Admissions Consults

Admissions Consults September 25 Our free 20-minute college admissions consults offer us an opportunity to get to know youjust as its an opportunity to get to know us. Before we start working with students and their parents, we often have free 20-minute consults to discuss our service offerings. During these free 20-minute admissions consults, what you may not know is that just as youre interviewing us to find out if were the right fit for you or your child, were interviewing you. Thats right. Weve been in this business for many, many years and life is quite short. So when parents (and its almost always the parents) hop on the phone with us and we get the sense that they have unrealistic expectations of their childs chances for admission to certain highly selective colleges, then well let them know that we dont think its a good match. If we get the sense that we wouldnt enjoy working with the parent, well recommend they seek assistance elsewhere. Sometimes parents and students are surprised when we turn down business. But the objective of our business is to help students gain admission to the colleges of their dreams. We know how to get this done. Weve been doing it for over twenty years. And in the last twenty years, 100% of our students have gained admission to one of their top three college choices. 93% have gained admission to their top college choice. Now if a student with C grades and mediocre SAT scores insists on applying to Harvard, Yale, and Princeton as her top three schools, were not going to take on her case. Because her expectations are unreasonable. Nothing we do is going to help this student. An C student isnt getting into Harvard, Yale, or Princeton. Its just not going to happen. As a company, our resources are not unlimited so we dont take on every case thats presented to us during these free 20-minute consults. We like working with nice people. We like working with people who appreciate the help that we have to offer. Like yesterday when we got a handwritten note from a former student who is now a freshman in college and wanted to thank us for helping him get into his dream school. How wonderful it is to receive such notes! Its a big part of the reason why we do what we do. Have a question about our college admissions consults? Ask away by posting a Comment below. We look forward to hearing from you.

College Athletes Should Not Be Paid - 1021 Words

Every year in the United States thousands of collegiate student-athletes participate in a variety of different sports, and currently they do not receive paychecks for their performances. College athletics have attained an extensive popularity increase among Americans over the past few decades. The result - increased revenues for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); therefore, the participating colleges are fueling the debate of whether or not college athletes should collect an income. College athletes should not be paid to play because it will negatively affect their college experience. Rather, they should be compensated for their dedication to the sport. Many student athletes accept scholarships to play at a college or university, which allows the student to attend the school for free. This is fair compensation to the athlete as a college education today can cost as much as $20,000 to even $50,000 at some higher level schools. Essentially, they earn a free education and in return they have the opportunity to represent their school in a particular sport. Furthermore, athletes will begin to feel like they are playing at a professional level and that is exactly what they are not. Athletic scholarships are fair and just compensation as they satisfy the needs of the players without creating unfair discrepancies, as pay-to-play would. When an athlete is being recruited, coaches measure their skill set and make scholarship offers based upon their particularShow MoreRelatedShould College Athletes Be Paid?1578 Words   |  7 PagesAshay Mehta Nou Per 8 Should College Athletes Be Paid? One of the hottest debates in the sports industry is if college athletes should be paid. If you want to pay these athletes, how would the college determine the dollar amount that should be paid? Should the basketball team make more than the football team? Should the the soccer team be paid as well? Cheerleading? Chess team? Should everyone on the team get a salary? What if your college is good at football and your basketball team is awfulRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1398 Words   |  6 Pagesbelieve that college athletes at the highest performing schools are better treated than others. Although they do not get paid, they do receive some benefits for being athletes that other students would not get. One advantage for playing a sport is access to scholarships that some schools reserve for their athletes. Depending on the school and the athlete’s performance, money towards tuition is often given. Only some schools are willing to grant â€Å"full-ride† scholar ships for certain athletes. AccordingRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1289 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout the years college sports have been about the love of the game, filled with adrenaline moments. However, the following question still remains: Should college athletes get paid to play sports in college? Seemingly, this debate has been endless, yet the questions have gone unanswered. The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) plays a vital role in this debate. The NCAA is a billion dollar industry, but yet sees that the athlete should get paid for their hard work and dedicationRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1334 Words   |  6 Pagesrising to the surface is â€Å"Should college athletes be paid?