ACT Score Decrease How Much Can It Drop and Why

ACT Score Decrease How Much Can It Drop and Why SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips How much can an ACT score drop by? How likely is it your ACT score will decrease if you retake the test? Or are you wondering why your ACT score went down on a recent retake? Find out how likely an ACT decrease is, how big that ACT score decrease could be, and how to make sure your score goes up, not down! Read on if you have a retake in store. How Likely Is an ACT Score Decrease? The ACT has provided some data about how likely score decreases are when you retake the test. Of the students who took the ACT more than once: 57% increased their Composite score 21% had no change in their Composite score 22% decreased their Composite score Stats via the ACT Student website. So the odds are your ACT score will go up, but that is far from a guarantee. In fact, the odds are roughly 55/45 between your score going up or your score staying the same or decreasing. So if you retake the ACT, it’s almost as likely your score will stay the same or decrease rather than increase. This means you absolutely can’t slack when studying for a retake! Reasons for an ACT Composite Score Decrease The reasons your ACT score could decrease will depend on how much it decreases by. There is, after all, a big difference between going from a 28 to a 27 than a 28 to a 23. We'll discuss the reasons behind different ACT score drops. Statistically Likely Drops (Up to 3 Composite Points Down) A small step down for your score, a giant step down for your ego. Although you’re probably eager to discover the reason your score went down on your retake, it may be that you got lucky the first time you took the ACT. Maybe the first test went especially well for you – you did better with timing than normal, picked up extra points with guesses, had a great test center, and felt pretty comfortable with all of the reading passages and questions. Your first ACT score might have actually been a bit higher than you actually should have scored, so the second test is just a correction of your first score. However, it's also quite possible to run into worse luck on your retake. Even slight score changes could cause your overall composite score to decrease. For example, even if you did slightly better on two sections of the ACT, if you ran into bad luck and struggled with the two other sections, your composite could decrease. As an example, check out the following two hypothetical ACT scores. Even though this student improved their English and Science scores, bigger drops in Reading and Math caused their overall composite score to decrease. Test 1: 26 English, 27 Math, 29 Reading, 27 Science (Composite: 27) Test 2: 27 English, 24 Math, 25 Reading, 28 Science (Composite: 26) It’s not unheard of at all to see drops like 27 to 24 Math or 29 to 25 Reading. By losing just 4 or 5 raw points on each section, you could see a decrease like that. And you could easily lose that many raw points if you lose track of timing, or run into a tough Reading passage you don’t gel with, or Math questions you find more challenging. In short, even small changes in luck could have a big effect on your score. Also, did you study enough? The less you study for your retake, the more susceptible you’ll be to bad luck, struggling with timing, or having a hard time with test questions. It may be you studied a bunch before you took the ACT for the first time, but underestimated the time you would need to spend for the retake, so your score decreased. And how did you study? Were you timing yourself carefully? Analyzing your mistakes? Focusing on weak spots? If you just lazily reviewed some concepts you missed the first time or went through practice sections without recreating test conditions, your studying might not have been effective enough to raise your score. Finally, think about outside factors: Was your test center significantly worse the second time around? Were there unclear instructions from the proctor? Was your test center too hot or cold? (Read more about bad test centers and what to do about them here). Or were you sick or otherwise unfocused on your retake day? (Remember to also consider the reverse: were conditions especially good on your first ACT date and just average on your second one?) Any one of these factors or a combination of them could easily be enough to cause a composite score to decrease by 1 to 3 points. Large Score Drops (More than 3, Less than 5 Composite Points) You dropped the ball. If your ACT composite falls by this much, you likely have a more serious issue that you need to identify. Maybe you’re using a new strategy that just isn’t working for you – like trying to read through the reading and science passages first before reading the questions or plugging in the answers instead of solving with algebra on the math section. If a strategy is causing you to lose more than 5 raw points on a section, that could bring down your score enough to make your composite fall by 3 to 5 points. It's possible you didn't study at all (or only studied a little) before your ACT retake, thinking you could wing it. This would leave you wide open to struggling with timing, unexpectedly tough questions, or other bad luck on test day. Or maybe you were particularly sick or unfocused on your second test day, or your test center had serious problems. Regardless, you need to figure out what went wrong before attempting another retake! Very Large Drops (More than 5 Composite Points) A very serious issue is occurring if your score drops by this much. Maybe something was egregiously wrong with your test center, you filled in answers one line off for a whole section, or you were particularly sick or unfocused. Okay, so a 7-point ACT score drop probably isn't quite as dramatic as the Hindenburg disaster, but it may feel that way to you! First of all, examine your composite and section scores to see where the drops were. This will help you figure out where the problem occurred. Compare these two hypothetical students to see what we mean: Student A Test 1: English 29, Math 26, Reading 32, Science 30 (Composite: 29) Test 2: English 25, Math 18, Reading 26, Science 24 (Composite: 23) This student experienced big point drops in every section, leading to a much lower final composite score. Due to the drops in all sections, something must have happened with overall test strategy, for instance struggling with pacing or using a bad guessing strategy. It's also possible the test center was particularly bad, or the student was feeling quick sick. In short, the student needs to figure out what it was that caused their overall performance to suffer so much. Student B Test 1: English 29, Math 30, Reading 31, Science 30 (Composite: 30) Test 2: English 28, Math 15, Reading 29, Science 28 (Composite: 25) This student had a super large drop on one section (Math 30 to Math 15) and smaller, statistically likely drops on other sections. This means that, obviously, something went way wrong on math – maybe on this section the student started bubbling their answers one line off, resulting in a slew of wrong answers. It’s also possible that maybe the student implemented a new strategy on Math that turned out to be disastrous. But in this case, since the other sections weren’t affected, it’s less likely the problem was due to the test center, a bad overall test-taking strategy, or illness. This student needs to figure out what went wrong in Math. Finally, if you experience a 5-point composite drop or larger, you should consider the possibility your test was mis-scored. If you can't figure out any other logical reason your score would have dropped by so much, you might consider ACT’s hand-scoring service to find out for sure. How to Prevent a Score Decrease Given that your ACT composite score could easily decrease or remain the same if you retake the test, how can you make sure your score goes up? Follow our advice to make sure you don't waste your ACT retake. 1. Focus on Your Weak Points When studying for your retake, spend plenty of time studying for the section (or sections) you got the lowest scores on the first time. You want to make sure you get the points you missed the first time around. For example, if your Math score was a 24 and all your other sections were between 28 and 30, you would definitely want to make sure to improve your Math score to improve your overall composite. If you can make sure you earn points you missed on your first test, you’re reducing the chances of a score decrease. Not sure where to start? Here are some resources to help tackle a weak subject area or two. English The Best Prep Books for ACT English The Top 9 ACT English Strategies You Should Use More guides from grammar rules to diction errors Math How to Stop Running Out of Time on ACT Math Plugging in Answers: A Crucial Strategy More guides on everything from fractions to statistics Reading The Best Way to Practice ACT Reading Questions The Four Types of ACT Reading Passages You Should Know How to Stop Running Out of Time on ACT Reading More fine-grained guides from comparison passages to author intent Science A Complete Guide to ACT Science 9 Reasons You're Missing ACT Science Questions ACT Science Strategies You Should Be Using 2. Don’t Neglect Your Strong Areas Even if you fix your weak spots, it’s not unlikely that your highest section could go down if you don't study for it. In other words, think of this as preserving the points you earned on your first round of the ACT. Even if you manage to raise the score on your weakest section, if your other section scores decrease – by even just a point or two! – your composite could decrease or stay the same. Check out the hypothetical ACT scores below to see what we mean: Test 1: English 28, Math 24, Reading 30, Science 29 (Composite: 28) Test 2: English 27, Math 27, Reading 28, Science 27 (Composite: 27) Even though this student brought up Math, their lowest section, from 24 to 27, the slight score decreases on other sections caused their composite score to fall. This means you need to be practicing for the entire test, even your strong sections, to guarantee a composite score increase. Being prepared for the test as a whole is the best way to shield yourself from ACT composite decreases. So how can you prepare for the ACT as a whole? Use complete practice tests, time yourself strictly, and understand how the test is scored. Also look into getting a strong overall ACT prep book to help you study. 3. Practice, Practice, Practice Even though you've taken the ACT once before, that doesn't mean you don't have to practice much before your retake. In fact, you may want to consider practicing even more than you did before your first ACT! The more consistent you can be, the better. Practice will reduce the score variation caused by harder/easier test questions or good/bad luck on test day. Think of it this way: any challenge you encounter in practice is one you will be prepared for on test day. Whether that’s an extra-hard math question, a tricky reading passage, or personal fatigue, learning how to deal with challenges in practice can help you achieve your target score on test day. Use strict timing whenever you study, and aim to consistently hit your target score on each section. Also, be ruthless about analyzing your mistakes – don’t just note your wrong answers, figure out why you got them wrong and how to make sure you won’t ever make the same mistake again. (Read more about how you should be analyzing your mistakes.) 4. Logistics In addition to adopting a smart study plan, you also want to make sure outside factors don’t mess with your ACT retake score. Make sure you’re using the best test center for you. Also, be sure that you’re getting enough sleep and following the guidelines to be ready the morning of the test. Finally, give yourself enough time before a retake – if you rush to retake the ACT on the next possible test date, you might not give yourself enough time to practice and improve. Make sure you give yourself enough time to study and prepare for your ACT retake! What’s Next? Check out ACT tips from our resident 36 full-scorer. If you can incorporate all these tips, the odds of your score decreasing will go WAY down! Learn more about how the ACT is scored to know how many questions you need to get correct for a score increase. Also read about ACT timing so you can be efficient about your time per question. Need motivation to study for your ACT retake? Discover scholarships you can earn for high ACT scores. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points?We have the industry's leading ACT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and ACT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today:

