Imagine Being Stranded On An Island - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 849 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/04/15 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Lord of The Flies Essay Did you like this example? Imagine being stranded on an island. Your first instincts would be to get shelter, find food ,and to find a way out the island. Being marooned can be a life or death situation. It can bring up new challenges and self discovery. When a group of young boys gets stranded on an island together with no adults, they must learn to live and survive as a group. Not only must they worry about food and shelter, but they also have to worry about each other and discover what it takes to work together. In Goldings Novel, Lord of the Flies, the contrasting literary themes of civilization vs. savagery are illustrated through the use of symbols, the dialogue, and visual imagery. William Golding uses many symbols throughout his novel to illustrate the contrasting themes of civilization versus savagery. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Imagine Being Stranded On An Island" essay for you Create order In this novel, the use of the conch represents civilization and order. When the boys first land on the island, Ralph uses the conch to join everyone together. Signs of life were visible now on the beach. The sand, trembling beneath the heat haze, concealed many figures in its miles of length; boys were making their way to the platform (page 18). This shows that at the beginning, the conch automatically brought everyone together, and joined them as a community. Later in the story, the lord of the flies represents the savagery by symbolizing chaos and disorder. After the boys kill a pig, they leave the head as an offering to the imagined beast. As Simon begins talking to the head, it tells him that it itself is the beast. Later, Ralph encounters the skull of the pig. A sick fear and rage swept him. Fiercely he hit out at the filthy thing in front of him that bobbed like a toy and came back, still grinning in his face, so that he lashed and cried out in loathing. (page 185). This shows that the lord of the flies brings out the beast in the children themselves, and shows that all along, they in fact were their own beast. Golding also uses pieces of dialogue to illustrate the contrasting themes of civilization vs. savagery. In the very beginning, Piggy proves to be the most knowledgeable of the group by trying to keep them in order and civilized. When the group is talking about building a signal fire to be rescued, Piggy says, How can you expect to be rescued if you dont put first things first and act properly? (page 45). This shows that from the very beginning Piggy thinks there should be ordered, and a clear plan for anything successful to happen on the island. Also around this time, the theme of savagery through dialogue begins with Jack. After hunting for the first time, Jack explains to Ralph that he sent his group back while he continued to hunt by himself. I went on, said Jack. ?I let them go. I had to go to go on. I†? He tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up. ?I went on. I thought of myself†? The madness came into his eyes again. ?I thought I might kill. (page 51). This is the beginning of Jacks transformation from civilized to savage. At this time killing becomes his main priority over everything. Lastly, William Golding uses visual imagery throughout his novel to illustrate the contrasting themes of civilization vs. savagery. In the beginning, Golding uses visual imagery to represent civilization when Ralph uses the conch to unite everyone together. At last Ralph ceased to blow and sat there, the conch trailing from one hand, his head bowed on his knees. As the echoes died away so did the laughter, and there was silence. (page 19). This shows that at the beginning, everyone came together in a civilized manner and was silent so that they could listen to the conversations that they were going to have. Later in the book, Golding yet again uses visual imagery to represent savagery during the killing of Simon. The beast struggled forward, broke the ring, and fell over the steep edge of the rock to the sand by the water. At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt onto the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws. (Page 153). This shows that by this point, the only thing the boys cared about was hunting, and they would hunt anything they could. This act was only the beginning of murder in this story, and later led to the murder of other boys. In Goldings Novel, Lord of the Flies, the contrasting literary themes of civilization vs savagery are illustrated through the use of symbols, the dialogue, and the visual imagery. Though in the beginning many things joined the boys together on the island, in the end, things tore them apart more than they would have expected. Overall, this book conveys that human beings are savage by nature, and are moved by primal urges toward selfishness, brutality, and dominance ov er others.

Rhetorical Analysis Of Aschers The Box Man - 862 Words

In the essay ‘The Box Man’ Ascher invokes many stylistic devices and rhetorical strategies to portray her message that you should accept loneliness. The devices she uses include the rhetorical strategy â€Å"Ethos† and the stylistic device Anecdote. She uses many more which will be discussed later in this essay. She portrays the message â€Å"accepting loneliness† throughout the whole piece and even provides real life examples to support her message. These Examples include The Box man, the Soup lady, and the Television lady. All of these examples are lonely Individuals however, they go about it at different ways. The Box man chooses to accept loneliness and the other two ladies dont accept it and therefore live miserably. Ascher starts off the†¦show more content†¦Ascher implied she likes the Boxman’s way of living by saying what she did about the Boxcar Children. He is alone but he doesnt care, hes accepted it and lives the way he wants to. Ascher states â€Å"He is not to be confused with the lonely ones, you’ll find them everywhere†(Ascher 9). Ascher explains how the Box man feels by giving some Figurative Language to explain his emotions. Ascher states â€Å"Who is to say the Boxman does not feel as Thoreau did in his doorway†(Ascher 9). In this sentence she also used an Allusion by referring to Thoreau, a famous person in literature. Later in the story Ascher starts talking about the â€Å"Soup lady†, a lady who hasnt yet accepted loneliness. She orders soup every night and is so lonely that she â€Å"Drags it out as long as possible†(Ascher 9). The author then throws in some Imagery by saying â€Å"Fall from dry fingers and burst onto the soups shimmering surface†(Ascher 9). We get a visual of the lonely old soup lady. Ascher explains to us she is miserable and has no family whatsoever. Ascher states â€Å" no memories linger there†(Ascher 9). As she explains her l ife, us the readers begin to feel bad for the soup lady. Ascher portrayed the rhetorical strategy â€Å"Pathos† while giving us this example. In the end of the essay Ascher tells us about â€Å"A lady across the way whose lights and Television stay on all night†(Ascher 10). This is symbolism, the television lady is a symbol of

Disruptive Innovation Growth and Change

Question: Discuss abot theDisruptive Innovationfor Growth and Change. Answer: Introduction It is important to introduce new and innovative techniques in the market with the help of the latest technology that has the potential to bring improvement over the existing form of marketing. However with the introduction of the new strategies, the existing strategy gets totally disrupted. The management of a company has to face dilemma while introducing the new and innovative techniques in marketing. There is high risk of business failure while the introduction of the new and innovative techniques in the market. This the main reason for the dilemma that is caused before the introduction of new and innovative technology (Christensen2013). In this report, the characteristics of innovators dilemma is being discussed and the reasons for the failure of big firms due to innovators dilemma. The case of failure of Kodak is being discussed along with the case of Emaar properties, which is likely to fail in the next few years. Explanation of Innovators Dilemma It is common for a company to face dilemma after the introduction of new technology in the marketing. In the modern days of business, it is common for large scale business firms to introduce innovative techniques that are aimed to improve the rate of production for meeting up the demand of the customers. However, the innovative techniques can be sophisticated and complex in nature. Hence, there is a dilemma that is involved in the process of implementation of the innovative techniques (Gaynor 2012). This is one of the main reasons for the disruption of the process of innovation that can ultimately result in the process of failure or closure of the business. One of the main causes of the success of big firms is due to the fact that they are able to make full use of the available resources. They are also able to make add new features to the existing products with the help of the new advanced technology. However, failing to apply the latest technology due to lack of proper planning can bring huge loss to the company. It is the role of the technology experts to invest carefully in the future application. The disruptive technology is one of the main causes of dilemma that is caused due to poor performance of the innovative products. However, they are usually cheaper and easy to use due to the implication of latest innovative style of design. The larger scale companies also face challenge due to the dilemma in the process of investment and therefore also have to face the risk of fund shortage of funds (Cefis and Triguero 2016). Reason for Failure of Big Firms It is essential for large scale companies to make regular changes in the technological department that is needed for the bringing new changes in the marketing policies. One of the main reasons for the failure of big firms is due to the poor future planning and lack of skill labors of the industry. They also do not consider the importance of focusing on the needs of the customer. In the past there are many new cases, where the large scale companies had failed due to dilemma in the introduction of new and latest form of technology. The IBM, which is one of the biggest computer hardware companies failed as they were not willing to introduce the use of minicomputers, which later became popular in the IT global market. The Apple Computers also failed as they hesitated to introduce the features of portable computers in the market (Hendricks 2016). When a big scale company hesitates to introduce the policy of new technology, the rival small and medium scale company uses the opportunity and gains popularity in the market. This cause even further loss of the big companies as they lose the competitive advantage and the position of the market. The disruptive technology is one of the main reasons for the failure of large scale firms as it provides the opportunity for the smaller and new companies to introduce new marketing policies (Christensen 2013). Reason for the Failure of Kodak The Kodak is an American company, which is one of the largest firms for photography processing firms of the worlds. The company once had nearly 145,000 employees and occupied nearly 90% of the photography market. However, as the age of digital technology introduced in the world of photography, the company failed to maintain their reputation in the market. The disruptive technology in the form of digital photography started to become popular in the market. The digital form of technology in the photography had several advantages over films or the traditional forms of photography (Gershon 2013). At the beginning the digital technology had several drawbacks due to poor image quality and limited storage capacity. However, with the advancement of the technology, the digital photography became popular and people started to depend on the use of this photography. The popularity of the digital technology has wiped out the film photography. This is one of the most popular forms of disruptive te chnology that was responsible for the failure of the Kodak companies (Kotter 2012). One of the prime reasons for the success of Kodak in the past was due to their effective communication strategy with the customers. They used the latest technology of photography and film processing, which has helped them to be one of the top firms in the photographic market. However, after 1990s the company failed to garb the opportunity of digital photography, which is one the biggest strategic flaws of the company. The management of the Kodak Company refused to accept the change and hence, they continued with the film photography. In 1988, Kodak overtook Sterling Drugs, which was one of the major chemical companies with the intention of chemical processing of the images. This was one of the main reasons for the financial loss of the company. Failure of Emaar Properties Emaar properties are one of the biggest real estate companies of the UAE, which is operated by the joint venture of public and private enterprise. With the rise of the demand of housing projects in the UAE region, it is essential to use the latest forms of technology and engineering techniques in the housing projects. In the coming age the use of the technology is going to be one of the biggest driving forces of the real estate industry. The use of robotics technology is one the prime driving force of the future real estate industry, which is one the biggest disruptive technology (Christensen 2013). The robots can be used for moving heavy objects and carry out delicate tasks in the construction of buildings. This form of disruptive technology has the potential to reduce the labor cost of construction. However, in Emaar properties, there is lack of effective planning for the future that will help not allow the company to maintain their profit margin for the future. They are totally dependent on the traditional forms of construction and have done no major investment for implementing the future technology in their construction business. If the present trend continues, the company is likely to fail within the next 10 years. Conclusion The companies, which hesitates to implement the latest forms of technology due to the innovative dilemma fails to stay sustain in the business. Big scale companies like IBM, Apple and Kodak have failed to maintain their profit due to poor planning process. Emaar properties are one of the leading real estate firms of UAE that is likely to undergo failure within the next 10 years due to innovative dilemmas. Reference Cefis, E. and Triguero, ., 2016. Make, Buy, or Both: The Innovation Sourcing Strategy Dilemma after MA.Growth and Change. Christensen, C., 2013.The innovator's dilemma: when new technologies cause great firms to fail. Harvard Business Review Press. Gaynor, G.H., 2012. The innovation dilemma.IEEE Engineering Management Review,40(3). Gershon, R.A., 2013. A case study analysis of eastman kodak and blockbuster Inc.Media Management and Economics Research in a Transmedia Environment, Routledge, New York, NY, pp.46-68. Hendricks, M., 2016. Disruptive innovation: economics, finance risk.Inside Mining,9(2), pp.8-9. Kotter, J., 2012. Barriers to change: The real reason behind the Kodak downfall.Forbes, May,2