†. This has become a burning question. The NCAA is a multibillion-dollar industry, that makes millions, if not billions, in revenue. Yet it’s still maintains the non-profit status meaning that the industry is not set on making a profit and none of the revenue that is made is distributed to its members, managers, or officers. While most players who play in college sports are under a scholarship, that pays for the college tuition, books, and housingRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1364 Words   |  6 PagesHave you paid attention to all of the news that has been surfacing about collegiate sports lately? It is a big topic now days in the world of sports on weather college athletes should be getting paid to play sports. College athletics have gained great popularity of the past few decades, and have brought schools lots of revenue. A lot of college athletes think they should be getting paid for their services they do for their school. College sports like basketball and football generate over six billionRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1130 Words   |  5 PagesWhat college athlete would not want to be paid to play the sport that he or she loves? The real question is, though, should college athletes be paid fo r their roles in a college’s athletics? They are many points to each side of this recent controversial topic, which is why this has been made into such a hot debate in the past couple of years. As of right now, these athletes are not getting paid, but many of them truly believe that they should. Others believe that they already are being paid throughRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?986 Words   |  4 PagesPaying the College Athlete The college athlete has steadily grown in popularity in the United States over the span of the past decades. Monetarily speaking, this increased publicity has been extremely beneficial for National Athletic Association (NCAA) and all the colleges involved in athletics which has sparked the dispute of whether or not the athlete should be paid for their hard work and dedication on the field and to their school or if the athletic scholarship is more than enough. College athletesRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1239 Words   |  5 PagesLindsey Simmerman Speech 102 T/Th 1:00-2:15 October 25, 2016 Should college athletes be paid to play? Specific Purpose: To persuade the class to agree with my stance on paying college athletes to play sports Thesis: College football is the hours players spend practicing and performing, the number of injuries the players face, and the persona these athletes must portray every day all the while watching their schools, coaches, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) get all the compensationRead MoreCollege Athletes Should Be Paid1254 Words   |  6 PagesSome college athletic departments are as wealthy as professional sports teams. The NCAA has an average annual revenue of $10.6 billion dollars. College athletes should be paid because of the amount of revenue that they bring to their college. Each individual college should pay its athletes based on how much revenue they bring to the college in which they attend. The colleges that win their Division title, their Conference title, or the National championship, give bonuses to the Head coach of thatRead MoreCollege Athletes Should Not Be Paid1558 Words   |  7 Pagesstudent-athletes participate in a variety of different s ports, and currently they do not receive paychecks for their performances. College athletics have attained an extensive popularity increase among Americans over the past few decades. This has resulted into increased revenues for the National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA] and the participating colleges, which has fuelled the debate of whether or not college athletes should collect an income. College athletes should not be paid to play

The Movie, Islam Empire Of Faith And Islam Essay - 2407 Words

This paper will be divided into two parts, one about the documentary we watched in class before and the lecture we had learned. For the first part, we watched the movie, Islam Empire of Faith and it talked mainly about Muhammad, how Islam was formed, and the ottomans. I never really learned anything about Islam but I frequently heard some rumors about the Middle East and the Islam but when I watched the movie, I felt I learned a lot from the movie because there were a lot of important information and I am surprised to know that they have so long history just like us but much complicated. I was not really surprised but more like I thought it is ridiculous that Muhammad was the messenger of God and the angel came to him in a cave. But, I am not trying to be mean but seriously? I thought it was weird because I never would have thought of any angels coming to you and told you that you would be the messenger of God’s. It kind of reminds me of Virgin Mary, she was approached by an angel, Gabriel and was told that she would be pregnant with God’s baby. Since Muhammad was the messenger of God’s and I was not really shocked to learn that Muhammad was needed to be removed soon, and run him out of town that villagers think. I learned that when I was practicing and studying to be a Roman Catholic when I was little. I felt that story is a lot similar to what I had learned back then, maybe it was about Muhammad. I don’t really remember whether it was really him or not because IShow MoreRelatedIslam: Empire of Faith1335 Words   |  6 PagesIn the movie Islam of Faith Part 1, the narrator starts off with the translation of azan to highlight the strong words and the strength of faith. The movie talks about how Islamic civilization has been one of