What Is a Rational Number Definition and Examples

What Is a Rational Number Definition and Examples SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you heard the term â€Å"rational numbers?† Are you wondering, â€Å"What is a rational number?† If so, you’re in the right place! In this article, we’ll discuss the rational number definition, give rational numbers examples, and offer some tips and tricks for understanding if a number is rational or irrational. What Is A Rational Number? In order to understand what rational numbers are, we first need to cover some basic math definitions: Integers are whole numbers (like 1, 2, 3, and 4) and their negative counterparts (like -1, -2, -3, and -4). Fractions are numbers that are expressed as ratios. A fraction is a part of a whole. Fractions have numerators, which are the numbers on the top of the fraction that show the parts taken from the whole. Fractions also have denominators, which are the numbers on the bottom of the fraction that show how many parts are in the whole. Okay! Now that we know those terms, let’s turn to our original question. What is a rational number? A rational number is a number that can be expressed as a fraction where both the numerator and the denominator in the fraction are integers. The denominator in a rational number cannot be zero. Expressed as an equation, a rational number is a number a/b, b≠ 0 where a and b are both integers. This equation shows that all integers, finite decimals, and repeating decimals are rational numbers. In other words, most numbers are rational numbers. Here’s a hint: if you’re working with a number with a long line of different decimals, then your number is irrational! If you’re working with an integer or a number with terminal or repeating decimals (like 1.333333), then your number is rational! Rational Number Examples Now that we know the rational number definition, let’s use that definition to examine some numbers and see if they’re rational or not. Let’s start with the number 6. The number 6 is an integer. It’s also a rational number. Why? Because 6 can also be expressed as 6/1. When expressed as 6, both the numerator and the denominator are integers. The denominator doesn’t equal 0. What about the number -6? -6 can be written as -6/1. Or 6/-1. Either way, -6 is a rational number, because it can be expressed as a fraction where the numerator and denominator are integers and the denominator doesn’t equal 0. What’s an Irrational Number? The opposite of rational numbers are irrational numbers. In simple terms, irrational numbers are real numbers that can’t be written as a simple fraction like 6/1. Take Ï€. Ï€ is a real number. But it’s also an irrational number, because you can’t write Ï€ as a simple fraction: Ï€ = 3.1415926535897932384626433832795 (and counting) There’s no way to write Ï€ as a simple fraction, so it’s irrational. The same goes for √2. The √2 equals 1.4142135623730950...(etc). You can’t make √2 into a simple fraction, so it’s an irrational number. Famous Irrational Numbers There aren’t any famous rational numbers, because the vast majority of numbers are rational. There are a few famous irrational numbers. Here are some ones you might have seen: e: The number e (Euler's Number) is another famous irrational number. People have also calculated e to lots of decimal places without any pattern showing. The first few digits look like this: 2.7182818284590452353602874713527. Ï€: People have calculated Pi to over a quadrillion decimal places and still there is no pattern. The first few digits look like this: 3.1415926535897932384626433832795 √: Many square roots, cube roots, etc are also irrational numbers. Examples: √3 = 1.7320508075688772935274463415059 (etc) √99 = 9.9498743710661995473447982100121 (etc) Not all square roots are irrational numbers, though! If your square root results in a whole number (like √4 or √9), then you actually are working with a rational number! That’s not the only thing you have to be careful about! Sometimes, multiplying two irrational numbers will result in a rational number. For example, √2 * √2 = 2 2 is a rational number. Main Takeaways Rational numbers are numbers that can be expressed as simple fractions. Irrational numbers are numbers that can’t be expressed as simple fractions. What's Next? Want to know the fastest and easiest ways to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius? We've got you covered! Check out our guide to the best ways to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (or vice versa). Are you learning about logarithms and natural logs in math class?We have a guide on all the natural log rules you need to know. Did you know that water has a very special density? Check out our guide to learn what the density of water is and how the density can change.

