Common App 2017-18 How to Write a Great College Application Essay

Common App 2017-18 How to Write a Great College Application Essay After a year of stability, the Common Application essay prompts have changed again â€" I think for the better â€" based on surveys of 5000 teachers, students, counselors and colleges. This year brings some wording changes and a brand new prompt â€" and an old, previously discarded question that has been brought back to life. Significantly, the now “old” Common App prompts have not changed a lot â€" which makes sense since 90% of survey respondents reported that the prompts already worked well. Ideally, the new ones will work even better. Let’s take a look at the 2017-18 Common App prompts: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.  This prompt has not changed, and I think that’s a good thing. Many college applicants have some aspect of their lives that’s meaningful and important enough to share with the admissions committee. This question provides a welcome opportunity to do so. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced a challenge, setback or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?  â€œObstacles we encounter” and “a challenge, setback or failure” replaced the previous “failures” and “failure.”Ah, this prompt is so much less confronting, and so much more welcoming, to students who do not consider that they have “failed” but certainly have faced challenges in their lives. Not everyone is too evolved to see failure as an opportunity. And why require a failure to give students the opportunity to write about lessons learned? I like this change. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?“Questioned” was added to “challenged”; “prompted you to act” was replaced with “your thinking”: and “Would you make the same decision again?” was replaced by “What was the outcome?”I like this change because, while few youngsters have gone against the grain in a meaningful way, many of them have had thoughts that go against a belief or idea. The new prompt does not require students to have taken huge risks or to be activists. It just requires them to have opinions. Furthermore, they do not have to answer a yes or no question about whether they would take the same action in the future. Why require students to fortune tell like that? Instead, they can talk about what happened and naturally examine their role in that outcome. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.  This was a completely new prompt two years ago, and it provides an exciting opportunity for students to display their intellectual prowess or emotional intelligence. No changes for next year! Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization, that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. This is a fairly old prompt with a fresh take. Interestingly, I predicted that it would be deleted or changed significantly last time I wrote about the Common App prompts, as I saw the danger of clichéd answers talking about Bar Mitzvahs and Eagle Scout projects.Here’s what changed: The words “formal or informal” were deleted, and the word “realization” was added. Even more significantly, instead of asking about something that “marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family,” the prompt now asks for students to delve into their own growth and understanding of themselves, their relationships and the world.Both changes reveal admissions committees’ clear preference for introspection and self-understanding. I’ve been saying for years that the committees want to see self-awareness and a focus on personal growth, and this preference could not be clearer than from the changes in this essay question. Describe a topic, idea or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?  This brand new prompt is another opportunity for applicants to explain how their brains work, what makes them tick, and how they explore their intellectual interests. I believe it’s a way for the admissions committee to discover how engaged a student would be in both intellectual and extra-curricular pursuits. It will be a great option for any students with passion and curiosity! Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.  While there was a “topic of your choice” essay question in the past, it did not suggest submitting an essay the student has already written! This choice fascinates and scares me. With the emphasis in all the other questions on sharing so personally, why open things up to essays on Huckleberry Finn? Why give this easy out to students who can just slap an essay into the box that they wrote for an English class? I bet this question in its current form won’t last long.Also interestingly, when the “topic of your choice” question was eliminated, there was very little complaint. But after a couple of years, people want it back. We’ll see what the feedback is in the future. It doesn’t really seem necessary, as the instructions to the Common App encourage students to use the prompts to write about anything they want:“What do y ou want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response.” As Scott Anderson, Senior Director for Access and Education at The Common Application, points out in The Common App Essay Prompts Are Changing. Here’s Why It Doesn’t Matter, there’s really only one question in the Common App Essay: “Write an essay on a topic of your choice.” The Common App Essay has provided you direction, and your job is to take it and create your story. If your child is applying to college and wants support on writing a great response to the Common Application Essay questions, contact The Essay Expert. Remember, approximately 26% of all college applicants hire an admissions consultant, and your child is in the same pool as they are. You might also enjoy some of my other articles about college essays and admissions.

The Influence of Masculine Gender Roles in The Yellow...