humanities grandest achievements. It was muslims scholars who reclaimed the ancient wisdom of Greeks while Europe were in the dark ages. They who served the seed of the renaissance 600 years before Divincci. From the way we heal the sick to the numerals we use for counting,. Cultures have beenRead MoreThe Rise and Spread of Islam1129 Words   |  5 PagesThe Rise and Spread of Islam The world you once knew is falling to ashes and food is become such a scarcity that people are fighting over a few pieces of bread. The political class is too busy fighting among themselves to care for anyone else. Children are roaming the streets and begging for work to feed their dying, hungry stomachs. This is not a scene from a horror movie, but rather the reality of the beginning of post classical era. In these times of hardship the people turned to a higher powerRead MoreTurning Point : The Suez Canal1679 Words   |  7 Pagesgoods.† Close political ties to French influences and favorable privilege from the Sultan (Abdul Aziz), elevated Isma’il Pasha to â€Å"Khedive† (Viceroy) and emboldened him to pattern his governorship to ignore earlier attempts to a blending of Egypt and Islam. His proclamation of, â€Å"My country, is no longer in Africa, it is now in Europe† portrayed a total commitment to a â€Å"Europeanization of Egypt.† However , the crushing debt already created by Said Pasha, was compounded by new initiatives under Isma’il’sRead More Pakistan Essay1473 Words   |  6 PagesPakistan. Alexander the Great invaded Pakistan in 327 B.C. and took rule during the Persian Achaemenid dynasty. In 711 Arab Muslims crossed the Arabian Sea and invaded Sind, introducing Islam to Pakistan. From then on Islam has been the primary culture in Pakistan. Then in 1526 Pakistan became part of the Mughal Empire. The Mughals introduced Sikhism and the Urdu language to Pakistan. The British government assumed direct control of India and much of Pakistan in 1858. By 1900 the territory had beenRead MoreWhat Are The Fundamental Beliefs Of Islam?2146 Words   |  9 PagesINTRODUCTION Islam, ISIS, ISIL, Sunni Muslim, Shi’ite Muslim, 911, various terrorist attacks around the world. What do the aforementioned people have in common? Their belief in the Qur’an and Allah. How does this belief in Allah differ with Christianity’s belief in Father God? Who knew that taking down Al Qaeda, and murdering Saddam Hussein would lead to the formation of the violent Islamic State called Isil or Isis? We often hear news about Shiite and Sunni Muslims – what is the difference? IsRead MoreThe Rise Of The First Crusade1405 Words   |  6 Pagespart of Asia Minor from Seljuk Turks` control and eliminating the Muslim threat to the Byzantine Empire. Already in July 1099 Jerusalem was conquered by the knights. The idea of ​​the First Crusade in particular, and the whole crusading movement as a whole took its roots in the situation that prevailed in Western Europe at the end of the early Middle Ages. After the division of the Carolingian Empire and the conversion of the Hungarians and the Vikings to Christianity, relative stability settledRead MoreIslamic Terrorism And The Threat Of Cultural Subversion2766 Words   |  12 Pagesis one of the greatest threats faced by the western world today .From threatening our life styles to killing our fellow citizens ,Islam underpins and erodes our laws and institutions in the name of their stalling 6th century ideology and holy book. Angered by transgressions long past and considering all foreigners and non believers infidels and non human, Radical Islam unless stopped in its cultural subversion and terrorist actions will soon become to much to be handled. In this paper I hope to conveyRead MoreIran is one of the World’s oldest co untries. There is evidence of settlements in Iran that go1800 Words   |  8 Pagesfirst as the Persian Empire not only Iran but in a vast territory of southwestern Asia and parts of Europe and Africa. Foreign powers have occupied Iran from time to time since the early years. The most important invasion is the one of the mid 600’s when Muslim Arabs took charge of the country having a lasting effect on its culture. The Muslim Caliphs (religious leaders) are the first ones to govern the country for about 200 years. During the Muslim Arab reign, the Islamic faith spread throughoutRead MoreEid-Ul-Fitr7138 Words   |  29 Pagesmaintain on earth. It is inscribed in verses which are compiled in the holy Quran, the most sacred book in Islam. It is said that the sacred knowledge was revealed to Muhammad during the month of Ramadan. As a mark of respect to Allah and to show gratitude to him for the true knowledge that he gifted to his sons and daughters, the prophet asked his followers (and therefore the followers of Islam) to pass the month of Ramadan in fasting, prayers and other austerities and end the month-long non-indulgenceRead MoreThe Jade Pendant5982 Words   |  24 Pagesthe influx of migrant workers well into the 19th and 20 century. Further add to this rich mixture, Malay culture which has seen the integration of Portuguese and Dutch language and culture from its earliest colonial influences and the strong sway of Islam. Yet, in the early history of Singapore literature, the threads of each literature developed very separately from each other. The Singapore short story written in Chinese in the sixties and early seventies had probably more in common with one written

Comparative Essay free essay sample

