Why Studying in America Is the Best Decision Any Student Can Make Essay Example for Free

Why Studying in America Is the Best Decision Any Student Can Make Essay One of the most wonderful things about higher education in America is that it varies from institution to institution. There is no â€Å"one size fits all† college experience as each individual university has its own standards and traditions, making it easy for anyone pursuing a degree to find the college that is right for them. At nearly all American schools, there is a seemingly infinite list of degrees to choose from as well, many of which can be tailored to meet the students’ individual needs and interests. Perhaps this explains why so many international students choose to study at American institutions. Every year, the US Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs receives nearly 25 million inquiries from hopeful students around the world interested in studying in America (â€Å"Why International Students Come to Study at American Colleges and Universities†, Brain Track, 2011). Equally, statistics show that more international students study in America than in any other country in the world. While many similarities do exist between American and International universities, the American college system surpasses all others in quality, flexibility and diversity, as well as being far more culturally expansive, making it the best place to attend school at a college level. Higher education in other countries such as France, for instance, is offered at little or no cost to the students. Any American student accustomed to paying the sometimes very expensive tuition fees of US schools would most likely start packing their bags and dusting off their passports as soon as they heard this. What many people forget is that tuition pays for not only a general education, but the overall experience as well, including life on campus. The majority of American college campuses are kept very up-to-date, while still maintaining their individual charm and historic backgrounds. Class settings vary from small, intimate classrooms with a capacity to hold only twenty students to large auditorium-style classrooms that will seat two-hundred or more. Most classrooms provide students access to the best possible technology and resources to aid their learning. There are a great deal of wonderful student services available outside of the classroom, too, including abundant libraries, computer labs and tutoring centers which are generally available to all students at any time. For students living on campus full-time, the list of perks continues: Comfortable dorm rooms, plenty of on-campus cafeterias and restaurants, full-service fitness centers, student lounges, and more. This easygoing environment makes it easy for students to succeed. Now, compare that picture to what is most often found with free international schools: Ancient, structurally unsounds buildings holding cubicle-like classrooms, out-of-date (if any) technology and resources, incommodious dormitories and far less to do on campus. That doesn’t sound like an environment that would fortify students’ desire to obtain an education, especially when coupled with the almost impossible academic expectations that are usually found in classrooms outside of the US. The pressure to do well in school, especially college, is something that all students have or will face at least once throughout their academic careers. It is what pushes students to try their hardest to ensure their success. However, the pressure seems to be much worse for students in other countries even before they begin attending a university. For example, British high school students are required to take what is called â€Å"A-Level† Tests which quiz on four different subjects. Scores on these tests are used to separate the â€Å"serious† students from the ones who might not do so well in the university system. The scores are also used to narrow down students’ choices in majors, which must be decided before attending. For every degree plan, required classes are only those which apply to the student’s area of study meaning students may not take outside electives that don’t work towards their degree. Work in these classes is said to be extremely challenging in order to further separate the serious students from the not-so-serious ones. This strict academic regimen allows students to fulfill their requirements and earn a degree in only three years. Again, to an American student this would sound great: no useless classes and one less year spent in school. But those â€Å"useless† classes are actually incredibly valuable and give students in America a great advantage over their international peers. The Liberal Arts philosophy is a very unique feature of the American system. It requires all students to earn a general level of education in the arts, sciences and humanities alongside their chosen field of study which can be applied not only to the degree they are working towards but also to any career path they choose to follow later in life. As mentioned by David Crabtree in his essay Why A Great Books Education Is the Most Practical!, these classes are meant to teach students â€Å"more general, transferable skills which will provide the flexibility to adjust to whatever changes may occur†¦ These skills would make a person well-suited to most work environments and capable of learning quickly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (213). The Liberal Arts philosophy allows students to be well-rounded in their education and provides them with skills that could carry them into almost any career field, should the one they choose in college fail them. Other college systems, specifically that of greater Europe, don’t provide that. Instead, they train students only in one field, leaving them with no safety net or â€Å"Plan B† if the need for one should ever arise. The American college system also caters to students by