ACT Test Dates Full Guide to Choosing (2019, 2020)

ACT Test Dates Full Guide to Choosing (2019, 2020) SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Looking for info on the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 ACT test dates? Knowing the most accurate ACT test dates is crucial for a solid test-taking plan. Though you might be tempted to go ahead and register for the next possible test date, what you should really be doing is finding a date that works well for you and your schedule. In this guide, we offer an overview of upcoming ACT test dates, registration deadlines, and score release dates. We also give you tips on how to choose an ACT test date and go over which test dates work best for juniors, seniors, and more. ACT Test Dates and Deadlines for 2019 and 2020 ACT test dates are generally on Saturdays, but you might be able to take the ACT on a different date if you have a religious exemption or are taking a special school administration of the test. Here, we give you all ACT test dates, normal registration deadlines, late registration deadlines, and score release dates for 2019 and 2020. The dates are organized into two tables: one for the 2019-2020 school year test dates and one for the 2020-2021 school year test dates. ACT Test Dates 2019-20 The test dates for the 2019-2020 school year have all been confirmed by ACT, Inc., as have the registration deadlines and score release dates. Test Date Normal Deadline Late Deadline Online Score Release* July 13, 2019** June 14, 2019 June 24, 2019 July 23; August 6, 2019 Sept 14, 2019 Aug 16, 2019 Aug 30, 2019 Sept 24; Oct 8, 2019 Oct 26, 2019 Sept 20, 2019 Oct 4, 2019 Nov 12; Nov 26, 2019 Dec 14, 2019 Nov 8, 2019 Nov 22, 2019 Dec 24, 2019; Jan 7, 2020 Feb 8, 2020 Jan 10, 2020 Jan 17, 2020 Feb 19; Mar 5, 2020 Apr 4, 2020 Feb 28, 2020 Mar 13, 2020 Apr 14; Apr 28, 2020 June 13, 2020 May 8, 2020 May 22, 2020 June 23; July 7, 2020 July 18, 2020** June 19, 2020 June 26, 2020 July 28; August , 2020 *The first date is when multiple-choice scores come out; the second date is when complete scores (with the Writing section) come out.**No test centers scheduled in New York or California on this date. ACT Test Dates 2020-21 While the 2020-21 ACT test dates have been confirmed by ACT, Inc., registration deadlines and score release dates have yet to be confirmed; thus, the ACT deadlines and score release dates below are estimates based on the patterns of previous testing years. Test Date Normal Deadline Late Deadline Online Score Release* Sept 12, 2020 Aug 14, 2020 Aug 28, 2020 Sept 22; Oct 6, 2020 Oct 24, 2020 Sept 18, 2020 Oct 2, 2020 Nov 10; Nov 24, 2020 Dec 12, 2020 Nov 6, 2020 Nov 20, 2020 Dec 22, 2020; Jan 5, 2021 Feb 6, 2021 Jan 8, 2021 Jan 15, 2021 Feb 17; Mar 4, 2021 Apr 3, 2021 Feb 26, 2021 Mar 12, 2021 Apr 13; Apr 27, 2021 June 12, 2021 May 7, 2021 May 21, 2021 June 22; July 6, 2021 July 17, 2021** June 18, 2021 June 25, 2021 July 27; August 10, 2021 *The first date is when multiple-choice scores come out; the second date is when complete scores (with the Writing section) come out.**No test centers scheduled in New York or California on this date. In the tables above, there are two dates in the "Online Score Release" columns. The first date is for multiple-choice scores- your composite ACT score and your individual section scores for English, Math, Reading, and Science. The second date is for complete ACT scores; these are your multiple-choice scores plus your Writing (essay) score. If you take the ACT without Writing, you should generally receive your full ACT score report within two weeks after your test. If you take the ACT with Writing, note that the essay usually takes an additional two weeks for scoring, meaning you won't receive your full ACT score report (with your essay grade) until about four weeks after your test date. Also, be aware that any colleges you put down to get your scores won't have access to your official ACT score report until your essay has been graded as well. ACT Test Dates 2019-20: Visual Calendar and Trends To help you plan your test-taking schedule, we've created a handy visual representation of the 2019-20 ACT dates. This calendar shows us how ACT tests are staggered throughout the year, as well as where the overlapping of score release dates and registration deadlines often occurs: (C) 2019 PrepScholar Inc, Use with Link to PrepScholar.com Allowed You probably noticed right away that ACT test dates are clustered closely together in the fall and more spread out in the spring. This is done to give seniors more chances at attaining their ACT goal scores before college application deadlines (typically in the late fall and early winter). The tests in the spring target juniors and students studying for the test early. Of course, you don't have to be in a certain grade level to take any of the administrations- you're welcome to sign up for whichever ACT dates you want, regardless of where you are in high school. ACT scores generally come out right around the registration deadline for the next test. This can make it tricky to take two back-to-back exams, but you will usually get at least your multiple-choice scores before the late registration deadline, so it's still possible (though not necessarily advisable) to sign up for the next test. In addition, registering for back-to-back ACTs doesn't give you sufficient time to prep for your retake. With such a short amount of time to study in-between tests, you'll likely see only minor (if any) improvement in your scores. Warning: ACT / SAT Test Dates May ChangeSign up to Receive Free Updates // Choosing the Best ACT Test Dates for You: 5 Key Factors Which ACT test dates you choose is ultimately up to you. But whether a test date is the right test date for you depends on five primary factors, which we go over here. #1: When Are Your College Applications Due? One of the most important factors is your college application deadlines. Generally, ACT scores are released 10-14 days after the exam. After that, ACT, Inc. sends score reports in batches to schools as often as schools choose to receive them (usually this is at least once every two weeks). This time frame, however, does not include the processing time for ACT scores, which can vary significantly for each school. So what does all of this mean for you? Basically, you must take the ACT well in advance of your college application deadlines so you can ensure your ACT scores get to your schools in time. I suggest taking the ACT at least four weeks (ideally more) before your applications are due. If you're taking the ACT with Writing, give yourself even more time- at least six weeks. Common deadlines are January 1 for regular decision and November 1 or 15 for early action/early decision. Don't forget: if your scores arrive late or aren't processed until after your school's application deadline has passed, your application could get disqualified. So the earlier, the better! #2: Are You OK With Ordering Priority Reports If Necessary? If the ACT test date you want is extremely