A Look into the Life of Hip-Hop The misunderstood subculture of music that many have come to know as hip-hop Is given a critical examination by James McBride in his essay Hip-Hop Planet. McBride provides the reader with direct insight into the Influence that hip-hop music has played in his life, as well as the lives of the American society. From the capitalist freedom that hip-hop music embodies to the disjointed families that plague this country, McBride explains that hip-hop music has a place for everyone.The implications that he presents in this essay about hip-hop music suggest that this movement symbolizes and encapsulates the struggle of various individual on multiple continents. McBride Introduces the origin of his understanding of hip-hop In a very unique manner. Being a student of Columbia university McBride describes what many would consider, a disconnect from his lower income and less educated black counterparts. The feeling that he describes as an African-American being introduced to hip-hop Is one of incomprehension, as well as being somewhat ashamed. The basis for comparison will be the figure of the gentleman. Developed by you: The question may simply ask that you compare the two novels. If so, you will need to develop a basis for comparison, that is, a theme, concern, or device common to both works from which you can draw similarities and differences. Develop a list of similarities and differences Once you know your basis for comparison, think critically about the similarities and differences between the items you are comparing, and compile a list of them. For example, you might decide that in Great Expectations, being a true gentleman is not a matter of manners or position but morality, whereas in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, being a true gentleman is not about luxury and self-indulgence but hard work and productivity. The list you have generated is not yet your outline for the essay, but it should provide you with enough similarities and differences to construct an initial plan. Develop a thesis based on the relative weight of similarities and differences Once you have listed similarities and differences, decide whether the similarities on the whole outweigh the differences or vice versa. Create a thesis statement that reflects their relative weights. A more complex thesis will usually include both similarities and differences. Here are examples of the two main cases: Differences outweigh similarities: While Callaghan’s â€Å"All the Years of Her Life† and Mistry’s â€Å"Of White Hairs and Cricket† both follow the conventions of the coming-of-age narrative, Callaghan’s story adheres more closely to these conventions by allowing its central protagonist to mature. In Mistry’s story, by contrast, no real growth occurs. Similarities outweigh differences: Although Darwin and Lamarck came to different conclusions about whether acquired traits can be inherited, they shared the key distinction of recognizing that species evolve over time. Come up with a structure for your essay Alternating method: Point-by-point pattern In the alternating method, you find related points common to your central subjects A and B, and alternate between A and B on the basis of these points (ABABAB †¦). For instance, a comparative essay on the French and Russian revolutions might examine how both revolutions either encouraged or thwarted innovation in terms of new technology, military strategy, and the administrative system. AParagraph 1 in bodynew technology and the French Revolution BParagraph 2 in bodynew technology and the Russian Revolution AParagraph 3 in bodymilitary strategy and the French Revolution BParagraph 4 in bodymilitary strategy and the Russian Revolution A Paragraph 5 in bodyadministrative system and the French Revolution BParagraph 6 in bodyadministrative system and the Russian Revolution Note that the French and Russian revolutions (A and B) may be dissimilar rather than similar in the way they affected innovation in any of the three areas of technology, military strategy, and administration. To use the alternating method, you just need to have something noteworthy to say about both A and B in each area. Finally, you may certainly include more than three pairs of alternating points: allow the subject matter to determine the number of points you choose to develop in the body of your essay. When do I use the alternating method? Professors often like the alternating system because it generally does a better job of highlighting similarities and differences by juxtaposing your points about A and B. It also tends to produce a more tightly integrated and analytical paper. Consider the alternating method if you are able to identify clearly related points between A and B. Otherwise, if you attempt to impose the alternating method, you will probably find it counterproductive. Block method: Subject-by-subject pattern In the block method (AB), you discuss all of A, then all of B. For example, a comparative essay using the block method on the French and Russian revolutions would address the French Revolution in the first half of the essay and the Russian Revolution in the second half. If you choose the block method, however, do not simply append two disconnected essays to an introductory thesis. The B block, or second half of your essay, should refer to the A block, or first half, and make clear points of comparison whenever comparisons are relevant. (â€Å"Unlike A, B . . . † or â€Å"Like A, B . . . †) This technique will allow for a higher level of critical engagement, continuity, and cohesion. AParagraphs 1–3 in bodyHow the French Revolution encouraged or thwarted innovation BParagraphs 4–6 in bodyHow the Russian Revolution encouraged or thwarted innovation When do I use the block method? The block method is particularly useful in the following cases: You are unable to find points about A and B that are closely related to each other. Your ideas about B build upon or extend your ideas about A. You are comparing three or more subjects as opposed to the traditional two.