providing a wide variety of both degree-specific and recreational classes, something many other countries’ college systems seem to lack. This gives every student the opportunity to explore their interests thoroughly and discover which field is truly the right fit for them individually, while also making college seem like less of a chore by giving students a break from the classes they find less interesting. One may argue that some of these classes are counterproductive, distracting students from their more important classes and having them spend more time than necessary earning their degree. However, even the most impractical seeming classes are teaching skills that could potentially come in very handy at unexpected times later in life. For example, consider Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and Pixar Animation Studios. During his time at Reed College, he attended a Calligraphy class where he learned various typefaces and how great typography was made. Jobs himself said, â€Å"None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life.† (Jobs, Stanford Report, 2005) However, ten years later he found the skills he learned in the Calligraphy class to be more useful than ever expected when he was designing the first Macintosh computer, the very first computer invented to have uniquely beautiful typography. Jobs made history and permanently changed the world of home computers, which could not have happened if he had studied in say, Finland, where such a trivial class would never be taught. The diverse array of classes also ensures that every student can find a field of study that suits them. Students are not restricted to simply education and medical fields, or even basic writing and art. American colleges allow students to study absolutely anything they wish, from Tourism to Dance Choreography. Furthermore, while they study university students are introduced to many wonderful opportunities such as internships, work-study jobs, and study-abroad programs which are designed to help them better develop their skills and expand their horizons of education and beyond. Most universities also take great interest in each of their students as individuals and wish to see them succeed. Students are often given great career opportunities and connections before even graduating, and many universities will do all that they can to help students find immediate job placement after graduation. Choosing which college or university to attend is one of the hardest and most important decisions a student will ever face. That decision alone holds the power to decide a person’s entire future. Every student is different, they have different dreams and desires and therefore they should have infinite options to choose from to find the place that will best suit them while they chase those dreams. That is why studying in America, where there are hundreds of institutions each with their own individual cultures and traditions and thousands of degree and career plans to choose from, is by far the best decision for any student. 1. â€Å"Why International Students Come to Study at US Colleges and Universities†. Brain Track. 2011. http://www.braintrack.com/ international-studies-in-us-colleges/articles/why-international-students-study-in-us. 2. David Crabtree. â€Å"Why A Great Books Education Is the Most Practical!†. The Composition of Every Day Life. John Mauk, John Metz. Published: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2010, 212-214. 3. Steve Jobs.

Fantasy :: Free Essay Writer

Fantasy Comparing and Contrasting the Fantasy Trilogies Daughter of the Blood and Arrows of the Queen The trilogies Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop and Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey are both stories of young girls who grow up among characters of fantasy to become queens. In Daughter of the Blood, the story of Jaenelle Angelline’s struggle with extreme magical powers and the curse of being both Queen and Witch is described. It tells of her traumatic past caused by her gifts and also her recovery and the transition form childhood to adulthood and monarchy. In Arrows of the Queen, the tale follows an abused Talia as she becomes one of the magical Heralds of Valdemar. Poor Talia though isn’t just blessed with being an everyday Herald (an excruciating task in it’s self) but she is also the Queen’s Own which means she’s in charge of all dealings with the queen and her only family member, the Royal Brat or more formally known as Princess Elspeth. As the story goes on we see the reformation of the young princess Elspeth through the eyes of her exasperated caretaker, Talia. While, as you can see, the characters and plots are technically the same, the novels differ significantly. In the beginning, the lives of the main characters are very similar. Talia grows up in a multi-wife household where women are plentiful and no one cares if a single female child is abused, so of course she’s hit and raped quite often. Then there’s Elspeth, she grows up in a huge house with powers not seen in Valdemar in centuries. While these two characters have really no relation besides pupil and teacher, together they describe Jaenelle. Jaenelle grew up in a house full of nobles where pleasure slaves were abundant and her pedophiliac father resided. Starting at the age of five, she is continuously shuttled back and forth between her house and a house for the emotionally disturbed on her uncle’s orders even though she’s not ill. At the hospital, her and the other patients are continually raped, beaten, and forced to watch the murders of others â€Å"sick† children. According to the story, a witch raped as a child goes mad unless, like Jaenelle, th ey are powerful enough to back away from the Twisted Kingdom. Unfortunately for Jaenelle’s fellow prisoners though, no one else is this powerful and because of the continuous supply of young witches, no one really cares when one is broken.

