College Degrees Essays - Bachelors Degrees, Vocational Education

College Degrees INTRODUCTION Many adults who graduate from high school immediately enter careers that do not require a college degree. Indeed, the majority of the adult population of the United States of America does not have college degrees. And the lack of degree is not a stigma. Vocations usually do not require degrees. Certainly the many trade vocations in the building industry do not require college degrees, but instead either vocational training, on-the-job training, and combinations of both. The same applies to manufacturing, clerical, retail, and service positions. And one does not need a degree, college, nor indeed high school, to become President of the United States, or any other elected official! A degree is usually required for professional positions, such as physicians, lawyers, engineers, scientists, accountants, teachers, among others. Many professions require advanced degrees, like masters, and doctoral degrees. There may come a time, however, when an adult who is working full- time decides that it is time to pursue a college degree. There may be several reasons for such a conclusion. Many job descriptions in business and industry specify that a certain degree is required for advancement. Perhaps an airplane mechanic would like to be promoted to a management position that requires a college degree. Or a bookkeeper may wish to become an accountant. Or a nurse may desire a bachelor degree, beyond her R.N. certification; indeed, more hospitals are now requiring that their nurses hold bachelor, and in some cases master degrees. How does a nurse, or bookkeeper, or airplane mechanic who is employed full-time pursue the required college course work that will lead to a fully accredited bachelor degree without taking up residency in a college full-time four years? FULLY ACCREDITED Fully accredited without residency is the objective of the pursuit of a non-traditional college degree. A college must be validated by one of six regional accreditation associations approved by the United States Department of Education in order to grant full accredited degrees. The six associations are: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges All of the colleges and universities in this country that offer fully accredited degrees do so by authority of one of the above geographical associations. There are several colleges that offer bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees that do not come under the authority of a regional accreditation association. Some of these colleges are authorized to offer degrees by the states in which they reside, mostly in California, Hawaii, Missouri, and Louisiana. However, degrees from these colleges are usually not recognized as bona-fide by most business, industry, and professional organizations that require college degrees as a requirement for employment. Therefore, this report will deal with the limited number of colleges in the United States that will grant a fully-accredited bachelor degree without any residency requirement. There are many other colleges that offer alternate college degrees to adults, but have a short, medium, or extensive residency requirement. These colleges will not be covered in this report. For those interested in colleges with limited residency requirements, they will find useful a manual by John Bear, Ph.D., College Degrees by Mail, [See Recommended Reading at the conclusion of this report]. REQUIREMENTS FOR A BACHELOR DEGREE There are many Bachelor programs that can be pursued, among them: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Applied Science and Technology, Bachelor of Science in Human Services, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and other programs that may be specifically designed by the student and college. Most bachelor programs include specializations, such as Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, Bachelor of Science in Aviation. Usually, 120 semester hours of credit are required for a degree. Typically, one college course, like Algebra, is worth three semester hours. Therefore, it is likely that 40 courses, each worth three semester hours will be required for a degree. This may sound simple, but it really isn't. Virtually all colleges require proper distribution of credits. One cannot take 40 of the easiest courses and walk away with a degree. There are core subjects that are required, as English, Mathematics, History, Literature, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy. English subjects include

How to Master SAT Reading Questions A 5-Step Process