Interpretive Essay on The Yellow Wallpaper The Yellow Wallpaper tells the story of a woman living in the nineteenth century who suffers from postpartum depression. The true meaning implicit in Charlottes story goes beyond a simple psychological speculation. The story consists of a series of cleverly constructed short paragraphs, in which the author illustrates, through the unnamed protagonists experiences, the possible outcome of womens acceptance of mens supposed intellectual superiority. The rigid social norms of the nineteenth century, characterized by oppression and discrimination against women, are supposedly among the causes of the protagonists depression. However, it is her husbands tyrannical attitude what ultimately†¦show more content†¦The events that marked the last decades of the nineteenth century led to important historical changes that resulted in a wide crisis of masculinity. Economic growth and advances in technology attracted immigrants to America and soon less-skilled workers outnumbered the highl y skilled ones. Mens self-making abilities were challenged by two factors: the increased competition, and the growing womens influence in the public arena. In order to fight these pressures and elevate their sense of manhood, the native-born men turned to social Darwinist arguments that relegated blacks, immigrants and women to rungs of the evolutionary ladder below white Anglo-Saxon men (qtd. in Furumota). Mens anxieties further increased with the public emergence of homosexuality in society. For the Middle class men, heterosexuality became a symbol of manhood, and heterosexual men began to define themselves in opposition to anything considered feminine (qtd. in Furumota). These factors constitute what Kimmel defines as the central themes of American manhood at the turn of the century that masculinity was increasingly an act, a form of public display; that men felt themselves on display at virtually all times; and that the intensity of the need for such display was increasing (Furumota). It is within this context that The Yellow Wallpaper takes place: a young America in which man takes risks, is confident, shines in sciences andShow MoreRelated Comparing Jane Eyre and Yellow Wallpaper1650 Words   |  7 PagesSimilarities Between Jane Eyre and Yellow Wallpaper   Ã‚   There are notable similarities between Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper and Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre. These similarities include the treatment of space, the use of a gothic tone with elements of realism, a sense of male superiority, and the mental instability of women. There is a similar treatment of space in the two works, with the larger, upstairs rooms at the summer lodging and at Thornfield Hall being associatedRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1667 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is a semi- autobiography by author Charlotte Perkins Gilman who wrote it after going through a severe postpartum depression. Gilman became involved in feminist activities and her writing made her a major figure in the women s movement. Books such as â€Å"Women and Economics,† written in 1898, are proof of her importance as a feminist. Here she states that women who learn to be economically independent can then create equality between men and women. She wrote other books such asRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper, By Charlotte Perkins Gilman Essay1687 Words   |  7 PagesImmediately in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† readers are able to tell that the protagonist feels trappe d in the room, in which she is being placed. The female narrator also mentions to us that her husband â€Å"John is a physician, and perhaps –– (I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind –– perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster† (Stetson 1892, 129). That is to say, this statement clearly indicates thatRead MoreComparing The Representation Of Women s The Yellow Wallpaper And Pride And Prejudice 1662 Words   |  7 PagesCompare the representation of women in Gilman’s ‘The yellow wallpaper’ and Austen’s ‘pride and prejudice’. To what extent do you agree with the view that Gilman presents conventional patriarchal expectations of women, more critically than Austen. Both Austen and Gilman breakthrough the conformity of femininity at a time of rising feminism in a bid to encourage the female viewpoint which was put down or rather shunned to be less valuable by the society they lived in. Gilman however presents it inRead MoreThe Biological Theory Kate Millet Essay2413 Words   |  10 Pages(Millet, 27). Kate Millet points out in ancient society at some point took a turn toward patriarchy, displacing female function in procreation and attributing the power of life to phallus alone. The temperamental distinction created in patriarchy (‘masculine’ and feminine’ personal traits does not appear to originate in human nature, but popular attitude, patriarchal religion tends to assume these psycho- social distinctions to rest upon biological differences between the sexes. The reference of â€Å"Sweat†Read MoreThe Cask Of Admontillado, By Edgar Allen Poe And The Yellow Wallpaper Essay1987 Words   |  8 PagesGender Roles in Literature Gender can be defined as the socially preconceived roles that are thought to be fitting for either men or women in a particular culture. These preconceived roles, stereotype men and women, ensnaring them into provincial boxes that prevent gender identity and expression (Fisher and Silber). Traditional gender roles, especially in the 18th and 19th century literature depicts women as delicate maidens, who are weak and submissive or as nurturing and sensitive characters takingRead MoreGender Roles Seen in Toys Essay1860 Words   |  8 PagesGender Roles and Toys By Shawna Robb English 101 Professor Solomon One room has pretty pink wallpaper with a princess border; the other is blue with monster trucks on one-wall and sports pictures on another. It is not hard to tell which room is female and which room is male. Male and female are used in this instance to define genders. Gender, unlike sex, is a universal guideline upon which individuals are placed. Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behavior, and activitiesRead More The Awakening and The Yellow Wallpaper2395 Words   |  10 Pages   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kate Chopins story The Awakening and Charlotte Perkins Gilmans story The Yellow Wallpaper draw their power from two truths: First, each work stands as a political cry against injustice and at the socio/political genesis of the modern feminist movement. Second, each text is a gatekeeper of a new literary history. Kate Chopin and Charlotte Perkins Gilman seem to initiate a new phase in textual history where literary conventions are revised to serve an ideology representative of theRead More Gender Confusion in Hitchcocks Film, Vertigo Essay2145 Words   |  9 PagesGender Confusion in Hitchcocks Film, Vertigo Post World War II America was a society full of anxiety. In the late 1950s Americans were deeply troubled by so many social shifts. Major changes were occurring both internally and externally. They were in the midst of the Cold War, and were vastly approaching the atomic age. There was a communist scare and fear of Russian expansion. Joseph McCarthy was hunting down major celebrities for their communist involvement and the Red Influence seemed to

