Levy Patrick Mwanawasa - President of Zambia 2002-2008

Duty Patrick Mwanawasa - President of Zambia 2002-2008 Conceived: 3 September 1948 - Mufulira, Northern Rhodesia (presently Zambia)Died: 19 August 2008 - Paris, France Early LifeLevy Patrick Mwanawasa was conceived in Mufulira, in Zambias Copperbelt locale, some portion of the little ethnic gathering, the Lenje. He was taught at Chilwa Secondary School, in Ndola region, and went to peruse law at University of Zambia (Lusaka) in 1970. He graduated with a Bachelor of Law degree in 1973. Mwanawasa began his profession as a colleague in law office in Ndola in 1974, he qualified for the bar in 1975, and framed his own law organization, Mwanawasa and Co., in 1978. In 1982 he was named Vice-administrator of Law Association of Zambia and somewhere in the range of 1985 and 86 was the Zambian Solicitor-General. In 1989 he effectively safeguarded previous VP Lieutenant General Christon Tembo and others accused of plotting an overthrow against then president Kenneth Kaunda. Beginning of a Political CareerWhen Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda (United National Independence Party, UNIP) affirmed making of resistance groups in December 1990, Levey Mwanawasa joined the recently made Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) under the authority of Fredrick Chiluba. Presidential races in October 1991 were won by Frederick Chiluba who got to work (as Zambias second president) on 2 November 1991. Mwanawasa turned into an individual from National Assembly for Ndola body electorate and was named VP and pioneer of the Assembly by President Chiluba. Mwanawasa was truly harmed in an auto collision in South Africa in December 1991 (his helper passed on at the site) and was hospitalized for an all-inclusive period. He built up a discourse hindrance subsequently. Disappointed with Chilubas GovernmentIn 1994 Mwanawasa surrendered as VP claming the post was progressively immaterial (on the grounds that he was over and again sidelined by chiluba) and that his trustworthiness had been placed in question after a contention with Micheal Sata, serve without portfolio (successfully the bureau master) in the MMD government. Sata would later test Mwanawasa for the administration. Mwanawasa openly blamed Chilubas government for endemic defilement and financial flippancy, and left to devot his chance to his old legitimate practice. In 1996 Levy Mwanawasa remained against Chiluba for the authority of the MMD yet was thoroughly crushed. However, his political yearnings were not wrapped up. At the point when Chilubas endeavor to change Zambias constitution to permit hello there a third term in office fizzled, Mwanawasa moved to the front line by and by - he was received by the MMDs as their contender for president. President MwanawasaMwanawasa accomplished just a tight triumph in the December 2001 political race, despite the fact that his survey aftereffect of 28.69% votes cast was adequate to win him the administration on a first-past-the-post framework. His closest opponent, out of ten different up-and-comers, Anderson Mazoka got 26.76%. Political race result was tested by his adversaries (particularly by Mazokas party who asserted they had in certainty won). Mwanawasa was sworn into office on 2 January 2002. Mwanawasa and the MMD came up short on a general dominant part in the National Assembly - because of voter doubt of a gathering Chiluba had brought into notoriety, from Chilubas endeavor to clutch power, and in light of the fact that Mwanawasa was viewed as a Chiluba manikin (Chiluba held the post of MMD party president). However, Mwanawasa moved rapidly to separate himself from Chiluba, beginning a serious crusade against the debasement which had tormented the MMD. (Mwanawasa additionally canceled the Ministry of Defense and assumed control over the portfolio specifically, resigning 10 senior military officials all the while.) Chiluba surrendered administration of the MMD in March 2002, and under Mwanawasas direction the National Assembly casted a ballot to evacuate the previous presidents insusceptibility to indictment (he was captured in February 2003). Mwanawasa vanquished a comparable endeavor to arraign him in August 2003. Sick HealthConcerns over Mwanawasas wellbeing emerged after he endured a stroke in April 2006, however he recouped enough to stand indeed in presidential decisions winning with 43% of the vote. His closest rival, Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front (PF) got 29% of the vote. Sata normally asserted democratic abnormalities. Mwanawasa endured a second stroke in October 2006. On 29 June 2008, hours before the beginning of an African Union highest point, Mwanawasa had a third stroke supposedly considerably more serious than the past two. He was traveled to France for treatment. Gossipy tidbits about his demise before long flowed, yet were excused by the administration. Rupiah Banda (individual from the United National Independence Pary, UNIP), who had been VP during Mwanawasas second term, became acting president on 29 June 2008. On 19 August 2008, in medical clinic in Paris, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa kicked the bucket of complexities because of his previous stroke. He will be recognized as a political reformist, who made sure about obligation alleviation and drove Zambia through a time of financial development (mostly supported by the universal ascent in the cost of copper).