Ap Psych Journal

Psychology Journals These journals should be written in essay form, and they will be graded as an AP essay. These journals may require you to integrate different content areas and to evaluate and analyze psychological constructs. You are to use analytical and organizational skills to formulate cogent answers. Consult your calendar for due dates. Chapter 1: The study of Psychology has had many contributions in history. Explain the contribution of functionalism and structuralism in psychology. How are these two forms different? Chapter 2: Control is often called the hallmark of a good experiment.Describe randomization, group matching, counterbalancing, placebo, and double blind as control techniques. Briefly develop an example of the way each could be used or has been used in an experiment. Chapter 19: We conducted a variation of Asch’s (1951) conformity study in which participants made judgments about the length of lines. We randomly assigned participants to one of two conditions and told them tha t the study involved perceptual abilities. In the first condition, participants estimated the length of lines after hearing five people pretending to be participants (confederates) give inaccurate estimates.In the second condition, participants estimated the length of lines without hearing estimates of confederates. As we expected, participants in the first condition were less accurate in their estimates of line length, demonstrating the tendency to conform to majority influence.A) How would each element below be related to the specific content of the experiment reported in the abstract?Control groupDeceptionOperational definition of the dependent variableHypothesisDebriefingB) How might participants’ estimates of line length in the study be related to the following? Social Facilitation *Group thinkChapter 3: The human organism displays various reactions that are characterized by opposing tendencies. Using a specific physiological or psychological mechanism to explain how bot h aspects of opposing processes apply to each of the following.AppetiteAutonomic nervous systemNerve FiringChapter 4: Define the following termsSchemaAssimilationAccommodationEgocentrismConservationDescribe how each of the above terms applies to Piaget’s Cognitive development theory.Chapter 5: The Smith-Garcia’s are planning for their first baby.Both parents-to-be have had a psychology course and are looking forward to applying the principles they learned from theories and research that address child development. A) Summarize one main idea or finding of each of the following four researchers.Harlow’s theoryErikson’s Psycho-social theoryAinsworth’s attachment researchBaumrind’s research on parenting stylesB) Provide a specific example of actions the Smith-Garcia’s might take to raise their child to produce positive outcomes using each of the theories below to address the corresponding psychological concept.Harlow’s: social adjus tment Erikson’s psychosocial theory: independentAinsworth’s attachment research: self-relianceBaumrind’s research on parenting styles: self-esteemChapter 6: : Define the following: -Sound localization -Sensory adaptation -Absolute threshold -Difference of threshold Explain how the following help an individual perceive the world.Chapter 7: Describe the psychological concept of expectancy or set. Discuss a specific example of how expectancy or set affects each of the following. Human Perception Opponent Processing theory The effects of psychoactive drugs on a human Object permanenceChapter 8: Compare and contrast Freudian theory on dreams, and activation synthesis theory in interpreting dreams.Chapter 9: 5 year old Jessie is used to getting everything that she wants. Define the following terms and explain how each of the following terms were either used to create this behavior or could be used to extinguish her behavior. *positive reinforcement *negative reinforce ment *punishment *classical conditioningChapter 10: Although you genuinely enjoyed studying hard for your Psychology test, during the test you feel frustrated and irritable because you can’t recall the answer to a series of fairly easy factual questions. What techniques could you use to effectively remember the information previously learned?Chapter 11: Describe several heuristics that you might use or that you have used when deciding whether you should (a) study especially hard for a test, and (b) ask someone for a date or accept a date. Under what circumstances are these heuristics likely to contribute to poor decision-making? (3 for each, total of 6 different problem solving strategies).Chapter 12: Based on the research of Gardner and Klein: answer the following in detail. Must be in essay form with arguments and evidence. What do you think the