Stages of Business development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stages of Business development - Research Paper Example DISCUSSION Stage 1: Existence -This stage can be duly considered as the initial phase of a business wherein a new thought or an idea is developed for starting up a new enterprise. This stage includes various aspects such as emerging challenges of market acceptance, creating a distinctive business focus and sourcing of capital to enter into diverse markets among others. In relation to this particular stage, businesses may often face a problem concerning gaining greater satisfaction level of customers as well as delivering end products. Businesses or establishment in the existence stage thrive for raising customer acceptance and amplifying business reputation. Companies like Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Apple Inc. are planning to launch new products or appliances for the customers in future. This can be duly considered as a new business idea which may provide with lot of valuable inputs to the overall mobile and telephony industry by a certain degree (Churchill and Lewis, â€Å"T he Five Stages of Small Business Growth†). Thus, Samsung and Apple can fit into this stage. Stage 2: Survival -This stage is mainly applicable for those businesses that have been able to survive in this competitive landscape. In this stage, a particular company actually takes the higher leap of development as well as growth in the competitive market in full motion. This phase provides a business with numerous opportunities in terms of earning significant profits and also creating a positive image in front of the customers. For instance, nutrition based company i.e. The Kellogg Company had achieved considerable amount of growth and is still surviving in this competitive landscape. This might be owing to the reason of offering better product quality and cheaper product price among others (Churchill and Lewis, â€Å"The Five Stages of Small Business Growth†). Thus, Kellogg’s can fit into this stage. Stage 3: Success- It is a particular stage wherein every business s trives to attain. In this phase, a business becomes quite mature and acquires a powerful position in the market. This stage eventually makes a business to attain a favorable position in front of the consumers with regard to goodwill and brand image. For instance, companies like Cadbury and Nestle S.A. have established themselves as premier chocolate varieties resulting in gaining greater success in this competitive business setting (Churchill and Lewis, â€Å"The Five Stages of Small Business Growth†). Thus, Cadbury and Nestle can fit into this stage. Stage 4: Take-off -In this particular stage, a company looks forward to enter into new business dimensions with prime objective of increasing its profitability and brand image and thus endeavors to achieve a take-off position. Considering, this particular stage, a new market segment or a portion of an existing establishment ensures to achieve growth and profit by implementing effectual marketing strategies (Sullivan 1-40). For e xample, the company i.e. Frito-Lay is undergoing its expansion stage as the company is introducing new variances in the flavor of its flagship product i.e. Potato Chips. By introducing new flavors in its product, the company wants to cater to huge figure of consumers and also to achieve higher growth rate in the global business markets (Churchill and Lewis, â€Å"The Five Stages of Small Business Growth†). Thus, Frito-Lay can fit into this stage. Stage 5: Resource maturity - It is a particul

Islamic finance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Islamic finance - Research Paper Example However, there were banking activities that existed before this period although the operations were conducted in Mecca. From the historical perspective, Islamic banking can be categorized into three eras. The first era was in the early year of Islam until the time of Caliph ArRashidin. The second era of Islamic banking extends from the period of Caliphates to the fall of Uthmaniyah Empire. The third period which is the modern era is current Islamic banking. Prophet Muhammad got divine revelations that Mecca was a city of trade. There were a number of economic techniques and concepts that were used in early Islamic banking such as partnership, bills of exchange, cheques, promissory notes among others (Ahmad, 2010). Islamic banks products exclude the use of Interest which is prohibited in Islam. Rather, the Islamic banks provide an anticipated profit rate for rental rates and savings. According to Islamic Law, money should not be used to create more money. Islamic banks are required to offer services in return for a profit. Instead of the traditional accounts that have interest rates, Islamic banks offer accounts that provide profits or losses. The bank buys property with the customer money, which creates a return to the bank. In case of savings, a customer makes deposits in Al Rayan banks for an expected profit rate. Unlike interest, expected profit rate is not fixed as the profit is made through Sharia compliant investments. There is an element of risk carried in the expected profit rate, but it is usually managed by Al Rayan Bank. Islamic banks Home Purchase Plans are on the basis of leasing and co-ownership, whereby the bank and the customer purchase the property jointly. The monthly paymen ts made by the Customer little by little boost their share in the property. At the maturity of the finance term, the title of the asset is