How to Master SAT Reading Questions A 5-Step Process SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips SAT Reading questions are notoriously tricky. They'll ask you to analyze passages in unfamiliar ways that seem confusing if you're not used to the format. It's helpful to have a basic game-plan for approaching tough Reading questions to make the section less overwhelming. This article lays out a step-by-step process for interpreting Reading questions and lists a few tricks you should look out for to avoid making careless mistakes. What’s in This Guide, and Who Should Read It? This guide will provide you with afive-step process for breaking down and answering tricky questionson the Reading section of the SAT.This is a list of all the steps you might consider taking to figure out Reading questions that stump you.I don’t advocate going through this entire process for every question (nor would it even be possible for many of them). Although it's presented as a step-by-step process, it doubles as a list of tips that you can use in isolation depending on the question.The new SAT Reading section has pretty straightforward question wording overall, but it’s still nice to have a strategy in mind before you dive into the test.At the end of this article, I’ll also tell you about some tricky question types you might encounter on the SAT Reading section and how you can outsmart them. If you’ve had some trouble on the SAT Reading section in the past (or know that reading just isn’t your strongest subject), the information in this article will probably benefit you. Alright, let's get nerdy. Step-By-Step: How to Correctly Interpret SAT Reading Questions In this section, I’ll walk you through a step-by-step process for interpreting reading questions.Here’s the sample question (taken from one of the College Board's new SAT practice tests) that I'll use for demonstration: I chose this question because it challenges you to consider statements made across two different passages.It also requires you to view the passage from the author’s perspective and develop some insight into his or her thought process. Some Reading questions will ask you to peer into the mind of the author. Gross. Step 1: Read the Question Quickly and Note Line Numbers First, do a quick read of the question to get a basic idea of what you’re facing.If there are line numbers in the question, circle them, and underline or bracket the corresponding lines in the passage: Step 2: Underline Key Terms After you read the question and mark the line numbers, start to pick it apart a little more so that you can zero in onits core meaning.Underline phrases that specify the type of answer you’re trying to find. Examples include: Main Idea and detail question phrases like... Best summarizes Best describes Central idea Evidence and author viewpoint question phrases like... Mainly serves to In order to Best evidence The author claims Would most likely agree Inference question phrases like... Can be inferred Most clearly implies You should also review all other parts of the question and underline any words or phrases that provide context (like paragraph and line numbers).In the sample question, I underlined the phrase â€Å"in order to† because it shows us the type of answer we want. The underlined phrasesays that this question is asking specifically about the author’s goals in including the quote in the passage: Some questions are too short or straightforward for this to be a useful tactic (there’s no point in underlining the whole question, after all).If the question is longer and asks you to consider a few different aspects of the reading, however, it's a helpful way to get your thoughts organized. Questions can seem like complex concept mazes, but if you underline key parts, you're less likely to miss the main point. Step 2.5: Rewrite the Question in Your Own Words This step may be unnecessary, but if you find that the original wording of the question is confusing to you, it's sometimes helpful to rewrite it in a way that makes more sense.For the sample question we’re using, the original wording is: In lines 61-65, the author of Passage 2 refers to a statement made in Passage 1 in order to A rewrite might look something like this: Why does the author of Passage 2 include the quote from Passage 1 in lines 61-65? Or even just: What is the purpose of the quote in lines 61-65? Often, coming up with a simpler way to phrase the question can provide you with all the clarity you need to answer it accurately. This also works for questions that include less familiar vocabulary words or concepts that aren’t directly explained. If you rephrase it, you won't have to unravel this information all over again every time you reread the question. Step 3: Predict the Answer Based on Evidence in the Passage Now that you have a clearer idea of exactly what the question is asking, you can take a look back at the section of the passage that it references.You know you’re looking for WHY the quote is included, so you should review its surrounding context: The essential question we’re considering is why the author of Passage 2 includes this quote from the author of Passage 1.In the context of the paragraph, it appears that the quote serves to point out a logical inconsistency in the argument advanced by the author of Passage 1. The author of Passage 1 stated that â€Å"according to abstract principles, it was impossible to explain† the exclusion of women from politics.So, when it comes down to it, even the (misogynistic) author of Passage 1 can’t logically justify any disparity between the rights of men and women. This is emphasized in the lines following the quote where the author of Passage 2 says â€Å"If so, on what does your constitution rest?