together was very good. Ernest Hemingway has always been one of the worlds best known classicwriters. His style and technique of symbolism is much different thanothers. He uses then in very strong ways that you the reader does notalways pick up. I am sure that I missed some of the symbolism that went onin the book. I picked up a few though and they were very interesting. Irecommend this to anyone who is interested in a love story that does notget too intimate.

Electronic Health Record Systems

Question: Discuss about the Electronic Health Record Systems and Standard Vocabularies. Answer: Introduction The introduction and adoption of information technology have led to the development of electronic health records that have vastly improved the administration of medical care in the recent years making it crucial in the medical world. Electronic health records could be described in non-technical language as an electronic rendition of a patients restorative history. However, its success envisioned by its incorporation of standardized vocabularies, that increased interdepartmental communication while offering medical care to the patient. The Standard medical vocabularies, wordings, or coding frameworks are organized rundown of terms, which together with their definitions intended to portray the healthcare administration of patients unambiguously. These vocabularies cover diseases, prescription of drugs and medication and so on. They are utilized to bolster recording and divulge a patient's care at different levels of detail, through the electronic health records (EHRS) Tastan, (2014) Rationale of standard vocabularies in electronic health records (EHRS) Electronic health records systems are the following stride in the progress of medicinal services that can fortify the connection amongst patients and medical practitioners. The information, readiness and accessibility of it will empower these practitioners to settle on better choices and give better care. Moorhead,(2014). Like in such a scenario where data in numerous areas is to forage, shared, and incorporated whenever required there will require normal vocabularies for the individual, clinical, and general health data allowing the individual to be satisfied with the information received. Other reasons for incorporating standardized terminologies include: 1.Accessing and acquiring of coded information utilizing numerous properties and at various levels of specificity than initially coded 2.Provide medical practitioners with decision support while offering treatment, e.g., drug prescription increasing shared understanding throughout the field Reviewing the nature of administration and benchmarking while Supporting examination exercises 1.Organizing information section with adaptability of expressionfledgling to expertise Examples of vocabularies or terminologies: 1.ABC Codes 2.Clinical Care Classification (CCC), 3.International Classification of Nursing Practice (ICNP), 4.Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC), 5.NANDA International 6.Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS), 7.Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC), 8.Systematic Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT), Issues associated with EHRs design and solutions. A few frameworks that focus on implementing fine-grained essential clinical information have been restrictive, constrained, troublesome for clinicians to utilize and come around leading to low client acknowledgment. This issue is addressed by creating training programs for the medical practitioners where they can be taught how to use the systems. Additionally, research could be undertaken based on questionnaires on how the medical practitioners would want the systems tailored to their advantages Nelson and Staggers, (2017). Semantic EHRs underpinning-The incorporation of vocabularies or terminologies in most EHRs lack a semantic underpinning which could lead to misdiagnoses or confusion. This problem could be solved by updating systems and adding description logic encoded systems e.g. SNOMED CT.' Existing medicinal vocabularies change in their scope and fulfillment. This issue could be solved by undertaking and investing in medical research Complete clinical phrasing frameworks are expected to assist incorporate patient information with EHRs. By use of SNOMED CT expects to help structure and modernize the medicinal record yet should be utilized effectively and reliably to protect information quality and boost shareability. Ajami, and Bagheri-Tadi,(2013). Lack of a single standard and comprehensive vocabularies which would improve the flow of medical information which could prove fruitful later .this could be addressed by increased research and invest Paganin and Rabelo ,(2013). Reference Tastan, S., Linch, G. C., Keenan, G. M., Stifter, J., McKinney, D., Fahey, L., ... Wilkie, D. J. (2014). Evidence for the existing American Nurses Association-recognized standardized nursing terminologies: A systematic review.International journal of nursing studies,51(8), 1160-1170. Nelson, R., Staggers, N. (2017).Health informatics: An interprofessional approach. Elsevier Health Sciences. seng, H., Moorhead, S. (2014, July). The use of standardized terminology to represent nursing knowledge: nursing interventions relevant to safety for patients with cancer. InNursing Informatics(Vol. 201, pp. 298-333). Paganin, A., Rabelo, E. R. (2013). Clinical validation of the nursing diagnoses of impaired tissue integrity and impaired skin integrity in patients subjected to cardiac catheterization.Journal of advanced nursing,69(6), 1338-1345. Ajami, S., Bagheri-Tadi, T. (2013). Barriers for adopting electronic health records (EHRs) by physicians.Acta Informatica Medica,21(2), 129.