close to your college application deadlines and the four free score reports don't cover all of the schools you're applying to, make sure that you're OK with having to fork out extra money for priority reports. With priority ACT reports, your scores should face little difficulty getting to your schools before the deadlines. Priority reports cost $16.50 and deliver ACT scores (once they’re released) within three to four business days after your request has been processed (which takes one to two business days). #3: How Many Times Will You Take the ACT? You should also be thinking about how many times you're willing to take the ACT in order to reach your goal score. Is there a chance you’ll want to retake it? At PrepScholar, we recommend taking the ACT two or three times in total: First, as a junior in your fall semester Second, as a junior in your spring semester Third, as a senior in your fall semester (or the summer before fall semester) If you didn’t take the exam at the beginning of your junior year, try to take it for the first time in February. This way you’ll get your scores in March and will have plenty of time to study and decide whether you’d like to retake the ACT in June, July, or later. Try to avoid registering for back-to-back dates in the fall of your senior year. You likely won't get your scores until the regular registration deadline for the next test has already passed. Furthermore, it'll be a struggle to prep efficiently and with such little time in-between tests; you'll probably be pretty busy with college applications as it is! #4: How Much Time Do You Want to Dedicate to ACT Prep? Another huge factor is time. How many months will you be able to devote entirely to ACT prep? How many points do you need to improve your baseline score by to reach your goal score? (Your baseline score is the score you start with before you begin any prep. You can find yours by taking an official ACT practice test.) Our usual recommendation is to study for the ACT for three to six months. This amount of time should allow you to hone your test-taking skills and strategies without burning you out. However, what's more important than months is the total number of hours you put in. Here are our estimates for the numbers of hours you’ll need to study for the ACT based on how large of a point improvement you want: 0-1 ACT point improvement: 10 hours 1-2 ACT point improvement: 20 hours 2-4 ACT point improvement: 40 hours 4-6 ACT point improvement: 80 hours 6-9 ACT point improvement: 150 hours+ Clearly, the bigger the point improvement, the more hours you’ll need to study. This is why it’s helpful to craft an ACT study plan as soon as possible- ideally, long before your test date! But not everyone has ample free time they can spend studying for the ACT. At a minimum, try to commit to 10 hours of ACT prep. If you only have a month or so before test day, our in-depth guide will show you what steps to take to get the score you want. #5: Do You Have Any Obligations You'll Need to Work Around? Lastly, before choosing an ACT test date, consider how your desired test date fits into your overall schedule. Will you have any obligations on that date or in the time leading up to it? Do you have any commitments that might prevent you from being able to study effectively for the ACT? I suggest using a planner to keep track of major events and tests you have coming up. Include all major school and extracurricular activities, such as school plays, AP exams, school projects, family vacations, weddings, etc. If there are any conflicts with your desired test date, you can then look for an alternate date that'll better fit into your personal schedule. Quick Guide: When Should Juniors Take the ACT? When Should Seniors? We can’t tell you which exact ACT test date will work best for you, but we can give you some advice on which test dates best suit certain situations. Below are four common scenarios with quick tips on the ACT test dates you'll want to prioritize for each. Scenario 1: You’re a Junior Best Dates For 1st Test: September, October, December For 2nd Test: February, April, June There are no risky ACT dates if you’re a junior since all your college applications won't be due until sometime during your senior year. Really, you can take the SAT whenever you want! That said, I recommend taking the test at least twice: once in the fall of junior year and once in the spring. This way you’ll have the entire summer to finalize your college plans and decide whether you want to take the ACT again. If you didn’t take the ACT your fall semester, aim to take it as soon as possible in the spring, ideally in February or April. Either of these dates ensures you'll have June and July to consider for retakes before your senior year. Scenario 2: You’re a Senior Best Dates: July, September, OctoberRiskier Dates: December September and October are popular test dates for seniors because they offer you one final shot at getting the ACT score you want before college applications are due. Incoming seniors also have a July test date, which I strongly recommend opting for if you're worried about carving out time for ACT prep in the fall. December is risky. If you've got deadlines in early January, December ACT scores might not get to your schools in time. (This partly depends on whether you're taking the Writing section.) But if your deadlines are in late January or later, December should be OK. Scenario 3: You’re Applying Early Action/Early Decision Best Dates: June, July, SeptemberRiskier Dates: October Most early action deadlines are November 1 or 15, so it's important to take the ACT as early as possible, preferably in June or July before senior year. Taking the test over the summer ensures you’ll have one final chance to retake it your senior year in September (should you still want to raise your scores). Just don't rely on the October test date. Only if your deadlines are on or after November 30 (as is the case with the University of California system) would I suggest possibly opting for the October test date. But this is playing it extremely close, so stick with September if you can! Scenario 4: Your College Application Deadlines Are in February or Later Most schools require applications to be submitted by November, December, or January. But those whose applications aren’t due until February or later offer seniors more options for ACT dates. Below are various late college application deadlines and their latest recommended ACT test dates and riskier ACT dates. Recommended dates should have little to no trouble in getting your scores to schools in time, whereas riskier dates are less reliable and might fail to get your scores in by the deadline. Choose wisely! College App Deadline Latest Recommended ACT Test Date Riskier ACT Test Date February December - March December February April February - May February April June April - July April June August June July September July - ACT Test Dates: Summary The ACT is offered seven times a year: September October December February April June July Note that the July test date is only be available within the US (though it's not administered in New York, much like the February test date). When choosing an ACT test date, it's important to consider the following factors: When your college application deadlines are Whether you’re taking the Writing section or not How much time you’re willing to dedicate to ACT prep Once you've answered these questions, you'll be on your way to picking out a surefire ACT test date! What's Next? Ready to register for the ACT? Use our in-depth walkthrough to help you sign up for the test, and read our guide to find the best test center for you! Need additional help choosing an ACT test date? See our factors you should think about before setting a test date. It's also important to consider the time you have to study and the advantages of taking the ACT multiple times. Wondering whether to take the SAT or the ACT? Check out our complete guide to which test will be easier for you. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Annotated Bibliography Example llows analyzing the behavior of a patient from several aspects and suggests pilot randomizes control trail as the method to control the severity of the disease. The source provides an understanding about individual and collective behavior of people facing through Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The condition of the patient mentioned in the paper relates to the cases analyzed in the paper therefore, this source can be useful to assess the behavioral of the patient. As the source studies the behavior of the patient and allows understanding distress and anxiety situations it can be used to determine the actual fact and severity of the disease; As the patient facing through dementia exhibits behavioral deficit that can cause families and spouse to face social distress, therefore the source is important to analyze the behavior, causes, symptoms and methods to cure the disease. The source is a research paper analyzing the signs and symptom of dementia and its behavioral and neuropsychological aspects. It further relates the disease with the frontal lobe feature and its effects on the behavior of the patient. The data included in the study of behavior and psychological signs and symptoms of disease. The source can be useful to determine the behavioral and psychological aspects of the patient. There are several phases mentioned in the paper with the variance to the behavior and psychological aspects that can be used to analyze the severity of the disease in the case. The source further aims to relate different behaviors subjected to severity and intensity of dementia. In addition, the source aims to emphasis the frontal lobe symptoms to relate with the cognitive deficits with the increasing severity and frequency of aggressive, depressive and psychosis symptom. The patient mentioned in the case has the problems of hypertension, aggression, anxiety and depres sion. This source can analyze the severity of the disease further it provides an understanding about the

The war on Polio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The war on Polio - Essay Example President Roosevelt thereby established the Warm Springs Foundation; a polio hydrotherapy center. The organization grew rapidly since it received much support and funding from several sectors. At the time of Roosevelt’s death in 1945, the foundation had already been transformed into the National Foundation which had become a strong organization dealing with voluntary health issues and funding polio research in the United States. In 1948, a significant discovery was made in the United States in relation to the fight against polio. The discovery was made by John Enders with a team of scientists from Harvard University. It was discovered that the virus which caused polio could be cultivated in the non-nervous tissues of the body. This important breakthrough led to the subsequent manufacture of the Polio vaccine. Jonas Salk took a keen interest in this realization and created the formalin-inactive virus that became known as the Salk’s vaccine. Before its release into the ma rket, the vaccine underwent very intensive trials and authorizations in a bid to ensure that it could safely and effectively immunize people against the polio virus. Even though other vaccines became accepted for use against the Polio virus, the Salk vaccine was largely adopted in the United States in the fight against the disease. For instance, Albert Sabin came up with an Oral Poliovirus Vaccine (OPV) in 1948 which was extensively used across the world throughout the next two decades. The OPV eventually ousted Salk’s IPV as the choice vaccine in the United States. This was basically out of the fact that OPV was administered orally and not through injection. Secondly, OPV used a powerful mechanism called â€Å"herd immunity† which could effectively provide immunity to unvaccinated people living near those already vaccinated. Even though the challenge of polio was much addressed in the United States, there was still the danger of the virus since frequent epidemics were a common occurrence in many parts of North Africa and Europe in the post-World War II days. In the mid-1950s the two vaccines effectively helped in combating the menace hitherto realized as a result of the polio virus (Orr 78). IPV and OPV have eradicated most cases of polio from several regions across the world. It must be admitted that the fight against polio is one of the most successful battles ever launched in the history of medicine and healthcare. In the developed world like the United States, it can effectively be stated that polio is no longer a great challenge compared to some of the emerging healthcare issues. However in certain parts of the world, polio is still a major challenge given the remoteness of these areas which limits their accessibility to the polio vaccines. In any case, the few cases of polio normally reported in the United States are basically imported from the developing world where the disease could still be a challenge. The war against polio might not h ave been a really smooth affair throughout the long timeframe. Many challenges always characterized the undertaking from the onset of the research on the vaccines. These challenges range from the post-polio syndrome to the financial aspects in dealing with the challenge in the developing world. Nevertheless, amid all these limitations, it can be well argued that the research

Zipcar Entering the Foreign Market of Germany Case Study

