Managerial Support Global Market

Question: Examine about the Managerial Supportfor Global Market. Answer: Presentation Utilization of Business Intelligence in the Company The organization picked for usage of the business knowledge is SABIC, a worldwide differentiated synthetics producing organization. The organization is centered around development while accomplishing development and maintainability in the worldwide market. The researchers of the organization are engaged in acknowledging the quick demands in the market. Nonetheless, with the utilization of business knowledge, the organization can viably utilize their innovations while improving their information mining administrations and capacity (Tierney, 2014). The business knowledge that SABIC must use in the part of information representation, progressed investigation, present day examination stage is Oracle Business Intelligence 12C. Current Analytics Platform- SABIC can interface straightforwardly to Big information, Oracle hotspots for more extravagant and more extensive investigation. The business insight device can help the pioneers of SABIC while getting to and making sure about information in the cloud or in the versatile. It will help in unifying the measurements and information models for far reaching portrayal (Tierney, 2014). Information Visualization- SABIC will be capable in making story in the business by utilizing distinctive outwardly dazzling investigation. The organization can improve its profitability with visual work processes and natural. SABIC will get extraordinary and new bits of knowledge while making different information blend. SABIC will improve the library while revealing the shrouded information designs (Greenwald, Stackowiak Stern, 2013). Progressed Analytics- It will engage the key chiefs of SABIC while taking speedy choices in discovering answers to measurable and prescient inquiries. It will empower the business examiners of SABIC while making concoction informational indexes by running the R contents in the group mode. The business examiners of SABIC can pick distinctive pre-constructed capacities while expanding the current investigation with the R contents (Greenwald, Stackowiak Stern, 2013). References Greenwald, R., Stackowiak, R., Stern, J. (2013).Oracle fundamentals: Oracle database 12c. O'Reilly Media, Inc. Tierney, B. (2014).Predictive Analytics Using Oracle Data Miner: Develop Use Data Mining Models in Oracle Data Miner, SQL PL/SQL. McGraw-Hill Education Group.

Compensations and Benefits

Question: Remuneration designs ordinarily incorporate an assortment of advantages. Name the three advantages that would be generally imperative to you as a feature of your own pay bundle. Why? Answer: The three pay designs that would be most useful are: Retirement reserve funds After a worker resigns, the standard salary stops. In the event that a portion of the remuneration were towards retirement, it would be helpful for the workers (Budhwar, Debrah, 2013). Reward and motivating forces Reward and motivators go about as inspiration. On the off chance that the representatives will get the acknowledgment for their work, they will work more diligently (Ulrich, 2013). Medical advantages Great heath will result great contribution at work. When the association will take care of the soundness of the people, the creation pace of the association will likewise increment in like manner. References Budhwar, P. S., Debrah, Y. A. (Eds.). (2013).Human asset the executives in creating nations. Routledge. Ulrich, D. (2013).Human asset champions: The following motivation for including esteem and conveying results. Harvard Business Press.

SWOT Analysis Examples

SWOT Analysis Examples Running a business is no mean feat. There is an endless list of tasks that need to be done. Managing finances, bookkeeping, managing personnel, production, purchasing, marketing, customer service, you name it.With all these activities demanding your attention, you can easily get overwhelmed and forget about the big picture.Yet if you want your business to remain successful in the long term, you need to periodically look at things from a broader perspective. You need to look at how your business is performing at the moment and how you expect it to perform in future. This is where a SWOT analysis comes in.WHAT IS A SWOT ANALYSIS? A SWOT analysis is a simple yet powerful strategic planning model that helps both new and existing businesses to come up with a business strategy. The Term SWOT is an acronym for strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats.The SWOT analysis allows a business to look at its future potential by identifying what the business is doing well and where it needs to improve, both from an internal and external perspective. It also allows the business to identify and plan for changes that might impact the business’s future wellbeing.Strengths and weakness provide an internal look into the company. They represent factors that are within the control of the company, things that you have the ability to change.Examples of factors that might fall under strengths and weaknesses might include things such as your product, your business model, your team, your location, patents and intellectual property, and so on. Strengths and weakness also focus mostly on the present. They look at what you are doing now and its impact on your business’ wellbeing.Opportunities and threats, on the other hand, are external. They are things happening within the market and the larger business environment. There is nothing you can do to change them. You can only react to them by either taking advantage of opportunities or protecting your business against threats.Examples of factors that might fall under opportunities and threats include your competitors, government regulation, market trends, prices of raw materials, technological change, and so on.Unlike strengths and weakness, opportunities and threats have their focus on the future. They look at things that might happen in future with a significant impact on your business.SWOT analyses can be used to gain greater insights about the entire organization or individual projects within the company. For instance, you can use a SWOT analysis to evaluate the potential of a planned content project, an upcoming advertising campaign, a new product, and so on.SWOT analyses should typically be conducted at the beginning of a strategic planning process or when the organization/project wants to refresh its strategy. If possible, the entire leadership team should be involved in the SWOT analysis in order to have a comprehensive look into the company and the competitive environment and business landscape.BREAKING DOWN THE SWOT ANALYSIS PROCESSWhile we know what SWOT stands for, let’s take a more detailed look into each element of a SWOT analysis and how to perform the analysis on your organization or project.StrengthsStrengths refer to things that your company does well. They are the internal, positive attributes that help your business stand out from the competition.They include internal resources and tangible assets that help the business achieve its goals.Some of the questions you might ask yourself to help you identify your organization’s strengths include:What are we good at? Is it customer relationships? Are we good at coming up with innovations?Which of our business processes work well?What is our biggest source of financial growth? Is it a certain product? A certain customer segment?What are our competitive advantages over our competition?What do our customers love about our products?Where does majority of our customer growth come from?What resources do we have access to that our competitors do not?What is our unique selling proposition?What are our brand’s most positive attributes?What physical assets do we have? Is it equipment, cash, technology, customers, or patents?WeaknessesWeaknesses are the negative factors that make it harder for your business to achieve its goals.They include things that your company lacks, resource limitations, things that your competitors do better than you, an unclear unique proposition, and so on.Weaknesses are things you need to improve in order for your business to remain competitive. Some questions you might ask yourself to help you identify your organization’s weaknesses include:What are we not good at?What does our business need in order to be competitive?Do we have any skill gaps in our team?Which business processes do we need to improve?Are there any tangible assets, such as money or equipment, that our business is lacking?Is our location the most suitable in order for us to achieve success?What is our biggest finan cial weakness?What do our customers complain about the most? Where do they say they would