Money! Money! Money!

Money! Money! Money! Hard to believe July is nearly gone eh? Yup in just a few short months all of you prefrosh will shed the pre (presumably through the use of prease if Biology has taught me anything) and finally become fully fledged frosh and other alliterations! Want to eat ice cream on toast for breakfast? Go for it! Dont want to go to class? You wont get in trouble! Want to give me a plasma screen TV for free? Be my guest! Remember, youre adults now and that means you get to make choices. Of course that also means youre adults now, and you have to make choices. Some are trivial, like what color sheets you want for your bed, others are important, like where you want to live; some are easy like would you like to go skiing? and others are hard like deciding if your relationship with a person you said you love is still a healthy one. Yes in the course of one year at MIT you will make exactly 7,873,456,235.834 decisions varying both in magnitude and speed at which their magnitude is clear. And in true MIT fashion, here comes one of those decision moments before you even have time to comprehend it: Youre going to have to start paying for things. Now everyone has a different monetary relationship with their parents that I wont even dwell on except to say that personal finance WILL become more important to you very fast, maybe to different degrees but it will. And it can seem overwhelming when you get an email saying your account was just billed for tuition and you owe MIT 5 numbers before the decimal. But fear not worrisome frosh, thats what this entry is truly about (after a wordy introduction). Its about personal finance and some tips Ive got for you (get it? tips? in a finance blog? eh? ok nevermind). So heres some tips and ideas Ive come up with or gathered from various sources to maximize your meager money monthly (ok, no more alliteration I promise). No particular order: 1. Make a budget: Save for the pigs sake Its not really a hard concept, just hard to apply : Spend less than you make. Easier said than done though (where do you think the credit crisis came from?) Nevertheless, its a good skill to have and it will serve you both in business and life. Your first one doesnt have to be high tech with tables and charts in excel etc. In fact, to avoid being overwhelmed Id reccomend just a simple paper and pencil one to start. Some sample categories are things like: Entertainment, Food, Clothing, Bills, and Savings. Tally up how much you make in a month, subtract out anything you HAVE to pay for, put some in savings, and budget the rest as you feel fit. Its a good feeling knowing that youre spending money you planned on spending instead of just spending willy-nilly on anything that looks shiny and cool and this way youre constantly making money that you can use later for important things, like investing, buying a car or a house etc. 2.Cook Green fire will impress the ladies. Dining is a hot topic for a lot of students at MIT, and thats because everyone has something that works really well for them. Some people cook all their meals, some eat on campus for all their meals, and lots of people do everything in between. Nevertheless, it is generally cheaper (and potentially healthier!) to cook for yourself. Nearly all dorms have at least a community kitchen that you can use to cook food in, and if you get a few friends together you can split grocery bills and cook for each other. Not to mention one day youll have to cook for yourself, and you might as well learn now. For the summer, I cook all the meals for myself and my two roommates in the apartment, and I spend about $100 a week on groceries. Thats 21 meals for 3 people, averaging out to $1.58 per meal. Compared to the ~$8 it costs to eat out for an average meal, I save around $400/mo. Not bad. Youd have to eat a lot of dollar menu burgers or ramen to beat that. 3.Buy Reusable Instead Of Disposable: Do your plates have cupholders? didnt think so Buy rags instead of paper towels, real or plastic plates instead of paper. Being able to reuse things will make them pay for themselves uber-fast. Not to mention its just good practice to throw less away. Not too long ago, some friends of mine over on Conner-2 went through some number crunching for how much theyd save investing in rechargeable AA batteries instead of buying them en masse to feed their Rock Band addiction. Savings add up. 4. ReUse Hey! Its not impossible, and if this ever shows up on reuse This is something MIT specific, but theres a mailing list called reuse where people post things theyre getting rid of for people to come and take what they want. Some AMAZING things show up on reuse, and if you get email pushed to your phone, you can get some sweet stuff. Some of the stuff Ive received for free include:A fridge A couch A road bike A TV Hangers Awesome Office Chairs Skis and Ski Boots and thats just what Ive received! there are frequently old laptops, computer bits and pieces, furniture, utensilsyou name it! Most notably I once saw a Cintiq Wacom Tablet, which goes for around $550 used. I also once contributed half a subway sandwich ( I bought a footlong, but only ate half). ReUse is amazing. 