The National Museum of Australia

The purpose and the site context of the building The National Museum of Australia (NMA) remains one of the most memorable and magnificent structure in Australia. Architects, Ashton McDougall and Robert Peck designed the NMA.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The National Museum of Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The building occupies an 11 hectare site in Canberra, Australia’s national capital, in Acton Peninsula at the edge of Lake Burley Griffin. The idea of NMA came from an International Design Competition in 1997. NMA is a post-modern building that shows different collections of history and culture. It does not take the root of traditional museum. The outstanding feature in the NMA is the huge loop at the main entrance on the Uluru line. The NMA building has houses of 6600 square metres. These are mainly individual spaces, and exhibition space, which form jigsaw puzzle and a semicir cle at Acton. There is widespread and extensive use of colour both inside and outside. The building has â€Å"varied and vibrant colours, such as orange, gold, crimson, black, bronze, and brushed silver† (NMA, 2012). NMA has a smooth texture consisting of â€Å"anodised aluminium panels that cover most of the walls, and smooth concrete surface† (NMA, 2012). There is an artistic work of Braille words forming raised and sunken holes. The entrance has a huge Hall. The Hall has a wide â€Å"inlet for light and a great open space of curving walls, ceilings, and windows† (NMA, 2012). People see the Hall as a large rope. They say that it is a knot that joins Australia as a country, joining them together in history, and in their stories. After the Hall, there are three levels of exhibition spaces and designs. Colour is significant here in reflecting Australian stories.Advertising Looking for critical writing on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your f irst paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fig 1: A view of NMA Historical and or cultural references for the building The NMA has varied National Historical Collection of Australia’s history as its main attraction. There are other collections too. The NMA holds this treasure of a diverse collection in trust for the country. Historically and culturally, the NMA research works, collections and representations concentrate on three inter-related fields. The first one explores the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, enduring Indigenous attachment to country and contributions to Australian society. The second focuses on the Australian history and society since 1788, which focuses on the history of settlement in Australia and the development of the nation’s political, social and economic life since British colonisation of the continent. Finally, there is people’s interaction with the Australian environment (NMA, 2012). This studies the relati onships between people and their places, the evolution of distinctly Australian landscapes and reactions to environmental challenges. The above three areas closely â€Å"relate to each other, and a number of NMA collections relate to more than one field† (NMA, 2012). The National Historical Collection of Australia has â€Å"one of the world’s largest collections of barks paintings and the collection of the former Australian Institute of Anatomy, including the racehorse Phar Lap’s heart† (NMA, 2012). A part from these, NMA also has different collections of â€Å"historical vehicles, politics and politicians’ materials, collections of convict tokens, and mass collection of Aboriginal breastplates† (NMA, 2012).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The National Museum of Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The NMA also has a dynamic collection of other attractio ns. However, by any international standards, NMA collections do not match some of the leading world museums. It mainly consists of â€Å"collections donations, objects from other government’s agencies, and some acquired through purchases† (NMA, 2012). Macarthur notes that the NMA development relies on â€Å"the reports of Pigott of 1975 and that of National Museum of Australia Act 1980† (Macarthur, 2001). The NMA also creates and keeps important archival and academic and educational collections. These collections are essential in the provision of extra information and historical studies for the NMA collection. Challenges or opportunities in the project associated with context, access, site conditions and or the construction program The use of cast steel for a structural framework is not without its problems. In order to give steel the necessary liquidity, it must contain a relatively high level of alloy elements. This makes it brittle and unfit for welding and w ithstanding high temperatures. Some brackets, such as Gerberette brackets are difficult to join using welding. Therefore, constructors joined them to other parts of the structure using pinned connections (Addis, 1994). The basic design of the steelwork is fairly straightforward with a logical primary or secondary element arrangement configured to minimise element size and at the same time, satisfying the various requirements specific to this particular building. The geometries of the space trusses and primary elements are highly complex. Great ingenuity and inventiveness are necessary in order to realise the design economically on the very difficult curvilinear and tapering site plan, without compromising the architectural opportunities of the construction.Advertising Looking for critical writing on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A crucial challenge occurs in connection with the fabrication of trusses. This is devising an economical way of coping with variations in the span and height that occurs due to tapering, curvilinear form of the plan. This needs some aspect of standardization be incorporated to avoid the program from becoming totally uneconomic. In addition, there is complexity of the geometry of the primary structural elements. The opportunities to solve these challenges are the uses of the â€Å"weldable† cast-steel joint components. Therefore, architect team must become much involved with the design of the structure, particularly with the visual aspects of the complicated connections and the architects and engineers. Consequently, team work is mandatory so as to produce a building that works well both visually and technically. On the other hand, there are opportunities