goal of intelligence testing should be in Education?Does acknowledging the existence of Multiple Intelligence help or hinder that goal? Explain.Chapter 13: Define drive reduction theory, set point, Yerkes-Dodson law, hypothalamus, and intrinsic motivation. Explain how each of the following could lead to an eating disorder.Chapter 15: Explain how Jung, Adler, and Horney modified Freud’s psychodynamic theory on personality.Chapter 16: A classmate argues that â€Å"the best way to handle stress is to work harder and meet life’s challenges head on. Evaluate both the strengths and weaknesses of you classmate’s position. (Think Seyle and the coping strategies)Chapter 17: A student becomes overwhelmed with anxiety when he is faced with major exams. How might the different viewpoints of psychology explain this reaction? -Psychodynamic -Cognitive -Behaviorist -Biological -HumanisticChapter 18: Describe how a therapist might use both aversive conditioning and operant conditioning techniques in order to help a client overcome a compulsive habit of sweeping the front walkway 3 times a day.

Essay about The Great Gatsby and The Sun Also Rises

Americans in the 1920s were fresh off of World War I and freshly into the Prohibition Era. The American Dream was well defined- a life of wealth, comfort, and exuberance. After a World War I victory, the Dream was thought to be in the near future for every American. The country was seen as a world superpower, wealthy after the devastation of a war fought entirely overseas and brimming with hope and possibility- at least on the surface. Despite the highs experienced by much of the country, it wasnt without its problems. Crime violence was benevolently running the streets and the Speakeasies beyond the reach of full Prohibition, the world was being set-up for The Great Depression, and America was brimming with members of the Lost†¦show more content†¦Because of this injury, Jake cannot be with the woman he loves- and this plot line serves as a catalyst for the larger and far more important theme about the American Dream - and chasing everything desired, but never truly being a ble to achieve these dreams to satiation. Hemingway portrays the Dream as both an overarching theme of the novel, but also shows us its failures and quirks through more minor means. Gender dynamics are broken and often swapped between characters- the protagonist, Jake Barnes, is unable to have sex or reproduce, putting him in a more effeminate role as a man who must remain celibate for the remainder of his life. To juxtapose this lack of masculine identity, Hemingway even places Jake opposite Lady Brett Ashley (Jakes love interest throughout the novel) who self-proclaims herself one of the chaps. She oftens exhibits what has traditionally been considered masculine behavior. Brett has a rebellious wild streak, smokes and drinks, lacks any religion or fully-formed moral beliefs. Shes promiscuous and soon to be a divorcee. Brett seems to emasculate many of the men around her; both because of her self-confident, almost aggressive mannerisms and because of her ability to collect and thro w away men at her slightest whim. Lady Brett is everything (or at least many aspects) of what Jake might have been- the strong, self-assured and self-satisfied macho man who believes everything is someShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby Compared to The Sun Also Rises793 Words   |  3 Pagesthey have left is wild and free lifestyle and love. Author also did not leave out the meaningless relationships to the society and conventions. One of the main characters, Jay Gatsby, a mysterious, wealthy man living in luxurious mansion in Long Island, throwing parties almost every weekend for people he doesn’t even know – â€Å"This is an unusual party for me. I haven’t even seen the host.† sais one of the quest to Gatsby, the host. Gatsby is a perfect example of careless lifestyle. But these partiesRead MoreGender Roles In The Great Gatsby And The Sun Also Rises1657 Words   |  7 Pagescommon concepts that helps further the plot, also known as a theme. When reading all the literary works In all the literary works assigned to us in class, each having a different author, expresses a common theme.The authors force us to examine the limitation of conventional gender roles and how they express this in each story. The literary works that specifically include this theme of gender roles are,The Sun also Rises by Ernest Hemingway , The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald and Their Eyes WereRead MoreTh e Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald And The Sun Also Rises1061 Words   |  5 Pages† the value of materialism is used in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway, to illustrate how collecting or