like to see us improve?Why do customers stop buying from us?What are the biggest bottlenecks in our sales funnel?OpportunitiesOpportunities are the factors within your business environment that, if taken advantage of, can lead to improved business performance.Some questions you might ask yourself to help you identify your organization’s potential opportunities include:Are there trends in the market that might encourage customers to buy more of the type of products we are selling?Are there any forthcoming changes to regulations that might make it easier for our organization to do business?Is there an upcoming event that our organization can take advantage of to improve its business?What is the biggest opportunity we can take advantage of to grow the business? Is it introducing a new product? Going after a new market?Are there any upcoming technological innovations that will make it easier for us to do business?Are there some tools or resources that we are not taking advantage of or that we are not using to full capacity?What changes can we introduce to our products and processes in order to improve our business performance?In what way can we make our advertising resonate better with our target customers?Are there emerging forms of advertising that we can take advantage of?Do we expect any positive change within your external business relationships (vendors, partners and customers) that might have a positive impact on our business?ThreatsThreats refer to any external factors that might make it difficult for you to do business or even threaten the existence of your business.Threats include things like emerging competitors, changing government regulations, changing customer attitudes towards your company or industry, negative media coverage, and so on.Understanding any potential threats to your business helps you to come up with contingency plans for dealing with the threat s in case they occur, before they occur.Some questions you might ask yourself to help you identify your organization’s potential threats include:Are there any potential competitors that might enter the market?Are there market trends that might negatively impact the business?Are there any upcoming technological changes that might disrupt our business model or even our entire industry?Are there any upcoming regulatory changes that might negatively impact our business or our industry?Will we be able to continue getting your raw materials from your suppliers at favorable prices?Are there any changes to consumer behavior and attitudes that might have a negative impact on our business?Are there economic changes, such as a recession, that might make it difficult for your customers to continue buying your products?Are your employees satisfied? Is there anything that might lead to a high turnover within your organization?Is there a risk of political changes, such as war or instability, tha t might affect your ability to do business?Is there anything you are doing within your business that could potentially fail?The questions listed in the above section are just a way to help you dig deep into your organization and business environment and identify your business’ strengths and weaknesses and any potential opportunities and threats.Of course, the questions might change depending on your business and industry.To make it easier for you to get started with your SWOT analyses, below are three real life examples of SWOT analyses from some of the biggest companies in the world. Going through them will make it easier for you to come up with ideas that might be more relevant to your business.EXAMPLE ONE: NIKENike is an American multinational corporation that focuses on the design, manufacture and sale of sports and leisure footwear and apparel. It is also the biggest sports shoe brand in the world.Below is Nike’s SWOT analysis for 2018.StrengthsStrong brand image â€" Nike i s the biggest brand in the sports footwear and apparel category. Its brand is associated with ethical and customer centric business, high quality and stylish products and innovation. Nike’s is the most valuable brand in the sports apparel industry, with a brand value of 28 billion.Excellent marketing capabilities â€" Nike has an innovative, well-crafted marketing strategy, coupled with a big marketing budget. The company spent $3.3 billion on marketing in 2017. This allows Nike to remain ahead of the competition.Financial strength â€" Nike has a lot of financial clout compared to its competitors. The company grew its revenue to $34.4 billion in 2017, representing a 6% increase from the previous year.Global presence â€" Nike has a presence all over the world, with 790 stores and factories outside the United States.Large distribution network â€" Nike has a wide and well managed distribution network, working with over 500 suppliers across 42 countries.WeaknessesOverdependence on US M arket â€" Despite its wide global presence, Nike is still very dependent on its US market, which accounted for about 46% of its revenue in 2017.Increasing expenses â€" The increasing competition in the sports footwear and apparel market has resulted in an increase in Nike’s marketing expenses.OpportunitiesDigitization â€" For Nike to retain its position as the biggest sports wear brand, it needs to invest even further in digital marketing and ecommerce. As more and more people continue shifting to online shopping, investing in these areas can significantly increase the company’s growth and profits.Acquisitions â€" The company also has potential to grow even faster by acquiring companies in related fields.Global expansion â€" Nike’s ecommerce websites are currently available in 45 countries only. The company has room to grow even further by expanding to even more countries, particular in the Asian region, which is one of its fastest growing markets.Changing customer attitude †" More and more people are becoming conscious of their health and trying to adopt healthier lifestyles. This means that the global market for sports and lifestyle brands will grow, presenting an opportunity for Nike to further grow its sales.Manufacturing revolution â€" The manufacturing revolution has brought with it an increasing focus on 3D printing and new, innovative materials. This presents an opportunity for Nike since it has the potential to improve the manufacturing and production process.ThreatsCurrency fluctuations â€" Being a global company, the fluctuation of foreign currencies against the US dollar negatively affects Nike’s earnings.Increased competition â€" There is increasing competition from other sportswear brands, such as Adidas and Under Armour. This has forced Nike to invest more heavily in marketing and operations.Growing marketing and HR expenses â€" The increasing competition and the continued growth of the company have increased its marketing and HR relate d costs.Legal issues â€" There are increasing industry ethics and standards that the company has to comply with. Compliance to these standards can increase costs for the company, while failure to comply can hurt the company’s reputation.EXAMPLE TWO: STARBUCKSStarbucks is the world’s largest coffee chain, with a presence in 75 countries and a revenue of $22 billion in 2017.The company operates franchised stores situated in high-traffic, high-visibility locations. Below is Starbucks SWOT analysis for 2018.StrengthsSuperior financial performance â€" Starbucks experienced superior financial performance in 2017 as a result of great operating efficiency and growth, both financial and physical. The superior financial performance gives investors confidence in the company and allows it to make speculative investments.Fast growing presence in China â€" Starbuck’s store network in China has grown very rapidly, from 570 stores in 2011 to 2936 stores in 2017, which are more than those of a ll its competitors combined. With China being the second fastest growing market, Starbucks is well positioned to conquer the Chinese market.Strong brand image â€" Starbucks has a strong brand image that is associated with premium products, ethical business and a customer centric focus.Premium quality coffee â€" The company goes to great lengths to get the best coffee beans from the best coffee producers, which allows Starbucks to provide coffee beverages that are way better than its competitors.Customer loyalty â€" Starbucks has built a strong brand image, which has in turn led to a very high level of customer loyalty.WeaknessesLittle focus on marketing â€" Since its founding, Starbucks relied on publicity and work of mouth marketing rather than huge marketing campaigns. While it has recently started focusing more on marketing, its marketing expenditure remains low compared to competitors.High overhead â€" Starbucks’s