Padmanbha Swamy Temple Essay Example

Padmanbha Swamy Temple Essay Padmanabhaswamy Temple From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia | | Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple | | Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Location in Kerala| Coordinates:| 8 °28? 58? N  76 °56? 37? ECoordinates:  8 °28? 58? N  76 °56? 37? E| Name| Proper name:| Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple| Location| Country:| India| State:| Kerala| Location:| Thiruvananthapuram| Temple Details| Primary deity God:| Padmanabhaswamy (Vishnu)| Architecture and culture| Architectural styles:| Dravidian architecture  (Kovil)| Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple  (Malayalam:   ,  s? i padma? abhasvami k? et? a? ?) is a  Hindu  temple  dedicated to  Vishnu  located in  Thiruvananthapuram,  India. The shrine is currently run by a trust headed by the  royal family of Travancore. [1]  The temple is one of 108  Divya Desams  (Holy Abodes of Vishnu) – principal centres of worship of the deity in  Vaishnavism. The temple, constructed in the  Dravidian style of architecture, is glorified in the  Divya Prabandha, the early medieval  Tamil  literature canon of the Tamil  Alvar  saints (6th-9th centuries CE), with structural additions to it made throughout the 16th century CE, when its ornate  Gopuram  was constructed. [2][3]  The most recent renovations to the temple occurred in the 18th century CE. The temple features heavily in  Akilam five  series  of the  Akilathirattu Ammanai  corpus, the holy text of the  Ayyavazhi  belief system. We will write a custom essay sample on Padmanbha Swamy Temple specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Padmanbha Swamy Temple specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Padmanbha Swamy Temple specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Services were provided to the local community with the temples revenue. The temple gave its name to Kerala’s state capital Thiruvananthapuram. ‘Thiru’ ‘Anantha’ ‘Puram’ means  Sacred Abode of Lord Anantha Padmanabha. The principal deity,  Padmanabhaswamy, is enshrined in the Anantha-sayanam posture (in the eternal sleep of  Yoga-nidra  on the  serpent Ananta). [4]  The Travancore Kings regarded themselves as ‘Padmanabha-dasa’ (Servant of Lord Padmanabha). * | - [edit]History In ealier years[when?   Padmanabhaswamy Temple and its properties were controlled by eight powerful  Nair  feudal lords known as  Ettuveetil Pillamar  (Lords of the Eight Houses), under the guidance of the  Council of Eight and a Half. In a battle of succession in the 18th century, King Anizham Thirunal Valiya  Marthanda Varma, the ruler traditionally regarded as the founder of  Travancore, successfully suppressed the Ettuveeti l Pillais and his cousins following the discovery of conspiracies the Lords were involved in against the Royal House of Travancore. The last major renovation of the Padmanabhaswamy temple was also done by  Marthanda Varma. On January 3, 1750, Anizham Thirunal surrendered the kingdom of  Travancore  to Padmanabha, the deity at the temple, and pledged that he and his descendants would serve the kingdom asPadmanabha Dasa. [4]  Since then, the name of every Travancore King was preceded by the title Padmanabha Dasa, while the female members of the Royal family were called Padmanabha Sevinis. The donation of the Kingdom to Sree Padmanabhaswamy was known as Thripadidanam and afterwards the Maharaja was known as Sree Padmanabha Dasa Vanchipala Varma Kulashekara Kireetapati. By surrendering the kingdom to Lord Padmanabha, the whole Travancore state became the property of Sree Padmanabhaswamy. - [edit]The temple The history of the temple dates back to the 8th Century CE, when Thiruvananthapuram was ruled by the  Chera Dynasty. The  Divya Prabandhacanon of literature by the  Alvars  glorifies this shrine as one of 11 Divya Desams in Kerala. It is said that there are references to this temple in four puranas; namely Brahma, Vayu, Varaha, Padma. The 8th century Alvar poet  Nammalvar  created four slokas and one phalasruthi about this temple. 5][6] Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple Padmanabhaswamy Temple stands at a place considered one of the seven Parasurama Kshetras; texts including the  Puranas, particularly theSkanda Purana  and  Padma Purana, have references to this shrine. Entrance of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple The two annual festivals of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple culminate in a grand procession, in which the three deities (Padmanabha,   Narasimha  andKrishna) are carried on flower-deck and aesthetically decorated Garuda Vahanas to  Shankumugham Beach, for arattu (sacramental ablution). The arattu days are declared as local public holidays in  Thiruvanathapuram. [edit]Gopuram The foundation of the present gopuram was laid in 1566. [7]  The temple has a 100-foot,[8]  seven-tier gopuram made in the  Pandyan  style. [9]  The temple stands by the side of a  tank, named  Padma Theertham  (meaning the lotus spring). The temple has a corridor with 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite-stone pillars with elaborate carvings. This corridor extends from the eastern side into the sanctum sanctorum. An eighty-foot flag-staff stands in front of the main entry from the prakaram (corridor). The ground floor under the gopuram (main entrance in the eastern side) is known as the Nataka Sala where the famous temple art Kathakali was staged in the night during the ten-day  uthsavam  (festival) conducted twice a year, during the  Malayalam months  of Meenam and Thulam. [edit]Sreekovil | This article  may contain  wording that merely promotes the subject  without imparting verifiable information. Please remove or replace such wording, unless you can cite  independent sources  that support the characterization. In the  Sreekovil, Vishnu is depicted in a reclining position over the serpent  Anantha  or  Adi Sesha. [10]  The serpent has his face pointed inwards (signifying contemplation). The Lords right hand hangs over  Shiva. Sridevi, the Goddess of Prosperity and  Bhudevi  the Goddess of the Earth, two consorts of Vishnu stand by his side and the god  Brahma  emerges on a lotus, which emanates from the navel of Vishnu. The idol is said to be made from 12008  Saligram. These Saligram are from the banks of the  Gandaki River  in  Nepal, and it is believed that they were brought with much ceremony on elephants. The idol is covered with, Katusarkara yogam, a special ayurvedic mix, was used to make a plaster which keeps the deity clean. The daily worship is with flowers and for the abhishekam, special deities are used. The flowers have always been removed using peacock feathers fearing damage to the katusarkara. [citation needed] The platform in front of vimanam and where the deity rests are both carved out of a single stone and hence called Ottakkal Mandapam. In order to perform darshan and puja, one has to climb on to the Mandapam. The deity is visible through three doors – Face of the Lord and Siva Linga underneath his hand in the first door, Brahma seated on lotus emanating from the Lords navel along with the Utsava moorthi and deities of Lord Vishnu, Sridevi and Bhudevi in the second door and the Lords feet in the third door. Only the King of Travancore may perform Namaskaram, or bow prostrate on the Ottakkal Mandapam. It is traditionally held that anybody who bows prostrates on the mandapam has surrendered all that he/she possesses to the deity. Since the ruler has already done that, he/she is permitted to bow on this mandapam. There are other important shrines inside the temple for Hindu deities Sri  Narasimha,  Sri Krishna, Sri  Ayyappa, Sri  Ganesha  and Sri  Hanuman. Many other small shrines like Kshetrapalan (who guards the temple), Vishwaksena and  Sri Garuda  are also present. The approach road to Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple - [edit]Legend There are many legends regarding the origin of the temple. One such legend says that  Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar alias Divakara Muni  prayed to  Krishna  for his darshan. Krishna  came in disguise as a small, mischievous boy. The boy swallowed the  Saligrama  which was kept in Puja. The Sage became enraged at this and chased the boy until the boy hid himself behind a tree. The tree fell down and became Vishnu in Anantha Shayanam (reclining posture on Anantha the serpent) – but when he did so, he was of an extraordinarily large size. The Sage, recognizing that the tree was Vishnu, pleaded that because of the huge form the lord had manifested before him he could not either have a mind fulfilling darshan or circumambulate him. He then asked the Lord to shrink to a smaller proportion – thrice the length of his staff. Immediately, the idol shrank, and the Lord instructed the sage that he should be worshipped through three doors. These doors are now the doors in the temple through which the idol may be viewed. Through the first door, the worship is offered to  Shiva; through the second entrance to  Brahma  on the Lords lotus navel, and through the third is Vishnus feet, which are said to lead to salvation. [citation needed]  Another story tells of a  pulaya  couple seeing Vishnu in the form of a child. The child took morsels of rice from the hands of the couple. Also it is believed that Divakaramuni, when he saw the deity, took the first food item he saw which was an unripe Mango on a coconut shell as an offering plate and performed primary pooja. To this day, the naivedyam or offering of unripe mango is offered to the deity here in the same coconut shell that Divakara Muni offered his prasadam to the Lord. Millions of devotees believe that the Lord has personally come in disguise and had saved the Travancore Kingdom from enemy attack on multiple occasions. [edit]Naivedyam or offering to Perumal Apart from the usual rice offering various other items are offered including Retna Payasam or offering of Payasam in a Gem studded Golden Vessel, Meni