Rehabilitation Paper free essay sample

Rehabilitation is a word that is used often within the corrections, in the prison setting. It is an attempt to change an individual’s attitude and behavior. There are programs that are to prevent habitual offenders, help a criminal get to their normal state of mind and not to be punishing for their action that may cause the criminal to change and become an outstanding citizen that follows the rules instead of the individual getting out and committing another crime. Throughout the years there has been many processes created to form rehabilitation process of criminal justice. The process has helped many offenders by allowing him/her to return within their community as a changed individual. Rehabilitation is a specific program that is applied within a prison setting to bring the end of a criminal’s behavior called desistance, the meaning to cease and stop. An inmate getting into the right program would keep them long enough in order to complete the program successfully, once the program has been completed then the inmate can be put in the community so that their behavior would be tested as a non-criminal behavior. We will write a custom essay sample on Rehabilitation Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are some facilities that offer rehab, religion, and anger management (Foster, 2006). In the twentieths century it was believed that prison official were not able to give a defined and clear method of rehabilitation (Foster, 2006). Scientific penology was a major role in defining and conducting structured thoughts and scientific studies that is utilized through rehabilitation (Foster, 2006). The program has an effect on prisoners, the prisons and society in various ways. Inmates have these types of programs available as it gives the individual something constructive to do with his/her time. The type of rehabilitation programs can have a  positive impact on inmate’s life, if rehabilitation is completed while incarcerated all means his/her life change and when released they will benefit to society. In my opinion, I think that prison rehabilitation is in a good setting when it comes to offenders however, once an individual is released he/she should continue to be monitored for a period of time to make sure that they stay on the straight and positive path. Rehabilitation can help an individual make positive choices in his or her life. I just believe that it can be a positive program, however prisoners have to see a need for rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is a word that is used often within the corrections, in the prison setting. It is an attempt to change an individual’s attitude and behavior. There are programs that are to prevent habitual offenders, help a criminal get to their normal state of mind and not to be punishing for their action that may cause the criminal to change and become an outstanding citizen that follows the rules instead of the individual getting out and committing another crime. Throughout the years there has been many processes created to form rehabilitation process of criminal justice. The process has helped many offenders by allowing him/her to return within their community as a changed individual. Rehabilitation is a specific program that is applied within a prison setting to bring the end of a criminal’s behavior called desistance, the meaning to cease and stop. An inmate getting into the right program would keep them long enough in order to complete the program successfully, once the program has been completed then the inmate can be put in the community so that their behavior would be tested as a non-criminal behavior. There are some facilities that offer rehab, religion, and anger management (Foster, 2006). In the twentieths century it was believed that prison official were not able to give a defined and clear method of rehabilitation (Foster, 2006). Scientific penology was a major role in defining and conducting structured thoughts and scientific studies that is utilized through rehabilitation (Foster, 2006). The program has an effect on prisoners, the prisons and society in various ways. Inmates have these types of programs available as it gives the individual something constructive to do with his/her time. The type of rehabilitation programs can have a  positive impact on inmate’s life, if rehabilitation is completed while incarcerated all means his/her life change and when released they will benefit to society. In my opinion, I think that prison rehabilitation is in a good setting when it comes to offenders however, once an individual is released he/she should continue to be monitored for a period of time to make sure that they stay on the straight and positive path. Rehabilitation can help an individual make positive choices in his or her life. I just believe that it can be a positive program, however prisoners have to see a need for rehabilitation.

1301 US HIST The United States History Ch.23 Quiz Essays

1301 US HIST The United States History Ch.23 Quiz Essays 1301 US HIST The United States History Ch.23 Quiz Paper 1301 US HIST The United States History Ch.23 Quiz Paper Essay Topic: Literature What characterized the period Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover described as New Era in 1920? b.A freewheeling economy and a heightened sense of individualism Americas return to a peacetime economy in 1920-1921 was marked by? d. a 20% unemployment rate, highest to date In its efforts to create prosperity at home, the Harding administration supported? a. high tariffs to protect American businesses. President Hardings administration was characterized by c. scandals that involved many members of his administration President Calvin Coolidges economic policy included? b. reductions in government regulation of business What did the presidential election of 1924, in which Calvin Coolidge defeated John W. Davis and Robert La Follette, reveal about the priorities of American voters? a. The election results revealed voters lack of support for labor unions the regulation of business and the protection of civil liberties President Hardings most ambitious foreign policy initiative was? d. establishing a balance of naval power with Britain, France, Japan, and Italy. What was the purpose of the Dawes Plan, which was instituted in 1924? b. The plan cut Germanys annual reparations payments in half and initiated fresh American loans to Germany. Which industry formed the keystone of the American economy in the 1920s? D. The automobile industry The outcome of the shift toward repetitive assembly-line work and specialized management divisions in the 1920s was? d. a tremendous increase in business productivity and overall efficiency Who was responsible for the creation of welfare capitalism in the 1920s, and why did they use it? c. businesses created welfare capitalism to encourage workers; loyalty to the company. What did the authors of Middletown conclude from their study of life in a small Midwestern town in the 1920s? C) The United States had developed a culture in which everything hinged on money. Which relatively new industry in the 1920s linked the possession of material goods to the fulfillment of spiritual and emotional needs? D) Advertising Which element of the American economy during the 1920s lay at the heart of its fundamental lack of stability? c.Consumption Many Americans in the 1920s view Sigmund Freuds pioneering work in the psychology of the unconscious as ? A) a justification for impulsive behavior. In the United States, the flapper of the 1920s represented? d. a challenge to womens traditional gender roles Which of the following statements exemplifies President Hardings stance on prohibition in the 1920s? b.Liquor flowed freely in the White House during his administration Which of the following statements describes the Sheppard Towner Act of 1921, which gave federal assistance to states seeking to reduce high infant morality rates? a. It was womens only significant national legislative success in the 1920s One factor that diluted the influence of women in politics in the 1920s was? A) the lack of unity around the issues, which diminished women voters impact. During the 1920s, most American women who worked had? b. office and sales jobs The image of the new woman in American society in the 1920? C) was felt by all women, even those who believed in traditional gender roles. When black veterans of World War I returned home from their deployments, they found ? C. race riots and economic hardship. Marcus Garveys Universal Negro Improvement Association urged black Americans in the 1920s to? b. rediscover their African heritage and take pride in their own culture and achievements. Which of the following describes the outpouring of African American literature and art in New York City in the 1920s? d. The era in which African American literature and art flooded New York was known as the Harlem Renaissance. The rapid growth of radio in the United States between 1922 and 1929 was funded by? D. advertisers, who wanted to reach prospective customers in their own homes. What did popular culture and consumer goods have in common in the 1920s? d. Both were mass-produced and mass consumed. Which of the following statements describes professional baseball in the 1920s? d. (The game attracted players spectators from the working class) a game by and for the working class to help break out of the ordinariness of everyday life. Babe Ruth was prominent and said to have singlehandedly lightened the cares of the world. In the 1920s, Knute Rockne and Red Grange were associated with? c. college and professional football. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh became the first person to? b. fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean One result of the loosening of the traditional bonds of community, religion, and family in the United States in the 1920s was? c. the emergence of youth as a distinct social class with their own culture For which group of Americans did authors Ernest Hemmingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, and Sinclair Lewis speak? c. Critics of American anti-intellectualism and materialism During the 1920s, rural Americans perceive cities as? d. idyllic places where they might go to enjoy restaurants, theater, museums. The purpose of the immigration laws of the 1920s, including the Johnson-Reed Act, was to? b. place strict limits on immigration. What did the outcome of the Sacco and Vanzetti trial suggest about the United States in the 1920s? D. Antiforeign hysteria was rampant in many areas of American life. What accounted for the reemergence of the Ku Klux Klan in the United States in 1915? a. the widespread belief that blacks, immigrants, radicals, feminists, Catholics, and Jews threatened traditional American values. Which of the following describes the Ku Klux Klan of the mid-1920s? D) The KKK had a strong influence on politics in California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas. The central issue addressed by the highly publicized scopes trial of 1925 was ? b.the legality of the teaching of Darwins theory of evolution in Tennessee How did Americans respond to Alfred E. Smiths candidacy for president in 1928? C. As a symbol of all they feared- Catholicism, immigration, cities, and liberal attitudes Which words from President Herbert Hoovers 1929 inaugural address would turn out to be ironic in light of events during his presidency? a.Given a chance to go forward with the policies of the last eight years, we shall soon with the help of God be in sight of the day when poverty will be banished from this nation. When Herbert Hoover took office in 1929, he brought to the presidency ? a. modern ideas about how businesses should operate Which of the following characterized the U.S. economy when Herbert Hoover moved into the White House in 1929? a. There was a huge disparity in wealth between rich and poor.There was a huge disparity in wealth between rich and poor. Among the fist signs of economic distress in the United States in the mid-1920s was ? d. a slowdown in the new construction and in automobile sales. The fundamental cause of the Great Depression in the United States was? b. problems in the American and international economies. What did President Hoover do to offer a solution to the human problems of the depression in 1929? A) He instituted a voluntary recovery plan, protective tariffs, and some government intervention, including public works projects and small federal loans to states. The purpose of the President Hoovers Reconstruction Finance Corporation, created in 1932, was to? c. lend money to endangered American banks, insurance companies, and railroads. By the early 1930s, unemployed workers were responding to the Great Depression by ? C) becoming increasingly outraged and turning toward militant forms of protest. Which group was hardest hit by the Great Depression? d. The unemployed, tenant farmers, and sharecroppers How did the Great Depression affect the American family in the 1930s? C) It created resentment among men, who lost their jobs more often than women did. The Hoover administration responded to the World War I. veterans who asked for the immediate payment of their pension or bonus? a. by ordering the U.S. army to forcibly evict them from their camp on the edge of Washington, D.C. Which group sponsored a team of lawyers to defend the nine young black men in Scottsboro, Alabama, who were arrested on trumped -up rape charges in 1931? b.The Communist Party

Goldcorp Strategic analysis Essays

Goldcorp Strategic analysis Essays Goldcorp Strategic analysis Essay Goldcorp Strategic analysis Essay Awake Nelson Parsonage Sang Tap Table of Contents Executive Summary The report contains the strategic plan for Colder to sustain their growth based on an in-depth analysis of their current situation and the industry in which they operating. Colder, one of the lowest cost and fastest growing gold producers in North America, is looking to find sustainable growth options that would Increase profits. They have a strong disciplined growth strategy, but there are three mines which are at the end of its lifestyle which would greatly impact the gold production rate and market supply. Competitors have begun to acquire the same targets of Colder. The Kiosk mine acquisition was lost to Gaining Eagle after an unsuccessful bidding process. Stakeholders have also begun to speculate suspicious activities within Colder that may put their reputation at risk. Recently, the company has been kicked out of Guatemala from overwhelming public protests about violations of local human rights. An unfavorable company image would create uncertainty in their stakeholders who may withdraw their funds from the company. Relations with the public have been well-executed due to community support programs that create jobs for the public. In addition to those who are hired, Colder manages the highest safety precautions for every employee to reach their operating goal of zero fatalities. Colder will implemental mill scats reprocessing project Into other mines to extract any excess steel that comes out of the gold explorations. : They will be process and refined to create a new and strong source of revenue in the sale of these materials in as the current mines are reaching the end of their useful life. Gold output is an important statistic for the company and keeping it at its peak will be critical to the success in the industry. Another way to increase the gold production and mine expansion rate is to re-launch the Colder Challenge which was implemented 14 years ago. Properties with abundant gold reserves will be identified from remote locations all over the world at the lowest cost possible highest return on investment. Within the next 5 years, Colder will be at its most successful position in its history with increasing gold production and mine expansions. Progress reports will be done secularly to ensure the company is heading towards a prosperous future. Company Presentation Colder Inc. , headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, is one of the lowest cost and fastest growing senior gold producers in North America. The company was founded in 1954 and employs more than 16,000 people (Colder, 2014). Colder is committed to responsible mining practices and developing sustained, industry leading growth and performance. The company is involved in the exploration, acquisition, and operation of gold properties in Canada, the United States, Mexico and Central and South America. In addition to gold, the Corporation also produces silver, copper, lead and zinc primarily from concentrate produced at the Pantsuit Mine and Lumbered Mine, which is sold to third party refineries. Goldenrods operating assets include four mines in Canada (Red Lake, Porcupine, Wharf Mushiest), one mine in the U. S. (Marigold), three mines in Mexico (Pantsuit, El Causal Los Fills), and three in Central and South America (Marlin, Lumbered, Pueblo Viejo). Along with these valuable assets, the success for company is well defined by its focus on five key attributes: growth, low cash costs, maintaining a throng balance sheet, operating in regions with low political risks and conducting business in a responsible manner. The companys strategy is to provide its shareholders, employees and business partners with sustainable prosperity with high quality assets. Colder is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: G) and the Toronto Stock Exchange. The company undergoes significant development projects some of which includes Cero Negro gold project in Argentina; the El ©Monroe and Connector gold projects in Canada; the El Morrow gold/copper project (70% interest) in Chile; and the Camino Roll gold/silver project in Mexico. On February 3, 2014, the Company announced that it had, in conjunction with its Joint venture partner, Barrack, entered into a definitive agreement to sell their respective interests in Marigold to Silver Standard Resources Inc. Internal Analysis Colder operates 11 mines throughout Canada, USA, Mexico, and South America. They produce 2. 