Criminal Law Essay

Criminal Law Essay Criminal Law Essay CRIMINAL LAW STUDY GUIDE HOUSEHOLD VICTIMIZATION URBAN PEOPLE FACE HIGHER RISK THAN RURAL PEOPLE, HIGHER HOUSEHOLD INCOME ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER VICTIMIZATION RATE, HIGHR RATES IN HOUSEHOLDS WITH MORE PEOPLE, SEMI-DETACHED,ROW, AND DUPLEX HOMES FACE THE HIGHEST RATE AND RENTERS FACE HIGHER RATES THAN OWNERS INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVED IN THEIR HOMES FOR ONLY A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME ARE MORE AT RISK OF VICTIMIZATION MOST VICTIMS LOST UNDER $500 AND MOST ITEMS WERE NEVER RECOVERED ONLY 3 IN 4 CASES WERE INVESTIGATED BY THE POLICE AND VICTIMS WERE MORE LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN VICTIM OFFENDER MEDIATION PROGRAM. CRIME CRIME IS A DETERMINATION OF GUILT IN A CRIMINAL COURT ALSO REFERED TO AS THE â€Å"BLACK LETTER†, IT’S THE VIOLATION OF A CRIMINAL LAW, VIOLATION OF SOCIAL NORMS. THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTIC OF CRIME IS THAT BEHAVIOUR WICH IS PROHIBITD BY THE STATE AS AN INJURY TO THE STATE. ABORIGINAL JUSTICE CRIMINAL CASES IN CANADA GANNON AND MOLHOREAN CONVICTIONS WRONGFUL ACT CULPABLE BECARRIA TASERS TASERS STANTS FOR â€Å" THOMAS A. SWIFT ELECTRIC RIFFLE† HAND HELD WEAPON THAT DELIVERS A JOLT OF ELECTRICITY FROM A DISTANCE INMOBILIZES INDIVIDUALS MUSCLES VERY EFFECTIVE UCR DISCRIMINATION DISCRIMINATION IF THE DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT BASED ON NEGATIVE JUDGMENTS RELATED TO GROUP MEMBERSHIP. SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION- DISCRIMINATION IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE OPERATION OF THE CJS INSTITUTIONAL DISCRIMINATION- DISPITES IN THE OUTCOMES OF POLICIES CONTEXTUAL

buy custom The Sarbanes-Oxley Act essay

buy custom The Sarbanes-Oxley Act essay The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was passed with a purpose of increasing reliability and accuracy of the corporate reporting, auditing and accounting practices and with the purpose of ensuring that there is an independence of securities analyst recommendations and advice. This federal law Sarbanes-Oxley act explains on the law of employment at will, where the employers have the right to fire employees for a good reason, a defective one or no reason at all. This law was to protect the corporate whistleblowers. In some cases, the corporations should use the restrictive covenants to limit the rights of employees who leave their work place for competitors. This will help companies to protect their confidential information from getting out of the company. Here, the employees have no right to leave the company at their own will so that they can go and work in another company. This is because they have signed a contract, and they must adhere to it. The Act enhances disclosure requirements, creates new federal crimes, increases accounting oversight and corporate accountability, and increases the penalties to be imposed on the existing federal crimes. This helps in strengthening the accounting oversight and corporate accountability. The Act raises the standards of the corporate accountability and transparency. Jones, Day, Reavis Pogue (2002) look into the details of the Act. On corporate accountability: There is a ban on loans to the directors and the officers. Personal loans to any of the issuers directors or executive officers are not allowed. There is an exemption, however, if they are to be made in the ordinary course of the issuers lending business on the terms that they should not be more favorable than those loans offered to the general public. The principal executive officer and the principal financial officer must certify the periodic reports. This means that they must certify that they have reviewed the reports given to the SEC, and that the reports fairly present the issuers financial condition, they do not have any false statements or they have not left out material facts, and that the internal control standards are satisfied. The CEO and the chief financial officer must forfeit any bonuses, profits and incentive-based and equity-based compensation made from the sale of securities received during the 12 months following the 1st release of the noncompliant reports. If an issuer is required to restate its financial statements because of misconduct especially if the certain misconduct led to material noncompliance with the reporting requirements. The Act requires that each listed companys audit committee oversees the accounting firm that the issuer employs, should be comprised only of members who are independent from the issuer, should have the funding and authority to engage independent advisors and that the committee develops the procedures relevant for handling auditing and accounting complaints. The Act permits the SEC to prohibit any person who has previously violated the anti-fraud provisions of the securities laws from serving as an officer or director of an issuer. The Act prohibitsexecutive officers and directors of issuers from purchasing, transferring or even selling any securities during any blackout periods. Should the directors and the officers go ahead and trade during the blackout periods, the issuer has the right to recover any profits made. The Act requires that the SEC should set minimum standards of professional conduct for the attorneys representing the issuers. These standards spell out that the attorneys should report any material violation of security laws or any breach of fiduciary duty. On accounting and auditor regulation All the auditors must retain their review and audit work papers and reports for five years after the fiscal period which the reports were completed. The Act prohibits the auditors from providing some specified non-audit services to their clients such as legal services, management services, bookkeeping, tax services and other specified services brought forward by the Oversight Board. The Act provides that there must be an audit partner rotation and so the lead auditing partners can only perform auditing services for the same issuer for five years or less. It is illegal for the issuer to forcefully influence or mislead its auditors in order to render financial statements as misleading. The Act provides that all auditors must timely report to the issuers audit committee on issues relating to the policies and accounting practices to be used in the issuers audit, and that their services must be approved. The Act creates the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board that oversees all the auditing of the companies and establishes standards related to the preparation of audit reports. This board has the power to enforce compliance with the Act, conduct investigations and disciplinary proceedings, and enforce sanctions on the registered public accounting firms and their employees. On the issue of conflicts of interest, a registered accounting firm should not perform any audit services for an issuer whose management was employed by the registered firm during the preceding the audit. Case study John Williams works for a new auditing corporation firm as an auditor. His duties and responsibilities includes; ensuring that the public records of the corporation are kept accurately, analyzing and communicating all the financial information for various entities, ensuring that the corporation pays the right taxes at the right time and to some extent, he offers budget analysis services for the corporation, some limited legal services, financial and investment planning services and some information technology consulting. As an internal auditor to the firm, he must look out for any fraud and mismanagement of the firm. He is also responsible for reviewing the corporations operations, and ensures that they are compliant with the corporate policies and the government regulations. Since the corporation is new it does not currently have any SOX policy but it has to integrate one into its regulation systems. This is because being an auditing corporate firm; it has to comply with the SOX Act, meaning that it has to impose SOX policies into the corporation. The purpose of SOX policies is to communicate SOX internal controls provide a baseline for SOX improvement and build consistency in the corporation. The corporation should identify a target performance and thereafter communicate a series of actions to achieve the target. In other words, the corporation should identify the policy and come up with a procedure to achieve the policy. The SOX policy should be tailored to should ensure that it contains several important parts relevant to the auditing firm. For this corporation, it can have a policy that sets out the procedures and conditions that will be necessary for the pre-approval audit and the non-audit services that are allowed to be performed by the independent auditors. This policy should contain several clauses covering on that: the pre-approval requirement, and disclosure which addresses on the issue of the audit and the non-audit services that can be provided by the auditors of the corporation. These services can only be approved by the audit committee; prohibited services in the corporation. The corporation should not engage any independent auditor to provide any service not allowed by the law; a clause addressing the disclosure of the pre-approval policies and procedures which provides that the corporation should publicly disclose the audit committees pre-approval policies and procedures. These are som e of the clauses that can be tailored into the policy to ensure that the corporation is SOX compliant. However, these are not the only clauses applicable since the policy can be improved with time to ensure that it is effective in its procedures (McDonalds, 2011). For the company to be SOX compliant, it must be able to show that the information contained in their compliance audits is complete and accurate, it must be able to show that their quarterly and annual financial reports have been reviewed thoroughly, and that there has full disclosure of the procedure and controls through the same audits. It should also ensure that it reviews its policy annually just to ensure that it is being followed to the letter and to ensure compliance. This is the only way that the corporation will ensure that it is compliant to the SOX policies (WordSecure, 2007). Should there be a case of any violations that take place in the corporation in regards to the policy that has been put in place, the SOX Act provides some clauses that deal with the penalties that the corporation can impose on the violators. These clauses cover several violations like: document alteration or destruction, false certification of financial reports, securities frauds, penalty enhancements which covers on the increase of maximum penalties and prohibition on practice before the SEC which addresses the fact that the SEC reserves the right to deny an auditor the privilege of practicing before the SEC. These penalties all have grave consequences since most of them have jail sentences or high fines. This is because the Act wants to ensure that the corporation does not deceive the public by producing financial statements that put the corporation in a better position thus attracting investors and other interested clients. Buy custom The Sarbanes-Oxley Act essay