Thula Payasam or the Delicious Rice and Jaggery Pudding entirely made in Ghee, Pal Manga, Otta Thula Payasam, Panthranu Kalam Payasam, and Paal Payasam (Milk and Rice Pudding) which is very famous. During Thursdays, special Panakam is offere d to the Lord  Narasimha. Unni Appam, Mothakam, Aval with sugar is also offered to the Lord. citation needed]  But the most important Nivedyam in this Temple is the Uppu Manga (unripe mango soaked in brine water) which is offered in a gold covered  chiratta  or coconut shell. This coconut shell is more than 1200 years old. The Great Sage Vilwamangalathu Divakara Acharyar offered an unripe mango in this very same coconut shell and it is still preserved. - [edit]Darshan, sevas and festivals NarasimhaSwamy PadmanabhaSwamy after coming from Shankumuka Beach during Aarat Festival There are many festivals related to this temple. The major festivals are bi-annual. The  Alpashy  festival which is in October/November and the  Painkuni  festival which is in March/April, lasts for 10 days each. These festivals culminate with the  Aarat  (holy bath) procession to the  Shankumugham Beach. The word  Aaratrefers to the purificatory immersion of the deities of the temple in sea. This event takes place in the evening. The King of Travancore escorts the  Aaratprocession by foot. The festival idols Utsava Vigrahas of Sri Padmanabhaswamy, Krishna and Narasimha are given a ritual bath in the sea, after the prescribed  pujas. After this ceremony, the idols are taken back to the temple in a procession that is lit by traditional torches, marking the conclusion of the festival. A major annual festival related to Padmanabha temple is the  Navaratri  festival. The idols of  Saraswati,  Durga, and  Murugan  are brought to the  kuthira malikapalace in front of Padmanabha temple as a procession. This festival lasts for 9 days. The famous Swathi music festival is held every year during this festival. Big Idol of Pandavas displayed during Panguni festival The biggest festival in this temple is  laksha deepam, which means hundred thousand (or one  lakh) lamps. This festival is unique and commences once in 6 years. Prior to this festival, chanting of prayers and recitation of three  vedas  is done for 51 days. On the festival time, hundred thousand oil lamps are lit in and around the temple premises. The next  laksha deepam  is slated on January 2014 Temple Tower during LakshaDeepam Festival The temple is not a part of Travancore Devaswom Board. Its control rests with a trust headed by the Maharaja of Travancore. Darshan times are (before noon) 3. 30-4. 45, 6. 30-7. 00, 8. 30-10. 00, 10. 30-11. 00, 11. 45-12. 00; (after noon) 5. 00-6. 15 and 6. 45-7. 20. In line with the  Temple Entry Proclamation, only those who profess the Hindu faith are permitted entry to the temple. Devotees have to strictly follow the dress code. Men should remove clothes above waist and deposit in the locker room. No one is permitted to wear dress that displays both legs separately, implying the prohibition of trousers for men and women. Dhotis can be borrowed at the locker room for Rs. 15. Dhotis can be worn over pants or churidhar. No cell phones or cameras are permitted inside the temple. Cell phones must be deposited in the locker room after taking it out of the bag for Rs. 15 a piece. Hand bags are permitted inside. - [edit]Compositions Nammalvar  had sung in praise of Lord Padmanabha Swamy. Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma  wrote many songs on Sri Padmanabha. Most of these songs have the word  Padmanabha  in them. - [edit]Temple assets | Wikinews has related news:Hidden treasure worth billions of dollars discovered in Indian temple| The temple and its assets belong to Lord Padmanabhaswamy, and are controlled by a trust run by the Royal family. [11][12][13][14]  The royals consider themselves  Padmanabhadasas  i. . servants of Padmanabhaswamy. [15][3] There had been an earlier inventory of at least one vault on Sunday, December 6, 1931. A vault was opened in the presence of Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, then the  Maharaja  of the state of Travancore. Among the contents found were gold and silver coins stored in a granary like thing, four brass chests of coins, over 300 gold pots, and a six-chambered wooden chest containing jewels decorated wit h diamonds, rubies, emeralds and other precious stones. Four coffers were removed and taken to the palace treasury for counting and valuation. 16] The  Kerala High Court  ordered the temple and its assets be managed by the State on January 31, 2011. As trustees of the temple, the royals have challenged the Kerala Govt. s decision. The lower courts ruling was set aside by the  Supreme Court of India. The Supreme Court directed utmost security in and around the temple and asked the Central Valuation Institute of Lucknow for an inventory valuation. [12][17][18] In June 2011, the Supreme Court directed the authorities from the fire services and archeology department[19]  to open the secret (sanctum sanctorum) chambers of the temple for inspection of the items kept inside. A detailed inventory of the temple assets, consisting of gold, jewels, and other valuables was made. Several 18th century Napoleonic era coins were found,[3]  as well as a three-and-a-half feet tall gold idol of  Mahavishnu  studded with rubies and emeralds, and ceremonial attire for adorning the deity in the form of 16-part gold anki weighing almost 30 kilograms (66  lb) together with gold coconut shells, one studded with rubies and emeralds. 20] This revelation has solidified the status of the Padmanabhaswamy temple as one of the wealthiest temples in India and with the final estimate of the wealth, it might overtake the  Tirumala Venkateswara Temple—hitherto thought to be the wealthiest temple—having some  Ã‚  Ã‚  320 billion (US$7. 14 billion)  in gold, coins and other assets. [21]  It is estimated that the value of the monumental items is close to  1. 2 trillion (US$26. 76 billion), making it the richest temple in the world. 22][23]  If the anti que value is taken into account, these assets could be worth ten times the current market price. [22] The valuables are thought to have been in the temple for hundreds of years, having been put there by traders, pilgrims and royals such as the maharajahs of  Travancore, and by offerings of Travancore kings, other royals and ordinary devotees to the deity. [3][24][25]  While some Historians have suggested that a major chunk of the stored riches reached the kings in the form of tax, gifts, as well as conquered wealth of states and offerings stocked in the temple for safekeeping. 26]  A ferry transported traders, pilgrims and chroniclers across the  Gulf of Mannar  from the  Tenavaram temple, the famously wealthy Vishnu-Shiva temple town emporium to the  Chera  kingdom via  Puttalam  of the  Jaffna kingdom  during the medieval period. [27][28]  This temple was destroyed in 1587 CE, a few years after the Thiruvananthapuram Padmanabhaswamy temple gopuram was con structed. Morrocan  traveller  Ibn Batuta  visited Tenavaram in the 14th century and described the Vishnu idol here as being made of gold and the size of a man with two large rubies as eyes that lit up like lanterns during the night. [29][30]  All people living within the vicinity of the temple and who visited it were fed with monetary endowments that were made to the idol. The temple has 6 vaults (Kallaras), labeled as A to F for book keeping purpose by the Court. While vaults A and B have been unopened over the past 130 years, vaults C to F have been opened from time to time. The two priests of the temple, the Periya Nambi and the Thekkedom Nambi, are the custodians of the four vaults, C to F, which are opened periodically. The Supreme Court had directed that the existing practices, procedures and rituals of he temple be followed while opening vaults C to F and using the articles inside. Vaults A and B shall be opened only for the purpose of making an inventory of the arti cles and then closed. On July 4, 2011 the seven-member expert team which is taking stock of the assets at temple decided to postpone opening of the secret chamber marked B till they obtained more expert opinion as preliminary examination of its gates had found the vault to be secured with iron shutters making experts wonder what lay inside. The royal family said that many legends were attached to the temple and that chamber B has a model of a snake on the main door and opening it could be a bad omen. [31]  Seven-member team will consult with some more experts on July 8, 2011 and a then they may take the final decision on opening of chamber ‘B’. [32] In late June 2011, a review of the temples underground vaults was undertaken by a seven-member panel appointed by the  Supreme Court of India  to generate an inventory, leading to the enumeration of a vast collection of articles that are traditionally kept under lock and key. Unofficial estimates on the sixth day of the inventory placed the value of contents at close to  100,000  crore  (US$22. 3 billion), making it one of the wealthiest in the world,[23][33][34]  richer than the  Tirumala Venkateswara Temple  in  Tirupati,  Andhra Pradesh  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ by official records considered to be the richest shrine in India. [35][23][36]  The precious articles come from the donations that were made by the Royal family and traders, who used to come from other parts of the country and abroad, as offerings to the deity, and were sealed within the thick stone walls and vaults of the temple for over a  millennium. 37]  [3] The final vault of the temple has an iron door with a picture of snake(a cobra) on it and it has not been opened, due to the belief that a curse befalls those who attempt to open it. [38]  Less than a month after the first of the secret vaults was opened, the chief petitioner for opening the vaults, T. P. Sundarrajan died afte r suffering from a sudden unexplained illness. [39]  This has been dubbed as The Curse of the Cobra by the media. [40] [edit]