high operating expenses limit its profitability. The company sp ent more than 83% of its entire revenue in 2017 on operating expenses.Premium pricing â€" Due to its premium pricing strategy, Starbucks has a limited customer base.OpportunitiesDigital marketing â€" Digital technology provides an exciting opportunity for Starbucks to engage with customers and market the brand even better. By taking advantage of digital technology and AI, Starbucks can engage better and establish a deeper connection with customers, leading to increased customer satisfaction.Growing Asian market â€" The rapidly growing Asian markets present a lot of opportunity for Starbucks. The brand is investing in capturing huge portions of the Chinese and Indian markets.Mobile technology â€" Smartphone penetration is increasing around the world and more and more people are depending on their phones for shopping and payments. Incorporating the use of mobile apps can lead to increased revenue and profits for the brand.Acquisitions and partnerships â€" Acquisition of smaller food a nd beverage brands and partnerships with other brands also presents an opportunity for Starbucks to grow even faster.ThreatsIncreasing competition â€" There has been increasing competition in the beverage industry. Starbucks also faces competition from other fast food brands that are do not focus exclusively on beverages. This has led to Starbucks increasing its marketing expenditure.Increasing overhead costs â€" Starbucks increasing operating costs are resulting in a decline in the company’s income.Changing customer trends â€" People are becoming more aware of health concerns and are looking for healthier beverages. This is a threat to beverage companies like Starbucks since they might have to change their menu to incorporate the new customer preferences.Regulatory pressure â€" Businesses with an international presence are subjected to higher legal and regulatory pressures, which lead to compliance expenses and difficulty in international expansion.EXAMPLE THREE: FACEBOOKFacebook is the world’s largest social media platform. What started as a college project now enjoys over 2 billion users and is worth an estimated $138 billion.Below is Facebook’s SWOT analysis for 2018.StrengthsLeading social media network â€" Facebook is the leading social media network, popular among individual users, businesses and other groups. Facebook keeps the platform engaging and attractive for users by introducing various features to the platform.High number of users â€" Facebook has over 2.3 billion users, which is more than a third of the world’s entire population. This huge number of users gives Facebook a very significant competitive advantage over its competitors.One of the leading online advertising businesses â€" While Facebook falls behind companies like Google when it comes to online advertising, it is still one of the leaders in this area. The company generated a revenue of close to $40 billion from online advertising in 2017.Owns multiple platforms â€" In additio n to the Facebook platform, Facebook Inc. also owns several other social media platforms, including Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Oculus. This gives the company reach an even wider reach.Excellent human resource management â€" Facebook is one of the best companies to work for. It pays its staff well and has policies that provide its staff with numerous opportunities for growth. This has helped Facebook attract some of the best talent in the world.Research and development â€" To keep its platform attractive and engaging for users and remain technologically ahead of its competitors, Facebook invests heavily in research and development. In 2017, Facebook spent about $7.8 billion in research and development.WeaknessesUser privacy concerns â€" Lately, Facebook has been under a lot of fire due to its user data policies. This has led to a decline in Facebook’s popularity, resulting in the company missing some of its revenue targets.Tainted reputation â€" In addition to user privacy concerns, Facebook’s reputation has also been tainted by concerns over fake news and breeches like the Cambridge Analytica scandal.Management issues â€" Most of Facebook’s problems, including the user privacy concerned, are directly linked to the company’s management problem.OpportunitiesDiversification â€" Through its other platforms, Facebook has the opportunity to diversify its business and increase its sources of revenue.Acquisitions â€" Already, Facebook has made several acquisitions. The company still has the potential to increase its revenue by acquiring even more technology startups.New user segments â€" Facebook user base mostly comprises of young to middle age people. By targeting older users and adding extra features that make the platform attractive to businesses and institutions, Facebook can tap into additional user segments and increase its number of users and revenue.ThreatsCompetition â€" Facebook is facing a lot of competition from other tech companies such a s Google, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft.Regulations â€" Due to the user privacy concerns and the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook has been forced by governments to become more accountable and transparent.Operational costs â€" Facebook growth has led to an increase in its operational costs, mostly due to the increased demand for data centers and technical infrastructure.WRAPPING UPA SWOT analysis is a useful tool for evaluating your business’s current performance and its future potential.By now, with the help of the examples provided above, you should be able to conduct a SWOT analysis for your business or project.Remember that the SWOT analysis is a strategic planning model. This means that after you are done conducting the SWOT analysis, you should use it to come up with a strategy for your business.To do this, ask yourself how you can capitalize on your strengths, how to improve on your weaknesses, how to take advantage of your opportunities and how to protect yourself from t hreats.

World War I - Middle East and Africa Campaigns

As World War I descended across Europe in August 1914, it also saw fighting erupt across the colonial empires of the belligerents. These conflicts typically involved smaller forces and with one exception resulted in the defeat and capture of Germanys colonies. Also, as the fighting on the Western Front stagnated in to trench warfare, the Allies sought secondary theaters for striking at the Central Powers. Many of these targeted the weakened Ottoman Empire and saw the spread of fighting to Egypt and the Middle East. In the Balkans, Serbia, who had played a key role in starting of the conflict, was ultimately overwhelmed leading to a new front in Greece. War Comes to the Colonies Formed in early 1871, Germany was a later comer to the competition for empire. As a result, the new nation was forced to direct its colonial efforts towards the less preferred parts of Africa and the islands of the Pacific. While German merchants began operations in Togo, Kamerun (Cameroon), South-West Africa (Namibia), and East Africa (Tanzania), others were planting colonies in Papua, Samoa, as well as the Caroline, Marshall, Solomon, Mariana, and Bismarck Islands. In addition, the port of Tsingtao was taken from the Chinese in 1897. With the outbreak of war in Europe, Japan elected to declare war on Germany citing its obligations under the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of 1911. Moving quickly, Japanese troops seized the Marianas, Marshalls, and Carolines. Transferred to Japan after the war, these islands became a key part of its defensive ring during World War II. While the islands were being captured, a 50,000-man force was dispatched to Tsingtao. Here they conducted a classic siege with the aid of British forces and took the port on November 7, 1914. Far to the south, Australian and New Zealand forces captured Papua and Samoa. Battling for Africa While the German position in the Pacific was quickly swept away, their forces in Africa mounted a more vigorous defense. Though Togo was swiftly taken on August 27, British and French forces encountered difficulties in Kamerun. Though possessing greater numbers, the Allies were hampered by distance, topography, and climate. While initial efforts to capture the colony failed, a second campaign took the capital at Douala on September 27. Delayed by weather and enemy resistance, the final German outpost at Mora was not taken until February 1916. In South-West Africa, British efforts were slowed by the need to put down a Boer revolt before crossing the border from South Africa. Attacking in January 1915, South African forces advanced in four columns on