Urban Planning Essay Example for Free

Urban Planning Essay In his book Urban Geography, Michael Pacione, discusses the â€Å"Future City-Cities of the Future†. In his analysis there are several principles that must be included in the future city in order for it to strive and be successful, â€Å"by 2025 65 percent of the world’s population will be in urban areas† (Pacione 2005) The need for the city of the next 100 years to be sustainable in all aspects is paramount for its success and its citizens to live in peace and harmony. The factors that will play a large part in deciding the fate of our future cities are addressing population growth, the economics of cities, or making cities economically competitive, the effective managing and creation of various modes of transportation and mobility and managing the largest pollutant most inefficient parts of of our cities: buildings. All while maintaining high ecological and environmental standards including proper reduction and disposal of waste . The city of the next 100 years must be successful in managing the impacts of all of these stated areas. I will highlight current cities that are struggling with some of these areas and what must be done for the future to prepare for the next century. I. Population There is wave of urban migration and population explosion particularly in 3rd-world nations. The projection of future growth in Lagos, Nigeria from the current city to the future city is projected to put Lagos as the 3rd largest city in 2015 behind Tokyo and Bombay. (Lagos State Government 2011) To stem and manage such growth city planners and local authorities must be diligent. Below is a picture of the daily traffic in the main city center, this is an example of the current situation when unfettered growth and poor or lack of planning are present. While this may be an extreme example two of the projected largest cities by 2015 are both located in developing nations-Lagos being one of them and Bombay in India the other. The basic needs of the population must be met for these cities to become prosperous for its own success and for its inhabitants. With such large masses of population of people located in nations that currently have challenges handling the basic needs of its people the challenge will be to grow while still addressing these concerns. The solution to this problem of massive population growth and how to sustainability-as a city develop and grow can be found from William Rees from the University of British Columbia. He and his team have developed an ecological footprint analysis which can be used to gauge and measure whether the current natural environment can sustain the growing population. In short, breaking down the consumption of what people use into five categories: food, housing, transportation, consumer goods and services. In addition, there are also land-use categories: fossil energy land, consumed land, food land and forest land. While I will not recite the entire analysis, what is important that can be extracted from this is the characteristics of sustainable future cities, as it relates to population growth. Preserving natural capital, minimizing the ecological footprint (this can include mixed-use development, 3-4 story apartment buildings along commercial streets). (Walker, Lyle and Rees, William 1997) II. Buildings Building and how we are currently operating them in the United States alone account for 40 percent of all energy consumption. The city of New York alone emits more greenhouse- gases, more automobile exhaust and more trash per square foot, than any other U.S. city. (Fettig 2006) In the future city of the next 100 years energy consumption of buildings must drastically be reduced. While there are some new groundbreaking solutions such as The United States Green Building Council that have developed a system of measuring energy consumption of building and providing a rating as to the effectiveness and usefulness of its energy consumption and sustainability. While this may be a great start and possibly a platform or model for future development it is simply not enough. The high cost for seeking the highest standard for Existing Buildings –Platinum has pushed many building owners away from this concept. The sustainability of buildings is not only defined as installing solar panels on the roof or collecting rain water it must start with the design of our work places and homes. It’s changing how we live, how we work, architects must have knowledge not only of the aesthetic but knowledge and understanding of maintaining a high level of efficiency and sustainability. The buildings of the city can and must be an ecological master of sustainability. How we construct our buildings currently are: â€Å"the best possible product at the cheapest possible cost.† (Fettig 2006) An example of this is the construction of federal buildings across the U.S.- most of our federal buildings are large blocks of concrete with little or no efficiency or aesthetic value. The General Services Administration is the branch of government which is responsible for the construction, development and managing all federal buildings. They are the largest developer and manager of commercial space in the US. (Fettig 2006) Recently, efforts led by architect Thom Mane of Los Angeles, he was tasked with developing the San Francisco federal building located at 7th Street and Mission Ave. The building is constructed with no central air conditioning, the building is naturally ventilated. The elevators strop on every 3rd floor with stairs for use between floors. There are no corner offices/edge offices. In addition, there is mostly all natural light only. Below is rendering of the building. While the building may not be the standard from a perspective of beauty or function it mixes both the architectural form and user function and efficiency that his necessary for buildings for the future city of the next 100 years. III. Economic Competitiveness of the City. â€Å"Environmental quality is often cited as a goal that stands in opposition to economic activity. (Skinner 1997) The thinking that sustainability and environmental awareness stifles economic growth is a great myth in this county. The two can go hand in hand, and must do so for cities to grow its local businesses, create jobs for its residents, while also maintaining a high quality of life for the residents of the city. The Porter Model highlights four areas that a businesses must maintain in a city for it to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors. Having a strategic location, local market demand, and integration with regional clusters and utilizing human resources. (Porter 1990) For the next-century city the local businesses must play an important factor in creating jobs within the inner city that will attract residents and help create a better quality of life. Skinner maintains that â€Å"local governments have large-broad powers to regulate businesses and they various types that are allowed to operate, therefore allowing more sustainable and environmentally-friendly industries into the city.† Various particular local examples of this in the region of S. Florida is in the city of Boca Raton. The city has created a local city organized group called Boca Raton Green Partners. The makeup of the group that meets monthly are local businesses committed to sustainable practices and reviews methods that city can take and policies they can recommend to foster a practice of sustainability for the residents and businesses. The state of Florida also has a rebate program for residents to install solar panels on their homes and businesses. Residents can be reimbursed up to 20, 000 for homes and up to 100, 000 for businesses against the cost of installation. This in effect also created hundreds of local jobs for contractors and businesses this may be somewhat viewed as a public/private partnership. Environmental quality and economic vitality can be viewed as a singular entity that can fully support each other for the city to usher into the next 100 years and truly be a future city. IV. Transportation The above picture speaks volumes about the traffic problems most current cities face everyday. Smog, congestion, traffic noise, are just a few of the health consequences of our reliance of cars and the use of fossil fuels. When looking at transportation and the city it is not a one size fits all solution. There must be many options for residents and creating â€Å"accessibility rather than mobility.† (Fettig 2006) Some of the problems current cities face is large investments in highways and roads. For many years local and regional official’s solution for solving the traffic problem was building more roads. Within the city the use the public transportation is the most effective and environmentally-conscious way of mobility. While this is nothing new to many readers what may surprise is that in some cities like Paris, France the local government is taking an active role in reducing the number of cars on roads. There has been a push for residents to use more public bikes, roads have been removed and trains or trams created in their places. These simple steps have allowed public transportation to move 3-4 more times the people on the same road previously used by cars. (Fettig 2006) The goal of the city is to reduce pollutants by 40 percent by the year 2020. By building a city non-reliant on the car for mobility not only will you generate less pollutants in the atmosphere but also a higher quality of life for residents. In conclusion, the future city of the next 100 years has many challenges it faces. But these challenges can also be viewed as opportunities for innovation and change that can bring forth lasting economic and environmental benefits. By addressing these four main points: population growth, building efficiency, economic competitiveness of cities and transportation and mobility the city can be primed for the next 100 years. Works Cited E2. Directed by Tad Fettig. Produced by Elizabeth Westrate. 2006. Lagos State Government. November 30, 2011. http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/index.php?page=subpagespid=12mnu=null (accessed November 2011). Pacione, Michael. Urban Geography, Ch. 30 The Future of the City-Cities of the Future. Routledge, 2005. Porter, Michael. The Competitive Advantage of Nations. Chap. 3, 69-130. McMillian, 1990. Skinner, Nancy. Economic Development as a Path to Sustainability. In Eco City Dimensions, 66-79. New Society Publishers, 1997. Walker, Lyle and Rees, William. Urban Density and Ecological Footprints. In Eco City Dimensions, 96-112. New Society Publishers, 1997.