T. S. Eliot Biography Essay Example For Students

T. S. Eliot Biography Essay T. S. Eliot was a very influential pessimist, always and constantly thriving on his hatred of little things and his love life. Eliot was born in St. Louis Missouri 1888 ad. His parents were both writers and loved the arts, most effectively passing on the genes to their son. While growing up he learned many things, his parents were extremely social and intellectual and they pushed him to achieve the highest of statuses. He went to college at Harvard University and then moved to London to go to Oxford. He then became a citizen of England in 1915. While in England Eliot held many jobs to keep the payments on his 5th floor English apartment and his college tuition. Eliot quickly became popular with Britain and was known as a great poet and a literal critic. Eliot is best known for two of his works: The Waste Land (1922) and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (1915). Actually the Love song is the beginning of the Waste Land. The Waste Land is in 5 parts, so it is more of a story in poetical form. In the Love Song, Eliot actually sounds a bit like a optimist, quite frankly though his own waste landsteps in half way through. We will write a custom essay on T. S. Eliot Biography specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now This is his only poetic work I like. But it will never be at the top of any of my lists. In this song , JAP (J. Alfred Prufrock) is writing a letter to his honey, the girl he is in love with. In this poem Eliot uses a lot of visual imagery, he is very good with his adjectives and brings such a happy correlation of thought into a grim reality he would call his Waste Land. He talks of how : In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo. TLSJAP stanza 13 and 14 It has been my thought that this may signify his type. Eliot, again was an intellectual and then o he would most likely hang out where the smart people were and get away from: Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels And sawdust restaurant with oyster-shells: Streets that follow like a tedious argument Of insidious intent. stanzas 6-9 He actually gives the evidence to where he found his women, and how he likes to stroll through the outdoors and ending up in places of eloquence, and High Society. Even though he had a medium amount of money. He was still accepted in places for lower pay because of his high intelligence and the intelligence of his women. People enjoyed his company. He goes on alking about how there will always be time for us referring to the love that which he shares for her, and that there will always be time for things, but letting each other look at the joy as present and the escape from his Waste Land. He goes on in stanza 37 48 telling how they would grow old together, while still with the people that surround them that they love so dearly. He then tells of how he knows things and how life always goes (evidence of realism) in stanzas 49 54. Now here you can start to sense his pessimistic side shed a bit, talking of the: To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ays, And how should I presume? Stanza 60 61 Of course I guess you could take that as a repentance line but, I dont think so, lets go on. From stanzas 70 86 it shows what I think is his deep side and talking as if he were actually a Realist which he probably was, at least to me. He humbles himself a great deal , which is good , but talks of how things slowly fade , referring a lot to his baldness and how age takes a toll on relationships. This is my favorite part of the poem, because he brings you into his soul, not just letting you taste the action . I feel that this is how he lived life. .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9 , .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9 .postImageUrl , .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9 , .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9:hover , .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9:visited , .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9:active { border:0!important; } .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9:active , .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9 .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0cc3c52f5e0af8f096ac506051c7d4a9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Modern day Americ EssayAlways leaving people to taste the good stuff around him but behind his eyes ly his brain and behind his brain his heart and when his company least expected it, I could see him waving his hands and saying, Come all! Come! Come! come and feel my pain come and pity me come and think I am humble.. even though I dont care much of any of you. That is the picture I get of JAP who is also Eliot, in life, but yet his background, his unnoticeable conscience. In stanza 87 98 he speaks of his anxiousness to ask people into his Waste land , is wanting to let them see his truth. Then he tries to cover for himself by saying: Should I say: That is not what I meant at all, That is not it, at all. stanzas 97 98 In stanzas 119 and finishing the poem at 131 he ends off, sorry to say, in a pessimistic tone of self pity and morbidity. He talks about his age weighing on his soul and never being what he wants to look like in the eyes of others and his eagerness in death by saying: We have lingered in the chambers of the sea By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown Till human voices wake us, and we drown. anzas 129 131 That is a great background on how Eliot viewed life. Realistically and fading into the distance with love meaning nothing at all. Well, on to what is called T. S. Eliots Waste Land. To brief you on my thoughts I very much dislike this poem for many reason which will be laid out in the next couple paragraphs. The poem is simply a look in to the soul of Eliot, a man with great writing capabilities but uses them for the pleasure of striking his en emy and hiding the truth without being up-front, using stories of ancient myths in German and Latin to convey his apathy. Eliot throughout this whole poems loves to mock and scorn his ex-wife. Her sexual desire he could not satisfy and whose love he cannot return. T. S. Eliots Waste land. Page 98 by: James E. Miller. Jr. He uses many sexually explicit gestures in the writing because that was the only way his fantasies could be met through writing. I think the man is sick, hes full of crap! Eric Paoletti But he reveals his hatred toward her in these lines: More sinned against than sinning , bruised and marred, The lazy laughing Jenny of the Bard. The same eternal and consuming itch Can make a martyr and a onsuming bitch) There is much more but as you can see not very appropriate at all. Again this man won a Nobel Prize and was loved by Americans and the English. How on Earth did he achieve that? Probably because that is what the world is hungry for. Explains acts of fantasizing date rape and the hatred of his wife that he loved so much in the Love Letter, than leading into divorce. Overall if you ask m e, T. S. Eliot didnt need fame, fortune and the Nobel Prize. He needed serious mental help and most importantly, the God he talked of so vaguely throughout his writing.

What Is Suffering According To Buddha Example

What Is Suffering According To Buddha Example What Is Suffering According To Buddha – Coursework Example The Meaning of Suffering in Buddhism The Meaning of Suffering in Buddhism In Buddhist teachings suffering isthe inevitable truth of life. Even though such an approach seems to be pessimistic, it teaches people to be strong when they face suffering in their lives. Suffering is the most common translation of the word â€Å"dukkha† used in Sanskrit. Basically, â€Å"dukkha† means anything temporary in peoples life. The First Nobel Truth of Buddhism says that â€Å"life is dukkha† that is it translated as life is suffering. According to Harvey (2012), â€Å"dukkha† has a wide range of meanings starting from pain up to dissatisfaction. Many processes in human life are â€Å"dukkha† (painful or problematic); death, birth, aging or dissatisfaction are painful but one cannot skip them. Realistic outlook on life is required in Buddhism to look at all these things philosophically. Such states as happiness and joy are also temporary and when they pass they lea d to mental or physical pain. Overall, there is no word in English that renders full meaning of â€Å"dukkha† (Harvey, 2012).The cause of suffering is the fact that people always seek satisfaction outside themselves and they ignore their self. Buddhism teachings state that people can overcome suffering by diligent practice. There Forth Nobel Truth of Buddhism prescribes people to follow the Eightfold Path to Enlightenment by controlling their views, speech, intention, livelihood, action, mindfulness, concentration and effort (Harvey, 2012). Buddhism requires not only believing in the doctrine, but following the exact rules which lead to the desired state of body and mind. As a result, â€Å"dukkha† is not a predetermination for all. Those who follow the right way of life can eliminate suffering and be happy. ReferencesHarvey, P. (2012). An introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, history and practices. Cambridge University Press.

Discuss the extent to which hostage-taking terrorists are more likely Essay

Discuss the extent to which hostage-taking terrorists are more likely to target democratic governments - Essay Example Most of these groups strive to violence by taking hostages in order to show the government that they are incapable of protecting their citizens. They go to great extents that they even take children as hostages. The overall reason why democratic governments being majorly targeted by hostage-taking terrorist is the value given to human life, and it would be readily to cooperate into their demands (Wilkinson, 2014). It is more likely that the leaders would agree to the demands of the terrorist against their own policy of no negotiations with terrorists. When they attack, the media is at the forefront in reporting the occurrence of events. This puts the attacked country at a very compromising position for the globe watches the flow of events and how the situation would be resolved. Any life lost during the negotiation will have a great effect on how the rest of the watching world would pass judgment. Terrorists have a high degree of targeting the democratic government to further their terror on those watching. Consequently, Democratic governments are at a high risk of hostage-taking attacks by

Little Big Man Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Little Big Man - Movie Review Example The movie contains some uncertainty. The character, Younger Bear’s search for success goes to the extent of making him a warrior who is contrary. The Younger Bear is a warrior who does everything in reverse except when he is battling. The contrary warrior dries his body with water after washing himself with dirt. He also rides his horse rearwards. The portrayal of the warrior as a contrarian depicts the need for people to be unique from the rest of the population. This contrarianism depicts the Younger Bear as one of the most fundamental component of the community. This duty makes the warrior perform every action in a different way than what is inevitable. In my opinion, the contrary warrior wishes to be different from other people. The different behavior and the way of acting by the contrast warrior defy the norms in the society. This contradiction makes an observer feel like the Younger Bear’s society traditions are imprudent. Nonetheless, the contrary warrior has a responsibility of teaching others. He depicts the wrongs involved in doing things in a manner that is usual. Additionally, he illustrates how to do ordinary things in a way that is wrong. The contrary warrior also dresses in a different way from other people in the community. This is, time and again, improper or unusually extreme to dressing that is ordinary. For an individual to comprehend the community’s characteristics, he or she has to understand the essential role played by the contrary warrior. The two spirit man, who contains the spirit of a man and a woman, is highly respected by the members of the tribe. The indigenous people have an enlightened view of the two spirit man. The portrayal of the two spirit man depicts him as containing two spirits that occupy his sole body. The two spirit man’s way of dressing that contains a mixture of male and female elements depict the active task he has in the community. In my

Human Resource Specialist and the Human Resource Generalist Research Paper

Human Resource Specialist and the Human Resource Generalist - Research Paper Example Furthermore, two articles will be leveraged as a means of analyzing both career past and determining whether or not one particular career path might be viewed as superior to another. It is the further hope of this particular author that such a level of discussion will provide the reader with a more informed and actionable understanding concerning the differentials between these two career paths and means by which human resources professionals seek to leverage change can promote organizational integrity within whatever firm/business/organization they are employed future. The first article that was analyzed, entitled, â€Å"The Activity Of Human Resources Specialists† denotes that the HR specialist is the individual that is generally employed in medium to large enterprises and focuses upon specific details of the employee-employer relationship. As such, the article points to the fact that the specialist is not as involved in the â€Å"big picture† as compared to the generalist; a concern that they authors note as sufficient to encourage many individuals that might be easily bored by the tedium of a daily focus upon small details should avoid (Magdoiu et al. 129). However, for those that appreciate the benefits of working at a larger enterprise and specifically addressing the details of the employer-employee relationship on a daily basis, the career path offers a litany of benefits. Additionally, those the article notes that those individuals that focus their career as an HR specialist tend to have job opportunities over time; as HR spec ialists tend to be in higher demand as compared to HR generalists.   