5. Mint.com Alright so now youre saving tons of money, youve got a budget, youre wooing girls with your mad cooking skills and all the free stuff youve acquired from ReUse. Now to bring it all together, use some kind of financial management software. You can use Quicken or Microsoft Money if you want, but my favorite is Mint.com. apparently you spend more on orange than you do on green If youve never heard of it, its an online financial management solution that does all the same things that quicken or MM do, BUT its totally free! Its a cinch to set up with your banks if you do online banking (and who doesnt? this is 2009), and you can access it from any computer (they even have an iPhone app). You can set up your budget, view your spending habits based on card transactions, and even set up alerts to remind you of things like when youre over budget, when your accounts are low, and when bills are due. Mint.com can also suggest bank accounts, investments, and credit cards that can save you money by matching your spending habits. Which brings us to. 6. Credit Cards Thats a scary word for a lot of people, and with good reason. Uncontrolled credit card use has made lots of peoples lives really difficult. BUT they are a financial tool that, if used correctly, can give you some great benefits. For one thing, if youre like most people youre going to have to eventually take out a loan to buy a house or a car or something like that. When you do, they look at something called your credit score to determine what kind of interest rate you can get, (or if you can get the loan at all!). Well the only way to get a credit score is to have had credit history, and one of the easiest ways to do that is to use a credit card. A credit card is a HUGE responsibility though, and all the sort of rules and responsibilities you should be aware of before making the decision is kind of outside the scope of this entry. Nevertheless, some benefits to having a credit card include: building a good credit score, rewards for your spending, flexibility with how much money you h ave. If at this point youre sold and rushing off to sign up for the first credit card you get an offer for, slow down. You should find a card that matches your spending, and our good friend Mint.com can help! After doing a bit of research, Mint.com helped me find a card that offered 9% interest, 5% rewards on purchases for restaurants, gas, movies, and books, and 1% on all other purchases. I also get a bonus for maintaining a high GPA throughout the school year. It was the perfect card for me and I use it all the time in place of my debit card, then just pay it off every month. So all in all, Im not spending more money than I normally do, Im establishing credit, Im still not in debt, and I get 5% of everything I spend back. Works for me! I have to reiterate though that credit cards are a massive financial responsibility and an advanced financial tool, and you really shouldnt pick one up until youre absolutely positive you can manage its use well. Its like Uncle Ben said With great power comes great responsibility. (yes that is a Spiderman quote.) Peter I want to talk to you about your credit card. 7. Investment Despite what it may look like, a tree made out of money is a poor investment. So the whole point of all this money saving and budgeting is to start making yourself financially secure. As a reward for not spending it, money you save can earn you interest in your savings account (you make money.for having money? Whats not to like?) and once you collect a fair amount you can invest it in stocks, bonds, IRAs and the like. Investment is a complicated topic, but the gist of it is that you get compounded interest on what you invest. As a simple example lets say you invested $5000 up front, and then $1000/year after that (not as much as it seems). At 10% return (a fairly reasonable estimate), in 50 years your investment would be worth $1,659,754.00. That means completely separate from the income you make from your career, minus a measly $1000 you invest every year, you could retire in 50 years on over a million dollars. Subtract out the $55,000 you invested in total (and ignoring taxes) and you made $1.6 million doing nothing. Thats because the most important factor with investing isnt the amount, its the time. Thats good for you and me because time is something that you have on your side whereas abundant money isnt so much. To make about the same amount in 40 years (like if you waited 10 years to invest), youd have to invest $33,000, plus the $1000 annual investment. Clearly there is a huge benefit to investing early. Our friend Mint.com can help you find good investments, as well as any investment firm like Charles Schwab etc.So there you go, theres more information than you probably care to know about what its like managing your income in college. Its intimidating, liberating, exciting, and a host of other -ing words.