†She points out that the author of Passage 1 has no logical grounds to claim that the rights of women should be given less consideration than those of men (â€Å"those of woman, by a parity of reasoning, will not shrink from the same test†). The author of Passage 2's response to the author of Passage 1. Step 4: Use Process of Elimination to Find Your Answer You’ve read the question, you’ve figured out what it means, and you’ve even anticipated the answer!Now use process of elimination to decide which option fits best with your predictions: Choice A can’t be right because the author isn’t using the quote to call the QUALIFICATIONS of the author of Passage 1 into question.She’s questioning his argument, but not necessarily his authority on the subject (although that definitely deserves to be questioned). We can also discount Choice B because it's actually the opposite of what the author intends (the first sentence of Passage 1 is the quote cited in Passage 2).She expressly points out this statement as support for her argument. Choice C is a likely answer based on our predictions in the previous step, so we’ll leave that one alone. Choice D is another answer that is the polar opposite of what we want.Passage 1 argues that women should be excluded from politics, and Passage 2 argues that this point of view is illogical and immoral.Passage 2 is not attempting to validate any of the ultimate conclusions drawn by the author of Passage 1. Step 5: Make Your Final Selection It looks like Choice C is the clear winner. Before you commit and bubble in your answer, double check everything to make sure you didn't miss any key aspects of the question. This is a crucial step if you hope to eliminate careless mistakes! 3 Tricks to Watch Out For on SAT Reading As a follow-up to the basic steps for interpreting reading questions, I'll list a few tactics the test might use to try and throw you off. Be on the lookout for these traps so you don't fall for them! Apparent Subjectivity You’ll see many of these types of phrases on the SAT Reading section: â€Å"It can be inferred† â€Å"Most nearly means† â€Å"Would most likelyagree† This terminology implies that there will be a couple of answer choices that make sense, but one will make a little more sense than the others. NOPE.Reading questions are NOT subjective, and viewing them that way will only make the test harder.There is only one accurate answer for each question, and that answer is always supported by evidence in the passage. All the other choices are flat-out wrong. Don’t make things more difficult for yourself by assuming the SAT is more complex and nuanced than it is! True Statement vs. Correct Answer This point is related to the previous section’s discussion of the â€Å"only one correct answer† rule. As I said, there is only one accurate answer for each question, and you should be able to find evidence for that answer in the text. However,there’s a big difference between a statement that’s technically accurate according to the passage and a statement that’s the correct answer to the specific question being asked. Sometimes, the SAT will include answer choices that are correct factually but don’t respond directly to the issue at hand.Take this question, for example: Choice A is the correct answer, but the paragraph appears to align with Choice D as well.The passage as a whole is pro-public transportation, but this paragraph is talking about why people are sometimes justified in choosing to drive instead.However, it’s just describing a potential counterargument, not actively advocating that public transportation should be abandoned. Questions like this are why you need to read both the question and the relevant parts of the passage carefully before deciding on an answer. Just because an answer choice appears to be true at first glance doesn’t mean that it’s the appropriate response to the question. My car counts as a form of public transportation because I pick up ALLL the ladies awww yeahhh (*buys darker sunglasses to hide secret tears of loneliness*) Deceptive Charts The Reading section now includes data interpretation questions, which means that you’re gonna have to read some Crazy Charts and Goofy Graphs (I really want this to be the title of an actual SAT subscore category). If you don’t take the time to look closely at these charts and graphs and make sure you fully understand them, you'll run into some trouble.For example, I was confused by a question based on this pie chart: To me, both A and D seemed like correct answers, but that was because I hadn’t looked at the chart closely enough to grasp exactly what it was showing me.ChoiceD is incorrect because the graph doesn’t tell us anything about the FREQUENCY of use of public transportation in these different groups of people.It only tells us the makeup of the public transportation population in terms of numbers.Unemployed people could use public transportation just as often or more often as employed people. We don’t know based on the information we've been given. This example demonstrates that it’s critical to read closely and avoid making assumptions.Pie charts may seem like an easy-to-read, friendly type of chart, but sometimes the delicious apple-cinnamon