Porter Novelli or Southern Company Case Study Term Paper

Porter Novelli or Southern Company Case Study - Term Paper Example Southern Company aptly exemplifies the manner in which organizations triumph by adopting proper performance management strategy. Proper performance management strategy in turn is successful to the extent that its exercise will be centered on the welfare of the personnel. 1. Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Roles That the Strategic Leaders Played In the Formation of the Performance Management Strategy Goldsmith and Carter (2010) point out that strategic leaders for Southern Company have played effective roles in the formation of the performance management strategy, based on several yardsticks. One of the ways in which this success is visible is the manner in which the Southern Company has hired employees at the entry level and continued to promote individual employees internally, thereby helping these employees occupy leadership positions that are available within the organization. This is directly connected to the observation of proper management strategy since the intra-organizat ional promotion of individuals to higher offices is usually a culmination of employees' culture of meeting performance target. Similarly, the same is a culmination of proper setting of feasible yet dynamic performance targets, supervision and bridging of performance gaps. The same also demands the exaction of workshop drives, training programs, and mentorship programs. The setting of performance target, supervision, the bridging of performance gaps and the extension of rewards to outstanding performers [by giving promotions] are all very important facets of performance management strategy. According to Fegley and Society for Human Resource Management (2007), another indicator of the effectiveness with which strategic leaders have contributed towards the formation of its performance management strategy is the low turnover rate that the company has had. This characteristically low turnover rate has enabled the Southern company to possess older, more seasoned and more tenured personnel . It is against this backdrop that over the years, Southern Company has been able to nurture a group of leaders that are in possession of a profound depth of business knowledge and who are strongly aligned with Southern Company's organizational culture. The maintenance of a low turnover is in turn a complex result of performance management strategy. This is because performance management strategy involves proper determination of performance goals, correctional measures to seal performance gaps and the extension of incentives. All these factors are important in extirpating high turnover. The drawing up of proper performance goals ensures employees are provided with the right of amount of work [and therefore reducing the risks of overworking or underperformance] while the sealing of performance gaps have to be humane enough to inculcate both a sense of belonging and challenge. The extension of incentives such as promotions, higher emoluments, grants and acts of acknowledgement directl y dissuade employees from seeking greener pastures, and thereby abating high turnover. Another way in which Strategic leaders for Southern Company h

Glass Ceiling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Glass Ceiling - Essay Example Having men and women as full partners will improve organizational performance by diversifying communication and decision-making styles that can lead to enhanced management processes and organizational outcomes. Male and female law firm partners have distinct communication styles that can improve how decisions are made in the company, which can boost collaboration and networking that, in turn, will consequently boost morale and firm performance. The American society continues to generally follow a gendered approach to parenting and educating children. Traditional institutions teach gender differences in values and expectations, where women are generally brought up to be empathetic and passive in communication and collaborative and seeking harmony when making decisions, while men are usually trained to be direct, aggressive, and competitive in communication and logical and rules-based in making decisions (Parcheta et al., 2013, p.244). Evans actually seems to balance masculine and feminine communication and styles because the Associates Committee either sees her as too passive or too aggressive. Either way, she brings in her own way of thinking, speaking, and interacting that can enrich how the firm manages the business and attracts clientele. If she is promoted, this will have a positive morale-boosting effect on female attorneys and encourage many of them to also aspire for partnership status. As they do so, these female lawyers will work harder and be more productive, thereby improving total firm performance. Aside from bringing in new communication style, having women as full partners can enhance decision-making in the company. Bear and Woolley (2011) mentioned the 2010 study of Woolley et al., where the latter found out that having women in groups increased collective intelligence because women boost social sensitivity, turn-taking, and empathy in group