The Lesson Classic Short Story Fiction by Toni Cade Bambara Free Essay Example, 2000 words

Miss Moore focuses on Sylvia and asks again what the children learned. Sylvia is quiet and leaves. Sugar and Sylvia leave together, and she lets Sugar run ahead of her. She plans on going off to be alone to think about the day. By the late 19th century, ethnic dialects, like that appear in the narrative voice of Sylvia, formed a voice for social commentary and political satire. The power of voice in constructing this realism and response to larger social, cultural, and racial issues was often used to reflect back to the perspectives of an oppressed black audience of peers and contemporaries (Heller 280). This seems to apply in the case of The Lesson , insofar as the African-American Vernacular English the narrator is using is an assertion of a primary identity. A primary identity is the account of oneself a person gives based on the linguistic community to which he or she belongs. From the voice the narrator uses, the fact of her African-American selfhood is apparent through her di ction, syntax, and a number of other grammatical indicators of a Black speaker. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lesson Classic Short Story Fiction by Toni Cade Bambara or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page Because the story is told in the first-person, the reader is given an opportunity to see the events unfolding in the plot from the perspective of a realistic protagonist. Though she is arrogant and bright, and foul-mouthed, she is also witty: incorporating a lot of humor that is often lost on readers of contemporary fiction. Because of her position as a young Black girl in a society operating against that primary identity, she is forced to deal with the realization that she occupies a low rung in the ladder of society.

Obesity The Obesity Epidemic - 1509 Words

The Obesity Epidemic What is obesity? According to the Health Reference Center Academic, â€Å"Obesity is a clinical condition characterized by an excess of body fat†. Obesity causes serious and life-threatening diseases. Obesity can be calculated using the BMI or Body mass index. The higher the BMI the more obese a person is considered. More than 1 third of the population in the US is obese. Medical costs for treating obesity were estimated at $147 billion in 2008. Non-Hispanic black and Mexican American men with higher incomes are more likely to be obese than those with lower incomes. On the other hand, women with higher incomes are less likely to be obese than those with lower incomes. This may be a result of the type of food that they eat. Obesity in the US is a very common health issue; no state had a prevalence of less than 20%. The increase in obesity rates in the US was from the 1990s through the 2010s (Adult Obesity Facts). There s a lack of statistics about obesity in the Middle East, bu t we expect the rates to be similar to those in the US and increasing. Obesity is an epidemic that is spreading quickly through the nations. Due to the various debilitating effects obesity has on many levels, I would like to expose in depth the causes, prevention, effects, and treatments of obesity. Debates on those points should be outlined quickly to help stop this epidemic. Beginning with the diverse causes of obesity, the direct and most common reason is the intake of more caloriesShow MoreRelatedThe Obesity Epidemic Of Obesity1133 Words   |  5 PagesObesity has always been a topic that many have had due to the increase attention it has received. Across America, there has been a lot of attention on the obesity epidemic. In America and the inner cities, more people are eating meals away from home in addition to consuming larger portions from fast food restaurants. At this rate, gaining weight is the likely outcome. High energy dense food has become convenient and affordable. Fast food is almost everywhere in America and, contributes to the growingRead MoreThe Obesity Epidemic Of Obesity967 Words   |  4 Pagesthe issue. There has been substantial encouragement, which has pressured governments and politicians to implement restrictions on the publicising of unhealthy foods, particularly those targeting children. (Jolly, R. 2011) Researchers of the epidemic of obesity are inclined to emphasise environmental aspects, including the convenience of high-calorie appetising junk foods in conjunction with the influence of television programming, video games, computers and tablets that discourage exercise. TheoreticallyRead MoreObesity : The Obesity Epidemic Essay1321 Words   |  6 Pagesevidence that Americans are among the most overweight across the globe, this issue is constantly ignored. We hear about obesity being one of the most prevalent issues in America yet through the years this issue seems to worsen. Although Obesity may not be taken seriously by many, it is one of the leading health issues in America today. Many don’t understand the causes of this obesity epidemic, but being educated on this topic is the best way to prevent and control this issue. A recent study from the NationRead MoreObesity : The Obesity Epidemic2984 Words   |  12 PagesThe Obesity Epidemic What is obesity? A condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body; obesity is when someone is so overweight that it is a threat to their health (â€Å"What is Obesity?