Alpha Facts Essay - 3153 Words

1. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. was created to address the low retention rate at Cornell University during the times of Jim Crow Laws. 2. In 2010, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. decided to boycott Arizona and move their 2010 National Convention to Las Vegas, in protest of the recent Arizona law that allows for profiling of potential illegal immigrants. 3. Vertner Woodson Tandy became the first registered black architect in the state of New York. 4. Vertner Woodson Tandy became the first African American to pass the military commissioning examination and was commissioned First Lieutenant in the 15th Infantry of the New York State National Guard. 5. Part of Henry Arthur Calliss life was spent as a medical consultant to†¦show more content†¦28. In 1895, W.E.B Dubois was the first Alpha man as well as African American to receive a PhD from Harvard University. 29. The World Policy Council was created in 1996 to expand Alphas involvement in politics and social and current po licy for global issues. 30. As a tradition a nickname is given to every line based on the personality of the line. According to the Sphinx the title The Naughty Nine, may have been the first known line name. 31. Six out of eight leaders of the National Urban League (NUL) were members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. 32. In 1930, the Theta Lambda Chapter Education Committee presented Brother W.E.B. Dubois at the Wayman AME Church, where over 500 people were in attendance to hear him speak on the The Negros Contribution in American Civilization.. 33. Akinwumi Alo 34. In 1933 Belford Lawson, Jr founded the New Negro Alliance in Washington D.C. to combat white-ran businesses in black neighborhoods that refused to hire African Americans. 35. In the case of Murray v. Pearson of June 25,1935, two member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Thurgood Marshall and Charles Houston challenged bias at The University of Maryland, which had no laws requiring segregation in its colleges. (The case was brought to court by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.) 36. In 1940, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. ended the use of the word Negro withinShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Movie Hundred Dollar Baby 1817 Words   |  8 Pages(233-4). In order for men to seem like real manly fighters today, society pushes the stereotype that they need to constantly be working out in order to like real men such as Rocky and Terminator. The reason the guys promote so much fighting is the fact that their action heroes are the best fighters of all time in the movies and they want to be just like them. In real life, men today work out constantly and may fight to prove their strength. Stuart Ewen suggested that a usual day of a man consistsRead MoreThe Establishment Of Black Greek Lettered Organizations976 Words   |  4 Pages The establishment of Black Greek-lettered organizations is an important cornerstone for the solidarity of black people. As many others are concerned, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. was the first Black fraternal group, but on the contrary there were several other attempts to begin like organizations. Unfortunately, it was so that the due to the overwhelming stress of racism that these organizations were not allowed to thrive. In particular, the chapter goes in to semi-significant depth about theRead MoreA Sisterhood Of The Delta Sigma Sorority1280 Words   |  6 PagesI interviewed Kayse Cuevas, a twenty-one-year-old senior at Oklahoma State University. She is a current and active member in the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. I asked Cuevas if she had any family members that were Deltas and she confirmed that she in fact did. Cuevas has a cousin that’s a Delta and her grandmother’s best friend is also a Delta. When asked what motivated her to become a Delta her response was inspiring. Cuevas said that her grandmother’s best friend is nearing her