Advertising and promotion strategy Essay Example for Free

Advertising and promotion strategy Essay Since the inception of the company’s first outlet in Cleveland, Mississippi in the year 1987, Back Yard Burgers depended mostly on the word of mouth publicity to spread awareness and promote its home cooked burgers. New outlets that opened in the subsequent years expanded not only the company’s consumer base and revenue but also stressed the need for aggressive marketing strategy to sustain the increased cost of operations. Back Yard Burgers started advertising on the television in the year 1993. The initial advertising campaigns were titled â€Å"the great burger wars† that took a punch at the competitors. In June 1994 the company launched a series of campaigns that featured Dennis R. Phillipi, a popular comedian in Memphis who soon became famous as Dennis the â€Å"Back Yard Burgers Guy†. The commercials projected the burgers as bigger, tastier, and healthier than those offered by the competitors due to its grilled cooking method that melted most of the fat. The advertising campaigns were effective in increasing sales and raising the revenue by 10 to 15%. Launch of new products and subsequent commercials on the television featuring Dennis Phillipi was an effective strategy. The company used the audio of these commercials in radio advertising that was cheaper. In addition the company also used direct mail advertising. The company collects 1% of taxable sales from each franchisee and company-operated restaurants that goes to the national advertising fund. 50% of this fund is utilized for marketing promos through various channels like radio, television, and print media. The rest 50% is used for market research, new product testing, and development, improvising on the operational front. The company’s marketing director monitors product launch and new restaurant opening promotions and marketing managers with a well-trained staff. The management works in collaboration with the franchisees towards advertising and promotion of its restaurants. The advertising fee earned by the company increased from $314,000 in July 1, 2006 period to $318,000 in June 30, 2007 period. The $4000 increase over the earlier period is accounted to the 1% of sales that goes to the national advertising fund as per company policies. The company also recorded an increase in the advertising expense from $668,000 in the July 1, 2006 to $814,000 in June 30, 2007 that attributes to approximately 5% of the net restaurant sales on advertising in the past year. (see annexure for the comparative income statements). The company has been stressing on the advertising and promotion strategy but it has not been very effective. There are some important points that can be highlighted in this respect. †¢ The company has not been able to create brand loyalty and brand awareness in spite of good quality products and effective marketing strategy. This could be attributed to low brand visibility. This can be remedied with aggressive market campaigns that aim at the younger generation since this is the biggest consumer segment for the fast food industry. Strategies that aim for deeper market penetration, fun logo that people can relate to enjoyable food and moments are essential for brand positioning. â€Å"Fun logo† is a concept that the consumers can equate with good times. The simple logo of McDonald’s is easily identifiable and children and youngsters can spot it from a distance – this is one of the best examples of effective brand positioning. †¢ The other concept that the Back Yard Burgers can adopt is the use of bright color-coding for their outlets and the signboards. A bright color scheme attracts the younger generation and gives it an inviting look. The uniformity in look and feel of the franchisee restaurants and the other company-operated restaurant is essential to make an easily identifiable picture in the consumer minds. †¢ In running a successful brand promotion campaign the essential point is to identify the consumer segment. Who are the consumers and the target focus group for this chain of restaurants? The children and adolescents who form a major chunk of the consumer group typically favour the fast food industry. The working people segment is another segment that will stop by for fast and filling food in their office hours. Fast service food is ideal meal for this segment. Campaigns attracting these two segments will create brand awareness and spell higher revenues for the company. †¢ Last but not the least the quality of food and service efficiency is the crux of the fast food industry. A good and satisfying meal will have the consumers returning for more. The satisfied and happy customer will not only promote brand loyalty but will have high recommendations regarding the food and service to their friends and families. This is the greatest form of publicity that a fast food outlet can expect.

Nomenclature Dance and Stumble :: Literary Analysis, Lisa Moss

The intention of Lisa Moss's poem "Nomenclature Dance and Stumble" is to state that a person must formulate their own completely original ideas, as the ones they speak are already mundane and primitive. Using the passage "like geometric blocks of breath and cheek | and out into constructed strands" (Moss, line 6-7) Moss emphasizes the importance of being able to create free flowing speech and intelligible sentences that will capture the attention of anyone it is directed to. The clever utilization of parentheses by Lisa Moss in "where choosing comes and, with a bent stick, lines drawn | thin in the stained earth | (so thin that passing feet obliterate one end as the other | is drawn)" (Moss, line 10-13) portrays the juxtaposition of one's verbal speech with their spoken thoughts, encapsulated in parentheses, to show how spoken thoughts are worthless as they do not leave a real mark. The "passing feet" (Moss, line 12) symbolizes the tendency for people to tread upon the idea of others and how they point out the flaws of an idea before it has fully matured, creating repercussions that cause people to second guess themselves the next time a daring idea appears. The negative effect is shown by her passage that "With countless disguised surrenders of the will, | not understanding but acquiescence is made | and these strands are but flags of victory and defeat— | tattered remnants of lost | (not lost, conceded) | destiny | (not destiny, choosing)" (Moss, line 15-21) the person becomes more indecisive when creating thoughts and that you contradict yourself. With the passages "surrenders of will" (Moss, line 15) and "(not lost, conceded) | destiny | (not destiny, choosing)" (Moss, line 19-21) Moss signifies how a person chooses to revise their thoughts away from the original and towards the thoughts of those which are imprinted upon them. This reinforces how she points out the impossibility of creating original ideas instead of recycling the knowledge that we have accumulated over our educational lives. She formulated this poem with ambiguity in mind to ensure that the reader would draw from their own imagination. Moss writes, "But not this one, see? Ah smoothness calm enduring | toward mutation" (Moss, line 23-24) giving the reader a very ambiguous thought to ponder, yet again using their own imagination. "Something wordless and terrifying | soon crushed by a misappropriated sense of understanding since" (Moss, line 24-25) is an example of people trying to interpret the unknown.

Social Network Service and Facebook Account

Ashley Ontiberos Amy Becker Eng103 Composition II November 17, 2011 The Facebook Addiction Did you know that approximately one in every thirteen people in the world have a Facebook account, according to Digitalbuzzblog. com. In 2010, Facebook was the most-searched term on the internet. With these statistics, I was surprised to learn that there is a disorder known as the Facebook Addiction Disorder or FADS. I didn’t realize Facebook was such a big problem until I began my research. With all the craze of Facebook or social networking, one can’t help but wonder what the ill effects of it really are. Today, In this cause and effect essay I want to inform you about how Facebook can have many negative effects on your job, free time and health. According to research done by Oregonbusinessreport. com, forty-five percent of employers screen social networks such as Facebook, before considering potential employees. This was research conducted in 2009. I am certain that the numbers have risen because of the number of people who regularly sign up as members of Facebook. When employers screen photos and posts they are looking for any kind or provocative and inappropriate photos. Additionally, bad-mouthing previous employers, poor communications skills is also another thing they look for before considering applicants for an interview or employment. Furthermore, even after a job has been granted, employers can still monitor their employee’s Facebook account. A recent example is of a New Jersey first grade teacher who lost her job over a post on Facebook. On March 28th, the teacher posted a status saying, â€Å"I’m not a teacher, I’m a warden for future criminals. † The status was forwarded to her school board and a judge ruled that she should lose her job because this comment was inexcusable. More people have lost their jobs over Facebook usage in recent years because most employers ban the use of Facebook at work. According to Royalgazetteonline. com, one third of employers say that Facebook is a major distraction at work. Most employers don’t block the site but it is a rule that employees are not allowed on social networking sites while clocked in to work. Based on research as indicated in this essay, Facebook has lots of negatives effects for employees if they choose not to control what they say. Forty-eight percent of Facebook users between the ages of eighteen and thirty-four, check their Facebook’s as their first priority each morning. About twenty-eight percent of that number, check it from their smartphones before getting out of bed, according to Digitalbuzzblog. com. According to Addictioninfo. org, Rob Bedi, a registered psychologist and assistant professor at the University of Victoria says, â€Å"There is a difference between procrastination and addiction, if you’re losing assignment time to Facebook use then it’s a problem. Facebook has become such an addiction to people that there are 155 Facebook Addicts anonymous groups on Facebook alone according to Addictioninfo. org. Hubspage. com also gives a list for people to read through that shows symptoms of Facebook addictions. Spending large amounts of time on Facebook is not what you would consider a â€Å"part-time hobby†. Many people are losing out on a lot of free time that could be use d more productively. People who are Facebook addicts choose not to go to the gym. Also they spend less and less time with family and friends to be on Facebook. Facebook addicts can definitely own up to lots of the examples given and have a very difficult time deciding when to log out. â€Å"Is Facebook turning teens into narcissistic, antisocial outcast? †, was a question asked in an article on CBSnews. com. A leading social network researcher, Dr. Larry D. Rosen, responds with a yes to the question. He believes that kids can develop greater empathy and it provides ways for shy kids to socialize but it also causes mental health problems. According to Dr. Rosen, teens who use Facebook show more aggression, mania, anxiety and depression. With these issues already occurring, it can lead to more serious health problems. Young people are turning down opportunities to socialize with their friends at the movies, malls and other hang outs. Instead they choose to hang out online. Recent health studies have also linked Facebook usage to Cancer. According to Dailymail. co. uk, Facebook can increase the risk of serious health problem by reducing the number of face-to face contact people have with people. The way in which Facebook users isolate hemselves from society can alter the way genes work, upset immune response, hormone levels, the function of arteries, and also impair mental performance, according to Dr. Aric Sigman. With these serious alterations, it could lead to more people getting cancer, heart disease, having a stroke or even developing dementia. I have informed you about some of the negative effects that Facebook can have on a person’s job, free time and health. It is so easy to access Facebook with smartph ones or laptops which offer internet usage almost anywhere. Facebook has invaded our lives in an unimaginable and unexpected way. When deciding whether or not to log into Facebook perhaps it would be a good idea to think more productive things you could do. Work Cited Associated Press. â€Å"Teacher should be fired over Facebook ‘warden’ post, judge rules . † Chicago Sun Times 08 11 2011. Chicago Sun-Times. 09 11 2011. Associated Press. 11/17/2011 . Daily Mail Reporter. How using Facebook could raise your risk of cancer. 02/19/2009 Mail Online. 11/17/11 . Digital Buzz Blog. Facebook Statistics, Stats & Facts For 2011 . 01/18/2001. 11/17/2011 . Grasz, Jennifer. 45% Employers use Facebook-Twitter to screen job candidates. 08/24/09 Oregon Business Report. 11/17/2001 . Hubs, Pages. Negative Effects of Facebook Addiction. 2011 HubsPages. 11/17/2011 . Jaslow, Ryan. Facebook tied to poor mental health in teens: What parents must know. 08/09/11 CBS News. 11/17/11 . Pope, Danielle. Potential Facebook addiction. 01/28/2008 AddictionInfo. org. 11/17/11 . Royal Gazette Online. It’s official: Face book is a major distraction at work. 06/28/11 Royal Gazette Online. 11/17/2011 .