†). Obesity is an increasing global health problem. Corpulence is an important matter because of the astounding magnitudes that this disease has reached in the past 30 years (â€Å"Health and Aging†). Obesity is the reason for nearly 10 percent of the national medical budget, whichRead MoreThe Obesity Epidemic Of Obesity2517 Words   |  11 Pagesof obesity in children is on the rise in America. One in three children in America is obese (Kelly). Anyone can recognize there is a problem with the growing numbers of children overweight, however, no one has come up with a way to stop the obesity epidemic. This epidemic in children has been caused by numerous factors now numerous solutions can stop this if they are put in use. Children are weighing more than they ever have. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, â€Å"Obesity hasRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Obesity And Obesity1319 Words   |  6 Pages There’s an appalling epidemic in today’s society sweeping across not only the United States, but all across the globe. This horrible epidemic isn’t the bird flu, or any type of sickness, rather obesity. Today, obesity rates are at an all time high in America. This disease, obesity, is being passed down the family both genetically, and by the terrible eating habits developing in the US. Kids growing up in this generation are facing frightening issues such as increased risk of heart disease, diabetesRead MoreThe Obesity Epidemic Of Obesity Essay1503 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Obesity is becoming an outrageous and alarming health issue in today’s society. Children are rapidly getting engulfed by this pandemic every day. According to the book Public Health 101: Health People-Healthy Populations, pandemic can be defined as, â€Å"An epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and affecting a large number of people† (Riegelman, Kirkwood, 2015). The World Health Organization estimates that 43 million children worldwideRead MoreObesity Epidemic : Obesity And Obesity1634 Words   |  7 Pagesfrom 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012† (cdc.gov). Subsequently, the obesity epidemic has continued to increase over the past few years in the United States. There are many different aspects that have contributed to the obesity epidemic. For example, many people today choose to be convenient instead of eating healthy, which results in the consummation of processed foods. Processed foods have a significant effe ct on the risk of obesity. With a current society always on the go, adults and children haveRead MoreThe Obesity Epidemic Of Obesity2053 Words   |  9 Pagesrise in obesity has reached global epidemic proportions (World Health Organisation (WHO), 2015). Obesity is defined as an â€Å"abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.† Body Mass Index (BMI) is a common tool used to measure a person s weight in kilograms divided by their height in meters squared (kg/m2) (WHO, 2015). An individual with a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is considered clinically obese (WHO, 2015). However this may not be the most valid way of measuring obesity as itRead MoreThe Obesity Epidemic : Obesity Essay1696 Words   |  7 PagesThe obesity epidemic proves to be an issue in America and continues to grow with time. In simple terms, obesity is a disorder where the subject has increasing amounts of fat, leading to health problems in the future. This epidemic has steadily increase d in American bodies for decades and researchers have tried to find the root causes of this problem. Though there is controversy as to what is the primary cause of this rising epidemic, it is clear that there are many factors that contribute to the

Tree Rosales Saga Free Essays

The Different Customs and Moral Principles of the Filipino Nation Reading books has many benefits both mentally and morally. Firstly, your mind will be active and engaged into old age, and reading can help you forget the problems in your life, and get you captivated by the adventures of someone else or by the author itself. Reading is a fun and great way to leave the stresses of your life and Just unwind. We will write a custom essay sample on Tree Rosales Saga or any similar topic only for you Order Now Through reading it can also improve one’s skill and strategy use, builds fluency, enlarges scapulars, and builds knowledge of the world. And so we are given a task to read Filipino fiction books. There is a range of choice of books that were given to us and I choose the book of F. Session Jose, entitled Tree. Francisco Session Jose