Organisational Dynamics The Times Of India Business Essay

Organisational Dynamics The Times Of India Business Essay The Times of India is a daily, English language broadsheet of India. It has been certified as being the most selling and widest circulated English daily in the world by the Audit Bureau of Circulation. The average circulation of The Times of India for the year 2010 was 34.3 lakh copies. The Times of India has a readership of 70.3 lakh readers daily, as per the Indian Readership Surveys 2010 figures. It is hence the top English daily in India in terms of readership as well. The Times of India has been in existence since 1838, when it was established as the Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce, headquartered in Mumbai. In the mid-19th century, it was renamed as The Times of India. After independent, the newspaper passed into the hands of the Dalmiya family, and later went to the Sahu Jain family, who are the current owners. Todays The Times of India is published by Bennett, Coleman and Company Limited (BCCL). This media house also publishes various other newspapers, such as Economic Times, Mumbai Mirror, Maharashtra Times, etc. Culture of Times of India Given below is the culture of Times of India newspaper is described based on interviews conducted with employees of the organization. Bureaucratic: It is gathered from these interviews that TOI is a bureaucratic organization. There are formalised rules, procedures and processes in place to manage the organisation. The division of roles is formal and complete. There are clearly defined hierarchies as well, with a clear line of authority. This is primarily because it is a big organisation, and having commonly established practises makes managing it easier. Less propensity to risk taking: The organization does not believe in taking big risks, or chances that could mar the image of the organization. The employees are encouraged to conform to fixed codes of conduct and play safe, rather than thinking out of the box. Experimentation is therefore not a part of the organizational culture. Rigidity: In keeping with its bureaucratic structure, the organization follows an established and rigid way of functioning. It is hierarchical, and there are strict rules, regulations, codes of conduct and job profiles, so that every employee has a very specific job description and the areas of overlap are also defined. Hence, there is very little room to allow for individual cases or issues that the employee may have. This rigidity also makes the organisation less open to experimentation or change. Individuals, not teams: The work of departments, and within the department, each individual, is clearly outlines. Hence, because every employee has a differentiated job, the focus is on individual performances and roles rather than a team is an integral part of the organization. Also, most of the jobs are such that only one person can do them at a time-only one person can write an article, conduct an interview or do a graphic. However, despite this division of labour, the final product should look like one. Ethics held supreme: Ethics are valued above everything else. TOI has a Journalistic Code of conduct that deals with ethics. Any violations of this code are dealt with severely. The paper has a huge reputation to protect in the market, and its current status is primarily due to this reputation. Task oriented: The newspaper industry is highly volatile. Employees readily change jobs. The contract system is operational, and hence changing jobs is easy. Further, there are constantly new media options, and employees have more and more offers from outside. Hence, the focus at TOI is on the task and not the employee. Essentially, the position and the job are more important than the person occupying the post. This is interestingly seen in the way that the HR addresses employees: By their designation (position) first, and then their name. This order speaks a lot. Large power distance: Because the organizational structure is hierarchical, there is a large power distance between employees at higher levels and their subordinates. Power at higher levels is acquired through experience, and the inequality in power is seen as acceptable. Further, the subordinates almost never interact with their much higher-ups. Conformity: The culture is conserving in nature as it encourages conformity to already established norms and values. This ties in with other elements of the organisational culture as well, namely focus on playing it safe rather than experimentation and the rigid and bureaucratic structure of the organisation. Less openness: There is less openness and confrontation within the organization as employees are not very comfortable with expressing themselves to their superiors. Further, the organisational culture encourages that conflicts be resolved through diplomacy and tact rather than open confrontation. Confidentiality valued: This is also an important characteristic of the culture of TOI. Confidentiality and mutual commitments are honoured in the internal and external dealings of the organization. The employees who were interviewed refused to share the evaluation processes that are carried out within the organization. Traditions and rituals: TOI, being an old and established organisation, has a lot of traditions. These include events such as celebration of festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Holi and Makar Sankrant. The organisation also builds its culture using stories and narrations from the past, which embody the TOI culture. Inter-departmental distance: There is a large distance between the departments and also, the various newspaper publications. The editorial and business sides of the newspaper are constantly in conflict due to their seemingly contrasting roles. Less politics: Unlike most large organisations, TOI does not have a lot of petty politics at play. This is primarily because the promotions happen on basis of seniority and experience in the organisation, and are not subjective. Appraisals also happen through more than one person, and hence are not completely one-sided and prone to bias. Also, since the organisations culture focuses on the profile and not the person, the importance of personal politics is greatly reduced. Autonomy: TOI has clearly defined roles and profiles for all its employees; hence division of labour is complete. Within their designated roles, employees are given a fairly free hand with quite a lot of autonomy. The editors and superiors are available for consultation or collaboration, but the employees are encouraged to get the work done themselves. They can also make key decisions related to their roles. Information flows freely: Due to the large organisational size, employees are not always consulted in decisions-the decision making happens at the top and is not participatory. Even so, employees are always informed of decisions, events, change that is imminent, etc. TOI, as a media house, has good intra-organisational communication channels as well-by means of an intranet, e-fliers, in-house newsletter, etc. TOI Mission Statement: To be the leading provider of news, by providing timely, accurate and multi-dimensional news. To be the first paper the reader reads today and every day, by delivering consistently high standards of journalism. Functional aspects of culture: Organisational pride: The members of the group take pride in the organisation; it gives them a sense of identity for organization members. This increases loyalty to the organisation. Less politics: This is a functional aspect of the culture, because it helps deliver consistently high standards of journalism. Politics often leads to bickering, gossip, formation of factions, partiality, etc. As a result, often the best person is not chosen for a task due to bias in the selection process, or there is unnecessary conflict forming between individuals and groups. High levels of politics make the work environment extremely volatile, and are unwelcoming for new employees. Politics also discounts the importance of good and hard work, merit and dedication, and encourages a culture of power play, schemes and sucking up. Control and uniformity: Culture serves as a sense making and control mechanism that guides and shapes the attitudes and behaviour of employees. Autonomy: Autonomy is a functional part of the organisational culture because it helps achieve the mission of timely news. Employees are empowered to act autonomously within their designated roles, without the constant interference of their colleagues or superiors. This makes the delivery extremely fast and efficient, and timely. Diversity and multiple perspectives: TOI seeks to be a media mega mart that informs the customer, creates community value, delights the smart shopper, provides cutting-edge solutions to the advertiser, and believes in the magic of the idea.  This is ensured by diversity in the employees of the organisation, and helps achieve the multi-dimensional goal of its mission statement. Regular feedback: The employees are given regular feedback from their superiors. This is extremely motivating, as employees feel their work is being marked / noticed. This motivation will lead to better and higher quality output. Further, if any employee is delivering quality that is not appropriate of the TOI standards, the feedback mechanism can bring this to his notice. Hence, regular and comprehensive feedback is a suitable manner of ensuring and sustaining quality of the output-consistently high standards of journalism. Ethics: TOI insists on very high ethical standards. Dodgy and underhand journalistic practises are disallowed and against the organisations culture. This helps maintain the accuracy of the news, as well as ensure its multidimensionality. Because collection of news has been done ethically, accuracy of news is guaranteed. Also, the journalist must speak to all persons involved in the issue, and give a balanced, non biased view. Hence, all dimensions of the issue are considered fairly. Free flow of information within the organisation: Information flows freely in TOI. There are good intra-organisation communication channels, such as the intranet, newsletters, etc. Hence, employees are always kept up-to-date about the managements decisions and imminent changes. This has a positive, binding effect on the organisation, and inculcates a sense of oneness in the employees. Feelings of alienation are averted. This improves the individuals loyalty to the organisation and dedication to their job, which again positively affects the output. Dysfunctional Aspects of culture: Interdepartmental discordance: There seems to be discordance between the different departments of the organisation, especially the business and editorial departments. This is a dysfunctional aspect of the culture, because both need to work together to achieve the best possible output. Both are dependent on each other, and none can work in isolation. Mutual understanding will ensure a more harmonious relationship and overarching organisational unity. Large power distance: The hierarchical structure is fairly rigid. Hence, the lower levels do not interact with the higher levels at all. This can lead to a sense of alienation. The higher-ups may be out of tune with the prevailing problems or mood at the lower organisational level. The large power distance can affect the organisations cohesiveness. Low scope for experimentation: TOI does not really encourage experimentation, preferring that employees play safe and stick to tried-and-tested options. This is an age of change and media explosion. If TOI wants to survive in these times, it is necessary that it inculcate a sense of experimentation and risk taking. This will help it remain the first paper that the reader reads, because even the reader wants novelty and something new. Limited recognition: TOI does not really recognise achievements of its employees formally and publically. Informal feedback and praise by the superiors does happen. But formally, it does not. To motivate employees and get from them the best possible output, it is necessary to recognise them publically as well. Rigidity: Rigidity comes through the prevailing bureaucracy. This acts as a barrier to change. Consistency of behaviour is an asset to an organisation when it faces a stable environment, however it can burden the organisation and make it difficult to respond to changes in the environment. Lower levels are intimidated to make suggestions: Some of the best suggestions in corporate history have come from those in the lower hierarchies, simply because they deal with the paper and the target audience on a direct basis. However, the lower level employees at TOI often feel intimidated to make suggestions to the higher ups, because of the size and history of the organisation. There is no easy, fast-tracked system to make suggestions without going through the hierarchy. This means that the newspaper is not as good as it could be, because there may be some excellent suggestions which have not been heard yet. Role, rather than person oriented culture: Over-emphasis on the role rather that the person performing the role makes the employee less loyal to the organisation. TOI needs to start building better relationships with its employees, so as to retain them. Constant turnover of employees affects the organisations stability and may lead to reduced quality of output. Further, employees motivation levels will be higher if the organisation culture starts focussing on the person as well. Action Plan for change: We have adopted the Kotters eight-step plan for implementing changes and improving the work culture of Times of India by doing away with the dysfunctional aspects of the internal working of the organisation. Step 1: Theres a need to create urgency for change among the employees. People tend to procrastinate and let things be as they are if not made to realize a need for urgent changes. For that, we need to give them a genuine reason that compels them change. As we have listed down in the dysfunctional elements, we need to bring these to the notice of employees to evoke an urge for change in them. Essentially, the