Have people become overly dependently on technology Essay

A lot of people will deny the fact that technology isn’t a dependency. Technology realistically is something our generation believes we cannot live without. Even though technology benefits our lives greatly, sometimes it’s too much. Technology governs us from the moment we wake up, with an alarm, to the moment we want to lay down and relax, with some television. For example the moments I have forgotten my phone at home I feel a sense of emptiness, I even feel imaginary vibrations from time to time. Read more:  Dependent on Technology Essay â€Å"I’ll just Google it†. I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve heard people say that phrase. It’s such a convenience to type something in our phone or computer and in seconds get the answer we were looking for. Before you would have to actually find a library and read on the subject now it’s just a click away. Technology to me is like a crutch on learning. I have friends that don’t even pay attention in class or do anything in school and when you ask them about home work their answer is ill just Google it when I get home. Our generation has become boring in a sense. Our idea of fun is texting, tweeting, posting and editing pictures. Very rarely do you see anyone out playing a sport or actually interacting as a group, except maybe in a club and even with that you see them detached from society and on their phone. Also, dating is done now days on a computer. I can’t begin to name how many sites there are to find a partner. Good morning texts are a sign of being â€Å"romantic† in our generation, there is no such thing as an actual loving gesture. You don’t get to know someone anymore by going out on dates or talking face to face now all the interaction is done by texting, when you actually get to see the person you read all you need to know because of the constant texting. If you give me and address and I don’t have my cell phone with my GPS I will never get to where I have to be. Almost no one now days can get from one point to the other without a GPS. Unlike our generation, my mother’s generation for explain, you can give them an address and most of them will  know how to get to the address with no problem. They did not need to depend on technology. After my research on this topic it’s become very, but very clear that our generation definitely lets technology run their lives. Imagine something happens and all technology was terminated, I don’t know where we would put our self with the dependency we have with our phones, computers, GPS, and televisions. Yes, technology make life easier and faster but sometimes easier and faster isn’t the best thing.