the German capital at Windhoek. Taking the town on May 12, 1915, they compelled the colonys unconditional surrender two months later. The Last Holdout Only in German East Africa was the war to last the duration. Though the governors of East Africa and British Kenya wished to observe a pre-war understanding exempting Africa from hostilities, those within their borders clamored for war. Leading the German Schutztruppe (colonial defense force) was Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck. A veteran imperial campaigner, Lettow-Vorbeck embarked on a remarkable campaign which saw him repeatedly defeat larger Allied forces. Utilizing African soldiers known as askiris, his command lived off the land and conducted an ongoing guerilla campaign. Tying down increasingly large numbers of British troops, Lettow-Vorbeck suffered several reverses in 1917 and 1918, but was never captured. The remnants of his command finally surrendered after the armistice on November 23, 1918, and Lettow-Vorbeck returned to Germany a hero. The Sick Man at War On August 2, 1914, the Ottoman Empire, long known as the Sick Man of Europe for its declining power, concluded an alliance with Germany against Russia. Long courted by Germany, the Ottomans had worked to re-equip their army with German weapons and used the Kaisers military advisors. Utilizing the German battlecruiser Goeben and light cruiser Breslau, both of which had been transferred to Ottoman control after escaping British pursuers in the Mediterranean, Minister of War Enver Pasha ordered naval attacks against Russian ports on October 29. As a result, Russia declared war on November 1, followed by Britain and France four days later. With the beginning of hostilities, General Otto Liman von Sanders, Ever Pashas chief German advisor, expected the Ottomans to attack north into the Ukrainian plains. Instead, Ever Pasha elected to assault Russia through the mountains of the Caucasus. In this area the Russians advanced first gaining ground as the Ottoman commanders did not wish to attack in the severe winter weather. Angered, Ever Pasha took direct control and was badly defeated in the Battle of Sarikamis in December 1914/January 1915. To the south, the British, concerned about ensuring the Royal Navys access to Persian oil, landed the 6th Indian Division at Basra on November 7. Taking the city, it advanced to secure Qurna. The Gallipoli Campaign Contemplating the Ottoman entry into the war, First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill developed a plan for attacking the Dardanelles. Using the ships of the Royal Navy, Churchill believed, partially due to faulty intelligence, that the straits could be forced, opening the way for a direct assault on Constantinople. Approved, the Royal Navy had three attacks on the straits turned back in February and early March 1915. A massive assault on March 18 also failed with the loss of three older battleships. Unable to penetrate the Dardanelles due to Turkish mines and artillery, the decision was made to land troops on the Gallipoli Peninsula to remove the threat (Map). Entrusted to General Sir Ian Hamilton, the operation called for landings at Helles and farther north at Gaba Tepe. While the troops at Helles were to push north, the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps was to push east and prevent the retreat of the Turkish defenders. Going ashore on April 25, Allied forces took heavy losses and failed to achieve their objectives. Battling on Gallipolis mountainous terrain, Turkish forces under Mustafa Kemal held the line and fighting stalemated into trench warfare. On August 6, a third landing at Sulva Bay was also contained by the Turks. After a failed offensive in August, fighting quieted as the British debated strategy (Map). Seeing no other recourse, the decision was made to evacuate Gallipoli and the last Allied troops departed on January 9, 1916. Mesopotamia Campaign In Mesopotamia, British forces successfully repelled an Ottoman attack at Shaiba on April 12, 1915. Having been reinforced, the British commander, General Sir John Nixon, ordered Major General Charles Townshend to advance up the Tigris River to Kut and, if possible, Baghdad. Reaching Ctesiphon, Townshend encountered an Ottoman force under Nureddin Pasha on November 22. After five days of inconclusive fighting, both sides withdrew. Retreating to Kut-al-Amara, Townshend was followed by Nureddin Pasha who laid siege to the British force on December 7. Several attempts were made to lift the siege in early 1916 with no success and Townshend surrendered on April 29 (Map). Unwilling to accept defeat, the British dispatched Lieutenant General Sir Fredrick Maude to retrieve the situation. Reorganizing and reinforcing his command, Maude began a methodical offensive up the Tigris on December 13, 1916. Repeatedly outmaneuvering the Ottomans, he retook Kut and pressed towards Baghdad. Defeating Ottoman forces along the Diyala River, Maude captured Baghdad on March 11, 1917. Maude then halted in the city to reorganize his supply lines and avoid the summer heat. Dying of cholera in November, he was replaced by General Sir William Marshall. With troops being diverted from his command to expand operations elsewhere, Marshall slowly pushed towards to the Ottoman base at Mosul. Advancing towards the city, it was finally occupied on November 14, 1918, two weeks after the Armistice of Mudros ended hostilities. Defense of the Suez Canal As Ottoman forces campaigned in the Caucasus and Mesopotamia, they also began moving to strike at the Suez Canal. Closed by the British to enemy traffic at the start of the war, the canal was a key line of strategic communication for the Allies. Though Egypt was still technically part of the Ottoman Empire, it had been under British administration since 1882 and was rapidly filling with British and Commonwealth troops. Moving through the desert wastes of the Sinai Peninsula, Turkish troops under General Ahmed Cemal and his German chief of staff Franz Kress von Kressenstein attacked the canal area on February 2, 1915. Alerted to their approach, British forces drove off the attackers after two days of fighting. Though a victory, the threat to the canal forced the British to leave a stronger garrison in Egypt than intended. Into the Sinai For over a year the Suez front remained quiet as fighting raged at Gallipoli and in Mesopotamia. In the summer of 1916, von Kressenstein made another attempt on the canal. Advancing across the Sinai, he met a well-prepared British defense led by General Sir Archibald Murray. In the resulting  Battle of Romani  on August 3-5, the British forced the Turks to retreat. Going over the offensive, the British pushed across Sinai, building a railroad and water pipeline as they went. Winning battles at  Magdhaba  and  Rafa, they were ultimately stopped by the Turks at the First Battle of Gaza in March 1917 (Map). When a second attempt to take the city failed in April, Murray was sacked in favor of General Sir Edmund Allenby. Palestine Reorganizing his command, Allenby commenced the  Third Battle of Gaza  on October 31. Flanking the Turkish line at Beersheba, he won decisive victory. On Allenbys flank were the Arab forces guided by  Major T.E. Lawrence  (Lawrence of Arabia) who had previously captured the port of Aqaba. Dispatched to Arabia in 1916, Lawrence successfully worked to foment unrest among the Arabs who then revolted against Ottoman rule. With the Ottomans in retreat, Allenby rapidly pushed north, taking Jerusalem on December 9 (Map). Thought the British wished to deliver a death blow to the Ottomans in early 1918, their plans were undone by the beginning of the German  Spring Offensives  on the Western Front. The bulk of Allenbys veteran troops were transferred west to aid in blunting the German assault. As a result, much of the spring and summer was consumed rebuilding his forces from newly recruited troops. Ordering the Arabs to harass the Ottoman rear, Allenby opened the  Battle of Megiddo  on September 19. Shattering an Ottoman army under von Sanders, Allenbys men rapidly advanced and captured Damascus on October 1. Though their southern forces had been destroyed, the government in Constantinople refused to surrender and continued the fight elsewhere. Fire in the Mountains In the wake of the victory at Sarikamis, command of Russian forces in the Caucasus was given to General Nikolai Yudenich. Pausing to reorganize his forces, he embarked on an offensive in May 1915. This was aided by an Armenian revolt at Van which had erupted the previous month. While one wing of the attack succeeded in relieving Van, the other was halted after advancing through the Tortum Valley towards Erzurum. Exploiting the success at