employees of TOI need to realise that these are all dysfunctional elements, and the manner in which each of these is having a negative impact on them and well as the entire organisation. This can be done by organising a large meeting of the employees and the management, where the Chairman or any such respected and distinguished individuals lays out the dysfunctional elements and asks for the employees allegiance to organisational change. The Chairman should also outline how times have become very competitive, and that it is only on changing these negatives that the paper will continue to grow from strength to strength. Step 2: One needs to form a coalition with enough power to lead the change. In any real time organization, there would be advocates as well as opponents of change. Hence it becomes important to convince enough people for change that one is able to form a coalition that drives the whole process of change. One person cannot bring about a change; he can only show the direction. Hence, TOI could form a coalition consisting of a cross section of employees, management representatives, etc. These should represent all the various publications, departments and also all hierarchical levels. The coalition should be powerful enough to bring about the change, have respected members so employees believe in it, and also represent all sections of the organisation. By including even lower level employees, the change can be inclusive rather than forced. Step 3: It becomes important to create a new vision to direct the change and strategies for achieving the vision. People need to have a reason to support change. If theres no proper vision that directs the efforts for a change, then its like absence of an aim or goal which people might want to achieve. TOI should outline a new vision-a vision of a functional culture, where the existing dysfunctional elements have been reversed. This vision should be one of optimism and inclusion. It should stress the advantages to all the members of the organisation, as well as the paper itself. The vision should at the same time be specific, realistic, achievable and come with a specific timeline for implementation. Step 4: Only creating a new vision would not help until and unless it is communicated throughout the organisation. All the employees in the organisation should know the reason of so much efforts being put in the process to bring about a certain changes. The vision itself might act as a driving factor for many who wish to see themselves and the organisation at that level sometime in the future. This vision can be communicated through the organisation using verbal communication channels such as speeches, addresses by the management; informally by the superiors to their teams; or through the prevailing intra-organisational communication channels such as the in-house magazine, intranet, e-fliers, etc. The role of informal channels such as the grapevine should not be discounted. Step 5: Empowering others to act on the vision also becomes very important. For this, barriers to change should be removed and risk taking and creative problem solving should be encouraged. Like in the case of TOI, we saw that lower level employees are too intimidated to make any suggestions. Thus, these employees need to be empowered and should be listened to, to make the best of their knowledge. Hence, TOI can organise suggestion boxes, or a fast-track suggestion process whereby the lower level employees can make their views heard. Focus group meetings or participatory sessions with employees can also be conducted, to involve them in the change. All employees should be encouraged to be dynamic, experimentative, build relationships and understand the working of other departments. Step 6: Short term plans should be given as much importance as long term plans. There should be a reward system for short term wins. This helps to reward people at regular intervals and that acts as a motivating factor for more hard work in future. As we saw in case of TOI that the level of experimentation is very low, the employees should be encouraged to experiment more, and in case of any successful results, they should be awarded suitably. Step7: During the change process, it becomes necessary to consolidate the improvements brought about and reassess the effect of changed on the organisation so that necessary adjustments could be made in the new programs. For example, if the changes made in the internal functioning of TOI are focussed on more team works than individual performances, and if the results of that are not those desired or expected, then necessary changes should be brought about as soon as possible so that the organisation does not suffer through any losses. The HR can also hold sessions that involve members of the business and editorial departments, where they can bond and understand each others roles, so as to reduce conflict. To cement the dynamism in the organisation, and to make the higher-level managers more accessible to the lower level employees, mixers and informal sessions can be organised. Step8: It becomes important to reinforce any change that has brought about a success in the organisation. Hence, the new vision of the organisation should be consistently communicated on every occasion. Short term rewards should be complemented with long term rewards. Interview 1 Interview with Pooja Bhaktal, junior copy editor, TOI How long have you been working at TOI? I have been working at TOI for the past eleven months. I joined directly after my graduation; this is my first full-time job. Do you enjoy working at TOI? I do enjoy my work. It is a good place to work because there is a lot of history to the organisation; it is one of Indias oldest and best known papers. If you have a problem or a suggestion, how comfortable are you to approach your seniors? I am quite comfortable approaching my immediate superior, the senior copy editor. However, beyond that, I am not comfortable approaching the higher-ups. To be honest, the interaction with them is also limited. What has your interaction been with your higher-ups? Well, I was interviewed by the editor-in-chief of TOI. Occasionally, I receive mass mails for them, with certain guidelines or instructions for an on-going project. They sit separately from us; they have their own elevator, and even their own dining areas. So meetings are basically chance ones. They do not really mix around at the HR events either. Are your suggestions taken seriously, or even implemented? I have made a few content suggestions to my senior editor, but nothing too big, because I am still fairly new. I think I need to spend some more time and learn many more things before I am in a position to make suggestions. However, if I make a good suggestion, I do think it will be implemented. However, the sheer size and history of the organisation makes it very intimidating for a newcomer. Are there a lot of politics at TOI? Politics are everywhere! But the entire water cooler culture is not as much at TOI. I think that is because the organisation is very open with the employees, so there are not too many rumours or opportunities for speculation. We receive constant updates from HR, have our own intranet, have monthly in-house publications, briefings, etc. Also, promotions are strictly made on basis of experience. The evaluation process also seems very fair to me. Hence, the regular bitching-backstabbing routine does not exist here. Does the organisation encourage you to take risks? Although TOI is trying to change, it is predominantly an old school newspaper. So no, risk taking is not actually part of the culture. We are always encouraged to play safe, even if that may cost u a good opportunity. Does the organisation provide opportunities for employees of different departments to interact? Yes, the HR department often organises events. Recently, we have a New Years party. We also have celebrations for various festivals, an office picnic every six months, outings, joint training programmes, etc. Is there a lot of inter-departmental conflict or distance? The editorial and the business sides of the paper dont get along all that well, to be honest. Nether actually understands the other. The business wants to maximise profit, sell more ad space, put out news that is popular and will sell. The editorial wants to maintain the quality, keep more articles. Obviously there is bound to be regular tension. Even I deal with this on a daily basis. Does TOI encourage team work or individual work? How are assessments done? The stress is on individual work. Everyone has their own tasks and jobs to be done. Most of these are independent of others, even in the same department / editorial section. I cannot talk about the assessment procedure. Is there a fair amount of autonomy? Autonomy is there, it increases as you climb the ladder. No one interferes with your work; the editors are more like guides. You can approach them for help at any time. Once your story has been approved, it is all yours. Collaboration, however, is always available. Does the organisation encourage assertiveness or diplomacy? The focus is on diplomacy. Even if you have a problem with someone, you cannot go tell them directly. It has to be done tactfully. In my opinion, TOI encourages employees to discard their individuality and behave as TOI employees first. Is the organisation people-oriented or job-oriented? I would say job-oriented. It is a highly dynamic industry, people come and go. The jobs are constant. Do you get regular feedback, recognition for achievements, etc? We get annual evaluation reports. The organisation does not really give any other recognition or awards. We get regular feedback from our immediate superiors, and occasionally one level above. Are you a part of decision making processes of the organisation? No, employees, especially at the junior levels, are not involved. Thats because it is a very big organisation. Are you consulted or at least properly inform of changes? We are not consulted, but we are informed, usually in good time before the change happens. We also get relevant details and may approach the HR if we do not understand the change or have any sort of concerns. How important are ethics and morals in the organisation? Are they more important than results? Ethics are very, very important. We have an Ethics Handbook which we must follow at all costs, else risk being fired. This high value on ethics makes the organisation a very good place to work, because we follow the journalistic principles of honesty and integrity in letter and practise. This also translates into our behaviour at the workplace. Interview 2 Interview with Gauri Mane, Editor, Time N Style How long have you been working at TOI? I have been here for about six years, give or take. Do you enjoy working at TOI? I do enjoy working here. Thats why Ive stuck on for so long! There is something very honest about this organisation and what it stands for. There is also a lot of scope for growth and opportunities to learn because it is a huge media conglomerate. If you have a problem or a suggestion, how comfortable are you to approach your seniors? As an editor, it is my right and privilege to make suggestions and highlight issues. Are your suggestions taken seriously, or even implemented? Very often. I recently suggested that the website for my paper be revamped, which was approved by the Editorial board. Does the organisation encourage you to take risks? TOI is not really a risk-taking organisation. We are already established as the number one paper; hence the need to take crazy risks is minimal. Also, if we take a risk and that does not work out, it means that we are in trouble Does the organisation provide opportunities for employees of different departments to interact? Yes, the HR organises many such events that are for mixing and meeting. Is there a lot of inter-departmental conflict or distance? The legendary divide between the editorial and business departments exists too. It is a strange paradox. Both departments want the same objective-the success of TOI. Only the means to achieve them are different. The editorial sells the paper, but the ads sustain the paper. Who is to say which is more important? Sometimes, I feel employees of these two departments do not understand each other, and view each other as competitors rather than collaborators. Does TOI encourage team work or individual work? How are assessments done? Most of the work is individually done, that is simply the nature of the work. Plus, journalists are such free souls with strong, diverse views. Often, it is best to let them work individually. Do you not miss out on the advantages of collaboration? Collaboration also happens. No one can produce a full newspaper alone. It is just that the roles are properly divided. Division of labour, so to speak. Does the organisation encourage assertiveness or diplomacy? Diplomacy. The organisation does not like people who kick up the dust or yell themselves hoarse. There is a method to doing things diplomatically, which should be respected. There is no need to shake up the peace of the organisation. Is the organisation people-oriented or job-oriented? The newspaper industry used to be very people-oriented till the mid 1990s. Now it is job-oriented. People fill jobs, and not the other way around. Hard fact but true. Most of us here are on contract, and not employees for a lifetime. If we get a better opportunity elsewhere, we are free to leave. Of course, we do value the employees a lot! Do you get regular feedback, recognition for achievements, etc? We have our annual appraisals. I make sure I give my team regular feedback. There is no formal, pan-organisational recognition programme really. Are you consulted or at least properly inform of changes? I am consulted if it affects my paper or department. I am also informed of it properly through official channels. How important are ethics and morals in the organisation? Are they more important than results? Ethics are supreme at TOI. We value them above all else. We are a paper of values, morals and ethics. We do not resort to cheap stunts and gimmicks like other papers just for short term wins.