eightieth year of lifeRead MoreThe Fraternity Of The Brotherhood1897 Words   |  8 PagesJesse joined Alpha Phi Alpha in order to bond with like-minded individuals. Alpha Phi Alpha was the first Black Greek-letter intercollegiate fraternity in the United States founded on Cornell s campus in 1906 initially created as a Black men s literary and support group. The purpose of the organization is to foster strong bonds between men of African descent who faced racial prejudice. The organization combines social purpose with social action. Jesse wanted to be part of the brotherhood:Read MorePersonal Narrative : A First Generation College Student Essay2168 Words   |  9 Pagesparticipating in the university-wide homecoming, she mentions a separate homecoming sponsored by a Black fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha and the Festival of Black Gospel. She states: I absolutely participated in Slope Day. Slope Day just seemed like a group effort. It was end of year, everyone s excited to be finished with the year. So that s kind of a given. I d say the Alpha Phi Alpha homecoming was something that we always did. Honestly now as an alumni, I look back and get all these messages aboutRead MoreThere Is Currently A Critical Global Shortage Of Nurses1222 Words   |  5 Pagesviolence, stress, and burnout compared to normal work operations with lack of interventions? In a research study conducted by Itzhaki et al., (2015) work place violence, stress, and burnout affected the life satisfaction of mental health nurses. Some facts that the authors described were patient violence against mental health nurses is the most common source of their job stress. According to Itzhaki et al., (2015) 88.1% nurses experienced verbal violence and 58.4% experienced physical violence. As ClearyRead MoreThe Discovery Of Apollo 111270 Words   |  6 Pagesscience, from horse drawn carriages to spaceships capable to send us into space. What used to be considered science fiction now is considered science fact. In 1969, Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the moon, opening the path towards the stars. One problem that we encounter is distance. The closest star to Earth, beside the Sun, is Alpha Centauri B, being situated at 4.24 light years away. This means if we were traveling at the speed of light, we would need 4 years to get to the starRead MoreZeus as set management1620 Words   |  7 Pagesis an independent, money – management company offering services to both institutional and individual clients. ZAM follows a conservative, risk-averse, quality-oriented investment management to exploit the extra return from long term strategies. In fact, the company’s investment philosophy of risk-aversion can be guaranteed by the experienced staff, who have the average of 18 years of experience in the sector and have deal with recession and major market downturns, compared to the age of 26 on averageRead MoreConceptual Model And Framework . According To Above Literature1345 Words   |  6 Pagesimage have a relationship with customer loyalty. Model build data analyze 1) Three variables Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient 1 Customer satisfaction 0.92 2 Brand image 0.90 3 Customer loyalty 0.89 Table1: Cronbach’s Alpha value of three variables survey To measure reliability and obtain these results of Cronbach’s alpha test. Three variables’ coefficient as follows: This measure of reliability is based on 199 target customers which repeatedRead MoreSchool Motivation And Learning Strategies Inventory783 Words   |  4 Pagesthe SMALSI is to assess change over time due to intervention effects, then an estimate of the amount of error that can be expected simply due to the passage of time is critical. Coefficient alpha for the child and teen scales ranged from .69-.91. The lowest estimate was for Writing in the child sample; in fact, for the 8-9-year-olds, this coefficient drops to .60-.64, which raises concern about the consistency of behavior in response to items at this level. The Writing/Research scale overall evidenced