How to Build an ACT Study Plan 4 Sample Schedules

How to Build an ACT Study Plan 4 Sample Schedules SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The best way to attack the ACT is to use an ACT study plan. With a study plan, you can manage your prep time more easily, figure out your weaknesses, and hone the skills you need to get the score you want on test day. We give you four top-notch ACT plans to choose from, based on your ACT score goals. Before we take a look at those, though, let’s go over the benefits of having an ACT schedule and the steps needed to find the right ACT study plan for you. What Are the Benefits of a Study Plan for ACT Prep? Everyone studying for the ACT should start with a thorough study plan. But what are the benefits of having one? For one, having an ACT study plan allows you to balance your prep time so that you’re spending enough time on the topics you need to study- but aren’t overworking yourself. For example, if I had four months to prep for the ACT, my plan would tell me how many hours to study per week as well as how I could arrange these hours to fit my schedule. ACT plans are also highlyadaptable. This means you can change your ACT schedule to better suit your study needs and work around any obligations you have. So if you’re struggling with math but have already completed your "ACT Math Review" day, you could spend some of your â€Å"ACT Reading Review† day reviewing more math concepts you need to know. Finally, an ACT prep schedule can tell you whether you’re en route to hitting your goal score. A good study plan will tell you when to take ACT practice tests (starting withofficial ones) so that you can gauge your overall progress and pinpoint your weaknesses. Clearly, there are many benefits of having an ACT study plan. But how can you find the right schedule for you? Choosing a Study Plan for ACT Prep: 5 Preliminary Steps Before you decide on an ACT schedule, you need to figure out where you’re currently scoring, what your goal score is, and how much prep time you’ll need. Below, we cover the five preliminary steps you must take to find the best ACT study plan for you. Step 1: Set a Goal Score The first step is to set an ACT goal score. This is the score most likely to get you admitted to all of the schools you’re applying to.You'll want to aim for this score on test day, but to do this you must prep accordingly (which we help you do in our study plans below!). To set a goal score, look for the 25th and 75th percentile ACT scores for each of your schools. These scores represent the middle 50 percent, or average range, of scores of admitted applicants. Ideally, you’ll get an ACT score in at least the 75th percentile for your schools. This will mean you've scored higher than 75 percent of admitted applicants! The easiest way to keep track of ACT score info for your schools is to make a chart (you can also download our pre-made chart). To find your schools’ ACT score info, go online and search for â€Å"[School Name] PrepScholar.† This will bring up links to our database. Click on the â€Å"Admission Requirements† page for your school. On this page, scroll down to find your school’s ACT score info.You'll see a big banner containing your school's average ACT score. Beneath that are your school's 25th and 75th percentile ACT scores. Here’s an example of how this looks onNotre Dame's PrepScholar page: Once you’ve gathered the 75th percentile scores for all of your schools and recorded them in your chart, look for the highest score. This will be your goal score, as it’s the one most likely to get you accepted to all of the schools you're applying to. Let's say I applied to Notre Dame, the University of Michigan, Indiana University Bloomington, and Indiana State. In this case, my ACT goal score would be 34 (the highest 75th percentile score, for Notre Dame). Step 2: Find Your Baseline Score Next, it's time to get your baseline score. A baseline score is essentially your starting point in ACT prep- it’s the score you’d get right now on the ACT, without any prep. To find your baseline, take an official ACT practice test. Official tests are the best resources to use for getting your baseline score since they’re by far the most realistic tests out there. As you take your practice test, make sure to simulate real testing conditions as closely as possible: take the test in a quiet room, use an ACT-approved calculator, and abide by theofficial time limitson all sections. When finished, use your test’s scoring guide to calculate your scaled scores. Your composite score (that is, the average of your four section scores) will be your baseline score. For example, if I got 32 on English, 25 on Math, 28 on Reading, and 30 on Science, my final ACT score would be 29 (since 28.75 rounds up!). Step 3: Calculate How Many Hours You’ll Need to Study Now, it's time to use your baseline and goal scores to figure out roughly how many hours you’ll need to prep for the ACT. First, subtract your baseline score from your goal score. Then, match the difference to a point range below to see how many total hours you’ll need to study: 0-1 point improvement: 10 hours 1-2 point improvement: 20 hours 2-4 point improvement: 40 hours 4-6 point improvement: 80 hours 6-9 point improvement: 150 hours+ The more points you need to improve by, the more hours you’ll need to study. In my examples above, my goal score was 34 and my baseline score was 29. This comes out to a 5-point improvement, equaling about 80 total hours of prep. Step 4: Pick a Test Date When picking an ACT test date, you'll need to consider the following three factors: How much time you want to prepare for the ACT How busy your schedule is around a test date Your college application deadlines The most important point to remember is this:the more hours you need to study, the more time you should give yourself before test day.If you're planning to make large gains of 4 or more points, choose a test date that’s further out so that you have ample time to prep for the exam (and relax as needed!). I suggest prepping forthree to six months,though you might need more or less time depending on how big of a point improvement you want to make. Additionally, choose a test date that works well with your schedule. If you have tons of activities or commitments with little to no time to study, go with a test date at a different, more relaxed time to make your schedule less stressful for you. Finally, if you’re a senior, make sure to take the ACT well before your college application deadlines. If your scores arrive after deadlines, your application could get disqualified, so always choose an early test date. Generally, seniors should be able to do the September and October test dates and possibly the December test date- but not anything later! Step 5: Gather ACT Study Materials Before you begin your ACT prep schedule, spend time gathering high-quality study materials. Far and away, the best resources you can use are official ones (i.e., anything created by ACT, Inc.). Here are some of the top official ACT resources: Official ACT practice tests: These free, full-length practice tests are the best out there and offer highly realistic ACT test-taking practice. Use these to check your progress and monitor your score improvement. Official sample test questions:ACT, Inc., offers online batches of sample questions for each ACT section. This free resource comes with detailed answer explanations and is ideal for both general practice and drilling weaknesses. The Official ACT Prep Guide: At about $25, this official ACT prep book offers three full-length practice tests, 400 practice questions, and test-day guidance. Just be aware that if you already have the 2016-17 version, the 2018 one is essentially the same. Additionally, all three practice tests sharesignificant overlap with the free tests above, so you might want to get the third edition of the book instead (which comes with five unique tests). You can also use high-quality, unofficial ACT resources to supplement your prep. Our guide to the best ACT prep books gives you our top recommendations for official and unofficial ACT prep books. Pro tip: always be pickier when buying unofficial ACT resources since many are low quality and don’t contain realistic practice questions. Get your popcorn ready as we preview four Oscar-worthy ACT study plans! 4 ACT Study Plans for You to Choose From You are now ready to pick an study plan for ACT prep! Below, we offer four study plans to choose from. Each one differs in intensity (how many hours you need to study per week) and length (how many months the program is). Each plan also comes withsuggested time frames to help you balance your prep. That said, you are free to tweak our plans so that you’re spending more or less time on certain topics and skills. Remember,a good ACT study plan canadaptto fit your needs. If you’re struggling with Math and Science, for example, but are strong at Reading and English, you could (and should) focus more on honing your Math and Science skills. Just be sure you’re generally following your ACT schedule so that you’re not missing any critical practice, review, or progress checks. The four ACT study plans we offer are as follows: A three-month, medium-intensive plan A three-month, low-intensive plan A six-month, medium-intensive plan A one-month, high-intensive plan ACT Study Plan #1: 3-Month Program, Medium Intensity This moderate study plan lasts three months and requires a total of 80 study hours, or about six and a half hours a week.With this plan, you’ll be able to raise your total ACT score by up to 6 points. This is a great plan to use any time of the year but works best if you’re studying over the summer (to take the September or October ACT) and have more free time to dedicate to ACT prep. First tip for your ACT Reading studies: don't remove your glasses! Month 1: English Reading Basics For the first month, you’ll get to know the ACT, specifically the English and Reading sections. Week 1: Learn the ACT Format 1. Take an official practice test. To get your baseline score, take a full-length ACT test. Be sure to recreate real testing conditions as closely as possible- this means taking the test in a quiet room without interruptions. Suggested Time: 3.5 hrs 2. Score your practice test and analyze your results. Your composite score will be your baseline score (the score you start with before beginning any test prep). You should also take some time to go over your results and see what questions you got right and wrong. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 3. Learn the overall format of the ACT. Familiarize yourself with the basics of the ACT: what kind of content it tests, what kinds of questions it has, and how much time you’ll have on each section. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs Week 2: Focus on English 1. Learn the English test format. Understand what it tests and what types of passages you’ll need to edit. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 2. Study all ACT grammar topics and punctuation rules. You’ll need to know all of the major English rules that can appear on the ACT, from pronouns to apostrophes. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 3. Learn and practice the graf-by-graf reading strategy. This passage-reading strategy is by far the best one for ACT English. With this strategy, you'll read a passage one paragraph at a time and answer questions for each paragraph. Once you understand how this strategy works, practice it using realistic ACT English passages. Suggested Time: 2 hrs Week 3: Turn to Reading 1. Learn the Reading test format. Understand how this section differs from the English section, what kinds of passages there are, and what sorts of questions you'll be answering. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 2. Find the passage-reading strategy that works best for you. You’ll want to use a strategy that’s both quick and effective. To figure out which one you like most, test out a few different strategies using Reading practice tests. The strategy that gives you the highest score is the one you'll use in your prep and on test day. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 3. Practice your chosen passage-reading strategy. Once you've decided on a strategy, continue practicing it using quality Reading practice tests. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs Week 4: Learn Reading English Strategies 1. Memorize common ACT vocabulary words. Our ACT vocabulary list contains 150 common words you should know for the exam. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 2. Learn English and Reading strategies. Most importantly, practice the #1 critical rule for Reading so that you can know how to eliminate incorrect answer choices. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 3. Practice strategies. Use official practice questions or high-quality, unofficial questions to test out the various English and Reading strategies you’ve learned. Suggested Time: 2 hrs On the ACT, you get to play the part of a scientist- but, sadly, do not get to work with red goo. Month 2: Math Science Basics Now, you’ll move on to math and science topics. This month teaches you the format of the Math and Science sections and how to strategize for them. Week 5: Move Toward Math 1. Learn the Math test format. Get to know the basic structure of the section and what kinds of topics it tests. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 2. Go over basic math concepts. Readour basic guide to integersfollowed byour advanced guide to integers. Then, learn about fractions and proportions. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 3. Review algebra. Key topics include the following: Single-variable equations Systems of equations Operations Functions Word problems Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs Week 6: Learn More Math 1. Study key geometry concepts. These include the following: Lines and slopes Reflections, translations, and rotations Lines and angles Polygons Circles Triangles Solid geometry Suggested Time: 3 hrs 2. Go over all other math topics- in particular,trigonometry. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 3. Memorize all critical formulas. You won’t get any on test day, so definitely get these down pat! Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs Week 7: Switch to Science 1. Learn the Science test format. Understand what kinds of passages you’ll have and what the questions will look like. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 2. Find the passage-reading strategy that works best for you. This strategy might be different from the ones you use for Reading and English. To find the right one for you, test out a few different strategies using Science practice tests. Whichever gives you the highest score is the one you'll use in your prep. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 3. Practice your chosen reading strategy. Use high-quality Science practice tests to help you get used to reading scientific passages and answering questions. Suggested Time: 2 hrs Week 8: Learn Math Science Strategies 1. Learn Math and Science strategies. For Math, the most important ones include plugging in numbers and plugging in answers. In addition, make sure you know what kind of science is on the ACTand how to read tables and graphs. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 2. Practice strategies. Use high-quality practice questions to test out the Math and Science strategies you’ve learned. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 3. Learn the Writing test format.If you're planning to take the ACT essay, you'll need to know what kind of essay you'll be writing, how much time you'll have for it on test day, and what kinds of prompts there are. Suggested Time: 2 hrs Month 3: Progress Check Review Now, it’s time to review everything you’ve learned and check your progress to make sure you’re on track to getting your goal score. Week 9: Check Your Progress 1. Take an official practice test. This will tell you how much your score has improved since your baseline test. Suggested Time: 3.5 hrs 2. Score your test and determine your weaknesses. Look at the questions you got wrong and try to see whether there are any patterns in your mistakes. These will be the areas you’ll need to drill more in your prep. Suggested Time: 3 hrs Week 10: Practice Writing Strengthen Your Weaknesses 1. Practice writing ACT essays using high-quality prompts.This way you'll get used to writing quickly and effectively. I suggest getting someone to score your responses so that you can figure out what skills you need to work on in order to produce more cogent essays. Suggested Time: 2.5 hrs 2. Use high-quality practice questions to drill general weaknesses. For example, if you’re having problems solving algebra problems, spend more time reviewing algebraic concepts and practicing them as they appear on the ACT. Suggested Time: 4 hrs Week : Check Your Progress (Again) 1. Take your third and final practice test. As always, take it in a quiet place and in one sitting to get an accurate reflection of your scoring ability. Suggested Time: 3.5 hrs 2. Score your test and closely analyze your results. Are there any question types or topics you’re still getting wrong? What’s eating up your time and taking more energy than it needs to? Get a feel for what’s holding you back and then figure out how to fix your approach. Suggested Time: 3 hrs Week 12: Review as Needed 1. Continue reviewing concepts and strategies you want to work on. Use high-quality practice questions and resources to help you hone your skills. Just don’t overdo your prep at this point- it's OK to take some time to relax and mentally prepare yourself for the test! Suggested Time: 6.5 hrs (with 0 hrs on test day and the day before) ACT Study Plan #2: 3-Month Program, Low Intensity This is another three-month program but of a much lower intensity. With this plan, you’ll study for a total of 40 hours, or just three and a half hours per week. At this rate, you'll gainup to 4 total points on the ACT. This ACT schedule should work well for those prepping during the school year since it’s lighter and less demanding than the plan above. However, because you're only studying a handful of hours a week, you're limited in the number of points you can gain. Therefore, only choose this plan if you need to make small gains on test day. Grammar is a key part of ACT English. And, uh, graminivorous is not. Month 1: English Reading Basics During this first month, you’ll familiarize yourself with the ACT format and learn the basics of the English and Reading sections. Week 1: Find Your Baseline Score 1. Take an official ACT practice test and score it. This week will slightly exceed your weekly time limit. You’ll spend about 3.5 hours on the test and a half hour scoring it. Remember to recreate real testing conditions to give yourself a more accurate indicator of where you’re currently scoring. Suggested Time: 4 hrs Week 2: Learn the ACT Format 1. Analyze your results from your baseline test. A score doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about your ACT abilities, so take some time to analyze your practice test's results and see where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Suggested time: 2 hrs 2. Learn the format of the ACT. You must understand how the ACT tests concepts and sets up questions in order to do well on it. Specifically, you should know what's on the ACT, what its time limits are, and how it's scored. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs Week 3: Focus on English 1. Learn the English test format. Understand what kinds of passages you’ll see, how grammar questions are presented, and how many questions there are in total. Suggested Time: 1 hr 2. Study all ACT grammar topics and punctuation rules. Get down the most important grammar and rhetorical topics likely to appear on the ACT. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 3. Learn and practice the graf-by-graf reading strategy. This strategy is the best one out there for the English section. You’ll read passages in paragraphs and answer questions for each paragraph. Suggested Time: 1 hr Week 4: Turn to Reading 1. Learn the Reading test format.Get to know the types of passages you'll read, what Reading questions look like, and how much time you'll have. Suggested Time: 1 hr 2. Practice the best passage-reading strategy for Reading: read the questions first and then skim the passage. This strategy is ideal for the ACT, as it teaches you to identify correct information fast. Always practice with high-quality Reading practice questions. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 3. Memorize common ACT vocabulary words. Our list contains 150 ACT vocabulary words and their meanings for you to study. Suggested Time: 1 hr The ACT assumes you know the basics of math and don't need to count on your fingers for everything. Month 2: Math Science Basics This month focuses primarily on the fundamentals of the Math and Science sections. Week 5: Move Toward Math 1. Learn the Math test format. You should know what kind of math you’ll face on the ACT, how questions are worded, and approximately how much time you’ll have per question. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 2. Go over basic math concepts. Read our basic guide to integers and our advanced guide. After, get started on reviewing the basics of fractions and proportions. Suggested Time: 1 hr 3. Memorize all critical ACT Math formulas. Oftentimes, an ACT Math problem can only be solved with a formula, so getting these down will help you get a great Math score. Suggested Time: 1 hr Week 6: Learn More Math 1. Review algebra. Algebra plays a key part on ACT Math, so make sure you understand the following concepts: Single-variable equations Systems of equations Operations Functions Word problems Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 2. Study key geometry concepts. Like algebra, geometry plays a big role on the ACT. The most important topics you should know include the following: Lines and slopes Reflections, translations, and rotations Lines and angles Polygons Circles Triangles Solid geometry Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 3. Go over all other math topics. Trigonometry, for example, is a less commonly tested but still important topic you'll need to know for the ACT. Suggested Time: 30 mins Week 7: Switch to Science 1. Learn the Science test format. Know what kinds of passages and questions you'll encounter on test day. Suggested Time: 1 hr 2. Practice the best passage-reading strategy for Science: read the questions first and then skim the passage. This is similar to the approach you’ll use for the Reading section. Be sure to use high-quality Science practice tests when practicing this method. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 3. Review the science topics you’ll need to know for the ACT.Generally, you won't need any specialized knowledge to do well on ACT Science, but you should still be familiar with certain biology, chemistry, physics, and math concepts. Suggested Time: 1 hr Week 8: Check Your Progress 1. Take an official practice test and score it. As always, find a quiet place to take the test and take it all in one sitting. This will let you see how much you’ve improved since your baseline test. Suggested Time: 4 hrs Acing the ACT is all about strategizing. Month 3: Strategies Review To wrap up this ACT study plan, you’ll spend your last month learning key test-taking strategies, checking your progress, and reviewing topics you’re still struggling with. Week 9: Learn Strategies for Each Section 1. Practice English and Reading strategies.Above all, be sure to practice the #1 critical rule for Reading, which teaches you how to eliminate incorrect answer choices. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 2. Practice keyMath and Science strategies, such asplugging in numbers and plugging in answers. For Science, practice reading tables and graphs. Suggested Time: 2 hrs Week 10: Check Your Progress (Again) 1. Take your third and final practice test and score it. This will give you a last look at what kinds of weaknesses you still have and what topics or skills you should review more before test day. Suggested Time: 4 hrs Week : Strengthen Your Weaknesses 1. Drill any weak spots you have.Use your third practice test's results to get a clearer picture of what areas you're still having trouble with. Then, practice these mistakesand test out strategies to help you overcome them. Suggested Time: 3.5 hrs Week 12: Review as Needed 1. Continue drilling any difficult concepts, skills, or strategies. Just be careful not to overdo it. This week isn't only for practicing but also for calming your nerves. So don’t study the day before the test or on test day- your brain will appreciate the break! Suggested Time: 3.5 hrs (with 0 hrs on test day and the day before) By the time you finish this next plan, it'll be spring! ACT Study Plan #3: 6-Month Program, Medium Intensity Need more study time? This six-month ACT schedule offers you a more relaxed and balanced approach to test prep. With this plan, you’ll study a total of 150 hours, or six to six and a half hours a week, to improve your composite score byup to 9 points! This plan is ideal for high-achieving sophomores wanting a head start on ACT prep. Ideally, you’ll take your first ACT in the fall of your junior year (in September or October), meaning you'd likely study the end of your sophomore year and over the summer. Juniors, too, can use this plan for a spring or summer ACT. Since this schedule lets you spread out your prep across several months, you'll feel less overwhelmed by homework and ACT prep. Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Month 1 Find Your Baseline Score Take an official practice test (3.5 hrs) Score your test to see your weaknesses (1.5 hrs) Learn the ACT format (1.5 hrs) Understand Structure Learn the English test format (3 hrs) Learn the Reading test format (3 hrs) Understand Structure Learn the Math test format (3 hrs) Learn the Science test format (3 hrs) Choose a Passage-Reading Strategy Practice the graf-by-graf strategy for English (1.5 hrs) Choose and practice a passage-reading strategy for Reading (2.5 hrs) Choose and practice a passage-reading strategy for Science (2.5 hrs) Month 2 Learn Math Content Review basic math concepts and formulas (3 hrs) Build algebra foundation (3 hrs) Learn English Reading Content Go over major English grammar and punctuation topics (2 hrs) Study vocabulary (2 hrs) Practice reading comprehension (2 hrs) Learn More Math Some Science Build geometry foundation (3 hrs) Learn additional math topics such as trig (2 hrs) Learn basic science topics (1.5 hrs) Check Your Progress Take a practice test (3.5 hrs) Score it, analyze your answers, and re-solve missed questions (3 hrs) Month 3 Learn English Reading Strategies Practice eliminating wrong answer choices (3 hrs) Practice other English and Reading strategies (3 hrs) Learn Math Science Strategies Practice plugging in answers and numbers for Math (2 hrs) Practice reading graphs and tables for Science (2 hrs) Practice other Math and Science strategies (2 hrs) Review Practice Practice questions for each section, reviewing concepts as needed (6.5 hrs) Check Your Progress Take a practice test (3.5 hrs) Score it and analyze your answers (3 hrs) Month 4 Study the Essay Format Learn the Writing section (essay) format (2 hrs) Practice writing timed essays (4 hrs) Review Practice Practice questions for each section, reviewing concepts as needed (6.5 hrs) Review Practice Practice questions for each section, reviewing concepts as needed (6 hrs) Check Your Progress Take a practice test (3.5 hrs) Score it and analyze your answers (3 hrs) Month 5 Review Needed Math Topics Practice any Math topics or strategies you’re still struggling with (6.5 hrs) Review Needed English Topics Practice any English topics or strategies you’re still struggling with (6 hrs) Review Needed Science Topics Practice any Science topics or strategies you’re still struggling with (6 hrs) Review Needed Reading Topics Practice any Reading topics or strategies you’re still struggling with (6.5 hrs) Month 6 Check Your Progress Take a practice test (3.5 hrs) Score it and analyze your answers (3 hrs) Review Needed Concepts Practice any English, Math, Reading, or Science topics you’re still struggling with (6 hrs) Review Needed Concepts Practice any English, Math, Reading, or Science topics you’re still struggling with (6.5 hrs) Prep Lightly Review Zero in on any final topics you want to practice, and rest up before test day (6 hrs) ACT Study Plan #4: 1-Month Program, High Intensity This high-intensity plan requires a lot of commitment to make it work. For this brief one-month program, you’ll study a total of 40 hours, or 10 hours a week, to get amaximum 4-point increaseon the ACT. In truth, onemonth isn’t a particularly long time to prep for the ACT, but you can be successful if you're willing to put in the effort and stick to a regular schedule. This ACT study plan works best if you don’t have a lot of activities or commitments going on and can therefore focus primarily on test prep. If you’re using this plan while in school, you’ll need to carve out study time during the week, as prepping for 10 hours every weekend is fairly difficult. For more advice on how to study for the ACT in a month, check out our step-by-step guide. Week 1: Study Structure 1. Take an official practice test to get your baseline score.Find a quiet room with no distractions and time yourself using official time limits. Suggested Time: 3.5 hrs 2. Score your test and analyze your results.Use your baseline test results to determine your weaknesses and look for any patterns in your mistakes. Suggested Time: 1 hr 3. Learn the overall ACT test format. Know how long the test is, what’s on it, and how it’s scored. Suggested Time: 1.5 hrs 4. Learn the English test format. Get to know the kinds of questions and passages you'll encounter on test day. Suggested Time: 1 hr 5. Learn the Reading test format. Acquaint yourself with the different types of Reading passages and how questions are worded. Suggested Time: 1 hr 6. Learn the Math test format.Briefly review how the math section is set up, what kind of math you’ll need to know, and how much time you’ll have for this section and per question. Suggested Time: 1 hr 7. Learn the Science test format. Go over how long the section is, what kind of science it tests, and what role passages and data play. Suggested Time: 1 hr Week 2: Get Down Key Content 1. Review themost important English grammar topics and punctuation rules. Knowing which grammar rules are most likely to be tested is key to doing well on English. Suggested Time: 2 hrs 2. Learn and practice core ACT Math topics. Understand the basics of integers as well as ratios and proportions. Above all, know the ins and outs of algebra and geometry. Specific topics in these fields include the following: Algebra Single-variable equations Systems of equations Operations Functions Word problems Geometry Lines and slopes Reflections, translations, and rotations Lines and angles Polygons Circles Triangles Solid geometry Suggested Time: 5 hrs 3. Memorize the most important ACT Math formulas. Many questions can only be solved with a formula, so knowing these guarantees you’ll have a better shot at getting a high Math score. Suggested Time: 1 hr 4. Practice reading graphs and tables for Science.Understand how data is presented in this section and what kinds of questions will be asked about it. Suggested Time: 2 hrs Week 3: Strategize Check Your Progress 1. Practice your passage-reading strategies for English, Reading, and Science. The best one to use for English is the graf-by-graf method. For both Reading and Science, I recommend reading the questions first and then skimming the passage. Suggested Time: 3 hrs 2. Learn and practice key strategies for all sections of the exam. The most important ones include plugging in numbers and plugging in answers for Math and the #1 critical rule for Reading. Suggested Time: 3 hrs 3. Take and score a practice test to check your progress. Use the test to see how much you’ve improved since your baseline test, and look for any weaknesses you'll need to target in your final week of prep. Suggested Time: 4 hrs Week 4: Review Practice 1. Review and practice difficult ACT topics and strategies. This is the time to zero in on your weaknesses so that you’ll feel more confident and make fewer mistakes on test day. Additionally, if you're taking the ACT with Writing, you can use some of this time to go over the format of the essay and practice answering prompts. Just don't study the day before or the day of the test- you need to give your brain a rest! Suggested Time: 10 hrs (with 0 hrs on test day and the day before) Which plan will lead you to victory? Recap: What's the Best ACT Study Plan for You? A good study plan for the ACT not only helpsyou reach your goal score but also fits easily into your schedule, changes to fit your study needs, and gives you ample confidence on test day. Before choosing a plan, make sure to complete these five preliminary steps: Set a goal score Find your baseline score Figure out how many hours you’ll need to study Choose a test date that works well for you Gather high-quality ACT study materials Finally, here are some key points to remember as you consider what type of ACT schedule might work best for you: Remember your commitments. Don’t choose a study plan or test date that’ll interfere with any major obligations or activities in your life. You should have plenty of time to dedicate to ACT prep, so choose a test date that’s got less going on around it. Find a routine. You’ll get the most out of your ACT study plan by following a routine. This means you should try to prep on the same days and at the same times each week. In turn, you’ll be less likely to procrastinate and won't forget to study. Customize your schedule. An ACT study plan should always adapt to fit your needs, so feel free to change up our plans to give yourself more or less time with certain topics. Just avoid completely skipping any major concepts or strategies! Be confident. Last but not least, stay calm and go into the test optimistically. As long as you’ve followed your ACT study plan and targeted your weaknesses, you’re sure to get a great ACT score! Good luck with your ACT studies! What’s Next? Need more help preparing for the ACT?Read our guides to learn how long you should study for the ACT andhow many times you should take it. Aiming for a perfect ACT score?Our expert guide can show you what steps to take and what strategies to use to get that coveted 36 on test day. Taking the SAT, too?Then get started today with one of our four SAT study plans! Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Showing Dialect in Dialogue