6 million ounces of gold annually. The Red Lake Mine, Goldenrods top producer, produces over 2,400 tones per day. Despite a mid-year decrease in gold price in 2013, Colder was able to achieve its productions due to the Operating for Excellence program (Colder Inc, 2013). The program resulted in a significant efficiency and productivity gains, while maintaining a culture of safe and profitable production. Moreover, Goldenrods competitive advantage lies in the location of its mines. Goldenrods mines are exclusively located in Jurisdictions with low political risks mentioned in Appendix 2, Colder also has a strong relationship with local communities and are able to provide Jobs for them (Colder Inc, 2011). They understand the negative impacts of operating mines in the communities and were able to conduct their business that supports strong, vibrant and sustainable immunities. Colder received several accomplishments such as, safety awards in its Los Fills mine, being recognized as Canadas top 100 employers, and top 100 companies in the world in its sustainability practices (Colder Inc, 2014). One of Goldenrods strength is their disciplined growth strategy (Kramer-Miller, 2013). They have experienced a production growth of 10% per year. They further demonstrated their excellence in their growth strategy, with their development projects in Cero Negro and Lenore. These two projects are projected to increase Goldenrods production by 3. 5 million ounces annually. However, some of Goldenrods projects such as mines in Wharf, Marlin, and El Causal are nearing the end of their life cycle. They would have to address this by acquiring more assets to maintain its growth. On the other hand, Colder has a lack of stakeholder management. They received several human rights complaints in their mines in Mexico, and were kicked out of Guatemala for allegations including killings, attacks, and death threats against its opponents (Machinating Canada, 2010). Financially, Colder has a disciplined capital allocation strategy and has grown the value of its asset without assuming a lot of debt ($2. Billion in debt while having $20 billion in equity). However, Colder $2. Billion debt and a revolving credit facility of up to $2 billion has forced them to use a portion of its cash flow to service principal and interest on its debt, which limits their cash flow for other opportunities (Colder Inc, 2013). They also have a huge impairment at the Lumbered mine of over $276 million (Maintainer Index, 2014) due to changes in short term metal price assumptions. Along with declining gold prices, Colder incurred a net loss of $1. 1 billion in 2012. The analysis of the financia l statements shows that Colder had a difficult year. The large impairment that they recorded caused them to record a huge loss. While it is common for mining companies to use many estimates to determine assets, even without taking the impairment into account the financial are worse in 2013 as compared to 2012. The current ratio went down from above 2 to 1 . 1, although this shows that Colder can still pay off all its debt. In summation, Goldenrods financial while weakening are still strong enough to maintain their debt, and Colder looks to have a strong 2014 to counteract the weak results in 2013. External Analysis General Environment As mentioned in Appendix 3, in this environmental analysis of three regions, Canada, USA, and Latin America, we identified differences in the stability of governments between North America and Latin America. Refer to exhibit 1 for the full chart analysis. North America, a Senate and Congress operating under a democracy oversees Judgments made in fair and controlled environments, whereas Latin American governments are under heavy suspicions of corruption by third parties. All the regions have experienced a growth in economy; however, Canada lags behind in the end of 2012 with a disappointing growth rate of 1. Even with its title as the 10th largest economy in the world employing over 363,000 people in the mining zone known as the ring of fire. Therefore, the structure of the mines will greatly be affected and heightened safety precautions will take time and costs to deploy. Earthquake hazards will mostly affect the Western regions of the Americas, where weather patterns such as storms , droughts, and long winters will affect the working conditions. Technological developments play a big role in mining companies as they allocate a lot of resources, over $10 million into their RD departments. It is possible hat expenditures for RD will increase because the mining industry in Canada is the most technologically advanced sector. As Colder is a Canadian company, they will want to uphold their reputation and continue their innovation abilities. On the contrary, the United States focuses most on the retailing, space, and nuclear industry. Porters Five Forces As mentioned in Appendix 5, Colder is competing for dominance in the valuable metals and natural resources market. To participate in this industry, a very large amount of capital is required to operate mainly because of the technology and machinery needed. Human resource is also a big requirement to operate all the machinery and oversee the daily operations. Getting out of the industry is equally difficult because outstanding warranty or contracts must be honored. The sale of equipment or facilities which were purchased for long-term purposes might incur enormous losses if sold too soon. Competitors in the same industry generally attempt to effectively target the same clients as Colder. They are currently promoting their goods that attempt to provide higher value to gain market share. Colder has the abilities to support themselves as they are vertically integrated, supplying their own sources. This is crucial because controlling critical inputs affects a firms ability to compete and determines who will lead the industry. Colder can use strategic groups in an industry which can offer important insights to executives who can create unique strategies. Firms that follow the same strategies but differ in important ways from the members of other groups can change a firms ability to compete over time. One way of doing this is to borrow ideas from others to fit the company culture. Competitive Environment Analysis A full analysis of Goldenrods main competitors can be found in Appendix 6. We measured the process innovation, low cost structure, financial position, gold production, international expansion and location. Our analysis found that Colder Inc. Has competitive advantage in process innovation and low cost structure. Goldenrods strongest competitor is Barrack Gold. The analysis of the external environment and the factors within it shows that Colder Inc. Is fairly well suited to respond to the factors of the external environment. Appendix 6 shows an overall weighted score of 3. 91 . This illustrates an above average response rate to external factors. Matching (refer to Appendix 7 for SOOT Analysis) Goldenrods strong relationship with local communities creates local Jobs within the region. And as other miners retrench, Colder has the opportunity to acquire new mines. With this opportunity and their strength in community relations, Colder can take advantage of the community support to provide them with the HER needed for new mine acquisitions. Goldenrods disciplined capital allocation gives them the ability to spend up to $3. Billion for acquisition of new mines. This could be used to cost, and implement their innovative programs, such as the EWE. Currently, Goldenrods mines such as Wharf, Marlin, and El Causal are reaching the end of their life cycle. As gold prices are on the rise and with an opportunity to expand to foreign markets, Colder can expand to other foreign markets with large gold reserves to acqui re their new mines. Moreover, as demand for steel increases, they can implement Mill Scats Reprocessing Project (MSP) to extract steel from the mines at the end of their life cycle. This maximizes the utilization of these mines. Furthermore, Colder can use hedging strategy, to minimize the threat of gold price fluctuations. Also, as there has been an active competition in the acquisition market for lands with high reserves, re-launching the Colder challenge allows them to discover new mines with large reserves around the world. This creates new mines for the company to operate in while replacing the mines at the end of their life cycle. With the threat of tax and policy changes, Colder should acquire new mines that operate in low risk Jurisdiction to minimize these threats. Lastly, due to the lack of stakeholder management, managing stakeholder expectations about company growth and reference levels will allow stakeholders to continue to purchase stocks from Colder. Strategic Intent Goldenrods strategic intent is aimed at continuing to grow their company through increasing the efficiency of their gold production and acquiring new