Save Electricity Free Essays

Keep the door closed. Ever time you open it the temperature drop about 20 degrees (c) 2 Cook several dishes at the one time. If you are cooking small items use the frypan. We will write a custom essay sample on Save Electricity or any similar topic only for you Order Now 3 When cooking small quantities use one sauce pan with dividers. 4 Keep food warm at 70-80 deg(c) Higher temperatures waste electricity and over cook food. 5 Use oven heat for plate warming. 6 Use utensils with flat bottoms and well fitting lids. Make sure they cover hotplates. To cook vegetables the water doesn’t need to be boiling furiously – a gentle simmer is enough. 8 Fan type ovens reduce cooking costs. 9 Use bright clean hotplate reflectors to send the heat upwards where it is wanted. 10 Pressure cookers can save up to 25% of power. 11 Use small appliances eg. griller,crockpot,wok,etc for appropriate foods. 12 Thaw frozen foods before cooking – this saves about 15 minutes cooking per 450 grams (one pound). 13 A microwave is very economical for suitable functions -it is excellent for reconstituting food. 14 Don’t use grill-boiler plate on top of range for utensils not large enough to cover t. 15 Don’t boil water on a hotplate – use an electric kettle. 16 Make sure your oven door seals properly.HEATING AND COOLING. 17 Have the ceiling insulated with at least 50mm of fibrous or foam insulation. 18 In timber framed or brick homes the walls should also be insulated. Block off any chimneys not being used – A lot of heat is lost there. 19 Unless you have full home conditioning close the doors of the room/s being heated or cooled. Doors and windows should fit well because draughts can waste a lot of energy. Close curtains to stop heat escaping. 20 See that air- conditioner filters and condenser coils are kept clean. 1 Reverse cycle air-conditioners provide 2 to 2. 5 times as much heat as an element type heater for the same electricity consumption. 22 Zoning of a house conditioned by a ducted system can cut energy consumption to a half or even third. 23 Shade windows during summer to keep sun of the glass. 24 Don’t leave heating or cooling appliances on when rooms are unoccupied.25 Use personal fans and ceiling fans for relief from hot weather. Fans cost much less to run than air conditioners. 26 Many air- conditioning systems operate at 22 deg (c). You will still be comfortable if you set the control for 24-25 deg (c) in summer and 18-19 deg (c) in inter and you will use a lot less electricity. 27 Leave room conditioner â€Å"fresh air † and â€Å"exhaust air † controls in the closed positions unless you want to freshen thew room air. 28 Set fan at high speed for a room conditioner to work most efficiently. 29 Evaporative coolers are very effective when installed correctly. The operating cost of an evaporative cooler is only a fraction of that of a refrigerated unit. 30 A student can be kept warm with a 150 watt infra red lamp fitted under the desk. 31 Localised under carpet heating gives economical armchair comfort. 32 People heating is more economical than space heating. use radiators multi-heat radiant heaters, wall strip heaters ,fan heaters. 33 Electric blankets are the cheapest form of bedroom heating. REFRIGERATION 34 Select a fridge that uses waste heat for defrosting etc. These fridges are usually cheaper to operate. 35 Buy the size you need extra capacity uses extra power. 36 If you already have a chest or upright freezer buy an â€Å"all though † refrigerator instead of a fridge freezer combination. 37 Defrost before the ice build up is 1 cm thick. 38 Open the door only when necessary. 39 Make sure the door seals well. If a piece of paper will slide easily between the abinet and the door seal is not good enough. 40 Keep dust and fluff brushed off the coils on the back or bottom of the fridge. 41 Put the fridge in a well ventilated position. 42 Place your fridge away from direct sunlight or any source of heat. Don’t put hot food into a fridge or freezer.CLOTHES AND WASHING 43 Don’t buy a large machine if you don’t need it. For the occasional big wash an extra cycle or two is cheaper than under using a large washer. 44 Adjust the water level to economically wash a partial load. Otherwise it is better to wait until you have a full load. But don’t overload your machine. 5 Your washer may have features than can save your money. Soak cycles remove stubborn stains in wash cycle. Suds savers allow you to re use hot water. 46 Use correct type of detergent and cold or tepid water will wash clothes effectively. LIGHTING 47 Good lighting means avoiding glare and gloom by using the right amount of light in the right way. 48 Use light translucent shades- opaque or dark shades require bigger lamps. 49 Use a good local light near the task. It is more effective and more efficient than a large central light. 50 Use fluorescent tubes . they use about a quarter of electricity used by ordinary lobes and they last about eight times as long. They CAN be switched on and off as often as you need without affecting operating cost. CLOTHES DRYING 51 Use solar energy to dry your clothes -it costs nothing. 52 Operate your dryer using the fan alone. Only switch the heater on if it is really necessary. Vent the dryer outside the house and don’t let lint block the vent. 53 never overload or underload the dryer – you get most economical operation with the correct load. 54 Switch off when the clothes are dry enough – over drying makes them feel harsh and waste electricity. 5 Tumble dryers are more effective than cabinet dryers.WATER HEATING 56 Off peak low pressure storage heaters are generally the cheapest overall. 57 Don’t allow dripping taps . Sixty drips a minutes means about 1200 litres a month drown the drain. And you have paid for it to be heated. 58 Water restrictors and low flow shower nozzles will help to save water. 59 Insulate hot water pipes from storage heaters for at least a metre from the heater as heat can be conducted along these pipes and lost to the atmosphere. 60 Install a storage heater of 125 litres or more to run off peak tariff – which is bout half the normal rate. 61 Normally you will use less water for shower than bath. 62 Fill your electric kettle or jug from the cold tap. Running off a lot of cold water from the hot pipes is wasteful and expensive. 63 Don’t have you hot water set too 70 deg (c) is usually hot enough . Otherwise it costs more to heat the water and it loses more heat while being stored. ACCESSORIES 64 Dimmers save power and enable you to obtain pleasant changes of mood in your lighting. 65 Use plug-in timers to control such things as fryingpans,crockpots,riadiators. lights and air conditioners. How to cite Save Electricity, Papers