Speaker for the Dead

Prime Directive Response When dealing with foreign sentient species, it is crucial to maintain what is know as a prime directive. This is the notion that a species may explore distant planets, but must take certain precautions when dealing with other sentient species to prevent any change in their progression. In the novel Speaker for the Dead, the citizens of Lusitania go to great lengths to preserve their prime directive, but the indigenous species appear to benefit from their encounters with these humans, and begin to realize it themselves.The natives of the planet Lusitania, known to the humans as â€Å"piggies†, have learned much from the humans in the brief time that they have lived together. The human languages, Stark and Portuguese, were necessary in order to be able to communicate with the piggies, but the piggies seem to be using it for more than just communication. Pages 142-143 show that the piggies can transition between Stark and portuguese as a sort of language game that they play with the humans.The piggies already know four different languages, and the addition of two more can help their society express themselves in more ways. Besides language, the mere fact of making contact with another sentient species shows the natives that they are not alone in the universe and that they may not be the strongest or the smartest. If they realize this, it may help them to unite as a planet-wide species faster than they normally would have without outside contact. By seeing that the humans are more technologically advanced, the piggies may also focus more on striving to create new technologies themselves.History has shown us that most inventions happen because they are necessary, and the addition of humans on Lusitania may increase the necessity of technological progression. At this point, the piggies are far from being capable of first contact and therefore cannot be contaminated by human society due to the Prime Directive. Their culture seems backwa rds to the humans, but that does not justify any interference, even if it would potentially benefit the piggies. The two species are simply too far apart in progression to be able to successfully interact with each other.The fact that two humans have already been killed, and brutally so (at least in human standards), reinforces this idea. The piggies' culture is still hindered by radical traditions that the humans do not understand and most likely never will. By even being around the piggies, the humans are inserting themselves into the piggies' rituals and culture. The piggies may eventually realize that their culture is backwards and may abandon such rituals earlier than they would have. Or perhaps, they may even adapt their culture to human standards.With this being said, it seems apparent that even minimal contact between the two species is having a subtle but profound effect on both societies. The cultural difference of the piggies is too vast to allow interactions with the hum ans if the Prime Directive is to be maintained. Already, as is seen on pages 144-145, one of the natives realized that the humans are using metals as a resource to accomplish greater tasks, such as flight. It may have taken decades for the piggies to have discovered metal as a useful resource on their own. The humans should have gone to far greater lengths to preserve the prime directive.No resource that is not ready available or attainable should even be encountered by the natives until they discover it for themselves. The notion of a prime directive may seem considerate towards other species, but in the case of the piggies it appears to be almost impossible. The attempts to learn more about the natives of Lusitania without contaminating their culture has resulted in failure after failure. Even if the humans were to leave immediately, the piggies have still learned permanent information that they would not have even theorized for years.Although it seems as though the prime directiv e has been compromised between the humans and piggies, the latter seems to still benefit greatly from the knowledge. They've learned new languages, discovered that traveling to distant planets is possible, and are now even considering searching for new materials to create better technology. Perhaps the humans should have taken more care to prevent technological contamination, but the colonization of Lusitania by humans has led to an inevitable progression of the native culture.

FASB Codification System Orientation Paper

Becoming an accountant there are many guidelines and regulations that one must become aware of. The FASB assists in establishing these guidelines through generally accepted accounting principles, GAAP. As an accountant one must follow GAAP while producing any reports for a business. Consequently, the author will explore the FASB Codification System, its purpose, and contents.The FASB Codification SystemThe FASB Codification Systems is a source of principles and standards recognized by the FASB that is applied to nongovernmental entities in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with (GAAP). â€Å"Rules and interpretive releases of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under authority of federal securities laws are also sources of authoritative GAAP for SEC registrants† (FASB. n.d.). Generally, the FASB Codification System helps to establish the principles and framework for preparation of financial statements.The Purpose of FASB Codification SystemThe purp ose is to have accounting to have established GAAP principles for nongovernmental entities to follow. This helps to maintain uniform accounting principles. The FASB Accounting Standards Codification as the source of authoritative principles and standards recognized by the FASB to be applied by nongovernmental entities in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP (FASB. n.d.). The SEC helps to regulate to ensure entities are following the guidelines properly.The content and types under FASB Codification SystemThe nine content areas located under the FASB Codification System is general principles, presentation, assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, expenses, broad transactions, and industry. Under the general principles are overview, objectives, scope, scope exceptions, glossary, transition, open effective date information, grandfathered guidance, and XBRL Elements. The presentation section lists all the different types of financial statements. The assets name al l assets such as cash, cash equivalents, receivables, investments, inventory, and more. The liability, equity, revenue, expenses,  broad transaction, and industry list accordingly. In general each section reviews each classification and its sub categories within financial statements.ConclusionThe FASB Codification System establishes GAAP principles that must be followed within nongovernmental entities while preparing financial statements. The website thoroughly explains all financial statements and classification codes. These principles assist in keeping conformity in financial reporting which is critical to follow while accounting for a business.