Epic of Beowulf Essay - Depiction of Anglo-Saxon Society in Beowulf

The Depiction of Anglo-Saxon Society in Beowulf The Old-English or Anglo-Saxon era extends from about 450 to 1066. The Germanic tribes from the Continent who overran England in the fifth century, after the Roman withdrawal, brought with them a language that is the basis of modern English, a specific poetic tradition, and a relatively advanced society. All of these qualities and spirit are exemplified in the eighth-century epic poem Beowulf. To begin with, much of the Old English poetry was probably intended to be chanted, with harp accompaniment, by the Anglo-Saxon scop. In Beowulf, the scop entertains warriors at Heorot, also known as The Hall of Hart. Often masculine and strong, but also mournful in spirit, the stories emphasize the sorrow and ultimate futility of man's lot and his helplessness before the power of fate. Beowulf, composed in 750 A.D., was originally handed down in the same oral tradition. In 1000 A.D. the epic poem was preserved by monastic copyists in a written manuscript. In addition, Beowulf reflects Anglo-Saxon poetic traits. The poetry is composed without rhyme, in a characteristic line, or verse, of four stressed syllables alternating with an indeterminate number of unstressed ones. This line strikes strangely on ears habituated to the usual modern pattern, in which the rhythmical unity, theoretically consists of a constant number of unaccented syllables that always precede or follow any stressed syllable. Another unfamiliar but equally striking feature in the formal character of Old English poetry is struct... ...ure of pagan or idolatry worshipping and Christianity are evident in Beowulf. For example, Christianity is displayed in a paraphrase of Genesis in which "A skillful bard sang the ancient story/ Of man's creation" (lines 88-89). On the other hand, pagan beliefs are obvious in the description of the Geats as "Boar-heads glittered on glistening helmets" (line 298). Although the Anglo-Saxons were leaning toward Christianity, they still had skeletons in the closet. Beowulf functions as a historical document to depict a collage of Germanic societies. It represents a relatively advanced eighth-century Anglo-Saxon nation recently converted to Christianity that looks on its Scandinavian past with pride. Beowulf also reflects a society with an elevated understanding of the values of civilization.

How Social Media Does Harm to the World

How can Social Media do harm to the world? Ethan Chan I am going to explain how social media does harm to the world in this essay. Social Media is an easier way to socialize with other people because you can connect with them no matter how far apart you are from them. By typing on a electronic device you can see what people are up to and communicate with them. However does that make social media a useful communication app? An example of social media would be Facebook, which was created by Mark Zuckerberg at the age of 18. As just as a kid himself, he may not have realized the negative consequences social media has on the community. Facebook is only one of the few types of social media which teens, housewives and just about any adult lock in to either chat on line or play games online. This group of people turns out to be social media addicts, spending hours upon hours of their days online. This results to a breakdown of the family morals and values. It also results to lost communication amongst the family members. However, teens are the main source of addiction and this can take up to 8 hours a day. They are spending too much time on social media because they are chatting with their friends and searching for unnecessary people which prevents them from studying. Hence, lowering their grades. Teens like to socialize with social media, instead of playing sports and getting exercise, which means that they are getting lazier and unhealthy. My personal opinion is to stop it before it escalates to become a huge pack of very lazy people. There is a great concern about these chats on the social media leading to negative self-esteem, leading depression and subsequently, even suicides amongst teens. Hence, the negative influence of social media amongst teens can be fatal and needs to be stopped. Business is also being affected by social media. If businesses advertize on social media, people can comment bad things on their business, which could cause unfounded or bad rumours on the company. Then people wouldn’t support their business and may destroy their reputations. Moreover, the wrong online brand advertising may be the wrong strategy for the business. This is because social media sites are not affective for building brand awareness. Social media is ideal for increasing sales and providing customer services, not to build brand awareness. Social media can have a negative influence on workers productivity. The workers are known to waste valuable time lock into social media apps, such as Facebook and Twitter. Basically, Mark Zuckerberg was a kid when he created Facebook and didn’t know how addicted teens would get and how his creation impact negatively on businesses. Social media like Facebook completely changed the way people interact and form opinion about people or things in life, which could negatively changed our value in life.

Digital Media And Democracy Tactic

Transformation nowadays was at hand in different facet of our lives. Same with the instance in the field of media practices, everyone has the right to participate in this free trade of information. The query if this alteration in media can be utilized in forming social movements was at hand. Taking this into account, clearly we can say that new technologies can take us to another level. It is so powerful that it can contribute to the knowledge that we possess and it can even mold us to be someone we dream of becoming.Technologies absolutely provide us with lots of awareness and new ideas, â€Å"technology is offering us new standards, platforms and ways of expression† (Boler). In the interview with Boler, interesting topic that unravels the layers of expression through the use of technologies, blogging is one of the concepts that have been touch. Indeed, it connotes a new system of negating with other people. Of course there are a certain restrictions in making a blog for inst ance, but the focal point of everything is simply going deep with the material and exploring the new concept of technology, this is what can make us truly express our emotions.Using this medium we would be able to have a grip towards the different phenomenon in our realm. Globalization has a lot to do with the fuzz about the internet. Practically, the emerging technique of using the internet was said to expand the horizon of an individual. On the contrary, the effects of such was claimed by some to be alarming since it dominates liberalization and freedom of speech, â€Å"internet’s material properties are biased towards openness, liberalization, democracy, freedom of speech and communication† (Boler). Censorship on matters of exceeding within the limits of exhausting the internet should be inflicted.People who are engage in using the system should know the proper utilization. We know how powerful our new systems could get and we can never deny the fact that the improp er use of such could result into a serious matter of politics. Anything that is set to contain in any sites should be filtered in any way to increase the sensitivity of everyone. This extraordinary issue of technological upgrading should not be exploited to serve only one purpose; it is ultimately design for the common good and for the sake of everyone else.