that exist due to use of steels in construction of huge buildings. The main advantage of using steel in a large building is its ability to reduce construction time and program. The large and single panels of steels allow contractors to put up a section of the building at one time. There is no need for separating other framing, insulating and sheathing requirements on site. In some case, some steel materials come as pre-cuts and fixed to include doors and windows sections, curves, arches and difficult shapes. Still, in some cases, the electrical holes are readily done in the frame works. Steels are very strong and are structurally self-supporting. Constructors can use them in roofs, walls and floor systems instead of other building materials. NMA has successfully used steel in most of its walls, stairways, floors, and supporting structures. In walls, steels carry high loads and offer maximum strength in holding the building. The nature of steel enables it to work as a material for exterior and interior walls, to resist earthquakes and high winds. In some roofing instances, steel eliminated the use of tru ss system in cases where there was less than 20 feet in design measurement. This enabled NMA to have open interior spaces and almost eliminated the need for intermediate structural supports. The use of steel reduced the construction costs and waste materials. Readily made steel materials need no further modifications. The use of steel eliminated most environmental impacts that come from other building materials. Steels also come from recyclable materials, thus, ensure environmental safety. NMA has good indoor air and light quality due to use steel in walls. It also created tight envelope around the building to reduce possible entrance of air pollutants. How characteristics and use of the selected material (steel) has influenced the  design, the building form, the structural assembly, component parts and or the building’s construction processes These works of steels are not only the beauty of the NMA, but also pointers to a complex and diverse geometrical works by which the constructors imagined the famous axes of the NMA, which lay out as joined and knotted on the site. NMA design exploits the use of steel to create spiral staircase. Steel offers varieties of designs which are also durable. Steel also enabled the constructors to customize their looks in terms of height, handrails, diameter, and balusters to meet the design needs of NMA. They also blend well with any kind of preferred colour coating. The NMA designers clad steel materials in areas such as walls, canopies, columns windows, lifts, staircases, panels, and NMA facades using different steel materials and a choice of finishes. Some NMA metal cladding applications include â€Å"the satin finish stainless steel, and anodised aluminium panels, which create magnificent walls and windows in NMA† (NMA, 2012). Some of the striking features of the metal cladding are â€Å"the spherical wedge and curved panels forming the interface between vertical and horizontal elements of the building† (Macdonald, 2000). The use of steel influenced some of the structural features that needed stainless steel. The designers created some of the striking designs in NMA. These features include customised themes of stainless steel staircases, tapered bars, balustrades elements of handrails and stanchions, curves of elevations, and different painted steel frames, which create outstanding period effects. In roofing, steel materials play significant roles in the diagonal tie rods on the upper floors of NMA building. The steel rods holds the structures to avoid swaying and make it comfortable for the visitors because they support the building structurally. There are also striking steel features on the building faà §ade, which are open on the exterior walls to keep the design intent visible and influence the history and cultural experiences of the Australians. The steel shapes and other features reflect the designers design intent. They played a significant role in determining the design of the ground- floor lobby, Halls, and other interior features. The most of the building features are steels including the columns that consist of steel cladding. This is not common in most museums. The steels cover both the interior and exterior of the building as a deliberate attempt to cover the preferred architectural features. How the decision to use steel has contributed to the architectural intent of the building: Aesthetic Strength to reflect history of the country Steel is strong, flexible and durable building material. It has influenced both engineering and architectural designs and intent throughout steel structures. Steel is also recyclable and can withstand extreme environmental conditions. Steel has influenced architectural intent in NMA building aesthetically. It shows beauty, history, and culture. The exposed and shining features of different colours show elegance and lightness (Macdonald, 2000). The elegance of the coated steel itself was important in the design. The painted steel columns and walls on the outside and in the lobby are the basic components of the NMA building and are all significant to the material itself. Thus, steel is one of the crucial and integral intent of architectural expressions. Fig 3: Lobby: Steel Aesthetic architectural intent Structural steel is among the most used materials in most landmark buildings. However, most designers choose to bury them in the concrete, walls, columns and building faà §ade and hide their elegance. However, designers of the NMA building decided to expose steel structures in the building and cover them with different coats to enhance the design intent and building aesthetics. The use of steel also presents challenges to engineers. For instance, the NMA building has a high visibility of steel structures and features, which is a problem in achieving such desired designer’s intent. Thus, managing the architectural intent and designers can present serious challenges in implementation of the design. Steel played a significant role in achieving the designers’ intent of architectural invention of its kind, a collection of cultural allusions, visual spins, and architectural symbolism of history. The NMA building shows a high level of scrutiny and consciousness of details in size, proportion, connection and joinery of the steel structures particularly around the rope knot that signifies the unity of Australians in a single country. These