What Can You Expect on SAT Test Day A Complete Guide

What Can You Expect on SAT Test Day A Complete Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips When test day’s just around the corner, what final steps can you take to feel prepared? This guide will go over exactly what happens on the day you take the SAT so that you don’t have any surprises. Read on to learn what will happen at your test center, along with an overview of the materials you need to bring. Finally, we’ll discuss some strategies you can use to deal with nerves and feel confident going into the SAT. To start, let’s discusswhat will happen when you arrive at your test center to take the SAT. SAT Test Day: Arrival What can you expect to happen between the time you get to your testing center and when you start in on your first section? First off, you’ll want to arrive at your testing center - probably your high school - between 7:30 and 7:45. The doors will open at 7:45 and close at 8:00 AM unless your admission ticket says otherwise. A closed door means no more entry, so arriving late is not an option. Once you enter the school or testing center, you’ll likely be greeted by a few helpers signing people in and directing students to their testing rooms. You’ll show your admission ticket and ID and then find your testing room. You may have to store your bag or jacket in a locker or other designated area; other testing centers simply let you put your things under your desk. Once everyone’s checked in and taken their seats, your test proctor will pass out your testing materials, like your SAT booklet and answer sheet, and begin to give instructions. You’ll spend some time filling out identifying information, like your name and contact details, as well as listening to instructions about timing and how to bubble in your answer sheet. Depending on how long it takes everyone to get settled, all of these preliminaries will take about 30 minutes to an hour. Arriving atyour testing room will likely be the easiest part of a challenging morning, but is there anything extra you can do to ensure an easy-going start to your day? Tips for Arrival Perhaps the most important thing you can do that Saturday morning is arrive on time. Getting to your testing center between 7:30 and 7:45 is ideal. Much earlier, and you might work yourself into a nervous wreck as you sit around in the parking lot. Any later, and you’ll be rushing in late or, worst case scenario, miss your test completely and have to reschedule. So how can you ensure a punctual arrival? First, set your alarm early enough to give yourself the time you need to get ready (and actually get up when it rings, rather than playing a game of chicken with your snooze button). Second, figure out how long it takes to get to your testing center and what the traffic situation is like around 7:00 AM. Hopefully, it will be smooth sailing on a Saturday morning. And third, make sure you’re confident about navigation, both in terms of how to get to your testing center and how to make your way around the building. Again, for most students, this should be easy, as they’ll be testing at their local high school. If you’re going somewhere unfamiliar, though, then you might do a test journey a few days before. Getting lost on the morning of the SAT is not a nightmare you want to experience! In addition to ensuring you get from point A (your home) to point B (your desk for the next 3 to 4 hours) smoothly, you should also make sure to listen to all your proctor’s instructions. Fill out your answer sheet correctly so there’s no delay with your scores. Don’t open your test booklet until told to do so. And, of course, make sure your cell phone is packed away and definitely turned off. After everyone’s seated and gotten through the first round of instructions, it’s finally time for the main feature: taking the SAT. What should you expect for the next few hours? The day of the bubble sheet is finally upon you. SAT Test Day: Taking the Test Finally, you’re ready for the main event - actually taking the SAT. There’s no exact start time for the test; instead, it depends on how long it takes for everyone to get settled and your proctor to get through instructions. That means that students will start in on their first sections between 8:30 AM and 9:00 AM. For simplicity’s sake, you might expect that you’ll start testing at 8:45. Your proctor should instruct you in everything, from when to open your test booklet to when to put down your pencils. Most proctors also give you a five or ten minute warning, usually writing on the board when your section’s almost over. Once you start testing, you’ll pretty much be focused in for the next three hours, or four with the essay, with just a few short breaks in between some of the sections. Here’s the exact structure to expect: Start with the 65-minute Reading section. You’ll get five passages with a total of 52 questions. Take a short break of 10minutes. You can stretch, drink water, have a snack, and use the restroom. You can’t use this time to check your cell phone or charge any electronics. Sit back down, and start in on the 35-minute Writing and Language section. After Writing, your proctor will instruct you to move onto the 25-minute Math No Calculator section. At the end of the Math No Calculator, you get a second, shorter break of five minutes.At the end of this break, get out your calculator for the next section. Get to work on your 55-minute Math section. For this section, you can use yourcalculator. At this point, you’ve been testing for three hours. It will be sometime between 11:40 and 12:10. If you’re not taking the essay section, then you’re all finished with the SAT! You’ll wait for the proctor to collect your test booklets and, when instructed, you’ll be free to go. If you are taking the essay section, then you’ll have a very short, two-minute break and then get started on this 50-minute section. After time has been called, then you’ll be all finished with the test. Tips for Taking the Test Assuming that you’ve already spent time prepping for the SAT, there are a few other things you can do as you’re taking the SAT to perform your best. Simply familiarizing yourself with its exact structure and format, for instance, will reduce any distracting surprises and help you know how to manage your time. You should listen to your proctor’s instructions, but ideally, they’ll just be a repeat of everything that you already know. Make sure that you only work on the designated section and don’t flip through the book. College Board is very strict with its guidelines; if a proctor sees you jumping ahead, then your scores could be completely canceled. I once worked with a student who flipped through the pages and ended up having her scores canceled. Since College Board isn’t very forthcoming with its communication, she didn’t actually know her test had been invalidated for a couple of months! Don’t let this happen to you. Another way you can make the most of your test-taking experience is to take advantage of your break times. Even though they’re short, they’re valuable opportunities to get up, move around, and re-energize. Just looking and moving around will reduce eye strain and get your blood flowing. Make sure to stay hydrated and eat a healthy snack to fuel all that mental exercise. Also, make sure to use one of the first two breaks if you need to use the restroom - you won't be allowedto leave the room between the second Math section and the Essay. Finally, make sure to be aware of your rights and speak up if your testing center doesn’t honor them. You’re entitled to a quiet testing space and two break times (or three with the essay). If there are issues, or you don’t get your breaks, speak up!The SAT is meant to compare students on an equal playing field, so testing conditions should be fair across the board. Once you’ve gotten through the hard part of actually taking the SAT,how is your test day going to conclude? It's almost time to celebrate... SAT Test Day: Finishing Up Your end time depends on whether or not you’re taking the essay section of the SAT. If you’re not, then you’ll be finished after three hours, sometime between 11:40 and 12:10. You’ll wait for your proctor to collect all materials and then be free to leave the room. If you are taking the 50-minute essay section, then you’ll have a short break after Math and be all finished around 1:00 PM. As with the students who already left, you’ll close up your test booklet and wait until your proctor collects everything. Once you’re given the green light, you can leave the testing center, turn your cell phone back on, and go home or out for ice cream sundaes. Your final step? Celebrating the fact that you finished the SAT! Tips for Finishing Up There are just a few things to keep in mind as you finish up your test. First, don’t leave until instructed to do so. College Board is stringent about test confidentiality, so you don’t want to encounter any issues. Make sure your proctor has collected all test materials and told everyone it’s time to go. On a similar note, you shouldn’t immediately start talking about the test with your friends. College Board prohibits discussing test questions and can cancel your scores if they heard that you publicized specific questions in person or online. These guidelines around confidentiality are another reason that you shouldn’t turn your cell phone on until you’ve left the testing center. If you’re not taking the essay section, make sure to respect those students who are still in testing mode. Quietly gather all your belongings and leave the testing center before you start cheering about having finished. When you are finally done, congratulate yourself on all your hard work! You should receive your scores online in about three weeks. Now that you know exactly how your morning will proceed on test day, let’s rewind to the days and weeks leading up to the test. To begin, what materials do you need to bring to the SAT? Pockets are your friend on SAT test day. What Do You Need to Bring to the SAT? There are a few essentials that you absolutely must bring to the SAT (hello, admission ticket), as well as some other items that could enhance your testing experience. These are the critical materials: printed admission ticket, acceptable photo ID, Number 2 pencils, a calculator, and an eraser. Additionally, you should bring a drink, along with some energy-boosting snacks. Some people like to bring a watch to keep track of time, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, as there’s no way of knowing whether it matches up exactly with the clock the proctor will be using. If it helps you, go for it; if it’s distracting, then leave it home. Finally, you may want to bring a bag that will help keep everything organized. It’d be nice to know exactly where your calculator is, rather than having to rummage around in a black hole of apurse(story of my life) for the things you need. In addition to packing an organized bag, what else can you do to prepare everything you need for the SAT? Prepare Your Bag the Night Before With a 7:45 arrival, you’re looking at an early wake-up the morning of the SAT. I highly recommend getting everything packed and ready to go the night before. Make sure you’ve printed out at least one copy of your admission ticket - two is even better, just in case. Printers apparently have a built-in autodestruct feature if you try to use them right before an important deadline, so don’t wait to print out your ticket at the last minute. Calculators can also be unpredictable tricksters, so make sure that yours is in full working order and has a fresh battery with hours of life ahead of it. You might even bring a backup battery. You should place your calculator somewhere that’s easy for you toaccess between the No Calculator and Calculator math sections. As for drinks and snacks, opt for something wholesome and sustaining, like mixed nuts and fruit, over something that will just make your energy spike and then collapse. Think whole grains and protein, rather than sugar. Your brain’s actually using up a lot of energy answering all those grammar and math questions; fuel up just as you would for a work-out. Finally, don’t bring any prohibited technology or anything that makes sounds. Make sure your cell phone is off and out of sight by the time you enter the testing center. Apart from packing your bag with everything you need the day before, what else can you do to feel prepared for the SAT? How can you get in the right headspace for test day? How to Feel Confident for SAT Test Day Everyone feels nervous going into the SAT. It’s an important test day, and you’ve probably been experiencing weeks, if not months, of anticipation. While some adrenaline can actually help you focus and do well, too much stress could distract you from the tasks at hand - and just be unpleasant besides. So how can you achieve that sweet spot of focused but in control, aware of the high stakes and confident about achieving your goals? Read on for a few tips for staying in control so you can show up to the SAT feeling good. Let Yourself Relax the Day Before Rather than spending the day before your SAT with an all-day cram session, let yourself take a break and relax. You may spend an hour or two reviewing those last minute tricky concepts and strategies, but otherwise, you should trust that you’ve done everything you could at this point to prepare. Instead of over-studying, use the day before to let the work you’ve done sink into your consciousness. Spend your time taking care of yourself with activities that make you happy, like spending time in nature, journaling, listening to music, reading inspiring quotes, or hanging outwith friends (just not too late!). Choose activities that bring you peace of mind, as well as ones that reduce stress - like exercise. Fun fact: "power posing" for two minutes can change your body chemistry and enhance your confidence. So try doing your best Wonder Woman before the SAT! Establish an Exercise Routine It’s a well-supported factthat exercise reduces stress and enhances mental clarity. If you don’t already have a physical outlet, make it a priority to find one that suits you, whether it’s sports, walking, running, lifting, swimming, or yoga. Exercising for just half an hour about three to five times a week can significantly reduce anxiety. While exercising won’t completely eliminate nerves before the SAT, it will help reduce them, especially if you’re prone to test-taking anxiety. Plus, meeting physical goals can further fortify your confidence in your ability to overcome challenges.Even though you’re busy studying for the SAT and school, making the time to take care of your physical health will only improve your mental game. Exercise can also help you sleep better, a helpful side effect before you take this early morning test. Studies have shown that "blue light"is great during the day, but disastrous for sleeping. Dim the lights and step away from screens before bed to improve your sleep. MakeSleep a Priority Getting enough sleep is always important to our well-being, especially so before the intensive SAT. The night before, try to go to bed early. That means actually turning off the lights and trying to sleep, rather than inadvertently adding three extra hours of pre-sleep cell phone and laptop time. Of course, worrying about the SAT can make it hard to sleep that well. If you have a night of tossing and turning, you can still do well on the test and just crash afterward. Still, you can set the conditions for quality sleep by getting into a calm space Friday night. Step away from the cell phone, make some herbal tea, and even try turning off all sources of "blue light" in your room so you can sleep and wake up refreshed for your early morning alarm. Resist the Snooze Button What’s almost as stressful as the SAT? Running totally late in the mornings when you have to be somewhere important. As discussed above, you can’t be late for the SAT, as doors will close on you at 8:00 AM. Just as printing your admission ticket and packing your bags the day before will help you have a smooth morning, so too will leaving yourself enough time to get ready in the morning. You might leave yourself a checklist of everything you need to do, which hopefully is a short list comprised of getting dressed, brushing your teeth, and remembering your bag of pencils and snacks. Don't give into the temptation of the snooze button; just get up as soon as you can after your alarm goes off the first time. That way, you'll also have timefor the most important meal of the day. Grab a bananafor breakfast or a snack on SAT test day. Not only are they yummy, but studies have shown that bananas make peoplehappier! Eat a Nutritious Breakfast Exercise and sleep have a big effect on your mood and feelings, just like the food you put in your body. Processed and sugary foods, like muffins and tons of cereals, might give you an energy rush and then leave you feeling sluggish and hungry. Foods with protein and whole grains are a safer bet - eggs, whole wheat toast, oatmeal, vegetables, and fruits are all good options. If you’re someone who’s just not hungry that early in the morning, I still recommend trying to eat something, or at least bringing along enough snacks to recharge during your test breaks. You don’t want to be distracted by a grumbling stomach or, as discussed in the next point, an itchy wool sweater. Wear Comfortable Clothes and Layers Another way to take care of your physical state is to wear comfortable clothes and prepare for fluctuating temperatures in your classroom. By wearing layers, you can prepare for a room that’s too warm or too cold. Wear clothes that are comfortable - you’ll be sitting at a desk for three to four hours - and that make you feel confident. All of the above considerations - exercise, sleep, breakfast, clothes - will help you take care of your physical state and, indirectly, your mental and emotional state as well. You can also use mental strategies to boost your confidence and reduce stress before the test. For instance, don’t underestimate the power of â€Å"positive self-talk.† Think positive! Identify Negative Thoughts, and Replace Them with Positive Ones If you’re thinking the SAT is a scary, horrible test that will make or break your entire future, then it totally makes sense that worry and stress would immediately follow. Our thoughts and our feelings are inextricably linked. Even if we’re not consciously aware of a worry, we might still experience a nagging sense of anxiety because that concernis sitting in the back of our mind. If you’re stuck in negative thoughts about being a bad or slow test-taker, then these worries may act as self-fulfilling prophecies. But if you can reframe your negative thoughts in more positive and productive ways, then you may feel and, as a result, perform even better! Instead of ruminating about running out of time on the math section, for instance, think instead about all the ways that your prep has helped you improve. Instead of assuming that missing one Reading question means you tanked the entire section, think about how the next questions are opportunities to do better. If you can identify thoughts that cause you distress, you may be able to change unhelpfulthoughts patterns and, consequently, your feelings about taking the SAT. Let your inner dialogue sound like the words of encouragement you might give to your best friend. The nice, reassuring things you’d say to him or her are the same kind of pep talk you should give to yourself. Positive thinking may help you feel better, and feeling better may help you do better on the SAT. Be the tree! Embrace your growth mindset. Adopta Growth Mindset On a similar note, embracing a â€Å"growth mindset† (as termed by Carol Dweck in Mindset: The New Psychology of Success) throughout your SAT prep may help maximize your improvement. Rather than seeing your skills as fixed, and,therefore, unchangeable, you could embrace the idea that you can continuously learn and develop with effort and persistence. Maybe you didn’t understand quadratic equations when you started prepping, but you’ve mastered them now. Perhaps you kept running out of time on SAT Reading, but after trying out skimming strategies and taking numerous practice tests, you’ve gotten much faster and more efficient. By believing that you can improve and using failure as an opportunity to learn, rather than as a dead end, you can continuously grow and work towards your goals. This growth mindset will help if you encounter a difficult question or section or even if you decide to retake the SAT for a second or third time. Ultimately, you can achieve your SAT goals, along with your other academic and personal goals, by truly believing that you can and continuing to put forth your best effort, persistence, and preparation. What’s Next? Now you know what to expect on test day, but are you familiar with the exact structure of the test itself? Check out this guide for the start and end times of each section of the SAT, along with how many passages and questions you can expect to encounter in each. Have you registered for your test yet? These guides will help you choose your best test dates and figure out how many times you should take the SAT to reach your target scores. Are you interested in strategies for reducing stress and clearing your mind? Check out our article on mindfulness and how this practice can help improve your focus and sense of well-being. 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