A New Paradigm or a Complementary Model Essay Example

A New Paradigm or a Complementary Model Essay Example A New Paradigm or a Complementary Model Essay A New Paradigm or a Complementary Model Essay To what extent has the theory of restorative Justice been integrated into Youth Justice practice in England and Wales? Has this gone far enough? The perception by many involved in the Justice system in general, and youth Justice in particular, is that the present model of punitive retributive Justice, often involving incarceration does not work. Indeed, it may be compounding an already huge social problem. This realization has lead many to look for alternative systems. At present there is a considerable momentum building that advocates the use of a restorative justice model. Marshall has defined restorative Justice as a process whereby parties with a stake in a specific offence collectively resolve how to deal with the aftermath of the offence and its implications for the future (Marshall, 1999). Many different commentators have differing emphasis on the expected and desired outcomes of restorative practices, in general most will emphasis the need for healing of the victim and the reintegration of the offender. In a philosophical sense this sees offending as primarily a breakdown in relationship between individuals, and only secondarily as a location of the law. In this way it tries to address the needs of both victim and offender by recognizing that all parties need to be involved if there is to be the progression from inclusion, to participation, to transformation. For this to be successful all parties must be there on a voluntary basis. (Galway, 1996) However, restorative Justice is a complicated process involving much more than the meeting of victim and offender. In many ways the restorative approaches are revolutionary. It sees that there should be a change in emphasis from punishment to problem solving. In the conventional ethos where a crime is committed it is perceived to be against the state, not against the person, it is responded to by punishment not constructive engagement, this is adversarial and not about bringing people together, and it involves a system that is imposed upon the victim and offender. (Clothier, 2008). The theoretical basis behind restorative Justice is largely philosophical and ethical. It is deeply rooted in the underpinnings of the major world religions, all of which have as a central tenant concern for ones fellow man, and a principle of treating others with fairness and compassion. Therefore it is hardly surprising given this cultural background that restorative movements would seem intuitive. In this way it can be seen as a set of ethical values about how we should relate to other human beings and especially those who cause us trouble. Christie has recognized the need for inclusion in conflict resolution, he recognizes that the conflict is owned by the participants and the involvement of the state can distort the process so that the parties involved can respond in an unhelpful way that has little chance of a successful outcome. The victim feels that the state has robbed him of the wrong he as suffered and the offender can rail against the faceless state and convince himself that he is a victim not an offender (Christie, 1977). Breathiest sees the problem in domination that is so obvious in the traditional criminal Justice system, and emphasizes the rights and indeed, desirability for all stakeholders to have a voice in the restorative process (Breathiest, 2002). It can be seen as a fundamental change in the top down imposition of state power, to a locally based, culturally appropriate and democratically based resolution of differences in a community empowered environment. He also emphasizes how the traditional system enforces separation and disengagement from the community by creating the isolation of incarceration that has the effect of preventing reintegration of the offender. To this end he has advanced his re-integrative shaming theory, which acknowledges that the offender should be ashamed for the offence, but seeks to use this feeling constructively and facilitate a wish from the offender and the community for re-integration to take place. Re-integration not segregation might be said to be the moral centre of restorative justice. Daly and others see it, as at least in part, a feminist issue, with the role of the state being a dominating masculine presence, which is in essence aggressive to both victim and offender, and a change in this dynamic must occur to allow inclusiveness (Daly,2008). To this end conventional youth Justice practice has been significantly challenged. Where restorative practices have been introduced there has been a considerable departure from the long established roles within the system. The interactive dynamic between young person and practitioner is fundamentally different in this process. Consequently, there needs to be considerable training provided for practitioners to be effective in this new approach. The centrality of the victim -offender interaction requires skilful facilitation. The professionals may have difficulty in letting go of their need to control and appear to know best what the solutions are. It is important to recognize that a facilitator allows others to reach conclusions and action plans. To be restorative is to adjust ones sense of purpose over identity as a professional, and over belief systems, not Just intellectually, but in owe you act in relation to others and this can only be learned from experience. Establishing the centrality of the restorative approach in youth Justice can certainly be seen as a considerable divergence from the long established punitive model of justice much loved by the popular press, and often its readers. Mahoney,2008) The Youth Justice Board oversees the Youth Justice system in England and Wales; it has promoted restorative Justice since 2001. It has stated that it wishes to broaden deepen and extend the practice of restorative Justice within the youth Justice system so that the system is more victim based, more young people who offend are held to account, more young people learn about the consequences of their actions and make reparations, more young people choose not to re-offend. This, it believes, will also lead to continued improvement of restorative practices, improve referral orders and youth panels, promote restorative Justice in the secure estate and develop a coherent long-term restorative Justice policy. (YES, 2006) There have been 11 pilot areas chosen to roll out restorative practices within England and Wales. Some, such as The Thames Valley have been in existence for a substantial tie ambitious stated aims such as Hull, which has the desire to be a Restorative City. Faulkner, 2009). One other area within the UK does deserve a special mention, Northern Ireland. It has made the process of restorative Justice central to the process of societal change for what is hoped to be a post-conflict dynamic. It is obvious that many of these changes come from the desire for wider conflict resolution, nonetheless the early feedback is very encouraging in terms of efficacy of practice and it is an area that should yield much useful information that the rest of the UK an use as a resource. Campbell, 2005) There are many types of restorative approaches that can be used depending on the nature of the offence and the local circumstances. -Victim -offender mediation where there is direct communication between the victim and offender facilitated by a trained mediator. -Restorative conferencing where in addition to the victim and offender other people connected to the victim and offender also participate. -Family group conferencing where members of the wider family participate and there is a particular onus on the family to provide an acceptable solution. Youth offender panels where trained community volunteers work alongside members of the Youth Offender team to talk to young people their parents and where possible the victim to agree a tailor made contract aimed at addressing the offending behavior. It is important to realism that restorative Justice is not the soft option and many offenders find it difficult to face up to the impact of their crime. The youth Justice And Criminal evidence act 1999 introduced referral orders, given to most 10-17 year olds who plead guilty to a first offence, unless the charge is serious enough to warrant custody. After a court appearance there is a referral to a