Showing Dialect in Dialogue Showing Dialect in Dialogue Showing Dialect in Dialogue By Maeve Maddox A reader asks how a writer wishing to create â€Å"a redneck swagger† would rewrite the â€Å"regular English† sentence â€Å"You’re surprising to me.† He offers the following options: â€Å"Y’a surprisin’ t’a me.† â€Å"Y’ah surprisin’ t’ah me.† â€Å"Ya surprisin ta me.† â€Å"Yah surprisin tah me.† Note: You can find my thoughts on the use of the term redneck here: Better Use â€Å"Redneck† With Care. My reaction to the model dialogue is that a â€Å"redneck† is not likely to utter the original sentence, with or without apostrophes. A native English speaker of any dialect would be more likely to say, â€Å"You surprise me.† But the point of the question has to do with the use of apostrophes and contractionsand presumably funny spellingsto represent dialect in fictional dialogue. Fashions in writing change. Representing dropped letters with apostrophes was a common device with 19th century authors. Well, then, Master Marner, it come to me summat like this: I can make nothing o the drawing o lots and the answer coming wrong; it ud mayhap take the parson to tell that, and he could only tell us i big words. George Eliot, Silas Marner. â€Å"I got hurt a little, en couldn’t swim fas’, so I wuz a considable ways behine you, towards de las’; when you landed I reck’ned I could ketch up wid you on de lan’ ‘doubt havin’ to shout at you, but when I see dat house I begin to go slow.† Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn. Modern readers have little patience with this kind of writing. For one thing, multiple apostrophes and odd spellings are visually distracting. For another, such detailed attention to pronunciation in a novel distracts from the thought that the character is expressing, thereby interfering with an understanding of the narrative. In addition, some readers who speak nonstandard dialects find attempts to represent their home dialectseven if they are successful renditionsdisrespectful. Sprinkling dialogue with odd spellings is especially pointless when the misspelling conveys the same pronunciation as the standard spelling. For example, sez for says, and shure for sure. The consensus among today’s writing coaches is that dialect is best expressed with vocabulary, grammar, and easily understood regional expressions, rather than with apostrophes and made-up spellings. For example, the following bit of dialogue conveys rural speech without recourse to dropped letters or misspellings: That woman runs around with anything in pants. Can’t figure out how her and him got together in the first place. Good Lord knows he’s boring as a fence post.† –Nancy Hartney, Washed in the Water. Words like drawl and whine, and expressions like â€Å"a clipped Northern accent† can also be used to suggest a specific way of speaking. In writing dialogue, let the words do the work. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Apply to, Apply for, and Apply withDoes "Mr" Take a Period?9 Forms of the Past Tense

EVALUATING MINIMUM WAGE AS A LEGAL PRICE Research Paper

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