Zipcar Entering the Foreign Market of Germany - Case Study Example The case study "Zipcar Entering the Foreign Market of Germany" talks about the Zipcar company, car rental service. The paper also analyzes why Zipcar decided to choose Germany as their new market. The rental company was established in 2000 and is currently composed of the merged operations of Zipcar and Flexcar, even as its ownership falls into the hands of Avis. 2006-th saw the company moreover branching out from its key American base and into England, in London, as well as Canada, in Toronto. As for 2012, the company had a presence in about 300 university campuses as well as 20 key urban centers scattered in its western markets. In 2014, too, the company lists Spain as a key market. Germany, given its sizable computer and driving population and its centrality to the European economy, is a good fit as an expansion market for Zipcar. If Great Britain and Spain are viable markets because of their economic readiness for Zipcar services, then one can make an argument too for Germany as a viable market, given that it is not only the largest economy in all of Europe but also that it has the largest population in the continent, after Russia. This mix of large population and a massive economic base makes Germany an exciting market for Zipcar from an economic and demographic point of view. Digging deeper into Germany’s demographics and economic profile, out of its about 80 million citizens, close to 63 percent is between the ages of 25 and 64 years, the most economically active years from a demographic point of view.

The Competitive Landscape In The Banking Industry Marketing Essay

The Competitive Landscape In The Banking Industry Marketing Essay We are living in the 21st century, everything is revolving around the internet and technology, and its all about embracing the convergence. This explosion of the internet and technology has impacted on everything, and its altering the banking industry as well, from branch banks and papers to networked and digitized banking services, it has already made its way in, but over all, the banking industry is still struggling to find a solution for the rapidly changing environment. The root of this problem is that most banking executives are still not ready to see the real impact of the Internet age and act accordingly, few impacts of the internet and technology are discussed below, Altering the Rules of Competition Today, because of the internet dissolving the difference of the size of the businesses, thus letting small business get to set the competitive agenda and get the advantage. Physical processes are being replaced by virtual, and virtual environments are being created, sooner or later one has to enter this market, in order to keep up with the market trend. The only difference is whether youll go by your own rules or follow the ones created by others. Internet representation, and web based outlets, if executed correctly, can give the power to one, to set its own rules for the competition. From Capital Requirements to Knowledge Requirements Traditionally, absence of funds, has served as a hurdle to access into any particular industry. This has been especially true in the banking sector. Today, improving financings of the company is perhaps the one of the least problems, a company struggles with. Investors know that economical techniques of variation are no longer an organizations key asset, its past track record, its brand or anything. Investors today anticipate and are interested in companys knowledge. A large network system, financial muscle and a huge work power may not seem to have as much importance, as before. Brand Building The last two decades, saw a large focus on the growth of manufacturers, and brand building as a differentiation means, thus allowing service providers, banks for instance, to create brand awareness among the customers for their loyalty towards the brand (Czerniawska Potter, 1998). Consequently, multi-million dollars of investment were solely done on the development of the image of the brand. Already on the Internet, there are organizations performing as informers or experts, who help prospective buyers go for the best option, thus making the customers independent, and not be misled by the image created by the brand, and make more conscious decisions when going for a purchase. Customer Segmentation and Relationship With the help of the Internet a bank is able to target specific market online and provide them product information, personalized web pages and services, and other data for any client, when they access the companys web page. In short, the battlefield has changed, today it is brand or product variation, and focus on the most profitable clients, and to keep the customer relations and support the best, for the long term profitability. From Access In Distribution Channels to Amiss to Customers In the 1980s and early 90s, one of the key areas of competition was to have the best distribution networks to make sure that products/services offered by the bank could be delivered to customers (Czerniawska Potter, 1998). Banks used to invest heavily and it was one of the main concerns too, to have the best location of the outlet, and build up their network. However, with the advent of the Internet such resources have become less relevant. Today the customer feels more easy going online and access the their bank account rather than to visit a physical branch. From Regulated Government Policy Its Unregulated Global Market It is believed that regulatory and legal restrictions, other types of hurdle to access determined by Portia, be decreased because of the Internet. For example, in the United States, new opportunities for the banks were created, when the act of branching efficiency or the Rigles Neal Act of 1994 was passed. This Bill allows banks, to become the full service financial institutions and providers (Kalakota Whinston, 1997). Clearly, this change is both a risk and a chance since the limitations that have ceased some from coming into an industry have also restricted the regional development of others. Global competition The erosion of boundaries due to the Internet has accelerated the trend towards global competition. Citibank has entered the Japanese market successfully with its web-based solution. Similarly, The Royal bank of Canada made its way into the US market with the help of the internet, by virtual banks. In summary, the internet is globalizing the banking industry, the battlefield is evolving around the internet, attracting new customers and coming up with unique services and products which werent possible before are needed of the time today. Question 2: Provide an analysis of the resources and capabilities a typical bank needs to have to be able to compete in this environment dominated by the internet and online banking. (500 words) Customer service is the key to survival of any bank. Customer loyalty and commitment is directly proportional to client convenience, personalized services and innovative offers and products. In the 1970s and 1980s, banks were marketing to a generation raised on an old style of banking: personal service at a bank. They were not comfortable with automated services, and were scared to use computers. So, to have a physical branch office nearby was convenience and relaxation. Today, in a banking relationship, individual assistance and convenience are still the crucial aspects, but they are described in a different way. Clients still want the bank to be a financial institution who knows them, and bank the one, they