mines, while simultaneously maintaining the practice of gold mining responsibly and promoting the shareholder value and the health and well-being of its employees and host communities. Their mission is to be a low-cost gold producer with geographic diversification and low political risk while operating in a responsible manner with their neighbors, local communities, and the environment. In order to achieve its vision and mission, Colder has several strategic goals set to guide the company (Colder Inc, 2014): Develop meaningful and effective strategies for engaging with all stakeholders. Consult with local communities to identify effective and culturally appropriate development goals. Establish grievance mechanisms, based on international best practices. Partner with credible organizations, including non- governmental and civil society organizations. Identify and develop socio-economic opportunities that lead to sustainable prosperity in the communities and countries in which we operate. Integrate socio-economic, environmental, occupational health and safety, human rights, and governance best practices into our business processes. Make meaningful and sustainable contributions to the host countries and communities where we operate. Apart from the goals set by Colder, they also infuse several values to each individual within the organization: They believe in safe production, in which employees look out for one another in caring, acting, and thinking safely. They believe in a workplace with a safe environment and conditions for employees to work in. They believe in acting ethically, having integrity and treating people with respect, that discrimination, bribery and corruption are always wrong. They believe that doing the right thing starts from the ground up and is a state of mind not Just a set of rules. They believe in respecting all stakeholders, in building partnerships, being a team player, and treating people fairly. They believe in listening before acting, being a good neighbor, and open communication. They and taking straight from the heart. They believe in empowering others, leading by example, being a good mentor and a lifelong learner. They believe in innovation, in operating for excellence, questioning for possibilities, being resourceful, always looking for new and better ways of doing things. Leadership Colder believes in leading by example, mentoring, and taking responsibility. At Colder, although the main leadership role is played by the President and the CEO, Charles A. Jeanne, who has a broad experience in mining transactions, public and private financing, permitting and international regulations, the other senior level executives have well played the leadership role as well. Brent Burgeon, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs, along with his team worked together with Winding catering, First Nations owned and operated business in the community, to build Windings capacity. With the increased capacity, Winding is now prospering and expanding in the other areas of the province. Also under the leadership of Brent Burgeon, the company partnered with several government organizations to help run a natural gas pipeline up to Airedale to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This will make cleaner, more efficient natural gas energy available to the local communities. In order to achieve operational excellence, Colder operates numerous programs including technical skills training, safety and leadership training, and executive development. Under the leadership of Charles Jeanne, the company designed various programs to boost up the leadership skills of the supervisors and the managers while continuing their focus on public and environmental safety in 2013 Supervisory Leadership Development Program: Designed for supervisors to develop their leadership skills Creating Choices: Specifically designed to develop leadership and communication skills for women in our workforce. Safety Leadership Training: Designed for supervisory and management levels to develop leadership skills with a remarry focus on safety. To inform employees of what is happening within the company and to guide or direct them in order to achieve a common goal , each year Colder regularly conducts Town Hall Meetings in which the President and Chief Executive Officer and other senior executives communicate directly with employees. Colder Inc. Provides an excellent example that you dont need to be at a senior level to become a leader. The Porcupine Gold Mine team implemented a Mill Scats Reprocessing Project in order to lead changes for a better Colder (Colder, 2014). This project allowed Colder to urn reject materials into recovered or recycled steel. They identified an innovative solution to remove steel with magnet. This solution leads to an increase in the net revenue of 4. 9 million in 2013. The company is looking for opportunities to implement this project at their other mines as well. Governance Colder is governed by a board of directors whose principal objective is to generate acceptable returns to their security holders. The board is comprised of Business people and former ambassadors. The chairman of the board Ian Teller was appointed in 2006, previous to that he was the CEO for one year. Teller has 25 years f experience in the mining industry, working previously for as CEO of Wheaton River Minerals Ltd. Their corporate governance is in compliance with Canadian and US order to avoid any agency problems. Control Mechanisms Ownership concentration Colder is a publicly traded company and the top 5 institutional shareholders are (Mornings, 2014): Institutional Shareholder % Held Van Eek Associates Corp.. 6. 1 Arnold S. Policyholder Advisers, LLC 3. 88 Royal Bank of Canada 2. 75 Franklin Advisers Management Inc 2. 30 BOOM Capital Markets 2. 23 The large stakes give the shareholders a stronger incentive to monitor the management and make sure they are acting in their best interests. Incentive Based Pay In order to align the interests of the members of the board with the interests of the shareholders, Colder has adopted a director share ownership policy. The director mu st hold common shares at a value of 3 times their after tax compensation. The governance committee is in charge of reviewing the level of shareholder requirements. (Colder Inc, 2012) Strategic Alternatives Alternative 1: Status Quo Goldenrods current strategy has allowed the company to grow into one of the largest gold producers in the industry. This option maintains Goldenrods strategy to continue to grow the company through acquisitions. Currently, they are in a good financial position, however, in 2013, they had a loss in operating income, which shows inefficiency in some of their mine operations. SF: gold production, innovative culture, KIP: profit growth, increase sales growth from previous year Cost: N/A Alternative 2: Implement Mill Scats Reprocessing Project into Other Mines This option will allow Colder to implement Mill Scats Reprocessing Project, a project that will turn reject materials with large amount of steel into recovered or recycled tell. Up to now, this project has been carried out only in their Porcupine mine through which Colder recovered 4,100 ounces resulting in net revenue of $4. 9 million in 2013. Mines such as Wharf, Marlin, El Causal mines, are near the end of their life cycle. They would have significant amount of excess material in the form of steel accumulated at their location that needs to be disposed. SF: Training by Porcupine mine team, geological surveys, low cost structure KIP: Additional recovered steel in ounces, Increase in additional net revenue Cost: Salvaging and processing costs will be within $50,000 $200,000. Alternative 3: Acquisitions and to replace mines that are nearing the end of their life. Colder currently has $3. 6 billion dollars to spend on the acquisition of new mines. In this option Colder would spend that $3. 6 billion on new mines to increase their gold output and help sustain them in the future. SF: Sizeable reserves in new mine, Close to the start of production or already producing gold, Low production costs KIP: gold cost per oz. < 1000$/oz. , 500,0000z of gold production per year Cost: $3. 6 billion dollars (based on their budget) Alternative 4: Re-launch the Goldcorp Challenge: The Gold Rush Reborn2 This option ill allow Goldcorp to reintroduce the "Goldcorp Challenge" that would change Goldcorp's profitability for decades to come. Colder did implement this challenge in the year 2000 when former CEO Rob Mclean addressed the company concerns of low gold production. And now when some of their mines are reaching the end of its life cycle, it is a good idea to implement the competition again considering the huge success of it in the past. The results of this competition revealed an excess of 110 possible mine locations. 