Soda is bad for you Essay Example for Free

Soft drink is terrible for you Essay Dr. Sara Po trom Family Cosmetic Dentistry, yet shes not by any means the only one that feels that! Practically all pop has some sort ot sugar or high tructose corn syrup in it: this is known to harm teeth. The sugar in carbonated sott drinks is an essential source tor pits. Microbes in your mouth teed on sugar and ake a corrosive that breaks down tooth finish says Dentist Howard S. Glazer. Howard Glazer is the leader of the Academy of General Dentistry and has been a dental specialist for more than 15 years. Faber 2 Not just do normal soft drinks influence a people teeth adversely, diet soft drink does likewise, According to the Colgate Dental Resource Center, Soft beverages and diet sodas have risen as one of the most critical dietary wellsprings of tooth rot, influencing individuals everything being equal. Acids and acidic sugar side-effects in sodas relax tooth lacquer, adding to the arrangement of depressions _ Acid and acidic sugar results re both found In a wide range of sorts of pop Sodas contain a high measure of Acidity, and when you get a ton of sharpness In your mouth that can make the development of pits speed Your odds of getting cavities are a lot more prominent when the corrosive level In your salivation goes under a specific point. Drinking soft drink every now and again makes the corrosive level In your salivation go under that point, and when that happens your teeth begin to lose characteristic minerals that shield your teeth from getung holes. As indicated by an obscure creator at Fltsugar. com, The phosphoric corrosive In pop, which Is the thing that eeps It overall quite bubbly, breaks up the calcium out of your teeths polish, leaving them delicate and unprotected causing cavities. The phosphoric corrosive In soft drink influences the lacquer on your teeth as well as influences your bones. The American Journal ot cllnlcal Nutrition distributed an examination that indicated proof that bolsters the Idea that drinking more soft drink brings down bone thickness. The lower the thickness ot a bone, the almost certain it is to break. James A Howenstine the authorot, A Physicians Guide to prompting lower calcium levels and higher phosphate levels in the blood. When hosphate levels are high and calcium levels are low, Faber 3 calcium is pulled out of the bones phosphate substance of soda pops it is high, and they contain for all intents and purposes no calcium. That can make bones debilitate. An ongoing report at Harvard shows that individuals who drink soft drink are multiple times as prone to get bone cracks contrasted with the individuals who dont drink pop. People that drank at least three soft drinks a day had 2. 3 to 5. percent less bone mass contrasted with the individuals who didnt drink any pop whatsoever. This is on the grounds that abundance phosphorus in your eating routine ties with calcium in your stomach related tract, which keeps it rom arriving at your bones says Dr. Exhaust from Tufts University. Any sort of pop ordinary, caffeine free, or diet contains phosphorus. Phosphorus is a fixing that expa nds the acridity of your blood. Your body takes calcium from your bones, with an end goal to attempt to dispose of a portion of the causticity in your blood which prompts bone misfortune over a sort timeframe. Only three colas for each week might be sufficient to make huge bone misfortune says Dr. Exhaust. In a 120z container of standard pop, on normal there is 160 calories. In one jar of pop contains somewhere in the range of 10-12 teaspoons of sugar hich is your suggested admission for one whole day. 62% of Americans drink at any rate one soft drink for each day. Soft drink contains basically no dietary benefit, these additional unfilled calories can indicate 65,700 additional calories a year if an individual beverages Just one soft drink a day. These insights are as per California Center for Public Health. Drinking an inordinate measure of pop can prompt an individual to be overweight or even lead to stoutness. Soft drink is a quintessential Junk food, Its Just unadulterated calories, and no supplements. Its like a bomb in our eating regimen. The CSPI is pushing to require heftiness notice abels on the sides of pop Faber 4 jars, similar to the specialist officers cautioning on cigarettes said Michael Jacobson, who heads the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In an i nvestigation done at Harvard researchers gave 100 individuals ordinary soft drink to drink for seven days. At that point gave another 100 individuals different beverages, for example, milk, water, and squeezed orange to drink for seven days. At long last the individuals who drank the normal soft drink picked up as much as 81bs. Dr. Louis Aronne of Weill-Cornell Medical College says Its since soft drink of any sort is a misuse of calories. It gives you more sugar then your body needs which implies more calories, nd at long last doesnt top you off by any means. The vast majority that drink pop and go on eats less carbs as a rule feel that exchanging over to eat less carbs soft drink will be better for them since it contains no calories. Scientists at the University Of Texas Health Sciences Center discovered there is a 41% expanded of being overweight for each container of diet soft drink you drink every day. The examination found that individuals who drank diet soft drink put on more weight than the individuals who drank standard pop. A purpose behind this is diet soft drink tricks your body into intuition its getting calories.

Managing & Leading Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Overseeing and Leading Change - Essay Example From this conversation features that Pervengines has experienced various dynamic changes that make it conceivable to give a subjective appraisal to the movement that has been accomplished by the organization up until now. In view of Lewin’s three stage hypothesis, which distinguishes three significant strides of hierarchical change specifically unfreezing, change and refreezing, it tends to be said that Pervengines has in the previous five years experienced every one of these means in its push to accomplish quick development and development. This paper pronounces thatâ the organization through its M.D recognizes the stale idea of development and the requirement for there to be a prompt change if the organization will accomplish its strategic. As substantiated by Lewin, the privilege in the wake of recognizing the requirement for change, the subsequent advance is bounced unto, which is the change step. At this progression, certain endorsed changes are relied upon to happen . In fact, for Pervengines, various sober minded assignments were embraced as a way to placing the proposed changes without hesitation. For example early retirement motivators were put on the table to guarantee that a large number of the old staff whose nearness in the organization was devastating efficiency exploited it. Moreover, one of the organization locales was shut to improve intentional redundancy. The current situation with Pervengines will be broke down utilizing a SWOT examination, which looks to draw out the present quality, shortcomings, openings and dangers of the company.... At the unfreezing step, the organization through its M.D recognizes the stale idea of development and the requirement for there to be a quick change if the organization will accomplish its strategic. As substantiated by Lewin, the privilege in the wake of distinguishing the requirement for change, the subsequent advance is hopped unto, which is the change step (Jones and Brazzel, 2005). At this progression, certain recommended changes are relied upon to occur. Without a doubt, for Pervengines, various businesslike assignments were embraced as a way to placing the proposed changes vigorously. For example early retirement motivators were put on the table to guarantee that a considerable lot of the old staff whose nearness in the organization was devastating profitability exploited it. Besides, one of the organization locales was shut to upgrade willful excess (Britt and Jex, 2008). Comparable to the third step of Lewin’s three stage hypothesis which is the refreezing, the progre ssions that had been executed turned into a changeless piece of the organization. This is the place hierarchical culture comes up for conversation in light of the fact that the progressions realized a constant improvement in the organisation’s culture. It will be noticed that hierarchical culture includes the profoundly acknowledged qualities, standards and practices that the constituents of the organization share (Axelrod, 2000). Present The current situation with Pervengines will be investigated utilizing a SWOT examination, which tries to draw out the present quality, shortcomings, openings and dangers of the organization. By the end of the SWOT investigation, it is normal that the significant qualities that decide the current situation of the organization will be unmistakably plot. The commitments of past occasions inside the organization and its commitment to the

Unit 3: Screening and Assessment

The Assessment Process Maria Barrezueta Kaplan University The Assessment Process Many wellsprings of vitality exist surrounding us, the two primary types of vitality are dynamic and potential. While potential vitality is more subtle, dynamic vitality can be simpler to recognize. Vitality originates from various sources, some that are inexhaustible and others that have a constrained flexibly. The world that we live in has an appeal for vitality, and it is imperative to discover elective sources that are inexhaustible and cost effective.It is advantageous to think about the vitality that is utilized day by day, attempt to discover methods of utilizing sustainable assets, and making it an individual obligation to preserve vitality by decreasing every day use. Vitality is utilized from numerous points of view, whatever can do â€Å"work† displays vitality (Trefil and Hazen, 2010). People depend on nourishment for vitality, as our bodies convert food into work (Trefil and Hazen, 20 10). With such a large number of specialized advances, vitality has a noteworthy job in our regular lives.The caution that is utilized to awaken, the lights that we use when its dull, the heated water that we use in the first part of the day, the power that is utilized for a blow dryer or straightener, to make espresso and toast, the gas that is utilized to head to work†¦it appears as vitality sources are in consistent use, a fraction of the time it happens easily. Power is a wellspring of vitality that is utilized for a wide range of apparatuses that serve our day by day needs. It is anyway an optional wellspring of vitality since it begins from coal, petroleum gas, oil, and atomic (energy4me. com, 2013).Electricity can be produced using inexhaustible sources, for example, sun powered vitality and wind (Trefil and Hazen, 2010). As power makes a considerable lot of the instruments we need practical, gas is likewise a vitality source that is utilized at home, during movement and at work. Living in California, the climate is certifiably not a subject to grumble about. In any case, we utilize the forced air system in the late spring and the warmer in the winter. A few homes utilize electric ovens while others use gas. These vitality sources originate from oil; the vitality source that gives fuel to our vehicles, heat for our homes, produces power, and is utilized in numerous ordinary items (energy4me. om, 2013). As per Trefil and Hazen â€Å"Fuels like (oil), coal, and gaseous petrol are called petroleum derivatives since they are the aftereffect of procedures that happened long ago† (2010). Thus, oil an exceptionally high sought after wellspring of vitality, isn't sustainable. Sustainable power source has become a significant theme, as the need to preserve petroleum derivatives has expanded fundamentally. While thinking about inexhaustible assets, various elements exist, for example, dependability and cost.As referenced before, the two fundamental ty pes of sustainable power source originate from wind and sun oriented vitality on the grounds that these sources are solid and there are no an unnatural weather change dangers included (Trefil and Hazen, 2010). Wind vitality is an inexhaustible wellspring of vitality; with the utilization of wind turbines, it creates power with each turn of the edge (energy4me. com, 2013). Since power is created with each turn, the measure of vitality acquired relies upon the measure of wind accessible to that district. California has 3 principle wind cultivates and are situated in Tehachapi, Altamont Pass, and San Gorgonio (California Energy Commission, 2013).Wind vitality is commonly higher around spring and summer, which doesn’t make it a solid source throughout the entire year. Utilizing wind vitality for individual home use would possibly work on the off chance that one lived by the coast. Wind vitality is certainly not a sustainable power source that is accessible to numerous populaces, consequently would not be fitting to inhabitants searching for elective vitality sources. A sustainable source that can be progressively available is sun based vitality, particularly in California since vitality is acquired from the sun. The utilization of sun oriented vitality has been around since old occasions, the measure of sun based force accessible is endless.The destruction is that when the sun isn't sparkling, there is no force created. Be that as it may, living in southern California, utilizing sunlight based vitality is more promptly accessible than in different areas since it is regularly bright. To utilize sun powered vitality, sun based boards that produce photovoltaic cells are made, these boards transform daylight into power (energy4me. com, 2013). Another wellspring of sustainable power source is hydropower, which uses water to make power. For the most part hydropower ventures comprise of a solid progression of water that puts weight and turns the turbines that crea te power (energy4me. om, 2013). Hydropower is a dependable source, anyway it would not be proper for southern Californians in light of the fact that the territory is too dry and a hydropower task would not work. The primary vitality source that is utilized is oil, we use it for transportation, warming, cooling, and for its numerous different advantages. The drawback of oil is that solitary a restricted gracefully exists. There is additionally a potential danger of ecological harm at whatever point penetrating for oil is finished. The upside of sustainable power sources is that the gracefully depends on the climate conditions.This implies that as long as there is daylight, sun based vitality can be delivered. Any place wet areas exist, hydropower activities can be set up, similarly as blustery locales can utilize wind turbines to produce power. These assets are normally accessible, accordingly permitting an unending gracefully of vitality. In any case, the fundamental weakness of all sustainable power sources is that the entirety of the techniques talked about are very exorbitant. Building wind turbines can be costly, anyway after they have been manufactured, power is created at no expense. The equivalent with sun powered vitality, it includes a high speculation and just works with sunlight.However, the framework does last 15-30 years which is a lot of time. The hydropower ventures are expensive, yet there is likewise a hazard that it might have a natural effect by changing the dam zone (energy4me. com, 2013). In spite of its hindrance, it does has the capacity of making a lot of intensity. It is imperative to assume individual liability on the vitality that is utilized, by rehearsing vitality protection. This should be possible * notwithstanding utilizing elective types of vitality, vitality preservation is likewise a noteworthy manner by which we can lessen our natural effects on the environment.Determine regions where you may as of now practice vitality prot ection and furthermore recognize at any rate 3 manners by which you can diminish your vitality utilize both at home, grinding away, and in different moves you make on an ordinary Shawn_Edwards_Assignment2. doc References California Energy Commission (n. a. ) (n. d. ). Recovered on April 18, 2013 from: http://www. vitality. ca. gov/Energy Sources (n. a. ) (2013). Recovered on April 18, 2013 from: http://www. energy4me. organization/National Renewable Energy Laboratory (n. a. ) (2013) Retrieved on April 18, 2013 from: http://www. nrel. gov/

Writing a Problem Solution Essay - Making Your Essay Stand Out

Writing a Problem Solution Essay - Making Your Essay Stand OutWriting a problem-solution essay is a great way to finish off your college essay. It is just one of the many essay topics to which you can write in order to add meaning and substance to your academic statement. The basic idea is to formulate an argument and to present it in a manner that makes sense to the reader. Therefore, it is important that you develop and practice good essay writing skills.Problem solutions essays are written to solve problems that students face on their way to graduation or in their coursework. You can write about any problem you encounter when you are doing research or when you are working on a project. Writing a problem-solution essay will also apply to general essay topics such as statistics or ethics. Whether it is using data to help prove your case or it is just serving as a summary for your report, solving a problem is just one of the many parts of writing a successful academic paper. So let's look at some ways in which you can make your problem solving essay better.There are many types of problems. There are more types of problems because there are more possible solutions to different types of problems. If you are trying to find a way to get accepted to a college, the first thing you need to do is figure out what kind of program you are applying to. Depending on the program you are applying to, the student body, and the available scholarships, you will need to prepare several details of the program. This means that you need to know how many students are accepted into the program, what your GPA is, and what the admission requirements are.One common problem is going to college without going to school. If you are going to college anyway, but are not attending classes you need to know what all you can expect once you become a student. Make sure you plan on attending classes. If you have a class life you want to take, you need to think about how you will doit. There is no po int in planning to go to class and being late to make up for it. Go to class, do your work, and you will get in.Another common problem that arises when you are trying to get into a college is going to the wrong one because of your GPA or the admission requirements. These can be very stressful for a student. If you are low on your class requirements, you need to make sure that you keep your grades up so that you can get in. It is also necessary to consider what your long term goals are.If you cannot attend classes but still need to go to school, you need to know where to go. Some schools accept online classes or correspondence courses. If you cannot attend school on campus you need to know where you can get all the education you need. If you decide to take correspondence courses, you may end up spending all semester on the road. That will just mean that you will need to be familiar with many different schools and the various programs that they offer.Many students find that they still need to earn a degree after they have finished their undergrad or are thinking about returning to school. If this is so, you need to know how you can get that degree. You might be the type of student who can sit through lectures but cannot keep up with the reading. If this is the case you need to know how you can get into the classes.Finally, students who plan to return to school often need to know how to make their application stand out from the rest. You might be able to work on your GPA, but if your application is not that impressive the admissions officers will never see it. Before sending in an application to a school to make sure that you have the information necessary to make it stand out. If you do not make it clear enough, it will never see the light of day.

The Pardoner as Con Artist - Literature Essay Samples

The Pardoner of Chaucers Canterbury Tales is representative of the darker side of the corrupt church of the Middle Ages. A pardoner was a church official who had the authority to forgive those who had sinned by selling pardons and indulgences to them. Although the pardoner was a church official, they were almost always part of the church for only economic reasons. The Pardoner of this tale is typical of this kind of person: a devious and fraudulent individual whose only goal was to get the most money for pardons and indulgences by almost any means of coercion necessary.Although today most people view the indulgences these pardoners sold only as a wicked practice of the Medieval Church, the practice of selling indulgences and pardons actually began much earlier than the Middle Ages, and with noble intentions. The official definition of indulgence, as stated by the Roman Catholic Church, is a partial remission of temporal punishment due for a sin after the sin has been forgiven through the sacrament of penance. Originally, indulgences remitting punishment for sin could only legitimately be granted to persons who confessed their sins to their own parish priests, rather than pardoners. If the condition of confession was met, they were allowed to purchase indulgences and be relieved of a stated period of punishment that would have instead been received in purgatory.The first official pardoners were commissioned by the directly by the Pope, and offered indulgences to all those subjects who contributed to the support of Christianity. Many pardoners were sent directly from church-supported hospitals. These hospitals, often times the storage area of religious relics used in curing the sick, commissioned pardoners to take these relics on tour and to offer indulgences to anyone who was moved by their belief in the relics to donate money toward the upkeep of the hospital.However, the practice of offering indulgences grew corrupt. Selling indulgences became a means for the Church to be able to finance special projects, such as the construction of the Vatican in the sixteenth century. Pardoners also tended to exaggerate the power of their indulgences by pretending to have the authority to release the buyers from hell as well as from purgatory. They might sometimes also claim that those who purchased indulgences needed neither to repent nor to amend their lives in order to be pardoned.The Pardoner openly admits to being one of these corrupt individuals in the prologue to his own tale. Asked by the Host to tell us som moral thing(8), the Pardoner sets up a tale that renounces the sin of greed and materialism by thoroughly describing how he performs his own appalling profession. He admits to completely lying about the power and origins of his supposed relics, boasts about the money he swindles out of poor, ignorant townspeople, and even states: Of avaryce and of swich cursednesse/Is al my preching, for to make hem free/To yeve her pens, and namely unto me /For my entente is nat but for to winne/And no thing for correccioun of sinne.(72-76) He also addresses anyone who would expect him to act in the way the church originally intended for pardoners to, saying: I wol non of the apostles counterfete/I wol have money, wolle, chese, and whete/Al were it yeven of the povrest page.(119-121) The Pardoner obviously has no shame about being so disgustingly hypocritical, perhaps because he believes that his soul is protected by the Church, or because he, as part of the Churchs corruption, has no real faith in Christianity himself.The tale told by the Pardoner, a story about three men who find bushels of gold and end up killing one another with there schemes to keep it all for themselves, is a direct extension of his own personality: a moralistic tale that is meant to draw on the fear and guilt of the listeners. It is an utterly shameless tale, a condemnation of the love of money that, of course, stems from the avarice of the Pardoner himself. By condemning the three men in the story for their greed, the Pardoner eventually hopes to motivate the travelers to pay the Pardoner to absolve their sins, even though he has already exposed to them his own methods of fraud and trickery.Throughout the tale, the narrators voice drifts in and out of the story, occasionally leaving the plot of the tale to launch into his obviously well rehearsed sermons against sin. Within the tale, he condemns drunkenness, gluttony, gambling, swearing false oaths, murder, and of course, avarice. This strange method of story telling makes more sense at the end when he returns to trying to make a profit, swearing: Your name I entre heer in my rolle anon/Into the blisse of hevene shul ye gon/I yow assoile, by myn heigh power/Yow that wol offre.(583-586) It seems at the end as though he thinks that his tale has had its usual effect, and that the Pilgrims are silently pondering on their own forms of greed. As he once again becomes the eager salesman, he see ms to forget that he began the tale by treating the Pilgrims as sharers in his secrets (which includes his contempt of the gullible people who believe his descriptions of his relics).Although none of the pilgrims are foolish enough to pay an admitted con artist, one must question why the Pardoner even has the audacity to try and turn a profit off of people who know he is a fraud. Furthermore, besides a few harsh words from the Host, it is also hard to understand as a modern reader why none of the travelers show any visible anger towards the man who openly degrades their intelligence, as well as the religion that they all supposedly follow. It is obvious that at some point, any person living during this time period had encountered several pardoners with bags full of fake relics and well prepared, guilt inducing sermons. Therefore, no member of the group is at all surprised by his confessions or practices.The Pardoners arrogance is a testament to the power that the corrupt church of t he Middle Ages had over its subjects minds, as well as their pocketbooks. In the society in which the Canterbury Tales takes place, the practice of buying forgiveness through indulgences had become so commonplace that people could literally pay their penance for sins that they had not even committed yet! The indifference that they show this Pardoner probably comes from the understanding of everyone present that the Church is so powerful that its officials are not only allowed, but expected to behave so atrociously. During this time period, the true meaning and practices of Christianity had been almost totally forgotten, replaced by a system of greed, shameless corruption, and coldhearted deceit that Chaucer illustrates brilliantly through the character of the Pardoner.

Understanding the PSAT

HomeApplyCollege prepUnderstanding the PSATThis page may contain affiliate links.Oct 11, 2019 The PSAT is a big focus of many students sophomore and junior years. Freshmen can take it as well. Some families use it to help their student prepare for the SAT, but it is much more than a practice test. According to The Princeton Review, more than 3.4 million high school students (mostly juniors and sophomores) take this nationwide, multiple-choice test every year. So, 3.4 million high schoolers and their parents must know the potential value of the exam, right? You can only take the test once per year, but you can take it in multiple years. Here’s what you need to know to understand the PSAT. What is the PSAT/NMSQT? The latter part of the full name of the PSAT, National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, indicates that it’s far more valuable than being just a trial run for the SAT. While many families do use it so their child can see how the SAT will feel in real testing conditions, there’s also a very valuable scholarship opportunity involved as well. Many of the students who take the PSAT are hoping they will do well enough to qualify for a National Merit Scholarship. There are three parts to the PSAT: evidence-based reading, writing and language, and math. The PSAT score range, different from that of the SAT score range, is from 320 to 1520, and there’s no penalty if your student guesses and gets the wrong answer. Half of the PSAT score range (760 points) comes from the math section and the other half from the reading and writing sections. A good score on the PSAT puts your student in the 75th percentile, or better than 75% of test takers in their grade. A very good score is in the 95th percentile, and of course an excellent score is in the 99th percentile. Why Take the PSAT? There are various reasons to take the PSAT, but in reality, three reasons are the most prominent. First and foremost, it will give your student a taste of what they can expect on the regular SAT their senior year. It is shorter than the SAT but the math, reading, and writing questions are very similar. The PSAT score can be translated into an expected SAT score, which can help you predict how your student will stack up against others in the freshmen class at a targeted college. Secondly, many parents are eager for their student to win the scholarships that are available through the PSAT. The biggest and most noteworthy is the National Merit Scholarship. Getting an excellent score will generally qualify you to move forward with the National Merit application process. Finally, doing well on the PSAT can help schools notice your student even before the application process begins. Your student may be invited for campus visits with small perks like a free meal during the visit, or they may be able to apply to specific schools without paying an application fee. When is the PSAT? The PSAT can be taken once a year, generally from 9th – 11th grade. The 9th-grade score can give your student a baseline for studying, and the 10th-grade score can let you know if your student should prepare for a Merit application in 11th grade or simply get ready for the SAT. The PSAT 8/9 can be taken during the fall or spring of a student’s 8th or 9th-grade year. It doesn’t have questions that are as advanced as the PSAT 10 or the PSAT/NMSQT taken in the junior year. The PSAT 10 is for sophomores and has the same content as the 11th-grade version. However, scores on the PSAT 10 cannot be used for consideration for the National Merit Scholarship. This exam is taken during the spring of the sophomore year. The PSAT/NMSQT is the 11th-grade exam and is taken in October of the 11th-grade year. The score on this exam can be used as part of a National Merit Scholarship application if it qualifies. The National Merit cutoff varies from state to state, but generally must be in the top 1%. The score is converted into a Selection Index number, which is used by each state to determine who will be a National Merit Semifinalist. Preparing for the PSAT There are a number of paid and free options for preparing for the PSAT. You can use a PSAT study guide, online tools, and more. Students approach the test very differently. There are some who don’t prepare at all, and others put in a lot of work before the test. It depends on your student’s natural testing ability and the goals you have for the exam. We asked the members of our Paying for College 101 Facebook group for some insight about their PSAT prep experience. Multiple parents expressed regret that their student missed the National Merit cutoff by only a few points due to lack of preparing for the exam. Re PSAT/NMF A friend told me that her daughter had just barely missed NMF because she did no test prep whatsoever and she advised me to pay for prep. Our experience my niece missed the cutoff by mere points several years ago. They did not know to prep for test. My older brother advised me to have my kids prep for it as they are strong test takers. Oldest took PSAT for practice in 10th grade and was in the 97% with a 1350. He did a self-study and then an online Kaplan PSAT course the summer and fall before 11th grade PSAT. He ended up focusing on official practice PSAT tests (free) and studying on his own at the end. That was when he saw a big jump in scores. He ended up with an 11th grade PSAT score of 1480 and an SI of 221. His later ACT and SAT scores were also in the 99+percentile range. Assuming DS is definitely moving forward, this is a game changer for our family. While he will throw his hat in the ring for scholarships at two non-NMF schools, he also knows he now has an almost free ride to a complete free ride at several schools that he would be very happy to attend. This means his college fund can move over to finish his much younger sibling’s college fund. Main takeaway NMF is a long shot for even the best students (especially in states with high cutoffs) but it is worth it to prep and try to make it. The studying does not go to waste and will help with later testing. High stat students do not need expensive prep programs as they really already have the content down. But taking multiple free official practice tests will help them fine tune their knowledge of the material and familiarize themselves with the format. If you are chasing merit, the payoff is huge!† A good strategy is to use the PSAT 10 to determine whether your student has a chance to meet the National Merit cutoff. If they do, preparing for the 11th-grade test is a great way to ensure they have the best shot at being a National Merit Finalist. Even if they don’t make it, the preparation will not be for nought – it will be a big help when they take the official SAT as juniors or seniors. Are you looking for the colleges that will be the right fit for your family? Merit aid is a key source of college funding. Let us help you find the right match for your child with our College Free Money Finder today!