or simply known as F. Session Jose, he is one of the most prominent authors of literary books in the Philippines; he created a lot of books that tackled the different issues such as domination, deliverance, compassion, social prejudice and so on. F. Session Jose has been called a Philippine national treasure too. He was born on December 3, 1924 in Resale, Philippines. He was introduced to literature in public school and later at the University of Santos Atoms. While working as a Journalist in Manila, he began his interest in writing short stories and eventually novels. One of the books that he created which is known as the Resale novels that earned several awards like the 1980 Ramona Massage’s Award, 2001 National Artist Award for Literature and the 2004 Pablo Neared Centennial Award is the book entitled Tree. According to Session Jose, as stated at the back of his book, â€Å"Tree is a story of a boy growing up in a small Looking town, surrounded by friends below his social class, by relatives and doting servants who have served his family all their lives. It is also a story of oppression and compassion†see, F. S. , 1978). Tree is one of his few masterpieces’ in which I have the chance to read and I assume that this book was written based from the author’s experience since it is written in the first person point of view. I decided to use the social and the moral-philosophical approach in discussing the story. Tree is a story that tackles about the different customs that are practiced by the Filipinos and it is also a narrative that teaches moral values. The story happened in a small town of Resale in the province of Panamanian, during the year sass’s, the period of the American and Japanese colonization in the Philippines. The story revolves about a young boy who is growing up where in he is surrounded by his friends, family, servants who are all lower than his social status. The boy is growing up together with his father who is very prominent in their town because his father is working for a big person who is Don Vaccine, a well-known land owner in Resale. His father is known o be as an assistant of Don Vaccine and he also has the authority to possess lands and persuade people as he pleases. The young boy grew up in a kind of life that everybody dreamed of. There is no need for him to work to have something to eat, to live; everything is well provided for him by his father. Even the young boy grew up together with his father with a life that is very comfortable; his relationship with his father is distant and remote. He only sees his father very often and they even talk giving birth (pig. 9). And all that is left for him were the memories how people would scribe how beautiful her mother is and stories from people about how his father had loved her mother so much. And so the young boy still thirsts for her mother’s presence and loving care. He even foolishly wishes to see her mother even she would be a pallid spirit. In some way, he feels proud whenever people would praise her mother however he still feels the sense of loss and futility (pig. 9). But even though he doesn’t have a mother beside him, still he grew up with proper manners and a submissive child. He is a young boy who never Judges those people who are around IM despite the differences between social standing. He never chooses people to mingle. He makes friends to all and treasures them as a part of his life since he has this belief that those people he meet along the way teaches him different lessons in life that would make him a better person. Like his friend Angel, who strives to make a difference for himself by Joining what his heart truly desires to be a soldier because he believes that is where he would really belong, he does not want to be a servant for all his life and serve their family Just to pay the debts of his dead parent’s. Angel imply wants freedom for himself and so he told his preparation to escape and Join those soldiers in the mountain to fight against what should be for them to the young boy. Hilled is another friend of the main character in the story (pig. 14). Hilled is a girl somewhat about his age who is a member of the circus team that performs walking in a tightrope up in the heights. As his friend, Hilled taught him a lot of things in life, even at a young age Hilled work already Just to earn money and have something to eat. She uses her skills in entertaining. She almost disregarded her studies and Just soused on performing in the circus team to be able to help her parent’s and those who are expecting from them. Cousin Marcelo, a relative of the main character in the story also made an impact in his life. Cousin Marcelo was a very educated man and a good role model for the main character. Despite the knowledge that he gained from studying, he never used it for immorality, to take advantage to his fellowmen. Since he is educated, he knows how to use his knowledge properly and at the right instances. Another character in the story