Van and with Armenian guerillas striking the enemy rear, Russian troops secured Manzikert on May 11. Due to the Armenian activity, the Ottoman government passed the Tehcir Law calling for the forced relocation of Armenians from the area. Subsequent Russian efforts during the summer were fruitless and Yudenich took the fall to rest and reinforce. In January, Yudenich returned to the attack winning the Battle of Koprukoy and driving on Erzurum. Taking the city in March, Russian forces captured Trabzon the following month and began pushing south towards Bitlis. Pressing on, both Bitlis and Mush were taken. These gains were short-lived as Ottoman forces under Mustafa Kemal recaptured both later that summer. The lines stabilized through the fall as both sides recuperated from the campaigning. Though the Russian command wished to renew the assault in 1917, social and political unrest at home prevented this. With the outbreak of the Russian Revolution, Russian forces began withdrawing on the Caucasus front and eventually evaporated away. Peace was achieved through the  Treaty of Brest-Litovsk  in which Russia ceded territory to the Ottomans. The Fall of Serbia While fighting raged on the major fronts of the war in 1915, most of the year was relatively quiet in Serbia. Having successfully fended off an Austro-Hungarian invasion in late-1914, Serbia desperately worked to rebuild its battered army though it lacked the manpower to do so effectively. Serbias situation changed dramatically late in the year when following Allied defeats at Gallipoli and Gorlice-Tarnow, Bulgaria joined the Central Powers and mobilized for war on September 21. On October 7, German and Austro-Hungarian forces renewed the assault on Serbia with Bulgaria attacking four days later. Badly outnumbered and under pressure from two directions, the Serbian army was forced to retreat. Falling back to the southwest, the Serbian army conducted a long march to Albania but remained intact (Map). Having anticipated the invasion, the Serbs had begged for the Allies to send aid. Developments in Greece Due to variety of factors, this could only be routed through the neutral Greek port of Salonika. While proposals for opening a secondary front at Salonika had been discussed by the Allied high command earlier in the war, they had been dismissed as a waste of resources. This view changed on September 21 when Greek Prime Minister Eleutherios Venizelos advised the British and French that if they sent 150,000 men to Salonika, he could bring Greece into the war on the Allied side. Though quickly dismissed by the pro-German King Constantine, Venizelos plan led to the arrival of Allied troops at Salonika on October 5. Led by French General Maurice Sarrail, this force was able to provide little aid to the retreating Serbians The Macedonian Front As the Serbian army was evacuated to Corfu, Austrian forces occupied much of Italian-controlled Albania. Believing the war in the region lost, the British expressed a desire to withdraw their troops from Salonika. This met with protests from the French and the British unwillingly remained. Building a massive fortified camp around the port, the Allies were soon joined by the remnants of the Serbian army. In Albania, an Italian force was landed in the south and made gains in the country south of Lake Ostrovo. Expanding the front out from Salonika, the Allies held a small German-Bulgarian offensive in August and counterattacked on September 12. Achieving some gains, Kaymakchalan and Monastir were both taken (Map). As Bulgarian troops crossed the Greek border into Eastern Macedonia, Venizelos and officers from the Greek Army launched a coup against the king. This resulted in a royalist government in Athens and a Venizelist government at Salonika which controlled much of northern Greece. Offensives in Macedonia Idle through much of 1917, Sarrails  Armee d Orient  took control of all of Thessaly and occupied the Isthmus of Corinth. These actions led to the exile of the king on June 14 and united the country under Venizelos who mobilized the army to support the Allies. In May 18, General Adolphe Guillaumat, who had replaced Sarrail, attacked and captured Skra-di-Legen. Recalled to aid in stopping the German Spring Offensives, he was replaced with General Franchet dEsperey. Wishing to attack, dEsperey opened the Battle of Dobro Pole on September 14 (Map). Largely facing Bulgarian troops whose morale was low, the Allies made swift gains though the British took heavy losses at Doiran. By September 19, the Bulgarians were in full retreat. On September 30, the day after the fall of Skopje and under internal pressure, the Bulgarians were granted the Armistice of Solun which took them out of the war. While dEsperey pushed north and over the Danube, British forces turned east to attack an undefended Constantinople. With British troops approaching the city, the Ottomans signed the Armistice of Mudros on October 26. Poised to strike into the Hungarian heartland, dEsperey was approached by Count Kà ¡rolyi, the head of the Hungarian government, about the terms for an armistice. Traveling to Belgrade, Kà ¡rolyi signed an armistice on November 10.

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Essay - 1451 Words

Advancements in medical technology has allowed for a new understanding of stem cells and further developments in research. The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine may hold significant benefits for those suffering from degenerative diseases. To avail such advancements in stem cell research could see the alleviation or complete cure of afflictions that take the lives of millions worldwide each year. (McLaren, 2001) A stem cell 1 is able differentiate into any somatic cell found in the human body, including those identical to itself. Differentiation is a cellular process whereby a stem cell will divide into a specialised cell, for example a neuron2. To harness the unique cellular function of a stem cell could mean the cultivation†¦show more content†¦(Pera et al, 2004) The bodies specialised cells, a product of stem cell differentiation, cannot be replaced through natural regeneration. The further exploration of ES cell research will allow scientists to harness stem cell differentiation and compensate for the bodies inability to regenerate specialised cells. (Fuchs, 2008) For example, ES cells hold the potential to regenerate the spinal cord. Common and debilitating injuries to the spinal cord result in paralysis, more accurately known as paraplegia and quadriplegia. ES cells may be used to repair an impaired spinal cord, restoring movement and quality of life to those suffering from paralysis. (Rosenfeld et al, 2004) The prospects for regenerative spinal cord repair is one of the many positive outcomes of ES cell research if exploration is allowed to continue. Ethicists often advocate for the use of human embryos in ES cell research due to their fate after successful IVF treatment. With the successful fertilisation of an IVF patient, remaining embryos that would have been used in further fertilisation attempts are kept in storage indefinitely. (Morgan, 2006) Many couples opt to donate their spare embryos to ES cell research, as they do not believe that their fertilised zygote is in fact human life. A human embryo remaining from IVF treatment is only used in ES cell research one to five days afterShow MoreRelatedEmbryonic Of Stem Cell Research Essay1576 Words   |  7 PagesEmbryonic Stem Cell Research Francois Rabelais, the famous Renaissance humanist, once said, â€Å"Science without conscience is the death of the soul† (Rabelais, Francois). Since the late 1960’s, this has been the stance for opponents of embryonic stem cell research. This is saying, if we are willing to take a fertilized embryo and kill it before it has even had time to develop, where is our conscience, our heart? We consider this form of stem cell research to be immoral and unethical. ScientistsRead MoreEmbryonic Of Stem Cell Research942 Words   |  4 PagesEmbryonic Stem Cell is when you have to destroy the egg inside, thus rendering that egg to become a human. The Stem Cell is put into a petri dish where it will be cultured and feed nutrients (Bethesda). The Stem Cell is almost like a blank code, It can replenish a part of the body that is hurt or has a disease (Bigloo). Stem cells can be programed any where in the body to fix the issue. When the stem cell divides it will keep pro ducing till the part of the body is back to normal (Bethesda). StemRead MoreThe Debate Of Embryonic Stem Cell Research1292 Words   |  6 PagesEmbryonic stem cells research is the most debated type of stem cell research. The moral standings of embryonic stem cell research have been debated since the