50% of these locations were previously unknown to Colder and over 80% yielded significant gold reserves. The Colder Challenge will gather people of all backgrounds from all over the world to extract possible gold mine locations. Colder can provide their geographical data to the public. It will also give rise to the new concept of effective business from a remote location. Discovery of mines will be cost effective even though the researchers did not physically need to visit the property. The ROI on this project will be very impressive because of the absence of unproductive exploratory drilling. The structure will be the same as the previous, but the prize money will be increased to $2 million to attract more analyst refashions to Join. SF: Superior marketing capabilities, effectiveness of the data provided to the contestants, effective planning and budgeting KIP: Return on investment, market growth, increase in gold production Cost: $2 million for prize money Alternative 5: Hedging Gold Price This option will allow Colder to enter into a hedge contract where the price at which the gold will be sold at the future delivery date will be determined earlier. Since the future is unpredictable, this will prevent Colder from the loss if the gold price is to drop in the future. The risk for this option is that Colder would have en better off without the hedge if the price of the gold rises. SF: In-depth analysis of gold price forecast, worldwide Jewelry and industrial demand, gold production KIP: increase in profit margin, increase in sales growth Cost: Depends on gold fluctuation. The loss incurred due to increase in gold price at the delivery date compared to the pre- determined price would be the cost of hedging Alternative 6: Manage Stakeholder Expectations Colder has been under scrutiny in the past for unethical acts and suspicions of breaking human rights legislation and even suspected of killing a high ranking officer peeping them calm and confident in Goldenrods projects is important. Quiet stakeholders such as fenders dont excerpt a lot of effort into decision making, but without looking after their interests, they may choose to withdraw their funds from Colder and take their investment somewhere else. Also it is necessary to make the local communities happy as without their support Colder cannot run their projects successfully. There should be a meeting every quarter with Goldenrods investors, shareholders and senior level managements to maintain constant communication twine the company and the stakeholder to avoid frustrations or concerns in the company operations. Investors and managers across the country could be connected via phone or other communication medium. Regular updates about Goldenrods financial health or project progress can increase the confidence levels of expecting positive results. Also in order to enhance engagement to build up relationships with communities and investors, Colder could organize a program called Community first. Through this program Colder can make significant investments in community infrastructure and provide scholarships to local students. SF: Community support in human rights initiatives, government support KIP: Increase in stakes sold, increase in community participation Cost: Between 1-3 million which can be covered by 1% of pre-tax earnings from operation set aside as donation fund Proposed Strategy Based on the decision criteria matrix shown in Appendix 9, we recommend Colder to implement alternatives 2, 3, 4 and 6. By combining these four strategies, Colder will be able to maximize the utilization of mines by extracting unrecorded metals, maintain their growth strategy through acquisition of mines and maximize the geographical search for new mines. In addition to this, Colder will enjoy a healthy stakeholder relationship which is crucial for the success of their business. Implementation The proposed strategy should be implemented between now to next five years. Since stakeholders support determines the success of the other strategies, Colder should first focus on meeting the stakeholders expectation. They should organize a meeting within a month where all the investors, senior level executives and managers meet and discuss the companys future plan and solve any queries. They would implement the Community First program right away to improve relationship with the community and to gain their support. The Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for People and Safety will be responsible for implementing this program. This program will again be done once a location is determined for the new mines. The effectiveness of this strategy will be determined based on feedbacks from the stakeholders. After gaining the support from stakeholders, Colder can implement the MSP project in their three mines starting with the one that is closer o the end of their life cycle. This strategy could be fully implemented in the three mines by 2016. Once Colder generates revenue from the recycle steel, they can hunt for new mines implementing the Colder Challenge by 2017. The CEO, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President for Exploration should work together on providing geographical data and other data to the participants to make the competition effective. The success for this strategy could be measured by benchmarking with the previous results of 2000 when they first equability studies for the potential mines, Premium Resources, Argonaut Gold, Allied Nevada Gold, and Tahoe Resources, that they are looking to acquire. They should gather the required resources and project the capacity of each mine. After performing these tasks, they should present these options to the board to get their approval. To determine what mines we would acquire a factor analysis was done on 4 mines and is shown below. Based upon our decision criteria, we have determined that the best course for Colder would be to acquire Allied Nevada Gold and Argonaut Gold by 2016. The total cost for acquiring these companies would be 1 billion dollars. With the remaining $2. 6 billion, Colder would pay off all of Novenas outstanding debt at roughly $700 million and then use $1. 3 billion to expand the mine to bring production from 240,000 oz. Of gold per year to 800,000 oz. Of gold per year by 2020. The remaining $600 million would go towards bringing Argonauts mine to the production stage within 3 years from its acquisition. Projected Kips The following are the projected Kepis to measure success once the four recommended strategies will be implemented by Colder: Increased profits so sasss operating refits will be positive Increased gold production Higher return on investment Increased revenue from sale of recycled steels Reduction in number of complaints from local communities Positive company image for stakeholders Appendices Appendix 1 General Environment Analysis (GASPED) Dimensions Factors Canada USA Latin America Global Increasing investment in construction and infrastructure lead to an 8% increase in global demand for products like steel Demographic Population $34. 88 million $313. 9 million $589 million Age Age distribution is even Young population is dominate Ethnic Mix

The Nature of Programming & Software essays

The Nature of Programming & Software essays In the 21st Century, computers have become an inevitable part of our lives. Over the course of the last few decades, it has greatly changed the way business is done. In the stock exchange, for example, buyers and seller can make trades right on their own personal desktop. Large quantities of stocks consisting of thousands of shares can be bought and sold very conveniently thanks to the evolution in computer technology. In general, computers have sped up the pace of life and have truly turned our world into a global village, an idea that was once thought to be strictly impossible. With the establishment of networks, a simple click of a mouse can link you to relatives who live on the other side of the globe. In addition, computers have made water and air travel less frustrating as airplanes and ships can now be monitored electronically via radar. Without the slightest of a doubt, computers have made our world a much better place. However, computer itself is nothing more than a useless piece of rock without all the softwares and programs installed within. What is a computer program? It is simple a set of instructions that tell a computer exactly what to do much like a brain to a body. The instructions might tell the computer to add up a set of numbers, or compare two numbers and make a decision based on the result. Often, programs allow the users to input their commands so the computer can follow the instructions and in the process do something useful for the users like balancing a checkbook or displaying a game on the screen or implementing a word processor. There are two types of programming high level and low level. While high level programming such as C is close to the human language, low-level programming are basically machine codes written in binary or hexadecimal. In order to write a computer program, the computer must be told, step-by-step, exactly what it should do. If this is done correctly, the ...