Youth Offender Panel (HOP), which consists of three trained volunteers assisted by a HOT worker. It is their role to determine the best course of action. The victim can be invited to put their views to the panel meeting but the offender and his/her parents must attend. A contract is then agreed with the offender and this might include some form of reparation for the victim. At present examples of good practice and attendance rates vary widely from area to area. (YES 2008). There are many opportunities for the successful introduction of effective youth restorative practices. It has reflected the zeitgeist of the nation and has been given a sympathetic hearing by the media, who present it as a constructive advance. It is attractive to politicians and policy makers, not least because of the perception that it can create community capital, especially improvement in the public confidence in the criminal Justice system and other agencies with responsibility for delivering a response to anti-social behavior. This has then to be delivered in a practical way, the final shape of which will ultimately be determined by the practitioners. This will be through a process of implementation, appraisal and re-examination to determine best practice, which will need to have a local interpretation. The success of the restorative approach will depend on it being an individually tailored solution involving interaction between offender, victim and the community ( Hughes, 2002). There is also considerable good will amongst professionals working with young people to move to a more restorative There are also many obstacles that may come from the same sources as the opportunities. These may be structural, political or cultural. This triad has combined n a way that has strained the ability of the Youth Offender Team organization to succeed and created a poor atmosphere for restorative practices. (Stallions, 2008). At the heart of the restorative process there can be a conflict, as intrinsic in the concept, is the reduction of the power of the state. Restorative practices empower citizens with powers that once lay in the hands of the state. (Breathiest, 2002). The desire for the government to find a one size fits all solution has the risk of undermining the restorative process. On paper referral orders provide a perfect setting for initiating estimative practices in reality there are some barriers. It can be difficult to get young people to take responsibility for their actions and therefore the admission of guilt, which is so central, can be problematic. The question of appropriate sentencing is vital. It is frequently asserted that restorative Justice is most effective with more serious offences, where there is a definite victim (Sherman, 2007). Where a restorative approach is used by way of a referral order for low level crimes especially where the victim is hard to identify such as traffic or insurance related offences the outcomes re less good, and indeed it can be very difficult to have an appropriate restorative contract for these offences. Therefore the courts and others should consider carefully when the restorative approach is likely to be effective. The length of sentence can have an impact on effectiveness in restorative Justice, in particular 3 month orders do not allow enough time to work with young people and in particular there may not be sufficient time to take up suitable placements. Many of the young people sentenced to referral orders have complex personal and social problems that will require a lit-agency approach, all of which takes time. The court may make a compensation order in addition this may not sit well with reparation as it can be perceived as a double punishment. On a practical level compensation orders run for 2. 5 years and are not spent on completion like referral orders. This has the problem of a discoverable record that may be a barrier to employability. For reparation to be successful there have to be places on meaningful projects, these are often limited in number, there are little controls over availability and may be seasonal so appropriate allocation can be fraught. These are classic policy- practice conflicts. The government and policy makers are keen to promote a restorative approach and bring it to the heart of the youth Justice system however there is an underestimation as to what is actually required in terms of organization, training, communication and resources. The government appears to assume that the restorative approach will ultimately prove cost effective but will not necessarily be receptive to feedback on the true cost of restoration well done. It is intensive and expensive. Improved communication is ITIL as misconceptions abound. Restorative Justice and reparation are frequently confused, as are reparations and interventions and clearer definitions are required. There can be a lack of confidence from practitioners and the public about what restorative Justice may be expected to achieve. And among young people it is important to recognize that, for some, the perception is that the restorative process was there to embarrass them, and that the process of reparation was perceived as a victim central and to reduce crime. However, in practice, if this is to be so, the time frame needs to change. The referral officer needs to meet the offender within 5 days, leaving 15 days to compile an impact assessment and report, as the initial panel meeting must be within 20 days, this is often impractical. There must be a degree of preparation of those who will be involved. There must be preparation of family members for the potential for high expression of emotion, and the disclosure of confidential information that may arise. Therefore it can be seen that while putting policy in place can easily be done there are many barriers for this to be translated into effective practice. To do restorative practice well, may by necessity, be expensive and resource intensive. Theory is relatively simple to formulate, policy is also relatively straightforward, but it is the finessing of these into an effective practice that is so difficult. The early advocates of restorative Justice point to a past in which civilizations from the time of the Babylonian Hamburg have made free use of restorative practices. In the post-modern context it represents a search for a world with less crime and more Justice. There is growing realization that endlessly increasing the prison population is unlikely to achieve this goal. In restorative practices many see the potential for a system that can bring more offenders to justice, perhaps reduce the cost of Justice while reducing the personal cost of crime to the victim. There has been a large body of research carried out on restorative justice. This has shown more positive results than for most innovations in criminal justice. This evidence should support a roll out of restorative practices on a learn as you go basis. Some have suggested that a Restorative Justice Board, which would be smaller than, but based on the YES, could support this approach. This could monitor reactive, design new tests of strategies and where necessary recommend change. In the traditional notion of adversarial retributive Justice, there will be, almost by definition, a loser. The restorative approach while not guaranteeing two winners, may at least give the possibility that there will not be two losers. The integration into policy and practice has been surprisingly rapid. As to the question, whether this has gone far enough? I would say that because of the difficulties, and the policy practice conflicts, the long-term effects of restorative Justice should be evaluated before it is shed out as a universal approach and highly regulated by government. If this happens too quickly without local adaptation and continual reassessment, which is culturally sensitive, it is possible that a very promising approach will go the way of all fashions and become rapidly obsolete and reviled. However the real power of restorative Justice may lie in people listening to the stories of others. There will be circumstances where the victim and offender will have their stories or indeed their voice heard for the first time. This acknowledges that all acts are consequences and have to be seen in that context. Core to the restorative process is listening, this should be respectful, attentive and sympathetic. (Prangs, 2006). Breathiest, T (2002) Setting Standards for Restorative Justice. British Journal of Criminology. London.