research started. The side against the research claims that it is wrong to value one’s life above another and that the elimination of the most basic form of life is murder. While the side supporting the research claims that the research could bring about the cure for many types of diseases and help save the lives of millions. Embryonic stemRead MoreThe Debate Of Embryonic Stem Cell Research1460 Words   |  6 Pages I believe that embryonic stem cell research should be allowed in the United States. From previous encounters with the topic I have learned that the many benefits that can come from stem cell research are without a doubt astounding and unimaginable. There are simpl y endless possibilities that can arise if the research was allowed to be conducted. From giving back vision to rebuilding tissue, any advance in stem cell research would be beneficial to the medical world. With the help that the advancesRead MoreEmbryonic Stem Cell Research Essay710 Words   |  3 PagesResearch on stem embryonic stem cells We live in a world where genetic sciences have gone beyond laws, and past the imagination. We have come to a point where we don’t know anymore what is right, and what is wrong. We have to decide. In fact, studies are made on embryonic stem cells that for now have the purpose to better our overall health. These stem cells are extracted from extra IVF embryos; they are used and destroyed. While it’s true that this research could cure serious illnesses as Parkinson’sRead MoreThe Debate Of Embryonic Stem Cell Research931 Words   |  4 Pages Embryonic stem cell research is the study of stem cells derived from the undifferentiated inner mass cells of a human embryo. For many years now, the ethics of embryonic stem cell research has been argued. A recent advance in this line of research is the ability to clone the embryonic stem cells, which allows for researchers to create a completely compatible embryonic stem cell to the individual’s tissue type. Though thi s new science may be very beneficial, not everyone can agree on the ethics ofRead MoreThe Debate Of Embryonic Stem Cell Research1711 Words   |  7 PagesEmbryonic stem cell research is a hot topic of debate in our modern age, as scientific development continues to push the boundaries of ethics. The debates lies in whether or not it is helping or hindering society, as the procedure involves the manipulation of a human embryo. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are derived from a week old human embryo (blastocyst), often developed from unused in vitro fertilised eggs. They are pluripotent, meaning they are capable of undergoing directed differentiation andRead MoreHuman Embryonic Stem Cell Research1625 Words   |  7 PagesProduction and the Scientific and Therapeutic Use of Human Embryonic Stem Cells, the Pontifical Academy for Life presents the field of stem cell research with a statement regarding the official Roman Catholic position on the moral aspects of acquiring and using human embryonic stem cells.  They have declared that it is not morally legitimate to produce or use human embryos as a source of stem cells, nor is it acceptable to use stem cells from cell lines already established. Thus, bringing up the conflictingRead MoreHuman Embryonic Stem Cell Research2490 Words   |  10 PagesFederal Government to fund stem cell research through the National Institute of Health. There are various types of st em cells, but the policy issue mainly covers human embryonic stem cells. This policy revokes President George W. Bush s executive order 13435 which put heavy limitations on federal funding for stem cell research. Although this policy has already taken effect, there are still bans and immense regulation on particular methods of human embryonic stem cell extraction that involve theRead MoreEmbryonic Stem Cell Research Essay1429 Words   |  6 Pagescure a disease? Embryonic Stem Cells can be used to treat many different diseases, but some people have their opinion that using these stem cells in medicine is unethical because they are coming from a human embryo. There are countries that have banned the use of embryonic stem cells in medicine, and in America there are people arguing that it should be banned here. But what about all of the lives these stem cells are saving, what if research continues and these embryonic stem cells end up being a

The Return Midnight Chapter 1 Free Essays

â€Å"Dear Diary, I’m so frightened I can hardly hold this pen. I’m printing rather than writing in cursive, because that way I have more control. What am I terrified of, you ask? And when I say â€Å"of Damon†you don’t believe the answer, not if you’d seen the two of us a few days ago. We will write a custom essay sample on The Return: Midnight Chapter 1 or any similar topic only for you Order Now But to understand, you have to know a few facts. Have you ever heard the phrase â€Å"Al bets are off†? It means that anything, anything, can happen. So that even somebody who figures out odds and takes bets from people gives them back their money. Because a wild card has entered the situation. You can’t even figure the odds to take a bet. That’s where I am. That’s why my heart is pounding in my throat and head and ears and fingertips in fear. Al bets are off. You can see how shaky even my printing is. Suppose my hands shake like this when I go in to see him? I might drop the tray. I might annoy Damon. And then anything might happen. I’m not explaining this right. What I should be saying is that we’re back: Damon and Meredith and Bonnie and me. We went to the Dark Dimension and now we’re home again, with a star ball – and Stefan. Stefan was tricked into going there by Shinichi and Misao, the brother and sister kitsune, or evil fox-spirits, who told him that if he went to the Dark Dimension he could get the curse of being a vampire removed and become human again. They lied. All they did was leave him in a stinking prison, with no food, no light, no warmth†¦until he was at the point of death. But Damon – who was so different back then – agreed to lead us to try to find him. And, oh, I can’t even begin to describe the Dark Dimension itself. But the important thing is that we finally found Stefan, and that by then we’d found the Twin Fox key we needed to release him. But – he was a skeleton, poor boy. We carried him out of the prison on his pallet, which later Matt burned; it was so infested with creepy-crawlies. But that night we gave him a bath and put him to bed†¦and then we fed him. Yes, with our blood. All the humans did it except Mrs. Flowers, who was busy making poultices for where his poor bones were almost sticking out of his skin. They had starved him to that point! I could kill Them with my own hands – or my Wings Powers – if only I could use them properly. But I can’t. I know there is a spell for Wings of Destruction, but I have no idea how to summon it. At least I got to see how Stefan blossomed when being fed with human blood. (I admit that I gave him a few extra feedings that weren’t on his chart, and I’d have to be an idiot not to know that my blood is different from other people’s – it’s much richer and it did Stefan amazing amounts of good.) And so Stefan recovered enough that the next morning he was able to walk downstairs to thank Mrs. Flowers for her potions! The rest of us, though – all the humans – were totally exhausted. We didn’t even think about what had happened to the bouquet, because we didn’t know it had anything special in it. We’d gotten it just as we were leaving the Dark Dimension, from a kind white kitsune who’d been in the cell across from Stefan’s before we arranged a jailbreak. He was so beautiful! I never knew a kitsune could be kind. But he had given Stefan these flowers. Anyway, that morning Damon was up. Of course, he couldn’t contribute any of his own blood, but I honestly think he would have, if he could. That was the way he was back then. And that’s why I don’t understand how I can feel the fear I feel now. How can you be terrified of someone who’s kissed you and kissed you†¦and called you his darling and his sweetheart and his princess? And who has laughed with you with his eyes dancing with mischief? And who’s held you when you were frightened, and told you there was nothing to be afraid of, not while he was there? Someone you only had to glance at to know what he was thinking? Someone who has protected you, no matter what the cost to himself, for days on end? I know Damon. I know his faults, but I also know what he’s like inside. And he’s not what he wants people to think he is. He’s not cold, or arrogant, or cruel. Those are fa?ades he puts on to cover himself, like clothes. The problem is that I’m not sure he knows he isn’t any of these things. And right