consuming an excess is used in attempts to stave off regret. Characters in both novels show how far Americans take this, and help to perpetuate Kohls’ ideas regarding self-indulgence and its effect on people and their relations with others. In The Great Gatsby, the character of Jay Gatsby acts a great example of American acquisitiveness, dueRead More Comparing Barnes of The Sun Also Rises and Caraway of The Great Gatsby1531 Words   |  7 PagesSimilarities Between Barnes of The Sun Also Rises and Caraway of The Great Gatsby   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Supported by Ten Quotes from   Sun Also Rises, No quotes from Gatsby  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jacob Barnes shares a personality quirk with Nick Caraway; both want to give the impression of being decent, honest men forced to endure the corruption and pettiness of those around them. â€Å"Whats not clear through most of The Sun Also Rises is whether or not Jake believes his own press†(Trilling, 34). Nick Caraway speaks openly of hisRead MoreLiterature And Art : The Sun Also Rises, The Great Gatsby, And Night1502 Words   |  7 Pagesreader or the observer to understand that the characters and the story they wrote or drew was based on their perspective of the era when their written books or painting. In this essay I will be talking about the events in literature (The Sun Also Rises, The Great Gatsby, and Night) and art (The Scream, and The Persistence of Memory). I will be showing you example indication what event which books and art came from by showing you quotes or explaining how it related to what event. The first piece of literatureRead More A Comparison of Biographic Features in The Sun Also Rises and The Great Gatsby2532 Words   |  11 PagesA Comparison of Biographic Features in The Sun Also Rises and The Great Gatsby The writers F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway included biographical information in their novels The Great Gatsby and The Sun Also Rises that illuminated the meaning of the work. Although The Sun Also Rises is more closely related to actual events in Hemingways life than The Great Gatsby was to events in Fitzgeralds life, they both take the same approach. They both make use of non-judgemental narratorsRead More Parallels Between The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway and The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald 1064 Words   |  5 PagesParallels Between The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway and The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the decade of the 1920s, America was going through many changes, evolving from the Victorian Period to the Jazz Age. Changing with the times, the young adults of the 1920s were considered the Lost Generation. The Great War was over in 1918. Men who returned from the war had the scars of war imprinted in their minds. The eighteenth amendment was ratified in 1919 which prohibitedRead More Comparing Daisy Buchanan of The Great Gatsby and Brett of The Sun Also Rises2630 Words   |  11 PagesDaisy Buchanan of The Great Gatsby and Brett Ashley of The Sun Also Rises      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Written right after the publication of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises is apparently influenced in many ways.   The most obvious of Fitzgeralds influence is manifested in Hemingways portrayal of his heroine, Brett Ashley. Numerous critics have noted and discussed the similarities between Brett and Daisy Buchanan, and rightly so; but the two women also have fundamental differencesRead MoreThe Great Gatsby Modernism1513 Words   |  7 Pageswords, the pursuit of happiness. Two writers that illustrate this theme of modernism are F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, and Ernest Hemingway, author of The Sun Also Rises. From the outside, one may think The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story. However, its overall theme is more about The American Dream and how people are unable to obtain it. The Great Gatsby took place in the 1920s, a time in which America’s economy was booming. At the same time prohibition that created an undergroundRead MoreEssay on With the setting of the sun1266 Words   |  6 PagesWith the setting of the sun In F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel, The Great Gatsby, there is a constant feeling of movement and the desire to get away. Nick, Gatsby, Wilson, Tom and Daisy all move, or have the intention of moving. Not only does this movement seem to foreshadow events in the book, but it also seems to lead to the conclusion that society as a whole in the 1920s was rather unstable and was undergoing constant change. Not all the characters move in the same way, and this shows how