McKenzie Journey Essays (409 words) - Emotions, Hope,

McKenzie Journey 2/20/17 HE 275 Tina Davis Behavior Change Summary In the beginning of health 275, we were asked to make a behavior change and document it for a couple of weeks. A behavior change is a goal you set to change bad habits or to improve your lifestyle and be more healthy. My behavior change was to try and drink more water. Before I started the behavior change, I predicted it to be easy and not too difficult. I knew drinking more water would hopefully make me body feel better and more energized throughout the day. My plan to carry out my behavior change was too always take a water bottle with me to school and work. If I started with remembering to bring a water bottle with me to too places first, I was hoping it would soon became a habit to always have a water bottle everywhere I go. In the results of a just a few weeks in this behavior change, it has definite already changed parts of my life. Drinking more water throughout the day has made me feel healthier, stronger, and full of energy. My body felt clean and I stopped getting a lot of headaches. Even occasionally my body craved water. Drinking sugary drinks now leaves me feeling run down and groggy. Drinking more water has definitely made me feel better about myself and gives me a positive outlook to more healthy eating choices. My plan of action to keep behavior change into a habit is to bring a water bottle with me wherever I go. I have noticed if I am carrying a water bottle I am more inclined to drink it than if I am not. Drinking more water isn't hard but occasionally we just get a craving more soda or lemonade. When cravings like thoughs occur, my goal is to cut of lemon or cucumber and put it in my water to change the taste a little bit. Another plan I have is to remind myself that getting water at a restaurant or grocery store is always cheaper than any alternative, not only are other drinks bad for you but water is the cheapest and healthiest form you can have. Drinking more water may not sound like much, but it has changed my life in just a few short weeks. I feel energized and healthy . It also makes me want to change my eat habits!

Haplology - Definition and Examples in Language

Haplology s in Language Definition A sound change involving the loss of a syllable when its next to a phonetically identical (or similar) syllable. Haplology is a type of dissimilation. Perhaps the best-known example is the reduction of Anglaland in Old English to England in Modern English. The reverse process is known as dittologythe accidental or conventionalized repetition of a syllable. (Dittology also means, more broadly, the double reading or interpretation of any text.) The counterpart of haplology in writing is haplographythe accidental omission of a letter that should be repeated (such as mispell for misspell). The term haplology (from the Greek, simple, single) was coined by American linguist Maurice Bloomfield (American Journal of Philology, 1896). Also Known  As   syllabic syncope Examples and Observations Haplology . . . is the name given to the change in which a repeated sequence of sounds is simplified to a single occurrence. For example, if the word haplology were to undergo haplology (were to be haplologized), it would reduce the sequence lolo to lo, haplology haplogy. Some real examples are:(1) Some varieties of English reduce library to libry [laibri] and probably to probly [prÉ”bli].(2) pacifism pacificism (contrast with mysticism mysticism, where the repeated sequence is not reduced and does not end up as ​mystism).(3) English humbly was humblely in Chaucers time, pronounced with three syllables, but has been reduced to two syllables (only one l) in modern standard English.(Lyle Campbell, Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 2nd ed. MIT Press, 2004)The words library and necessary, especially as spoken in Southern England, are often heard by foreigners as libry and nessary. But when they repeat the words as such, they do not sound right, since there should be a lengthened r and s, respectively, in those words. It shows that foreigners notice the beginning stages of haplology in those words, when there is as yet no complete haplology.(Yuen Ren Chao, Language and Symbolic Systems. Cambridge University Press, 1968) I have often noted that Americans, in speaking of the familiar Worcestershire sauce, commonly pronounce every syllable and enunciate shire distinctly. In England it is always Woostershr.(H.L. Mencken, The American Language, 2nd ed. Alfred A. Knopf, 1921) Also See What Is the Correct Pronunciation of February?AssimilationDissimilationElision