now he’s all mixed-up. He might change and become all of them – because he’s so confused. What I’m trying to say is, that morning only Damon was really awake. He was the only one who saw the bouquet. And one of the things Damon definitely is, is curious. So he unwrapped all the magical wards from it and it had a single pitch-black rose in the center. Damon has been trying to find a black rose for years, just to admire it, I think. But when he saw this one he smelled it†¦and boom! The rose disappeared! And suddenly he was sick and dizzy and he couldn’t smell anything and all his other senses were dulled as well. That was when Sage – oh, I haven’t even mentioned Sage, but he’s a tall bronze gorgeous hunk of a vampire who’s been such a good friend to all of us – told him to suck in air and to hold it, to push it down into his lungs. Humans have to breathe that way, you see. I don’t know how long it took Damon to realize that he really was a human, no joke, nothing anyone could do about it. The black rose had been for Stefan; and it would have given him his dream of being human again. But when Damon realized it had worked its magic on him†¦ That’s when I saw him look at me and lump me in with the rest of my species – a species he’s come to hate and scorn. Since then I haven’t dared look him in the eye again. I know he loved me just days ago. I didn’t know that love could turn to – well, to all the things he feels now about himself. You’d think it would be easy for Damon to become a vampire again. But he wants to be as powerful a vampire as he used to be – and there isn’t anyone like that to exchange blood with him. Even Sage disappeared before Damon could ask him. So Damon is stuck like this until he finds some strong, powerful, and prestigious vampire to go through the whole process of changing him. And every time I look into Stefan’s eyes, those jewel-green eyes that are warm with trust and gratitude – I feel terror, too. Terror that somehow he’ll be snatched away again – right out of my arms. And†¦terror that he’ll find out how I’ve come to feel about Damon. I hadn’t even realized myself how much Damon has come to mean to me. And I can’t†¦ stop†¦my feeling†¦for him, even if he hates me now. And, yes, damn it, I’m crying! In a minute, I have to go take him his dinner. He must be starving, but when Matt tried to take him something earlier today, Damon threw the whole tray at him. Oh, please, God, please don’t let him hate me! I’m being selfish, I know, in just talking about what’s going on with Damon and me. I mean, things in Fell’s Church are worse than ever. Every day more children become possessed and terrify their parents. Every day, parents get angrier with their possessed children. I don’t even want to think about what’s going on. If something doesn’t change, the whole place will be destroyed like the last town Shinichi and Misao visited. Shinichi†¦he made a lot of predictions about our group, about things we’ve kept secret from the others. But the truth is, I don’t know if I want to hear any of his riddles solved. We’re lucky in one way. We have the Saitou family to help us. You remember Isobel Saitou, who pierced herself so horribly while she was possessed? Since she’s gotten better, she’s become a good friend, and her mother, Mrs. Saitou, and her grandmother, Obaasan, too. They give us amulets – spells to keep evil away, written on Post-it Notes or little cards. We’re so grateful for that kind of help. Someday maybe we can repay them all. Elena Gilbert put down the pen reluctantly. Shutting her diary meant having to face the things she had been writing about. Somehow, though, she managed to make herself walk downstairs to the kitchen and take the dinner tray from Mrs. Flowers, who smiled encouragingly at her. As she set out for the boardinghouse’s storage room, she noticed that her hands were trembling so that the entire tray of food she was carrying jingled. Since there was no access to the storage room from inside, anyone who wanted to see Damon had to go out the front door and around to the addition tacked on near the kitchen garden. Damon’s lair, people were cal ing it now. As she passed the garden Elena glanced sideways at the hole in the middle of the angelica patch that was the powered-down Gateway where they’d come back from the Dark Dimension. She hesitated at the storage room door. She was stil trembling, and she knew that was not the right way to face Damon. Just relax, she told herself. Think of Stefan. Stefan had had a grim setback when he’d found that there was nothing left of the rose, but he had soon recovered his usual humility and grace, touching Elena’s cheek and saying that he was thankful just to be there with her. That this closeness was al he asked of life. Clean clothes, decent food – freedom – al these were worth fighting for, but Elena was the most important. And Elena had cried. On the other hand, she knew that Damon had no intention of remaining as he now was. He might do anything, risk anything†¦to change himself back. It had actual y been Matt who had suggested the star bal as a solution for Damon’s condition. Matt hadn’t understood either the rose or the star bal until it was explained that this star bal , which was probably Misao’s, contained within it most or al of her Power, and that it had become more bril iant as it absorbed the lives that she took. The black rose had probably been created with a liquid from a similar star bal – but no one knew how much or whether it was combined with unknown ingredients. Matt had frowned and asked, if the rose could change a vampire to a human, could a star bal change a human to a vampire? Elena hadn’t been the only one to see the slow rising of Damon’s bent head, and the glimmer in his eyes as they traveled the length of the room to the star bal fil ed with Power. Elena could practical y hear his logic. Matt might be total y off track†¦but there was one place a human could be sure to find powerful vampires. In the Dark Dimension – to which there was a Gateway in the boardinghouse’s garden. The Gateway was closed right now†¦for lack of Power. Unlike Stefan, Damon would have absolutely no qualms about what would happen if he had to use al the star bal ‘s liquid, which would result in the death of Misao. After al , she was one of the two foxes who had abandoned Stefan to be tortured. So all bets were off. Okay, you’re scared; now deal with it, Elena told herself fiercely. Damon’s been in that room for almost fifty hours now and who knows what he’s been plotting to do to get hold of the star bal . Stil , somebody’s got to get him to eat – and when you say â€Å"somebody,†face it, it’s you. Elena had been standing at the door so long that her knees were starting to lock. She took a deep breath and knocked. There was no answer, and no light went on inside. Damon was human. It was quite dark outside now. â€Å"Damon?†It was meant to be a cal . It came out a whisper. No answer. No light. Elena swal owed. He had to be in there. Elena knocked harder. Nothing. Final y, she tried the knob. To her horror it was unlocked, and it swung open to reveal an interior as dark as the night around Elena, like the maw of a pit. The fine hairs at the back of Elena’s neck were standing up. â€Å"Damon, I’m coming in,†she managed in a bare whisper, as if to convince herself by her quietness that there was nobody there. â€Å"I’l be silhouetted against the very edge of the porch light. I can’t see anything, so you have al the advantages. I’m carrying a tray with very hot coffee, cookies, and steak tartar, no seasonings. You should be able to smel the coffee.† It was odd, though. Elena’s senses told her that there was no one standing directly in front of her, waiting for her to literal y run into him. Al right, she thought. Start with baby steps. Step one. Step two. Step three – I must be wel into the room now, but it’s stil too dim to see anything. Step four†¦ A strong arm came out of the darkness and locked in an iron grip around her waist, and a knife pressed against her throat. Elena saw blackness shot with a sudden gray network, after which the dark closed in overwhelmingly. How to cite The Return: Midnight Chapter 1, Essay examples

First Year of Higher Education