Timeline of the Russian Revolution of 1905

Timeline of the Russian Revolution of 1905 While Russia had a revolution in 1917 (in fact two), it nearly had one in 1905. There were the same marches and vast strikes, but in 1905 the revolution was crushed in a manner that affected how things unraveled in 1917 (including a great deal of fear things would repeat and a new revolution would fail). What was the difference? World War One had not acted as a magnifying glass for problems, and the military mostly stayed loyal. January January 3-8: 120,000 workers strike in St. Petersburg; government warns against any organized marches. January 9: Bloody Sunday. 150,000 striking workers and their families march through St. Petersburg to deliver a protest to the Tsar  but are shot and ridden down on multiple occasions by the army. Reaction to the massacre spreads across neighboring regions, especially the industrial centers which experience spontaneous workers strikes. February February: The strike movement spreads down to the Caucasus. February 4: Grand-Duke Sergei Alexandrovich is killed by an SR assassin as protests grow. February 6: Notably large rural disorder, especially in Kursk. February 18: Reacting to the growing troubles, Nicholas II orders the creation of a consultative assembly to report on constitutional reform; the move is less than the revolutionaries want, but it gives them impetus. March The strike movement and unrest reaches Siberia and the Urals. April April 2: The second National Congress of Zemstvos again demands a constitutional assembly; the Union of Unions formed. May Embarrassment for the government as the Baltic Fleet is easily sunk, having spent 7 months sailing round to Japan. June June: Soldiers used against strikers in Lodz. June 18: Odessa is halted by a large strike. June 14-24: Sailors mutiny on the Battleship Potemkin. August August: Moscow holds the first Conference of the Peasants union; Nizhnii holds the First Congress of the Muslim Union, one of many groups pushing for regional - often national - autonomy. August 6: Tsar issues a manifesto on the creation of a state Duma; this plan, created by Bulygin and nicknamed the Bulygin Duma, is rejected by revolutionaries for being too weak and having a tiny electorate. August 23: Treaty of Portsmouth ends the Russo-Japanese war; Russia has been beaten by an opponent they were expected to easily defeat. September September 23: Printers strike in Moscow, the start of Russias first General Strike. October October 1905 - July 1906: The Peasant Union of the Volokolamsk District creates the independent Markovo Republic; it survives, 80 miles from Moscow, until the government crushes it in July 1906. October 6: Rail workers join the strike. October 9: As telegraph workers join the strike, Witte warns the Tsar that to save Russia he must make great reforms or impose a dictatorship. October 12: Strike action has developed into a General Strike. October 13: A council is formed to represent striking workers: the St. Petersburg Soviet of Workers Deputies; it functions as an alternative government. The Mensheviks dominate it as the Bolsheviks boycott and similar soviets are soon created in other cities. October 17: Nicholas II issues the October Manifesto, a liberal scheme proposed by Witte. It grants civil liberties, the need for Duma consent before passing laws and a widening of the Duma electorate to include all Russians; mass celebrations follow; political parties form and rebels return, but acceptance of the Manifesto pushes the liberals and socialists apart. The St. Petersburg soviet prints its first issue of the newssheet Izvestia; left and right groups clash in streetfights. October: Lvov joins the Constitutional Democrat (Kadet) party, which includes the more radical zemstvo menmen, nobles, and scholars; conservative liberals form the Octobrist Party. These are the people who have led the revolution so far. October 18: N. E. Bauman, a Bolshevik activist, is killed during a streetfight triggering a street war between the Tsar supporting right and the revolutionary left. October 19: The Council of Ministers is created, a government cabinet under Witte; leading Kadets are offered posts, but refuse. October 20: Baumans funeral is the focus of major demonstrations and violence. October 21: The General Strike is ended by the St. Petersburg Soviet. October 26-27: The Kronstadt mutiny. October 30-31: The Vladivostok Mutiny. November November 6-12: The Peasants Union holds a conference in Moscow, demanding a constituent assembly, land redistribution and political union between peasants and urban workers. November 8: The Union of Russian People is created by Dubrovin. This early fascist group aims to fight against the left and is funded by government officials. November 14: The Moscow branch of the Peasants Union is arrested by the government. November 16: Telephone/graph workers strike. November 24: Tsar introduces Provisional Rules, which at once abolish some aspects of censorship, but introduce harsher penalties for those praising criminal acts. November 26: Head of the St. Petersburg Soviet, Khrustalev-Nosar, arrested. November 27: The St. Petersburg Soviet appeals to the armed forces and elects a triumvirate to replace Nosar; it includes Trotsky. December December 3: The St. Petersburg Soviet is arrested en masse after Socialist Democrats (SD) hand out weapons. December 10-15: The Moscow Uprising, where rebels and militias try to take the city through armed struggle; it fails. No other major rebellions take place, but the Tsar and the right react: the police regime returns and the army sweeps across Russia crushing dissent. December 11: Russias urban population and workers are enfranchised by electoral changes. December: Nicholas II and his son given honorary membership of the Union of the Russian People; they accept.

A business's only responsibility is to maximise financial returns to Essay

A business's only responsibility is to maximise financial returns to its a shareholders - Essay Example nancial returns and profitability would mean to shareholders, the different factors that affect profitability and contribute to maximizing shareholder wealth, the examples and evidence of shareholders returns and company policies and strategies will be analyzed. This essay would highlight the fact that it is a business and company’s primary responsibility to increase profits and improve shareholder financial returns and wealth maximization to maintain the trust of shareholders and investors in the market although there are many factors and controversies involved as will be discussed. Profitability of a company is measured with the values of return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA). Return on equity reveals the profits a company earns when compared with the total amount of shareholder equity. Shareholder equity represents assets created by retained earnings of business and the capital invested by the owners. Shareholder equity equals total liabilities subtracted from total assets and refers to what shareholders possess. High returns on equity indicates that the company can generate cash internally and higher returns on company’s equity suggests better position of the company. For example if a business had a net worth or shareholder’s equity of $200 million dollars and made a profit of $20 million dollars, the earnings from returns on equity would be 10% (see Omran et al, 2002). Higher returns are positive for the company and indicate valuable returns and profitability for shareholders as well. It is the responsibility of a company to see to it that shareholders get adequate and profitable financial returns for their investments (Robbins et al, 2003/2004). The formula for returns on equity is: Net Profit / Average Shareholder Equity for the Period. Asset turnover is an indication of total sales for $1 of assets and return on assets or ROA gives an indication of profits generated by a company for each $1 in assets. Profitability is measured both in

Project Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Project Management - Research Paper Example The secondary challenge is based on the optimization of resources in a well organized manner (Larson & Gracy, 2003). We are living in the world of modern technology where execution of different software applications has made the complex methods simpler. Similarly, there are many software tools available that have made the process of project management much more effective and efficient. For fulfilling this purpose, Microsoft project is one of the basic tools that have captured the most of the importance these days. It has helped in the costs reduction, improved productivity, enhanced collaboration as well as it provides the facility of connected platforms. There are Ten Commandments of using MS project: 1. Thou shall save incremental versions of one's work. 2. Thou shall provide the right level of detail to the right project participant. 3. Thou shall not waste time trying to get MS Project to do things that a good spreadsheet would do. 4. Thou shall change today's date to the appropr iate time when creating a status report. 5. Thou shall check to make sure the program is doing what you want it to do. 6. Thou shall be patient in using the tutorial and help function to learn MS Project. 7. Thou shall save forests by printing only those pages one needs. 8. Thou shall help each other in mastering this program. 9. Thou shall not go insane by working with this software for more than 1 hour at a time. 10. Thou shall always remember that you are in control, not the software. Most Important Commandment Providing right level of detail to the right project participant is the key element or the soul of any successful project therefore, it is the most important commandment among the 10 commandments. For this commandment, information is the basic component that is required to attain the desired results. Information related to planning, execution, implementation, controlling, resources, time, budget, scheduling plays an effective role in pre-decision making process (Larson & G racy, 2003). It is also very important to discuss in detail and in-depth, each and every characteristic of the project with the project member to run it effectively. On the other hand, it is very important that each member of the project should be updated with the relevant information according to the role and project specifications. For example, the higher the role is, the greater would be the amount of information provided. However, the basic reason in the failure of any project depends on the lack of information provided by the management to any project member. 11th commandment can be added to use Microsoft Project i.e. Thou shall be tested rigorously to check the functionality of it with respect to the requirements laid down during the start of the project. Advantage of Using Project Management Software Application overshadow the disadvantages The advantages overshadow the disadvantages because the chances of project success increase by the successful implementation of these app lications. It manages the overall budget of the project, evaluates the risks associated with it, calculation of the costs and lastly, the business forecasting. It also helps in developing the performance reports and charts. It is a user-friendly software overall ( Mochal, 2006). What you need to know about the software is the approximate project management software market share that it takes to be sure that this tool is quite popular and it holds a majority of its customer