ideas had to meet the intent of different designers, architectures, and other stakeholders. The ability to sculpt steel and create pieces of art in a building cannot yield concrete result with inflexible approaches. Steel works well alongside other materials. In addition, it has both the strength and flexibility that is necessary in creating shapes, forms and sizes to fit desired architectural expressions. These are the qualities that make the steel suitable for designing air and light inlets across the walls. The beauty enhan ced by steel presented serious challenges to the design and engineering groups. For instance, the NMA building had to conform to the international and national safety and occupancy requirements. In most cases, steel building must be fireproof, meeting this requirement and maintaining aesthetic beauty is a serious challenge. Thus, painting on the exterior had to meet safety requirements and maintain aesthetic beauty. The steel structure developed parts of large and small steel columns and beams stretching from the building basement and supporting the vertical and horizontal weight, which increases as the building becomes large. The architectures did not fix the steel structures as they were available with their standard measurements, but rather the architectural and design teams took the reduction in size and manipulated it so that the plate sizes drop off in a controlled and planned manner that helped create the building’s feature of strength, lightness and beauty. Fig 4: St eel beam structures and strength of the structure The oval steel thread is not only the symbol of the NMA building, but also an indicator to a complex and thorough work of geometrical designs by which the architects created the knots that show the relationship of Australians in a single country. The looping effect does not cross and pull the building together. Instead, it enlarges the NMA building to point the edges of the surrounding water as the area planning and design intent required. The design procedures also allowed some elements of arts and history to influence the museum in presenting the history of Australia as woven and joined together. The architectures’ idea of symbolism found its place well incorporated in the NMA building ideology. The two axes represent strings and a forced five-sided creation that visitors cannot easily see but separate the building into different parts. We must understand that the NMA building is on remarkable due to application of the lates t computer technology (Davies, 1988). This allowed the teams to design, perform sheet and material cutting, and carry out survey. Still, the building â€Å"geometry is not clear to any layman, and it is difficult and almost impossible to understand it even with the design diagrams† (Macarthur, 2001). Thus, such building’s geometry remains hard to understand and always open to misconceptions in interpretation. We can compare the NMA building geometry and architectural intent to that of S. Ivo della Sapienza of Rome designed by Borromini. Borromini applied a feature of â€Å"a six-pointed star both to create the structural design of the segmented roof and to stimulate the symbol of wisdom† (Macarthur, 2001). Conversely, the geometrical features do not conform to the building elements that it has created. The star is behind the veil, which clearly differentiates life and time experience from the complete and unchanged world of symbols. Scholars note that Borromini wanted to represent â€Å"a five-sided figure as the sign of Christ represented in His five wounds, and if one thinks, with the baroque, that interpretation is infinite, then the string which makes up the NMA can be the Redeemer as well as Griffin’s axes† (Macarthur, 2001). Describe and analyse at least two details that contribute to the quality of the work and shall include (evidence of, and reference to, at least one interview the student has undertaken with the building’s architect, and/or engineer and/or other key stakeholder(s) in its design and/or construction An interview with Aston Raggat McDouglla, Architect in the NMA building construction Question: What is your comment on the design flexibility? Answer: â€Å"The design of the structure takes advantage of flexibility of steel and uses cutting edge construction technique†. The architectures had steel precast parts customised to match design intents and requirements in plants. This is useful in f abricating complex size, shapes, sizes, and certain technical specification. In the absence of prefabrication, complex and detailed designs may be tedious to construct, or the desired quality may be difficult to get on the site using normal construction tools. Precasting provides wide and flexible design opportunities and several designs of the same shapes and sizes that lead to economies in a construction. Fig 5: Precast wall Question: What is your view on quality of external wall and stability of the structure? Answer: â€Å"The overall stability of the structures required careful thought due to the many eccentricities from leaning columns and non-symmetrical arrangements†. The alignment, upright arrangements and smooth surface finishes of external wall steel contributes to building facade. Most precast wall panels need no thorough finishing before the last finishing begins. Techniques such as scaffolding are not necessary in the finishing works. This provides opportunitie s to have clean, and safe working environment for fast construction activities. Fig 6: External walls Question: What is your take on dry and clean construction and material usage on the NMA? Answer: â€Å"The NMA construction was complex and unconventional with limited wastages of materials due to dry and clean construction†. Steelwork increases productivity because it is a dry construction. External wall metal cladding consisting of aluminium and glass, which work together with steelwork to enhance fast construction progress ensure dry and clean construction. The strict specifications for steel framing and cladding systems enhance to a better quality finishing. Workers can avoid scaffolding in installation of external wall structures by using tower cranes. Use of tower crane reduces difficulties associated with scaffolding. Reference List Addis, W 1994, The Art of Structural Engineer, Artemis, London. Davies, C 1988, High Tech Engineer, Thomas and Hudson, London. Macarthur , J 2001, ‘Australian Baroque: Geometry and Meaning of the National Museum of Australia’, Architecture Australia, vol. 4, 1-5. Macdonald, A 2000, The Engineer’s Contribution to Contemporary Architecture: Anthony Hunt, Thomas Telford Ltd, London. NMA 2012, National Museum of Australia, https://www.nma.gov.au/explore This critical writing on The National Museum of Australia was written and submitted by user Lydia Bradford to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