Question: Write an essay on first year experience of higher education? Answer: I started my higher education and transitioned from high school to college. It became very difficult for me manage the course as I had the characteristic to procrastinate and get easily distracted. The major problem in the first year of my college was to decide as to concentrate on which field. This is because in the initial year I was not sure about what I was really interested in. Once I decided the field in which I am interested, it seemed to be easy to tackle things but in the reality, the effort in the college just tripled from the effort that I exerted in high school. The volume of homework has increased and the quizzes, tests and assignments seemed to be tougher than the ones that were done in the high school. Analyzing the college years and starting from the first year, there were substantial improvement in the productivity and growth in my career and life. The first hurdle that I had to face is the huge volume of homework. Doing the homework was not of a problem as the homework allowed me gain new ideas and knowledge about different topics. When I was in high school, sometimes the homework had to be done within the same day, it is then that I face the difficult to manage my homework. In College the volume of the homework are so many that I had to prioritize them in order to complete within the deadline. This allowed me to categorize my homework in terms of the degree of time consuming (Hirt, 2005). Suppose that homework is most time consuming and I cater to this homework first. Again suppose that homework carries a lot of points then I try to finish the homework on a priority basis. One of the struggles of my life after getting enrolled in the college is the poor performance in the quizzes and midterms. I devote a lot of time to studies but the more I prepare the more I perform poor in the tests. I believe that the tests are like personal assessment and it does not have any relation with the numbers rather the idea of the test must be to identify whether the students have acquired correct and knowledge about a particular subject. The first year of college focuses on the real life and its interpretation. So I decided that I had to make changes in my approach to exams. I get panicky and nervous before the day of the exam or tests. The next thing that I reformed was my approach towards the tests and quizzes. I stopped getting nervous before the tests and kept motivating myself that I am well prepared and can perform well (Kyung-Hwa Lee, à ªÃ‚ ¹Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¬Ã‚ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ªÃ‚ ²Ã‚ ½ and Lew Kyounghoon, 2013). This helped me to stay calm before and during the test. Even tually I improved and started performing well. In the first year of my college I faced a lot of challenges in writing. This is because in high school the writing style was simple and easy to assemble. The writing style in the college is different and difficult as it had a distinct writing guidelines, structure and level of writing. In this context, the professors are strict in marking the answer so I had to be more cautious regarding my writing style (Swick, 2009). The writing centre had helped me a lot to improve my writing skill by providing me with the comments at each level of my writing. The improvement of my writing was ensured when each professor made great comments which encouraged me (Smith and Wertlieb, 2005). Writing had always been my weakness and it was a challenge for me to overcome it. Finally, I receive grade of B+ level on my writing considering the fact that I received B level grade in the initial period of first year. This is more like an achievement for me. The first year of college was like a character and personality building year. One of the assignments that I had to complete was done in the form of group projects. Initially I faced a lot of problems in coordinating with the other group members as different students had different views and opinions about a particular topic. It became difficult for the group to come to a common conclusion. In the beginning of the college, I had to handle a similar group project where I found multiple disagreements among the members. I became relentless and failed in that group project. It is then I realized that this is e a part of shaping my nature. I took up the challenge and participated in more of the group project. This enabled me to develop communication skill and working within teams. I developed the skill of concluding the opinions all of the members so that no one is offended regarding their involvement in the project. Gradually, I started participating in more of group projects and performed quite well. On the first day of my college I encountered with an amiable Professor who guided me to my class as I was unable to find it. Thereafter The Professor maintained a cordial relationship with me. I later found out he is hailed from mathematical background and since I had problems in numbers, I often landed in the teachers room to seek his advice and suggestion regarding a particular mathematical problem. The other professors are also friendly and cooperative and the supported and helped me a lot in my academics. It is the professors that helped me to improve my knowledge on any subject. They took the initiative to stay after the class dissolves to help the weak students in enhancing their understanding about the lessons that were taught in the class. I always found the professors to be cooperative in helping the students and introduced a special class after the actual class gets over which the college authorities named as doubt clearing class. This class had helped many students to clea r out all their problems and doubts about the lessons. And no doubt it also helped me to gain better understanding of the lessons (WOOSLEY, 2005). Another major problem that I faced in the beginning of the first year was interaction problems. The college had students enrolled from different cultural and ethnic background which was not prevalent in the high school framework. Establishing an interaction with a particular student who hailed from a different cultural background was difficult for me. I felt that our opinions and views would not be met and there can be conflicts and disagreement between us which will cause a problem in their relationship. As time passed I started made friends from different cultures and found that it was a myth that I had in my minds regarding the culture clash (WOOSLEY, 2005). I found that students from different cultural backgrounds were friendly and pleasant in their behavior and I made couple of friends who hail from different ethnic background. The next good thing that I learned in the initial years is the aspect of time management. As such in the high school there wasnt any time exact framework unlike in college where the assignments and the projects had to be submitted on time and failure to do so would have points deducted. It was once that I failed to submit an assignment on time and got points deducted from the curriculum and it is then I learnt to respect time. I stopped procrastinating and completed the assignments and projects on time without any delay and point deduction. Thus, the overall experience on the first year of my college was personality building and knowledge gathering that will help me in the future. Before entering college I had a perspective of having a fun-filled life with less tension and more of excitement but after attending the first few classes, I understood that college is not just a fun-filled place but also an informative and career building place beneficial for my future. Going back to the first year of college, I can recall the way I improved my writing skills, developed feeling of union, established interaction and communication of friends from varied cultures, learnt to develop cordial relationship with the professors and value time the most (WOOSLEY, 2005). The first year of my college seemed to be challenging for me as the transition from high school is always difficult for a freshman. I shall imbibe all the good learning and memories of the first year in college and make use of them for future enhancement. References Hirt, J. (2005). Challenging and Supporting the First-Year Student: A Handbook for Improving the First Year of College.Journal of College Student Development, 46(5), pp.561-564. Kyung-Hwa Lee, à ªÃ‚ ¹Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¬Ã‚ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ªÃ‚ ²Ã‚ ½, and Lew Kyounghoon, (2013). The Relationship of Parental Involvement, College Life Adaptation and Academic Achievement in First Year College Students.Asian Journal of Education, 14(3), pp.184-201. Smith, J. and Wertlieb, E. (2005). Do First-Year College Students' Expectations Align with their First-Year Experiences?.Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 42(2). Swick, E. (2009).Writing better English for ESL learners. Chicago, IL: McGraw-Hill. WOOSLEY, S. (2005). SURVEY RESPONSE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES AMONG FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS.Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice, 6(4), pp.413-423.