The 5 Best SAT Apps How to Use Them Effectively

The 5 Best SAT Apps How to Use Them Effectively SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You might use apps to take photos of your food and put dog filters on your face, but did you know you can also use apps to prepare for the SAT? It's true! There are a number of apps designed to increase your familiarity with the SAT and get you closer to reaching your goal score. In this article, I'll let you know how you can use apps in your SAT preparation, and I'll name five of the best free SAT prep apps currently available. SAT Apps: An Overview As mobile apps have become more popular, the College Board, SAT prep companies, educational app companies, and individuals have created their own apps to help students prepare for the SAT. Those who have created the apps are trying to capitalize on the popularity of mobile appsand want to make SAT prep material more accessible for students. If you have an SAT prep app on your phone or tablet, you can conveniently study for the SAT wherever you’re at,whether you’re at home, school, or a boring family function.Also, studying on an app is more enjoyable and interactive for some students than is using a traditional SAT prep book. While most SAT prep apps are free,some do cost money in order to use them. Why SAT Prep Apps Are Not Enough SAT apps can be a good study tool, but you probably won’t be able to solely rely on them to hit your target score. If you want help doing that, check out our guides onhow to get a perfect score on the SAT and the best ways to study for the SAT. So why aren't SAT apps enough? Here are some key reasons to be aware of. For one, most SAT apps don't have adequate practice questions.Either there are too few of them or they're not representative of the questions you'll get on the actual SAT. As a result, you'll likely need more real SAT questions or more realistic practice questions to be able to sufficiently drill your knowledge and improve your content weaknesses. Secondly,apps don’t always teach you helpful SAT test-taking strategies.Most SAT apps don’t cover test-taking strategies in detail, such as how to read the SAT Reading and Writing passages. Finally, mostSAT apps aren’t customized to your skill level.To improve your score, you need to focus on improving your personal weaknesses. For example, you might want to get better at time management on the Reading section, or you might need lots of help with linear equations. Generally, SAT prep apps aren’t effective at determining where you’re weak and aren't designed to help you zero in on the areas in which you need to improve your skills most. Sorry kid, you're gonna need more than an app to get a 1600. What Makes a Good SAT App? There are specific qualities you should look for in an SAT practice app. #1: Tons of Realistic Practice Questions The best SAT apps will offer hundreds of practice questions for you to hone your skills. These questions should use the same format as questions that appear on the SAT and should be roughly as difficult as those on official SAT practice tests. Moreover, solid questions will provide you with thorough answer explanationsso you’re able to understand how to correctly approach and answer them. #2: Good User Experience SAT apps should be easy to navigate and use. On some SAT prep apps, the text is hard to read or the setup of the app makes it difficult to identify the functions and navigate among them. #3: Thorough Content Instruction A good SAT prep app will clearly teach you the content you need to know in order to excel on the SAT.After doing a lesson or reading an answer explanation, you should have no lingering confusion about the topic you're studying. A quality SAT app will break down the topic and thoroughly explain it. You should be able to start with limited knowledge on a topic and then, after using the app, understand it well enough to correctly answer related SAT questions. A bad app will provide only brief instruction, meaning you'll continue to be uncomfortable with a content area you struggled with. If you have any unanswered questions about a topic, you'll need more content instruction. Apps aren't always the best teachers. #4: Questions and Lessons Are Divided by Specific Topics A good SAT app will divide practice questions and content instruction by more specific topics than just Reading, Writing, and Math. If you know the topics on which you need extra help, you should know exactly where to go. If you need more help with comma rules, for example, you should be able to easily find instruction or practice questions to help you study that specific content area. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! The 5 Best SAT Apps If you want to use SAT practice apps in your studying, here are five that can provide some benefit to you. All are free of charge! #1: Daily Practice for the New SAT iPhone | Android This isthe College Board’s official SAT prep app.Every day the app offers a new practice question, which can cover any topic. This feature might not help you if it’s on a topic you already know. Since previous questions of the day are archived, though, you can access these instead. These are organized by section and can be sorted by difficulty level or even the date they were posted. The official SAT app also has a function through which you can scan an official SAT practice test you've taken and get it corrected. Unfortunately, many app users have complained that the scanning function doesn't work well, so be aware of this potential issue before using the app. This app is overall solid because it offersCollege Board-approved questions and explanations. However, it doesn’t have thorough content instruction, and the number of questions is limited. #2: Ready4 SAT iPhone | Android This app is definitely one of the best SAT prep apps.Itoffers the following features: Ample content instruction A mock SAT with up to 100 questions Complete answer explanations to questions 60 SAT lessons Hundreds of virtual flashcards 1,000+ realistic practice questions Initially, you take a short diagnostic test of 10 questions so that the app cancustomize a course of instruction for you. However, because there aren’t many questions in this test, the app might not be able to accurately determine your current SAT skill level. Though a great SAT prep app, it's not perfect. First,the content instruction it provides is pretty brief, so it might not be enough if you’re really struggling with a particular topic. The user experience isn't ideal, either. For Reading and Writing, passages and questions are on different screens, and it was a little difficult for me to find the underlined portions of the passages for the Writing questions. Additionally, the app isn't maintained regularly. The last update to the iOS version came in September 2017, which means that the content might be out of date. Additionally, old apps can be unstable and crash often, so your mileage may vary