filling is laced with a few drops of Sneaky SAT Serumâ„ ¢. Even pie can betray you. TRUST NO ONE. Conclusion SAT Reading questions and answers are sometimes confusingly worded. Although the new testing format aims to make them more accessible to students, it's still smart to plan out your strategy beforehand so you don't panic if you come across a tricky one. Here's a recap of the steps you should take to interpret SAT Reading questions accurately: Step 1: Read the Question Quickly and Note Line Numbers Step 2: Underline Key Terms Step 2.5: Rewrite the Question in Your Own Words Step 3: Predict the Answer Based on Evidence in the Passage Step 4: Use Process of Elimination to Find Your Answer Step 5: Make Your Final Selection As you go through the steps, make sure you stay vigilant. The new SAT can still be tricky. Look out for: Questions that appear subjective (they're not!) Answers that are true but not correct responses to the question at hand Deceptive charts and graphs for data interpretation questions If you keep practicing these skills with real SAT Reading questions, by the time you take the test you'll be able to handle any curveballs the College Board throws your way. What's Next? The new SAT may be easier or harder for you depending on your academic strengths. Learn about ways the new SAT could be more challenging or less challenging for certain students. What's a good score on the new SAT? Find out what score you should be aiming for on the new scale out of 1600 based on your goals. The SAT isn't the best standardized testing option for everyone. Check out this article for advice on whether you should take the new SAT or the ACT. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Reading lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Sexually transmitted disease in Miami 2011-2012 Essay

Sexually transmitted disease in Miami 2011-2012 - Essay Example In addition, married-couple family type also comprised as much as 64.4% of the total population in 2012; while there were a total 48.8% households with one or more people under the age of 18 (Dept. of Regulatory and Economic Resources; Economic Analysis and Policy, 2013). The map of Miami Dade County is presented as Appendix 1; while the Dade Population Characteristics as of 2011 is presented as Appendix 2. Sexually Transmitted Disease Statistics Statistics on sexually transmitted disease in Miami Dade have revealed that the health dilemma is a growing concern for health officials in Florida and in the country. As published in the Huffington Post, â€Å"statistics from the Florida Department of Health show which of the state's 67 counties have had the most and least number of new cases of sexually transmitted diseases gonorrhea, chlamydia, and infectious syphilis over the three-year-period between 2009 and 2011† (Florida STD Rates: Best And Worst Counties For Gonorrhea, Chlamy dia And Syphilis , 2013). It was also revealed that Miami Dade actually ranks among the highest in terms of exhibiting the new AIDS cases in the country. The HIV/Aids Surveillance Report published by the Miami-Dade County Health Department shows the number of cases by gender and year from 2000 to 2012, and shown as Appendix 3. The statistics show that there is an average number of AIDS cases does not go below the 600 cases per annum level; and exhibits an erratic pattern where there are evident increases and decreases over the last few years. Likewise, Appendix 4 shows Total Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and Infectious Syphilis over the Period 2009 to 2011, for Miami Dade with comparative data for the whole of Florida. This figure shows that the rates had been increasing for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and infectious syphilis since 2004 and the Miami Dade rates parallel the rates shown for the whole of Florida. Concurrently, the report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention r egarding the survey conducted among the youth of Miami Dade to monitor Youth Risk Behavior has revealed the following important results: â€Å"47% ever had sexual intercourse. 8% had sexual intercourse for the first time before age 13 years. 16% had sexual intercourse with four or more persons during their life 33% had sexual intercourse with at least one person during the 3 months before the survey. 32% did not use a condom during last sexual intercourse. 93% did not use birth control pills or Depo-Provera (or any injectable birth control), Nuva Ring (or any birth control ring), implanon (or any implant), or any IUD before last sexual intercourse. 22% were never taught in school about AIDS or HIV infection† (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d., p. 1). Nursing Diagnosis, Planning, and Interventions From the information and statistics that were provided, obviously, the rate of sexually transmitted diseases in Miami Dade have been on an increasing trend. Using the r esults from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, it could likewise be deduced that unprotected sex accounts for contracting these diseases; as well as the lack of formal knowledge taught in school about AIDS or HIV. The report from the CDC indicated that â€Å"