know, but they do not actually want to go to the bank. Today, customers are not afraid of computer techniques and technology; they accept them. Comfort is doing their banking whenever and wherever they want. They are now relaxed with computers and other gadgets. They anticipate quick, effective, and precise assistance. And the only way to be successful, is to provide the immediate, quality assistance that clients demand, and that the competitors provides, is through intensive use of the most innovative and advance technology and through good people qualified in the use of these technological innovations. For all these factors, the banks keep modifying its delivery systems. The New Delivery Systems The increasing price of building brick-and-mortar divisions, and decreasing price of personal computer systems, slow revenue growth and high delivery costs force a relook at the traditional delivery systems. Furthermore, growing comfort of technology usage by the client is quickly promoting use online banking for daily transactions. The new focus of the banks today is, that the branch be a place of a wide range of solutions like customer assistance kiosks, telebanking, remote electronic banking and ATMs, not just a high cost transaction hub. New Marketing Opportunities: The new technology and its products are expensive, therefore, banks need to utilize better and do more with the new technology than to just provide information and solutions. Banks have to also market and sell financial commitment products, insurance coverage to get a better come back on this investment. Telebanking can bring financial solutions to the home, especially if they are cost-effective screen mobile phones. By realizing how much interest the client conveys, the bank can market stock and insurance quotations. Interactive clips are a new technology innovation that banks can market their products with, and to maintain personal contact with the client while still decreasing the cost of services. An expert worker is not required in each branch with the interactive video, open brokerage accounts, complex life insurance products, personalized product cases can be accessible were required. The interactive video clips will be cost effective. For banks, the internet is an unique way to reach to customers outside the normal consumer base of a division. Banks need to stay conscious of the customers need for new solutions and strategies and make them available before others do. Question 3: The authors argue that certain theories and concepts used to key for competitive advantage in the traditional business environments are no longer important in this new era of internet dominant environment. Explain. (500 words). As a result of the advent of Internet technology, larger banks no longer gain an advantage based on the economics of scale that they were able to achieve in the past. Physical size and bureaucratic organizational structure can mean high operating costs. as well as inefficient and limited degrees of flexibility. Traditionally, lack of money has acted as a barrier to entry into any particular market (Porter, 1979). This has been especially true in the banking sector. Today, raising finance is perhaps the least difficult task facing an organization. Investors recognize that an organizations key asset is not its economies of scale, its past track record, its brand or any or the other trump cards. What investors are interested in and expect is the organizations knowledge. Financial muscle, a large labour force, and a large branch network may seem to have become less important. With the internet banking, bricks, mortar and physical networks are no longer required. Such a shift has substantially lowered the traditional barrier to entry. Internet banking shifts the competitive rules by levelling the playing field of large and small banks and reduces importance of issues such as physical distance and location. In todays banking environment, the processing of large physical branch network is perhaps no longer a serious competitive advantage or primary concern for customer selecting a bank. From gatekeeper to gateway. In the old gatekeeper model the bank functioned as an inhibiting supplier that restricted the customers product choices. Now in the new gateway model, the bank functions as a flexible intermediary that provides access to an entire spectrum of products and delivery channels. In other words, the bank acts as a gateway, and provides its customers with access to value added services with normal services anywhere in the world. Today, Internet increases the bargaining power of buyers. The more products that become standardized and undifferentiated, the lower the switching cost, and hence more power is yielded to buyers. As more new comers are entering the industry, banking customers are facing more alternatives that increases their bargaining power. Following this most of the internet banking services are now free of charge. Internet Banking enable the emergence of new rules of competition. Therefore, the traditional economics of scale benefits are no longer applicable. The internet is fundamentally changing the way banks conduct business. The processing of a large branch network is no longer a sustainable advantage. The banking market is likely to see the emergence of new small banks that use the internet to compete on equal grounds with the financial giants. Over the past several decades one of the most common tactics that organizations have adopted to sustain competitive advantage has been to establish a set of proprietary standards that keeps their customers from their suppliers and competition. Unfortunately, proprietary standards and the internets open -system architecture are contradictory in nature. The investment that banks have made in developing their own proprietary software to manage user interface is perhaps turning from an asset to a liability as the internet becomes a universal channel for information access. Question 4: Select a bank in your home country and answer the following: (800 words). Using Porters Five Forces model, discuss its competitive environment, Citibank is a U.S. based commercial bank, it was first incorporated in 1812 as the City Bank of New York. Citibank is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, US. The bank offers mortgage lending, consumer finance, retail banking service and products, investment banking, trade finance, cash management, commercial banking and e-commerce services and products, and private financing services and products. Citigroup, Inc is the parent company of Citibank. It provides credit cards, deposit accounts and loans to consumers and small companies, and uses its parent companys depth of financial solutions by also offering investment and insurance products. The bank mainly operates in America, UK, Asia, Middle East, and Africa including the Japan, US, Hong Kong, China, India, Singapore and the Philippines Porters Five force Model: Availability of Substitutes Replacement of one product with another one increases the competition within an market. It is hard to find an ideal alternatives of banks, the most ideal substitute of banking services are not available but they have a choice to choose between making an investment and preserving their cash. The individual can save their cash at their home or in Nationwide saving centers. The individuals can also invest their cash in stock market. Rivalry among existing firms There are lots of opponents among various banks. There are a wide range of public and personal banks which are offering products and service on competitive prices. Rak bank was granted as the best bank for the year. There are several other IslÄ mic banks which are recommended by the people there. NBAD, HSBC, RAK Bank, Loyalds TSB bank, Dubai Bank, RBS etc are the few opponents of Citibank. The lots of opponents among these banks gives rise to the difficulties which the opponent bank have to face. The opponents among various banks improves the changing of the clients from one bankss product to the other. Threat of new entrants The banking industry of any nation has always possibilities of growth and competition, so many new banks get in and out of the market. Mostly banks step in the developing nations for growing their divisions. But as global economic recession recently, the risk of new newcomers is limited. Power of buyer Bargaining power of a client is low where the products alternatives are not available and clients are more in number. In case of banks there are lots of other banking intermediaries and banks, having wide assortment, so power of buyer in banking industry is high. The bank can not force any client to buy the preferred product because this directly impacts its reputation, but can persuade its clients by providing them special rewards or discounts. Bargaining power of suppliers Banks have previously acted as suppliers. However, in this new internet banking World, the business model has changed dramatically. Banks are no longer need suppliers, but are the suppliers to the financial products. So there is no bargaining power of the suppliers. There are no suppliers in the banking industry. How the internet impacts it competitive position and These are the effects of the internet: The tremendous challenge that all competitors are experiencing in the banking market. The different systems for the different customers such as International organizations, small-medium businesses and personal customers were challenging more innovative e-business alternatives according with the improving use of the internet. Different providers coming into with new alliances. The new marketplaces that are possibly Citibanks alliances. The alternative products such as local financial, heritage system and technology organizations. how it has continued to preserve its competitive position. Citibank highlight on client care instead of the price, client satisfaction was targeted on the support, technological innovation and reaction time providing assurance to the customers in the form the business was done. The good client support and goods and services are the reasons why Citibank is able to keep its identification and commitment throughout the world. Citibank used many technological innovation to get more customers pleased such as ATMs, phone collections, and the digital system of expenses which is a secure business transaction from the client. Another difference Citibank done was the affordable costs of its products or to match their competitors costs to give affordable costs for the different services and goods. Competitive advantages Lower costs for its solutions and products Multiple ways to access the account for the customers Secure transaction and operations over the internet

Powerful Satire in Chaucers Canterbury Tales Essay -- Canterbury Tal

Powerful Satire in The Canterbury Tales If one theme can be considered overriding or defining throughout Medieval European society, it would most likely be the concept of social class structure. During this early historical period in Europe, most of society was divided into three classes or 'estates:' the workers, the nobles, and the clerics. By Chaucer's time, however, the powerful estate structure had begun to wear down. Weaknesses in the system became apparent, as many people, such as Chaucer himself, seemed to no longer belong to any one of the three estates. Wealthy merchants sometimes had more power and influence than poor noblemen, but the merchants technically remained mere workers or peasants. Even Chaucer, who was given the title of Esquire en Service, the lowest ranking of the noble class, was never truly considered a nobleman because he wasn't born into his title. With social structure failing the society and putting pressures on the already fractured classes, it isn't surprising that authors of the time such a s Chaucer began to make commentary on the estates in their works. Driven by his own feelings of class isolation, and his observations of the ludicrous behavior of the other classes, Chaucer clearly intended his work, The Canterbury Tales, to be a satire upon the estates. Central to understanding Chaucer's work is, one can see, coming to an understanding of Chaucer himself. Unlike modern works of fiction, which frequently lack any real sense of meaning beyond simple entertainment, Chaucer works a number of social critiques into The Canterbury Tales. His motivation is relatively clear: the social issues he chooses to address were the issues that largely shaped his life. "Chaucer and some of his peers were... ...trates an enlightened commentary on the three estates. By humorously satirizing the societies faults with pilgrim's such as the Summoner or the Pardoner, and applauding the positive influences on society, the true representatives of the three estates, the Knight, the Parson, and the Ploughman, Chaucer makes a bold and lasting statement on his society. Works Cited Benson, Larry D. The Riverside Chaucer. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1987. Brewer, Derek. Writers and their Background: Geoffrey Chaucer. Athens: Ohio University Press, 1975. Cooper, Helen. Oxford Guides to Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales. Great Britain: Oxford University Press, 1989. Kellogg, Alfred L. Chaucer, Langland, Arthur: Essays in Middle English Literature. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1972. Strohm, Paul. Social Chaucer. England: Harvard University Press, 1989. Â  

Influence of Internet on Family Communication About Sexuality