there, too. Lastly, the entire app isn't actually free. While you can access some of its features without having to pay, you'll need to fork out $19.99 for a premium account if you want the full experience. #3: Khan Academy iPhone | Android The Khan Academy SAT prep app offers a portion of the Khan Academy SAT prep website. (The Khan Academy is a partner of the College Board.) With this app, you get quality video instruction that walks you through a number of practice problems related to SAT topics. I enjoyed these videos, and I believe watching them is a good way to improve your content knowledge and ability to tackle SAT questions. Unfortunately, the app doesn't offer actual SAT practice questions for you to do. That's because the Khan Academy app isn't just for SAT prep...it gives users access to all of Khan Academy's lessons. All in all, you might as well just use the website so you can have access to the practice questions and everything else Khan Academyhas to offer. #4: SAT Exam Prep Practice Test / SAT Test Prep Practice Q A iPhone |Android The free version of this SAT app offers 300 practice questions, but if you pay $0.99-$1.00, you'll get 471 total questions, a mock SAT, and access to so-called â€Å"SAT Genius experts.† On the positive side, this app has many realistic Math practice questions and perhaps the best user experience of all apps on this list. Negatively, however, the explanations to the questions aren’t great, and there’s no real content or strategy instruction. Like other SAT apps, the app isn't updated regularly, either. (The last update was in December 2017, which means the app might be out of date and/or unstable.)Also, avoid the Critical Reading, Language Vocab, and Word Knowledge questions altogether- these don't use passages and are nothing like actual Reading and Writing questions on the SAT. #5: SAT: Practice, Prep, and Flashcards iPhone | Android This app, created by Varsity Tutors, offers in-depth study materials for the SAT's Math, Critical Reading, and Writing sections. The two biggest perks of this app are its user interface and its flexibility. First, the app is well designed and easy to use. You can pick subjects, practice materials, and even a flashcard deck quickly and easily from the navigation menu. Honestly, the app is justpretty. In terms of flexibility, the app gives you many different ways to study. Not only does it offer diagnostic and practice tests, you can also study by concept, choose a pre-made flashcard deck, or just answer the app's Question of the Day.It's also easy to focus on your weakest categories because the app breaks its content down by test section and subject areas. Lastly, the SAT: Practice, Prep, and Flashcards app lets you time your practice so you can see how much time you're spending answering different types of questions. On the negative side, this app- like so many others in this category!- isn't updated regularly. While it's stable and usable for now, it's not clear whether that will be the case in the future. Additionally, there's a chance the questions and information are out of date, too. The SAT is constantly updating its question types, which means you need to study current materials to make sure you're ready for the test. How to Use SAT Apps in Your Studying: 4 Tips As previously mentioned, SAT apps can be a good resource, but you shouldn’t solely rely on them for your SAT prep.Here are some ways you should use SAT apps in your study sessions. #1: For Additional Practice Questions In your SAT studying, start withofficial SAT practice tests. The questions on these tests most closely resemble real SAT questions, and the College Board provides explanations for all of them. Use one test to get your baseline score and to figure out how many points you'll need to get in order to hit your goal score by test day. Next, start to gather other crucial SAT resources: buy prep books, hire a tutor, and/or sign up for an SAT prep course. Once you've gathered your primary materials, use SAT apps as supplementary resources. With apps, you can do additional practice questions (once you've used up those in your books and tests) and can continue to drill your basic knowledge. I’d start with the College Board app since it's the only app to offer official SAT questions. #2: To Improve Your Weaknesses If you know the types of SAT questions you struggle with, you can use apps to do more questions related to those topics or to get more focused content instruction. For content instruction, Khan Academyand the SAT: Practice, Prep, and Flashcards app are pretty good. I’d also use the apps that organize questions by specific topics. Be sure to focus on the topics with which you need the most help. #3: To Change Up Your Study Routine If you’re always studying with the same SAT book or website, you can use an SAT app to alter your normal routine. Changing your routine can energize you and give you additional motivation to study. Just make sure you’re using the apps in a way that will be most beneficial to you or you'll end up wasting your time. For example, don’t just drillHeart of Algebraquestions if you’re already getting all those questions right in your prep. #4: To Take Mock Tests A few of the SAT apps offer timed mock tests and diagnostic tests. You can use these apps to simulate the test-taking experience. However, unlike the actual SAT, you'll be by yourself and you'll be doing the test on an app, so it won't be an exact simulation. That said,you can build up your test endurance and check to see how you’re doing with time management under pressure.You can also use these tests as diagnostics to help determine the types of SAT questions with which you’re still struggling. Best SAT Apps: Takeaways and Recommendations SAT apps can help you in your test prep as long as you ultimatelyuse them in conjunction with other high-quality resources, such as SAT prep books, a tutor, or a prep course. SAT practice apps work best once you already have a solid foundation. In other words, you should be familiar with all the content on the SATand be aware of your current weaknesses. Furthermore, keep in mind that you’ll have to learn test-taking strategies elsewhere. If you can afford to pay for a resource, our fully customizable SAT prep program improves your weaknesses,teaches helpful strategies, and provides plenty of high-quality practice questions. What's Next? Are you struggling to find time for your SAT prep? Find out how to balance your SAT studying with school,and learnhow to build an SAT study plan that suits your schedule. Want some more fun ways to prepare for the SAT? Try one of these six SAT prep games! Aiming for 1600 on test day? Learnthe secret to getting a perfect SAT score, written by a real full scorer! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also feature thousands of practice questions, 6 official SAT practice tests, and personal feedback on your essays from an expert instructor. Check out our 5-day free trial: