A History of Adinkra Symbols

Adinkra is a cotton cloth produced in Ghana and Cà ´te dIvoire which has traditional Akan symbols stamped upon it. The adinkra symbols represent popular proverbs and maxims, record historical events, express particular attitudes or behavior related to depicted figures, or concepts uniquely related to abstract shapes. It is one of several traditional cloths produced in the region. The other well-known cloths are kente and adanudo. The symbols were often linked with a proverb, so they convey more meaning than a single word. Robert Sutherland  Rattray compiled a list of 53 adinkra symbols in his book, Religion and Art in Ashanti, in 1927. The History of Adinkra Cloth and Symbols The Akan people (of what is now Ghana and Cà ´te dIvoire) had developed significant skills in weaving by the sixteenth century, with Nsoko (present-day Begho) being an important weaving center. Adinkra, originally produced by the Gyaaman clans of the Brong region, was the exclusive right of royalty and spiritual leaders, and only used for important ceremonies such as funerals. Adinkra means goodbye. During a military conflict at the beginning of the nineteenth century, caused by the Gyaaman trying to copy the neighboring Asantes golden stool (the symbol of the Asante nation), the Gyaaman king was killed. His adinkra robe was taken by Nana Osei Bonsu-Panyin, the  Asante Hene  (Asante King), as a trophy. With the robe came the knowledge of adinkra aduru (the special ink used in the printing process) and the process of stamping the designs onto cotton cloth. Over time the Asante further developed adinkra symbology, incorporating their own philosophies, folk tales, and culture. Adinkra symbols were also used on pottery, metalwork (especially  abosodee), and are now incorporated into modern commercial designs (where their related meanings give added significance to the product), architecture and sculpture. Adinkra Cloth Today Adinkra cloth is more widely available today, although the traditional methods of production are very much in use. The traditional ink (adinkra aduru) used for stamping is obtained by boiling the bark of the Badie tree with iron slag. Because the ink is not fixed, the material should not be washed. Adinkra cloth is used in Ghana for special occasions such as weddings and initiation rites. Note that African fabrics often differ between those made for local use and those that are exported. The cloth for local use is usually replete with hidden meanings or local proverbs, allowing locals to make particular statements with their costume. Those fabrics produced for overseas markets tend to use more sanitized symbology. Use of Adinkra Symbols You will find adinkra symbols on many exported items, such as furniture, sculpture, pottery, t-shirts, hats and other clothing items in addition to fabric. Another popular use of the symbols is for tattoo art. You should further research the meaning of any symbol before deciding to use it for a tattoo to ensure it conveys the message you desire.

The Clothing Industry Has Changed Changing Society Essay

The clothing industry has changed rapidly in the past couple of decades. While Nike and Burberry are doing well despite a drastic loss of sales for high end fashion brands, some companies have found far more success. Companies like HM, Zara and Forever21 have come into the scene with their fast fashion. When people used to think about cheap clothing they would think about a low quality, ugly outfit. Now, people can get the latest fashion trends at a low cost. The people in charge of these companies like Zara can be in the top 5 richest people in the world. But if their clothes are cheap how do the companies possibly make money? This is made possible by cheap labor overseas, low quality clothes and the emergence of fast fashion retailers. What tends to differentiate the prices of clothes is the quality of the material. Materials like cashmere and silk are more expensive than polyester or cotton. In the case of companies that sell purses, which are always in high demand, luxury brands typically use pure leather. These high quality materials tend to last longer and tend to feel better as well. However, quality is not valued as much as it used to be. With the rise of affordable and fashionable clothing, people simply don’t feel the need to spend a lot of money on a clothing item, even if it is of high quality. There is no longer a concern towards sacrificing fashion for being frugal because now everyone can look good. There is no longer a wall separating those who wearShow MoreRelatedFlappers, Conservativism and Changes in Fashion1103 Words   |  4 Pagestwentieth century, there have been many fads and changes in the fashion industry. From cloche hats in the early 1900s, to big hair in the 1980s and to the low rise of jeans of the present day fashion still continues to evolve with the way society changes. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines fashion as, a popular way of dressing at a particular time or among a particular group of people. Throughout his tory, fashion has been changing. Whether it is a group wanting to make a fashion statement, or a changeRead MoreFashion in the 1920s1245 Words   |  5 Pagesindependent and free from the society. Many designers such as, Coco Chanel, Jeanne Lanvin and Salvatore Ferragamo have made an enormous impact on the evolution of women’s clothing. Styles of clothing have changed overtime, especially during the 1920’s era. During this time, hemlines became shorter, clothing was more revealing, women dressed freely and the sophistication and elegance of the clothing was drifting farther apart. Also bobbed haircuts became an in style phenomenon. Clothing had definitely becomeRead MoreEssay about The Cultural Change of Music1089 Words   |  5 Pagespopular culture of music has changed dramatically over the course of sixty five years. Since this time, new genres of music have been introduced, existing genres have changed, and fixed stereotypes have been associated with certain genr es of music. Music has become a major part of popular culture, and is portrayed almost everywhere in first world societies, including on television, radio, at shopping centers, sporting events and in every area of popular culture. Music has become a major part of popularRead MoreFashion Is A Big Part Of Society And It Is Indispensable For Us1208 Words   |  5 PagesI. Introduction Fashion is a big part of society and it is indispensable for us. Without fashion our life have no tastes because fashion has a lot of possibilities of changing our life. According to The Telegraph, A spokesman for clothes giant Matalan which polled 2,491 women and was based on 16 to 60 age. They found that women spend an average 16 minutes deciding what to wear on every morning and 14 minutes on weekend in front of their closet. You just did not notice that our life is influencedRead MoreHow the Family Roles Changed in Canadian Culture during the 1920s1464 Words   |  6 PagesThe 1920s was a changing time in Canadian culture and this affected everyone. The most effect could be felt on the family, and how responsibilities, duties and roles had changed. Men were coming home from the war, they had now seen things never thought possible and experienced things that will forever change them; they came home different. Women were at home waiting, excited, ready to move on and build to thei r families and continue their lives. Young girls were excited to have their father’s homeRead MorePestle Report on Marks and Spencer1497 Words   |  6 Pagesthe world. It is the largest clothing retailer in the UK, aswell as being a food retailer. Most of it’s domestic stores sell both clothing food, and since the year 2000 Marks Spencer have started to expand into other ranges such as homewares, furniture technology. Marks Spencer became the first British retailer to make a pre-tax profit of over  £1 billion â€Å"BBC News online 1998† Though a few years later Marks Spencer were hit by the â€Å"credit crunch† which has had a dramatic effect on theRead MoreSocial Factors That Changed The World1366 Words   |  6 PagesClothing became less expensive in the 1960’s because of the Industrial Revolution, so more people are seen being involved in popular fashion trends and expressing themselves in ways they please because of the affordability. The sharply angled Vidal Sassoon hair style where women cut their hair shorter and styled it in an angular way. This decade also started the trend of people wanting to look skinnier. Designers preferred models looked younger, thinner, and had longer legs. 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For instance, the gadgets we use today like smartphone is just a advanced version of the mobile phone that was invented before. Old school phones can only operate b y sending and receivingRead MoreHistory And Background Of The Apparel / Fashion Industry1560 Words   |  7 PagesHistory and Background In 1981, the Marciano brothers arrived in Los Angeles and opened a clothing store. The brothers who were originally from South France had previously owned a twelve chain retail store in France. Jeans were among some of the merchandise in the brother’s store. The jeans were designed by Georges Marciano, they called named the jeans GUESS because it was easy for the brothers to pronounce. These jeans were intended to have a tight fit and feature zippers near the ankles. The stone-wash

Cyber Security Awareness and Programs †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Cyber Security Awareness and Programs. Answer: Introduction: Learning Experience can be referred to as the program, some formal interaction or educational courses which occurs in either classrooms or other learning places like outdoor environments. An effective learning experience can help to provide memorable and key educational experiences that will be of much help to the postsecondary and adult learners (Araujo et al. 2015). Learning experience successfully address the challenges that are faced by the adult learners. Being an avid learner I have identified some of the benefits of learning experience, they are; Designing a purposeful journey- Learning experience helps a student to walk in the right path. There are many people like me who undertake the learning courses. Thus we should ensure that we have a deep understanding about the path that has been set out for us. The understanding of the following layout helps us to understand the lesson and helps us to respond positively to every such circumstance that are being faced by us. Directly link learning goals to activities- The goals of life can be directly linked to the learning experience. Such an experience can be of real help for our practical lives. Addressing the gaps of understanding and building upon the existing understandings- The gaps in understanding can be effectively tackled as because learning experience enhances both the practical as well as the theoretical knowledge. Thus any gaps in any such forms can be substituted by the other one (Dua and Du 2016). Provide real world simulations- Real world simulations help us to easily address real situations easily and effectively. The learning experience helps us to gain the vital simulations that will help to gather a detailed idea on the real situations. Future Needs- Preparing us for the future is one of the key task of the learning experience. The lessons learnt from the experience will help us to gain a sustainable and secured life and will also help to gain practical knowledge of the outside world. Life Lessons- Life Lessons can be of real help to find out the actual meaning and purpose of life. Getting a secured job and a proper education can be achieved only through life lessons which we achieve through proper education. The learning experience is of great help for us as it helps us to face the most difficult situation of our life. Value of the Learning Experience Values that are present have the specifications where there is the presence of the learning experience (Araujo et al. 2015). I have used definitions of instructional designs and decided to explore the role of values of learning experience. The learning experience about cyber security has been of great value to me as because it has helped me to gain key ideas related to cyber security. Course- Course program helps to provide a practical and real knowledge. The course design and the different course schedules and other related documents will help me to gather the knowledge easily. This will help me to implement the different knowledge in the practical field easily. In the cyber security course I managed to learn a great deal about cyber security, the threats to the security, the different softwares that can prevent the rise of cyber attacks and many more as such (Bada and Sasse 2014). Program- The learning program helps me to get hold of the theoretical knowledge about the different elements related to the learning process. The cyber security program helped me to learn about different types of elements related to securing the computer systems. I have learned on how to make a separate secured gateway for the computers and have also learned different things related to cyber security and its uses (Dua and Du 2016). Future Career- Learning process is one of the key elements that will decide my future or the path which will be chosen by me to walk forward. Globalization has transformed the world into a computerized and automated zone (Bada and Sasse 2014). The more a person has the knowledge about computers, the more he will be able to sustain with the modern forms of technology. Life generally- Apart from the knowledge acquired from the learning knowledge the moral knowledge will help me to face any challenging situations in my life. As mentioned earlier nowadays computer technology forms an integral part of our life thus it is very much important to apply the learning knowledge in the practical life to get rid of different situations easily. Transferring of Knowledge in the future I will have to transfer the learning knowledge in the future to make myself fit in the modern world (Valacich et al. 2015). I have decided to concentrate on some of the basic elements while applying the knowledge in the future, they are; Focusing on the relevance of what I will be learning Taking my time for self explanation and Using a Variety of Learning Media Learning Knowledge refers to acquiring the knowledge and skills to change ones personal behavior. Different people have to learn some skills or the other to make sure that they are experts in their own field (Buczak and Guven 2016). I have personally specialized in cyber security. I started my learning process after I completed my college education. I had a special liking for the computers since a long time back. So I decided to choose cyber security course as my learning process (Dua and Du 2016). I have read all the things related to hardware and have performed all the things that are needed to be a cyber security expert. Evaluation of the Learning Knowledge Business research was useful for my business learning process as I was able to analyze my strengths and weakness and help me to improve on the same (Dua and Du 2016). Learning helps me to find a purpose and helps me to gather ample experience to face the real life situations (Arends 2014). Some of the uses of learning Experience are; Deep Understanding Improved Problem Solving Increase in the positive emotions Access to a large number of information Getting rid of tough situations Making wise decisions Sustaining different problems in life Use of Business Research in the Learning Process The use of Business Research in understanding the competitors are large in number and have a huge scope. They are; The research in the learning process helps to identify the competitors of the business It helps to have a clear idea about the type of customers to be dealt with by the business entity The organization can easily perform an analysis of the strengths and weakness of the companies It is utmost important to study the target customers of the business entity. This helps the organization to have one of the best competitive advantages in the market The research also helps to formulate new business ideas that are crucial to the success of the business The organizations also undertake research on the competitors business strategies and many more such different research that brings forth the different elements related to the competitor. This helps in fixing ones own strategy according to the marketing standards. Explanation of the Learning Process My learning process was overall a success as I came to know new things and learnt about different other things which was once unknown to me. Apart from the theoretical and practical knowledge my learning knowledge helped me to develop some characteristic mental skills that will play a significant role in my growth as a complete human being (Dua and Du 2016). There are also some problems with the learning process a s improper knowledge can hamper my future and destroy my career. Apart from this the time provided to the learning knowledge will turn out to be a total wastage of time. Therefore before getting admitted to a new course everyone must be well aware of every minute details of the course and the necessity of the course in his life. Conclusions The detailed analysis of the study has been very much helpful to evaluate about the meaning and components of the learning process. Therefore it can be concluded that the researcher has been able to meet the necessary aims and objectives of the following research. The transparent picture of the learning process has been helpful because it has helped to gain a clear knowledge about the usefulness of the process and its acceptability at every levels of human life. The learning plan can be applied in phases and in a systematic and proper manner, The steps are as follows; Selecting the target audience and implementing the plan Proper Planning Taking the confidence of the targeted group of people and finally Implementing and Integrating the plan in the business organization References Araujo, F., Shapouri, M., Pandey, S. and Hamlen, K., 2015, August. Experiences with honey-patching in active cyber security education. InProceedings of the 8th Workshop on Cyber Security Experimentation and Test (CSET). Arends, R., 2014.Learning to teach. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Bada, M. and Sasse, A., 2014. Cyber Security Awareness Campaigns: Why do they fail to change behaviour?. Buczak, A.L. and Guven, E., 2016. A survey of data mining and machine learning methods for cyber security intrusion detection.IEEE Communications Surveys Tutorials,18(2), pp.1153-1176. Dua, S. and Du, X., 2016.Data mining and machine learning in cybersecurity. CRC press. Jones, R.M., OGrady, R., Nicholson, D., Hoffman, R., Bunch, L., Bradshaw, J. and Bolton, A., 2015. Modeling and integrating cognitive agents within the emerging cyber domain. InProceedings of the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC)(Vol. 20). Kolb, D.A., 2014.Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. FT press. Korpela, K., 2015. Improving cyber security awareness and training programs with data analytics.Information Security Journal: A Global Perspective,24(1-3), pp.72-77. Korpela, K., 2015. Improving cyber security awareness and training programs with data analytics.Information Security Journal: A Global Perspective,24(1-3), pp.72-77. Oltramari, A., Ben-Asher, N., Cranor, L., Bauer, L. and Christin, N., 2014, October. General requirements of a hybrid-modeling framework for cyber security. InMilitary Communications Conference (MILCOM), 2014 IEEE(pp. 129-135). IEEE. Trigwell, K., Ashwin, P. and Millan, E.S., 2013. Evoked prior learning experience and approach to learning as predictors of academic achievement.British Journal of Educational Psychology,83(3), pp.363-378. Valacich, J.S., George, J.F. and Hoffer, J.A., 2015.Essentials of systems analysis and design. Pearson Education.

People with addiction free essay sample

INTRODUCTION Persons with addiction remain one of the major groups that the social workers encounter frequently. Social workers play instrumental roles in helping individuals, families, educational institutions, workplaces and communities to address addictions. Addiction affects people from diverse backgrounds, and helping professionals in virtually every area of practice encounter people with these problems. This essay discusses addiction in generic terms, and the methods that social workers can employ to address addiction-related cases. The first section entails a brief introduction as outlined above. The second section occasions an overview of addiction. The third section would briefly discuss some methods employed by social workers to help people with addiction. The final section presents a summary of the issues discussed and the author’s conclusion. THE CONCEPT OF ADDICTION; an Overview. The concept of addiction itself remains a â€Å"troubled spot† in intellectual discourse in respect of attaining a standardised and universal definition as noted by Goodman (1990). We will write a custom essay sample on People with addiction or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Helping professionals often argue as to what actually constitutes addiction whilst the general public employ the term to describe compulsive behaviour or any impulse-control disorder (DiNitto and McNeece, 2007). For the purposes of this essay, addiction would be defined as â€Å"a process whereby a behaviour, that can function both to produce gratification and to provide escape from internal discomfort, is employed in a pattern characterised by loss of control and continuation despite significant negative consequences† (Goodman, 1990). By implication, this definition lays much emphasis on compulsion (loss of control), consistency and dependency. This has a consequence on the nature of therapy helping professionals prescribe for their clients. Addictions to alcohol and drugs may be common in everyday practice but the public may also use the term to describe impulse-control disorders or compulsive (repeated) behaviours such as gambling, sex, internet use, and shopping even though others would strongly object to calling all these problems addictions (DiNitto and McNeece, 2007). Whichever way one may decide to classify these behavioural patterns, they have the potential to affect a person’s capacity to meet their obligations at work, school, or home; they may lead to legal problems and in general threaten the very existence of the client’s life (use of alcohol or drugs in hazardous situations such as driving) INTERVENTIONS FOR DEALING WITH ADDICTION. Social workers employ several approaches and methods in helping people with addiction. In this section, I discuss some of the general techniques and approaches that are commonly used to help people with addiction. These approaches are however not exhaustive in themselves and may not address all addictive problems. The first step toward dealing with addiction rest with the client and it is always important for helping professionals to take note. Social workers may help a client affirm his/her position towards making a change by taking clients through a basic assessment session. This would involve asking the clients the â€Å"hard questions†, such as the readiness of the client to change his/her ways of dealing with stress, friends and contemporaries, leisure activities and the client’s way of thinking about himself/herself. This represents the first and the most important step before the process to change begins. It is always useful to agree with the client on how the decisions taken at this stage would be implemented. This could mostly be followed with the motivational enhancement therapy (Miller and Rollnick, 2002). This involves helping the client weigh the advantages and disadvantages of changing in order to further resolve any element of resistance to change on the part of the client. For instance keeping a track record of the clients alcohol intake or drug use; listing the pros and cons of quitting as against continuing; listing the things that are important to the client such as the client’s partner, career or even health and the potential things that can prevent the client from changing. Most clients are likely to admit at this stage that they have a huge challenge than they may have previously thought. Social workers could also employ the community reinforcement approach. This mostly seeks to alter the client’s environment in order to reduce the use of substance and improve wellbeing (Meyers and Miller, 2001). This may even include helping the client to find a job or change jobs, utilizing spouse or partner assistance, and even a network of families working to ensure that change takes place. Specifically, family and friends would help client through routines and exercises identified by the  client and the helping officer as if they were actually fighting addiction too. The intensity and nature of addiction to substances such as drugs and alcohol may require that the victim remains destructed from activities that could jeopardise his/her ability to break free from addiction. This approach would particularly motivate the client to work effectively towards recovery in the consciousness of support from family and friends alike. Finally, there is the need to identify a strategy to deal with relapse which is always possible in most cases. This is very important giving that most clients make more than one serious attempt before they abstain from drugs, alcohol, sex etc. Social workers employ relapse prevention approaches to help client deal with triggers and cravings. This may involve breaking up with old friends, avoiding bars etc. This is normally enforced with building a drug-free life such as picking a new hobby, pet or volunteering in your community and joining relevant community groups that would facilitate an alcohol-free or a drug-free life. CONCLUSION This essay has discussed addiction in its generic terms. It must be noted that most of the approaches to dealing with addiction would not effectively fit all addictive behaviours. It is always important for the social worker to think of other approaches that have not been mentioned in this essay when dealing with other addictive cases.

Aviation Fire Risks and Safety

Whats a Good PSAT Score for 2017 Expert Analysis

What's a Good PSAT Score for 2017 Expert Analysis SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you plan on taking the PSAT in October 2017, then you won’t have to wait too long for the results. You’ll get your scores back mid-December, just before winter break. Your PSAT score report gives you a few different score types, including your total scores, section scores, and Selection Index. With all this data, how can you sort through the numbers to figure out what's a good PSAT score? This guide goes over the full scoring system of the PSAT so you'll know exactly what makes a good score. We'll start with a quick glossary explaining the various types of PSAT scores you’ll find on your score report inDecember. Types of PSAT Scores: A Glossary At first glance, your PSAT score reportcan be pretty intimidating. You'll be faced with your total score and section scores and subscores. All this information is meant to help you, but if you don’t understand what each type of score means, it'll be hard to figure out how well you performed on the PSAT. Your PSAT score report will contain six main kinds of data: scaled total scores, section scores, raw scores, subscores, Selection Index, and percentiles. Here’s a quick rundown of what all of these terms mean: Scaled total score: Your total score on the PSAT, ranging between 320 and 1520. Half of your total score comes from Math and the other half comes from Evidence-based Reading and Writing (which is a combination of the Reading and Writing and Language sections). Scaled section scores: Two scores, one for Math and one for Evidence-based Reading and Writing. Both of these scores fall between 160 and 760. Section (test) scores: Three scores: one for Math, one for Reading, and one for Writing and Language. All section scores fall between 8 and 38. Subscores: Seven scores, each on a scale of 1 to 15. Subscores tell you how you did on certain types of questions, some of which appear across two or more sections of the PSAT. You’ll get a subscore for questions that fallinto these seven categories: Command of Evidence, Words in Context, Expression of Ideas, Standard English Conventions, Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, and Passport to Advanced Math. Raw scores: Three scores, one for each PSAT section, representing the number of questions you got right. The ranges for raw scores vary by section. You can get a maximum raw score of 48 for Math, 47 for Reading, and 44 for Writing and Language. Selection Index: One score that ranges from 48 to 228. Your selection index is the sum of your three section scores between 8 and 38 multiplied by 2 ((section score + section score + section score) x2). The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) uses Selection Index to award test takers Commended Student and Semifinalist status. Percentiles: Ranking of your performance compared to that of other test-takers. Percentiles tell you what percentage of other students you scored the same as or better than. If you score in the 80th percentile, then you scored the same as or better than 80% of other test-takers. There it is- all of the categories of data on your PSAT score report, explained. The next step is understanding which of these types of data matter most for you. Out of all six kinds of data, which are the most important? Which PSAT Scores Are Most Important? All of the PSAT score data is useful in different ways, but the most important numbers on your score report are your scaled total and section scores. As you saw above, you can score a maximum of 1520 on the PSAT overall, or a 760 each on Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. While the Reading and Writing and Language sections are separate sections on the PSAT, your scores on these sections are combined into one scaled section score. As a result, your total PSAT score is half-Math and half Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. Another important piece of data for students competing for National Merit distinction is their Selection Index. The NMSC sets a different cutoff for students in each state that determines who becomes a Commended Student and Semifinalist. The top 1% of scorers in each state are named Semifinalists, which means they may be able to move on to become Finalists and win scholarship money. Finally, you can use your non-scaled section scores, raw scores, and subscores to get detailed insight into how you did on each section and question type on the PSAT. Understanding what kinds of questions you got wrong is especially helpfulwhen you go on to study for the SAT, as they show your strengths and weaknesses as a test-taker and where you need to improve the most. For instance, your scaled section scores might tell you that you're fine with most of the Math and struggle more with Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. However, if you look deeper by checking your raw scores and subscores, you might discover that what you really need to work on is the Writing and Language section, or, more specifically, â€Å"Command of Evidence† questions. Now that you have the tools to sort through your PSAT score report, let’s go back to our original, million-dollar question: what makes a good score on the PSAT? Read on to find out. What Makes a Good Score on the PSAT 2017? Before we can answer thequestion â€Å"What’s a good score on the PSAT?†, we need to define what we mean by a â€Å"good score.† Because everyone will have their own specific goals for the PSAT, what's good for one person may be just okay for another. To help us find some answers, let’s try defining good in a few different ways. First, we could define â€Å"good† as meaning that you scored better than 50% or more of other test-takers. Based on this definition, we can use percentiles to figure out what makes an above-average PSAT score. Second, we can define â€Å"good† PSAT scores as scores thatqualifyfor National Merit. Actually, qualifying for National Merit means that you got excellent, amazing, near-perfect PSAT scores. We’ll discuss what you need to get in greater detail below. Finally, we’ll consider what kinds of SAT scores colleges are looking for. The PSAT is very similar to the SAT, so your score can help you figure out if you’re on track to get the scores you need for the colleges you want to apply to. Let’s start by considering PSAT percentiles. How do PSAT scores correspond to percentiles? How Do PSAT Scores Correspond to Percentiles? Full Chart PSAT percentiles give you a way to compare your scores to those of other test-takers. If your score is in the 75th percentile, then you scored the same as or better than 75% of other students. The remaining 25% scored better than you. The highest possible percentile on the PSAT is the 99th percentile. You don’t have to get a perfect PSAT score to land in the 99th percentile. We don’t yet have percentile data for the October 2017 administration of the PSAT, but we can get an idea of what to expect by looking at percentiles from the 2016 PSAT. Here’s the full chart that shows how PSAT scaled section scores compare, usingpercentiles: PSAT Section Score Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Percentile Math Percentile 760 99+ 99+ 750 99+ 99+ 740 99+ 99+ 730 99+ 99 720 99+ 99 710 99+ 98 700 99+ 98 690 99 97 680 99 97 670 98 96 660 97 95 650 96 95 640 95 94 630 93 93 620 91 92 610 90 91 600 88 90 590 86 88 580 85 86 570 82 83 560 80 81 550 77 77 540 74 73 530 71 69 520 67 65 510 63 62 500 60 58 490 55 54 480 50 49 470 46 43 460 42 40 450 39 37 440 35 31 430 31 26 420 28 23 410 26 20 400 23 18 390 20 14 380 16 11 370 12 9 360 10 6 350 7 3 340 6 2 330 4 1 320 2 1 310 1 1- 300 1- 1- 290 1- 1- 280 1- 1- 270 1- 1- 260 1- 1- 250 1- 1- 240 1- 1- 230 1- 1- 220 1- 1- 210 1- 1- 200 1- 1- 190 1- 1- 180 1- 1- 170 1- 1- 160 1- 1- Via CollegeBoard.org As you can see, percentiles work slightly differently for Math and Evidence-based Reading and Writing, with Math being a little more competitive at most score levels. For instance, an Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score of 680 ranks in the 99th percentile, whereas you’d need a 720 to get into the 99th percentile for Math. This variation happens because more students get top scores in Math than they do in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. Using this chart, let’s pick out what you have to score in each section to get a â€Å"good† PSAT score in a higher-than-average percentile. What Is a Good 2017 PSAT Score Based on Percentiles? If we define a good PSAT score as one that's higher than what most students achieve, we can use percentiles to figure out what exact score you'd need to rank higher than the majority of other test-takers. To rank in the 50th percentile, you’d need at least a 480 in Reading and Writing and a 490 in Math. What if you want to rank in the 70th, 80th, 90th, or even 99th percentile? Here are the section scores you’d need to score higher than the majority of other students. Percentile Reading and Writing Score Math Score Composite Score 70% 530 540 1070 80% 560 560 1120 90% 610 600 1210 99% 680 720 1400 Oddly enough, you’d have to score slightly higher in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing than in Math to make it into the 90th percentile. To make it into the 99th percentile, though, you’d have to score 40 points higher in Math than in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. If you’re a strong test-taker aiming for National Merit, then a good PSAT score for you will be one that qualifies you for Commended Student or Semifinalist. Read on to learn what is a good PSAT score for National Merit distinction. What’s a Good 2017 PSAT Score for National Merit? The National Merit Scholarship Corporation distinguishes students who get top scores on the PSAT. Students who score in the top three to four percent are named Commended Students, and students who get top one-percent PSAT scores are named Semifinalists. However, instead of relying on PSAT percentiles, NMSC uses itsSelection Index to determine which students qualify for which honor. Each state has its own Selection Index cutoff that students need to make to qualify for National Merit. Before we look at all of these cutoffs, let's review how your Selection Index score is calculated so you understand where it comes from. Qualifying for National Merit Commended Student or Semifinalist is a feat worthy of celebration (and being put on your college applications) How Is the Selection Index Calculated? You can easily calculate your Selection Index score once you know your 8-38 scale section, or test, scores. Simply add your section scores for Reading, Writing and Language, and Math together, and then multiply the entire sum by 2 to get your Selection Index Score. Let’s say you got a 25 in Reading, a 37 in Writing and Language, and a 38 in Math. Here’s how you would figure out your Selection Index. Section Score Sum x 2 Selection Index Score Reading 29 (29 + 37 + 38) x 2 = 208 Writing and Language 37 Math 38 Once you add together and double your section scores, you get a Selection Index of 208. Does this score qualify for National Merit Semifinalist? That all depends on where you live. Keep reading for the full chart that shows the qualifying cutoff scores for National Merit in each state. Qualifying PSAT Scores for National Merit, State by State We've created a chart that shows the Selection Index score you need to qualify for Semifinalist in everystate. While the National Merit Scholarship Corporation doesn't release a full list of cutoffs, it will tell interested individuals what scores they need for their own state. Because of this, the data in the chart below was crowdsourced from individuals across the country If you think any cutoffs are in error, let us know in the comments! You can also verify your own state's Selection Index cutoff by calling NMSC at (847) 866-5100. Here’s the full list of state cutoffs to qualify for National Merit Semifinalist. State PSAT Cutoff for National Merit Semifinalist Alabama 215 Alaska 213 Arizona 219 Arkansas 213 California 221 Colorado 218 Connecticut 220 Delaware 218 DC 222 Florida 217 Georgia 219 Hawaii 217 Idaho 214 Illinois 219 Indiana 217 Iowa 215 Kansas 217 Kentucky 215 Louisiana 214 Maine 214 Maryland 221 Massachusetts 222 Michigan 216 Minnesota 219 Mississippi 212 Missouri 216 Montana 210 Nebraska 215 Nevada 214 New Hampshire 216 New Jersey 222 New Mexico 213 New York 219 North Carolina 218 North Dakota 209 Ohio 217 Oklahoma 213 Oregon 219 Pennsylvania 218 Rhode Island 217 South Carolina 215 South Dakota 209 Tennessee 218 Texas 220 Utah 215 Vermont 215 Virginia 221 Washington 220 West Virginia 209 Wisconsin 215 Wyoming 209 Average score 216 On average, students need a Selection Index score of 216. If you live in Washington, DC, Massachusetts, or New Jersey, then you need to meet the highest cutoff of 222. If you haven't taken the PSAT yet and are aiming for National Merit, I'd recommend aiming for a PSAT score that's at least two to five points higher than your state's cutoff on this list. The cutoffs can fluctuate a bit from year to year, depending on how students around the country do on the PSAT/NMSQT. Once you’ve found your state’s cutoff, how can you figure out what scores you need to qualify for National Merit? Your National Merit Selection Index score cutoff depends on what state you live in. How to Calculate Your Target Scores for National Merit This section is for students that haven't taken the PSAT yet and are aiming for National Merit. You read above how to convert your PSAT section scores into the Selection Index. If you know what Selection Index you’re aiming for, all you need to do is work backwardto figure out your target section scores. Remember how you needed to add your section scores together and then double that sum to get your Selection Index? Working backward just means dividing your Selection Index by two and then further splitting that quotient into three. Let’s say you live in New Mexico. To qualify for National Merit, students who took the PSAT in 2015 needed a Selection Index of 213. To be on the safe side, you'll want to aim for around a 216 as your target score (just in case the cutoff fluctuates). Our first step, then, is to divide 216 by 2. 216 / 2 = 108. Now you know that your section scores in Reading, Writing and Language, and Math need to add up to 108. You can also figure out what section score you need for each section (Math, Reading, and Writing and Language) by dividing 108 by three. 108 / 3 = 36 However, not everyone is equally strong at math and reading and writing. You might be able to aim a little higher in Math and a little lower in Reading and Writing and Language, or vice versa. As long as your section scores still add up to 108, you’ll still get a Selection Index of 216 and potentially qualify for National Merit. Once you understand what total section scores you need, you can adjust your target scores among the three PSAT sections however you want. Set realistic goals for yourself based on your own math, reading, and writing skills. Of course, only a small group of students are aiming to become National Merit Semifinalist. Only 16,000 of the 1.6 million who take the PSAT will receive this distinction. Disappointed with your PSAT performance? Want to improve your PSAT score by 150 points? We have the industry's leading PSAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: A good PSAT score is also one that shows you’re on track to achieving your SAT goals and getting into college. Let’s consider our third and final piece of criteria, which defines a â€Å"good† PSAT score as one that helps you meet your college goals. What Is a Good PSAT Score for College? The PSAT is extremely similar to the SAT, and your performance on the PSAT can help predict your SAT score. Almost everyone improves when they take these tests more than once, sothe PSAT is a useful trial run. You'll likely score higher on the SAT than you would if you'd never taken the PSAT. You can use your PSAT score report to see your current scoring level and findout what skills you need to improve to hit your target SAT scores. To figure out your target SAT scores, you should do some college research. Find schools that you’re interested in, and look for the average SAT scores of accepted students. You can then use this information to set your own SAT score goals. Once you know what scores you need to get into your colleges of interest, you can use your PSAT score report to design a study plan. Use the data provided by section scores and subscores to pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses, then type yourself up a personalized SAT study plan that targets your weak areas. Depending on how many points you’re seeking to improve, you can roughly predict how much time you'll need to set aside to prep. Here’s an estimate of how many hours you need to study to achieve variousscore improvements. 0-50 SAT composite point improvement: 10 hours 50-100 point improvement: 20 hours 100-200 point improvement: 40 hours 200-300 point improvement: 80 hours 300-500 point improvement: 150 hours+ If you’re already scoring close to your target SAT scores, then you can feel satisfied with your PSAT scores. If you fell short by a hundred points, then you need to kick your test prep into gear and devote several hours a week to getting ready for the SAT. If you have months to prepare, then you can definitely see a big improvement in your scores and skills as a test-taker. Your PSAT score report offers a useful starting point for your SAT prep. Whether or not you think you got a good score on the PSAT, you can still achieve a good score on the SAT with enough commitment. In closing, we'll go over the key points you need to remember about what makes a good score on the 2017 PSAT. edX Social Media/Flickr. What SAT score do you need to be a good candidate for your dream school? Your PSAT scores can help you achieve your dream. 2017 PSAT Scores: Key Takeaways If you take the PSAT in 2017, then you'll get your scores back mid-December. Your PSAT score report might look confusing at first glance, but now you understand what all of its scaled scores, section scores, and subscores mean. Any students aiming for National Merit will also want to check their Selection Index score to see if it's above past years' qualifying scores for their state. If you haven't taken the PSAT yet, you can use the cutoffs to set goals for your scores. Everyone has their own definition for what is aâ€Å"good† PSAT score. For example, you might think a good score is one that is higher than that of most other students. You can use percentiles to figure out what makes a good score on the PSAT. If you’re a high-achieving student who has spent time prepping for the PSAT, then a good score for you might mean receiving National Merit distinction. National Merit is extremely competitive and only goes to the top scorers across the country. Finally, scoring well on the PSAT can help shape your plans for taking the SAT and getting into college. You might have a certain PSAT score goal based on your eventual college applications. Even if you fall short of it, you'll then know you need to boost your SAT performance through studying. Taking the PSAT is a valuable experience that will help you get ready for the SAT.In the end, you should decide what makes a good score for you based on your personal goals and plans. What’s Next? If you get named a National Merit Semifinalist, what steps do you need to take to move on to become a Finalist and earn scholarship money? Find out with our complete guide on how to become a National Merit Finalist. What are the differences in content between the PSAT and SAT? Should you prep for both simultaneously? Learn more about the four key differences between the PSAT and SAT here. How many hours should you plan on prepping for the SAT? Figure out how far in advanceand for how long you should study for the SAT. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

PACT Analysis and Prototype Design for an Interactive System Assignment

PACT Analysis and Prototype Design for an Interactive System - Assignment Example 1. PACT Analysis People Two groups of people are identified as the potential users of the system, the students or individuals living in shared accommodation and the grocery administrative persons. Here the students are at the requesting end and the grocery admin at the receiving end. Students: As per one of the survey result on a professional social networking website (Linked In, 2011), the average age of students at Coventry University was identified to be 28 while Central & Eastern European online directory (Central & Eastern European Directory On-Line, 2007) identifies the individual ages to be ranging from 18 to 50+. These students come from various countries with varied subject of expertise and have diversified level of knowledge on using the computer applications. A shared shopping system would be very beneficial for these groups of people as they can initially club their orders with other room-mates having good knowledge on using computers and later learn the process from them . ... This group of people would be benefited by this type of a system to a great extent. As per Higher Education Statistics (Higher Education Statistics Agency, 2010), the number of non-UK students studying in Coventry University UK contributes to 60.2% of the total students. This implies that there is a high probability that larger number of students will live in shared accommodation and the concept of shared shopping system would be very valuable to them. Grocery Administrative Personnel: This group of people are those who are responsible for receiving the online orders and distributing them among the delivery persons. Though they would have good knowledge on using computers, we cannot expect them to be an expert in understanding any software product. Hence the system should be implemented in very user friendly environment such that it can be used by any person with just basic knowledge on using a computer. Activities: Currently, students living in shared accommodation either buy their grocery individually or together as a group and then share the bill by either visiting a nearby grocery store or ordering online. However due to the complexity involved in calculating the exact amount for each student from the total bill and collecting the individual cost, students look for different means to identify each individual’s contribution to the total cost of the grocery items. Physical Means: Students plan ahead the different grocery items required for the week and share the items among each other. On weekends, they go in groups or individually to a super market and purchase their list of items. In some cases, along with the items, the students also plan on who has to go for shopping for