The Influence of the Internet in Family Communication about Sexuality Christo Jose Central New Mexico Community College ABSTRACT The mass media are an increasingly accessible way for people to learn about and see sexual behavior. Out of all the mass media today, adolescents use the television and the internet more than any other media resource. The use of internet has risen exponentially in the last few years and within a year, it is estimated that 90% of all families with children will have access to the internet. The word sex is the most popular search term used on the Internet today. The Internet may have both positive and negative effects on sexual health. Internet bombards the minds of the teens these days with images of sex almost every single day. Aside from the daily dose of sexuality and eroticism provided by the mainstream media, 50% of all adolescents have said that they have encountered unwanted pornographic material on the internet. Many studies have been conducted to determine the extent of communication between adolescents and parents about sexuality. It has often been shown that students are more likely to turn to friends and the media before discussing this topic with their parents. The availability of a large and wide scale of information on the internet and the freedom from the embarrassment of confrontation has compelled many adolescents in this path. Because of this, fewer families discuss sex and abstinence in their families. One study has found that the patterns of sexuality communication in a family are also dependent on the gender of the parents as well as the child. Preadolescents who have communicated with their parents about sexuality have been shown to go to their parents for more advice when they are older. The internet does play a very important role in children communicating with their parents about sexuality. The internet provides a wide array of information that can lead or mislead children based on where they look for information. Some studies show that the use of internet in families have reduced the family communication and has led to less and less time spent with the family. This leads to a strain in communication between the children and the parents and this lack of communication makes it uneasy on the children to go to their parents when in need of information about their sexuality. The mainstream mass media (movies, music, T. V. , magazines and the internet) provide frequent and sometimes explicit images of sexuality. Available studies show that the media do have an impact because the media keep sexual behavior on public and personal agendas, media portrayals reinforce a relatively consistent set of sexual and relationship norms, and the media rarely depict sexually responsible models. In the Unites States, children spent about a third of their time a day exposed to some form of mass media. Patterns of media use vary greatly based on age, gender, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic level. Thus, one can never be sure that a message sent out through any form of media is interpreted as the same by the various people exposed to them. The internet being a bottomless pit of information can never be fully trusted. Though the internet provides more explicit material on sex than any other media, most of these are along the lines of pornography and do more harm than good. The internet, being a product of normal people, isn’t always accurate and can provide information that are biased and may not always prove to be useful. The personal opinions and tips expressed in many websites aren’t usually based on any scientific or medical facts and can thus mislead children looking for information. In a study conducted in 1993, adolescents (aged 15-17) put their friends first, then parents and then the media for sources to acquire information about sexuality. Today, the media has risen in rank and leads as the main source of information for adolescents. Among the various forms of media, internet maintains the top spot. The anonymity provided by the internet is one of the main reasons for the children of these days turning to it for information. The risk of embarrassment and confrontation is negated behind the blinds of the computer screen. The extreme nature of some of the sexual content available causes students to misinterpret many things they see online and mislead them into thinking about the prevalence of some activities in real life. The media as a whole provides a picture that is far detached from the problems of real life and it has been shown that many teenagers strive to achieve that level of unnaturalness in their lives. Patterns of Sexuality Communication Between Preadolescents and Their Mothers and Fathers This was a study conducted to examine the extent of communication and the patterns of communication in various families between preadolescents and their parents. Each member of the triad completed a 10-item measure of communication about risk factors for sexual activity, sexual communication, and sexual risk prevention. A majority of parents and their preadolescents reported communication had occurred about most topics. Mothers and fathers were equally likely to communicate with sons whereas mothers were more likely to communicate with daughters than were fathers. Based on the study results, preadolescence may be the optimal time for parents to provide sexual risk prevention messages to their children before sexual behaviors are initiated. Parents and other family members play critical roles in shaping adolescent sexual behavior through their parenting practices, sexuality communications, and modeling of risk reduction strategies. Greater parental monitoring and less parental permissiveness are consistently related to later sexual initiation, less frequent sexual intercourse, less risky sexual behavior, fewer sexual partners, less pregnancy, and increased condom use among teens. The study found that overall, most preadolescents and their parents report that they have talked about risk factors, sexuality education and sexual risk prevention topics. The parents and the children were more prone to discuss topics like drug abuse and alcohol with their children than other sexual topics. Discussion about condoms and abstinence were least reported. Looking at the study gender-wise, we see that boys have discussed their sexuality with both the parents to the same level and have reported doing so. In the case of daughters, the patterns show that they tend to go to their mothers more for information about sexuality. Dad-daughter pairs rarely reported discussing sexuality, menstruation and puberty. Preadolescents are the time of their lives when they internalize the messages they get from their parents. Children who have been educated at this time tend to not be affected peer relationships and the media as much as those who have not been. Children whose families communicate with each other abstain from risky behaviors and have more tendencies to be less influenced by the outside media. Thus parents need to be encouraged to communicate with their children about sexuality rather than letting them search for information outside the family circle. It is better to communicate with children at the age when they are more receptive to family communication. Family Relations and the Internet: Exploring a Family Boundaries Approach Introduction of internet into the family environment can influence and change the way of life in a family. The increase in the use of internet in families has prompted many researchers to see how it can influence everyday life. Connection