Picking the Right Security Certification

Picking the Right Security Certification As the world gets more connected, it also gets less safe. And as more and more information is exchanged via email and websites, and more folks buy stuff online, more data and money is at risk than ever before. That’s why those with technical certifications in security are becoming more and more in demand. But there is a lot to choose from; which one might be right for you? We’ll give an overview of the most popular, and in-demand, security certifications you can get. For this article, we’re going to look at vendor-neutral certifications, which means specialized credentials from security companies like CheckPoint, RSA, and Cisco won’t be included. These certifications teach general security principals  and will have the widest range of usability. CISSP The CISSP, from the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, known as (ISC)2, is generally considered the hardest security title to get, and the most well-regarded as well. How hard is it? You’re not even eligible unless you have five years of security-specific experience. It also requires an endorsement by someone who can attest to your experience and qualifications. Even if you pass the exam, you may still be audited. That means (ISC)2 can investigate and make sure you have the experience you claim to have. And after that, you need to recertify every three years. Is it worth it? Most CISSPs would tell you yes  because the CISSP certification is the name hiring managers and others know. It verifies your expertise. As security expert Donald C. Donzal of The Ethical Hacker Network says, many consider the CISSP â€Å"the gold standard of security credentials.† SSCP The baby brother of the CISSP is the Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP), also by (ISC)2. Like the CISSP, it requires passing an exam, and has the same rigorous checks in place, like needing an endorsement and the possibility of being audited. The main difference is your knowledge base is expected to be smaller, and you only need one year of security experience. The test is much easier, as well. Still, the SSCP is a solid first step into your security career  and is backed by (ISC)2. GIAC The other major vendor-neutral certification organization is the SANS Institute, which oversees the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) program. GIAC is SANS’ certification arm. The GIAC has multiple levels. The first is the Silver certification, which requires passing a single exam. It has no real-world component, making it of dubious value in the eyes of potential employers. All you really need to do is be able to memorize the material. Above that is Gold certification. This requires writing a technical paper in your area of expertise in addition to passing a test. This adds significantly to the value; the paper will demonstrate an individual’s knowledge of a subject; you can’t fake your way through a technical paper. Finally, the Platinum certification is at the top of the heap. It requires a proctored, two-day lab practical after achieving Gold certification. It’s given only at certain times of year  during a SANS conference. This could be a stumbling block to some certification-seekers, who may not have the time or money to fly to another city to take a lab test over a weekend. If, however, you make it through that process, you’ve proven your skills as a security expert. Although not as well known as the CISSP, a GIAC Platinum credential is certainly impressive. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) CISM is administered by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). ISACA is more well known for its CISA certification for IT auditors, but CISM is making a name for itself as well. The CISM has the same experience requirement as the CISSP – five years of security work. Also, like the CISSP, one test must be passed. A difference between the two is that you need to do some continuing education every year. The CISM appears to be as rigorous as the CISSP, and some security pros think it is actually more difficult to get. The reality, though, is that it is still not as well known as the CISSP. That should be expected, however, given that it didn’t exist until 2003. CompTIA Security+ On the lower end of security certifications, CompTIA offers the Security exam. It consists of one 90-minute exam with 100 questions. There is no experience requirement, although CompTIA recommends two or more years of security experience. Security should be considered entry-level only. With no required experience component and a simple, short test, its value is limited. It might open a door for you, but only a crack.