7 money habits to master in your 20s

7 money habits to master in your 20s It’s never too early to start making smarter financial decisions. With any luck, you’ve already begun a good fiscal regime for yourself in your twenties and are now cultivating the good habits you’ll need to be solvent as you progress in your life and your career. If you haven’t begun yet and are nearing your thirtieth  birthday, it’s not too late to start. Begin by folding some or all of the following 7 practices into your life- your future self will thank you for it. 1. Create a budgeting plan.You may have gone to the trouble of drawing up a budget or downloading an app to help you keep on the financial straight and narrow, but that won’t do any good if you don’t actually use them. Use the tool that you like the best to make sure you’re not spending more than you’re earning. Part of your budget should include a set minimum of earnings you’re confident you can squirrel away every month.2. Pay down debt.The avera ge American grad owes over $37,000 in student loans and the average household owes over $8,000 on their credit cards, so don’t feel alone if you’ve accumulated some debt. Just make a point of paying it down as aggressively and early as possible to avoid paying twice the original amount later in life. This will likely take a fair share of effort and a whole lot of self-control. You might have to skip drinks out, scale back on your vacations, or even getting a second job, but in the end you’ll be glad you didn’t put off paying off your debt.3. Don’t blow every paycheck.It’s hard when rent and bills knock your paycheck down to almost nothing, but you must resist the urge to think of the remainder as fun money. Try to boil your necessities down to a small number and put the rest away in savings. If you can start saving 10% of every check now, you’ll be golden. Remember, you’re saving for the long term.4. Cook for yourself.If you su ccumb to the lure of take-out lunches or dinners more than one or two times a week, you’re spending a ton of unnecessary cash. Add the costs of your restaurant meals one week and take a good hard look at the total.  Part of budgeting involves allotting a weekly amount to spend on food. If your dining out costs exceed a sensible weekly total, you’ll need to cut back. Your dollar will stretch much further when you cook for yourself with fresh, whole foods: think vegetables, grains, pasta, and beans.5. Splurge on the items that matter.There are plenty of things you will want to go budget on, but there are some items for which you really should pay a bit extra. Purchasing a cheap piece of furniture may seem like a smart move- until it falls apart in a year or two and you end up having to spend even more on a replacement. Shopping for quality will likely save you money in the long run, so look for furniture that won’t fall apart, energy-saving appliances you wonâ⠂¬â„¢t have to replace or pay extra for on your utility bill, and a car that won’t conk out after a year.6. Save for retirement.You should have long-term monetary goals for savings and growth. If you don’t, come up with some. Talk to a financial planner or open a money market account. And don’t forget to start putting away the maximum amount possible every year towards your retirement as soon as you have that flexibility. For most people, the times of sticking with a company for 25 years and getting a pension are long gone. You’ll have to look out for yourself.7. Be happy where you are.Coveting other people’s shiny things or fancy houses can lead to unrealistic goals and cause you to spend money on things you don’t really need. If you spend your hard-earned money on things beyond your means to keep up with an unattainable image, you’ll end up broke and unhappy. Create your own ideals, and know that it might take many, many years to re ach them. And that’s okay! You never know how friends with fabulous Instagram lives get their money- don’t assume that you’re behind if you don’t match up. Keep your eyes on your own life and financial journey.

White paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

White paper - Essay Example The worth and value of stakeholders was not too high, before 21st century. However, it should be noted that stakeholders was a known terminology in legal concept, since long. The origin of the concept of stakeholders, in business or management field, had initially come into existence in 1963. At that time, the terminology of stakeholders appeared in the international memorandum of Stanford Research Institute. Stakeholders, then, were defined as â€Å"those guys without whose support the organization would cease to exist† (Friedman & Miles, 2006). In the 19th century, the concept of stakeholders referred to the respective owners of business organizations, who had invested money in it as well as possessed full power to enjoy all upcoming benefits of the organization. The author named Freeman had first emphasized on the importance of the term, â€Å"stakeholders†, in 1984, in his book, Strategic Management Stakeholders Approach. Long before 21st century, the business corpo rations were assumed to be artificial legal entities and the value of the so-called stakeholders, like, customers, suppliers, shareholders, government and employees, were assumed to be neutral. Thus, in that particular period, stakeholders of an organization were referred to as only those individuals in the market who could provide economic support to the corporation’s activities. Prior to 21st century, it was found that business corporations used to give importance and value to only those individuals who could support the concerned firm with some financial support. At that point of time, the owners of organizations were considered to be extensively powerful. According to the views of Lord Edward Coke, â€Å"corporations cannot commit treason, nor be outlawed nor excommunicated, for they have no souls† (Friedman & Miles, 2006). The interactions of stakeholders with the soulless organizations were extensively poor in the period before 21st century. The firms almost did not react or