to the internet opens a window of information to families about parenting, child’s education and family health. Many studies have also stated that the frequent use of the internet by family members have cut into the time spent as a family. This results in a lack of communication among the family members which can cause the children to go after various other media to fulfill their curiosities and the need for information. Most parents view the internet as a positive force in the life of their children and buy them computers and connect them to the internet to help them better at school, to do more research and to learn new things. Teens don’t always use the internet to match their parent’s expectations and in these conditions the positive force can turn into a source of conflict in the families. Conflict, if not handled well, can lead to a lack of communication or miscommunication among the family members. This can lead to a lot of assumptions and misconceptions that can surface from a child’s limited view of the internet. Another argument against the use of internet is the large hole it cuts into the child’s available time. Internet use is time consuming and it has been found that internet use in high frequency is directly responsible for the negative effects on family communication and closeness. All this studies are based on the conception that the communication between the family members is a closed system and that the internet cuts a hole in this closed fence. Communication in a family isn’t always related to the use of internet in every family. Many other factors play into this scenario. The schedules of the whole family are important and should be considered when something like this is examined. Dysfunctional families do not need the internet as a hindrance for the lack of communication among its members. Before the advent of the internet, there did exist many families who did not communicate properly within. Even with these arguments in favor of the internet, its effect on the family can not be withheld. It has been shown that frequent internet visitors go there for social purposes and their personality characteristics are influenced by this and differ from normal. Adolescents who use the internet for social and entertainment purposes seem to have more conflict with their family than those who used it for educational purposes. On the whole, it can be seen that increase in the time spent on the internet has had a negative impact on the family time and a positive impact on the family conflicts. Thus, the internet is directly linked to the decrease in family cohesion due to lack of communication and time spent together. CONCLUSION The three articles come to a conclusion about the nature of the influence the internet provides on family communication. Internet is a very useful resource and source of information and we can never deny its importance in everyday life. But, when we consider its influence on the young minds, we need to think about the advantages and the disadvantages. Depending on the point of view of a person, the internet can be good or bad. From the articles we can see that the families who spend a lot of time on the internet do seem to have more communication dysfunction than those who spend less time. This can be due to two different reasons. Adolescents these days depend on many different sources of information available to them to teach them about their sexuality and sometimes these resources can point them in the wrong direction. Children who don’t have a good communication rapport with their parents at a young age usually don’t develop a good communication bridge with their parents when they get older and the peer relationships are stronger. Some of the messages put across by the internet are factually wrong or morally incorrect and many children accept this as the truth due to lack of communication with parents. This leads to development of wrong set of ideas and can lead to various risky behaviors in the sexual context. The excessive amount of explicit sexual content available on the internet can confuse the minds of teens and younger children alike and can lead to a state of mind in which many of the things depicted may seem natural for them. This again leads to risky sexual behavior. Another way the internet seems to affect the family communication is by cutting into the time spent as a family. This goes hand in hand with the earlier mentioned fact as this leads to lack of communication between the parents and the children leading the children to go elsewhere in search of advice or information. The whole thing works as a circle in which the increased use of internet by children has a negative impact on family communication about sexuality. But it has been shown that parents who communicated with their children at a young age make an impact in their receptive minds and can thus strengthen the bond between the members of the family. This can lead to open communication in a family and thus the children can be educated properly and correctly about the various aspects of sexuality. From this, we can come to the conclusion that early development of a good bond with parents and the control of the use of internet (among many other factors) can help children grow up to be sexually responsible adults. Since I am already an adult, I will use this information I have gained in the future with my family. Making sure to have an open and trustful bond with my children would be my primary objective when bringing them up. I will try to communicate better with my family in that way and can teach my children things that I myself have gone to various places to find. During the time I grew up, my main source of information on this topic was the internet and my peers which have led me to learn through trial and error which was risky and dangerous. I realized from writing this article that one of the causes of this was the internet and I will make sure that my children won’t have to repeat my mistakes. Also, on a broader view, communication is very important in getting any kind of point across to people and it is important to look for accurate information when trying to teach someone something. Depending on the internet is not always accurate and in the right point of view. Another thing that can be learned from this is that it is always important to take time to open communication channels and talk to people. Lack of communication can lead to lack of cohesion and more problems anywhere, be it work, family, friends, etc. BIBLIOGRAPHY Brown, J. (2002). Mass Media Influences on Sexuality. Journal of Sex Research, 39(1), 42-45. {text:bookmark-start} P {text:bookmark-end} Wyckoff, S. , Miller, K. , Forehand, R. , Bau, J. , Fasula, A. , Long, N. , et al. (2008). Patterns of Sexuality Communication Between Preadolescents and Their Mothers and Fathers. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 17(5), 649-662. Mesch, G. (2006). Family Relations and the Internet: Exploring a Family Boundaries Approach. Journal of Family Communication, 6(2), 119-138.