is Old David and Seep. They are the loyal Emily servants who were devoted and willing to serve until the end for the main character’s family. They already spent their whole life in serving the family because they owe a lot to the family for giving them a good life and a steady Job. Tree is also a literary work that exhibits different cultures and beliefs. Since the setting of the story happened during the period of sass’s it expected that cultures and traditions during that time is still practiced. Like one in the chapters in the story that narrates about the happenings during their town fiesta that happened in the month of June. The month of June is a month that is full of festivities for Resale(pig. 14). Everybody is expecting for big undertakings during their town fiesta since there are many people who would come and celebrate with them and what’s most exciting is that the circus would also arrive and be a highlight for the event. During their time, town festivities won’t be a success without the fiesta of their patron San Antonio De Pads, the competition for the fiesta queen and the presentation from the circus team which is usually held in their plaza. Another tradition that is present in the story when their orientated passed away. They practiced this tradition of mourning that is still day of the burial of the dead and it is celebrated with dining and drinking depending on the finances of the bereaved family. The relatives of the deceased are also required to be dressed in black mourning clothes and black bands for a year until the period of mourning would end. But those relatives who are not directly related to the deceased may stop wearing the black clothing for mourning. In the story during the special occasions like the holidays particularly during Christmas, they prepare a big feast. It’s their custom to celebrate Christmas with all the family, the servants, friends and relatives that even they are far from Resale they still give effort to attend the Christmas celebration held every year. In the story of Tree, it also narrated the different social injustices, compassion and oppression that take part in the story. One of which is a property-owner versus a peasant. If you are a peasant you don’t have the power to persuade the landowner to stop from possessing your land. If you disobey and refuse to agree with what they want, certainly those peasants would be rut and they would make sure that those people who challenged them would be destroyed (pig. 1 1). There is no equality for the marginalia people during their time. Justice can only be served to those who are wealthy, to those who have strong influence and with the ability to manipulate things or even people through the use of money. Through their money and their high social status, everything for them is achievable. The book also showed portrayal about compassion. It is during the time that the father of the young boy presented him to her mother’s grave and he was introduced to his mother grave. The theme of the story tells us that life is can be painted by those people who are around us. They can help us grow, mature and go out with our comfort zones and mold us into better persons through the way they influence us in different ways. Since those people around you shared their learning through experiences in their existence. Those characters mentioned in this paper made an impact to the main character on how he should face the trials in life and how to be a good person. He learned that being a good listener, responsible, humility and being tough is essential in life. Another thing is that money is not the answer to everything, morals are more important to most people. How much values you have for yourself the more people would learn to value, respect and look up to you. The tree or the title of the book itself is the symbol in the story. The ablate tree in particular. The ablate tree as described in the book is meant to give shade from the sun and also from the rain (pig. 2). The tree seemed like ageless it’s so huge and taller than the church (pig. 2). The tree is the witness to all happenings in the town. It seems to be unyielding. Even when an American soldier with an excavator runs into it, the ere survives and the excavator was destroyed. It is also important to note that underneath the ablate tree nothing grows. In Tree, the author uses this representation to suggest that, left to its own device; maybe the Philippines might have prospered but it is never achieved. After all, the tree was indigenous. Tree is a novel supplied with cultural experience that is mixed moral reference. It also showed the importance of having social standing in a society. It also portrayed the way of living during the early period in the Philippines and the struggles of those people who have low social status. How to cite Tree Rosales Saga, Papers

Beowulf The Brave Hero Essay Example For Students

Beowulf: The Brave Hero Essay Beowulf: The Brave HeroEnglish literature begins with Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon folk epic written by an unknown author. The epic presents the story of Beowulf, an ideal Anglo-Saxon hero who through his exploits includes Anglo-Saxon values. One value which Beowulf teaches is love of bravery, a value which he demonstrates through two distinct events. At a time when bravery was highly valued, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, was the symbol of Anglo Saxon perfection. He was the perfect warrior, combining extraordinary strength, skill, courage, and loyalty. Grendel, a cannibal ogre, repeatedly invades Heorot to kill the Danes. When Beowulf hears that Grendel captured Heorot, he decides to free Hrothgar, king of the Danes, and his people. After bravely defeating Grendel, the Danes rejoice. Hrothgar gave Beowulf a rich array of gifts, including a mighty treasure sword, an embroidered war banner, eight horses with golden bridles, and an ancient saddle that was fashioned and decorated with treasure. Beowulfs bravery did not end with that event. He pursues Grendels mother after she revengefully seizes one of Hrothgars nobles from Heorot. He finds Grendels mother in her underwater den and defeats her with a sword forged by giants of old time. Proving his bravery, he then searches for Grendels dead body, sees many treasures, but takes only Gr endels head and the jeweled hilt of the giant sword. He is persistent in his bravery and is rewarded again with twelve treasures by Hrothgar. Bravery is so highly valued to the Anglo-Saxons that Beowulf is now the most honored of men. Battle swords slew Hygelac, king of the Geats. The new perfect king should be a strong, loyal, skilled, and brave warrior. Beowulf is crowned the new king. After fifty years of being king, he is still a brave warrior. Instead of sending out an army, he bravely went to fight a dragon that scorched buildings in his kingdom. He manages to kill the dragon right before dying himself. Beowulf lives on as the perfect, brave hero to the Anglo-Saxons. History Essays

The Ultimate AP Human Geography Study Guide

The Ultimate AP Human Geography Study Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In your AP Human Geography class, you'll learn about the dynamics of societies around the world in economic, social, political, and environmental contexts. This course focuses a lot on ideas and models, along with terminology that defines the ways in which we've chosen to inhabit and change our surroundings. The following AP Human Geography study guide is designed to guide you through all the concepts covered in the course, with an emphasis on cumulative preparation for the AP exam. What Will You Get From This AP Human Geography Study Guide? This guide will help you review for assessments in your AP Human Geography class by providing links to practice resources and tips on effective study strategies. I'll also give advice that's specific to preparing for the final AP exam. In the first section, I’ll detail a step-by-step process you can follow to create and execute a customized study plan for the test.This process includes taking a diagnostic test, evaluating your weaknesses, studying the content areas where you struggled the most, and taking additional practice tests to check your progress. To follow up the study plan, I’ll list a few key study tips to remember as you revisit the course content and take practice exams.I’ll also give you notes for each topic area that you can use to study for in-class tests and review for the AP exam. Having all this information in one place will hopefully make studying for this class much less stressful! Creating a Study Plan for AP Human Geography In this section, I'll go through the steps of a basic study plan for the AP exam. Most of the principles will also apply to your studying for tests throughout the class, but full practice tests are only important when directly preparing for the final exam. You can use shorter topic-specific quizzes to diagnose your weaknesses in different units of the course earlier in the school year. Step 1: Take and Score a Full Practice Test The first step is to take a full practice test so you can get a better idea of your current score level.When you take the test, time it to the specifications of the real AP exam so that you’ll be able to tell if you have any issues with time management. Keep in mind that on the AP test, you only have an hour to answer 75 multiple-choice questions.To be on the safe side, you should try to get your time down to around 30 seconds per question.The only way to get used to this pace is to take practice tests under the same conditions. You might consider usingthis full practice test from Barron’s, which offers both timed and untimed versions with automatic scoring for multiple choice.As you take your practice test, circle or make note of any questions where you feel anything less than totally confident in your answer. Even if you end up getting them right, you should reexamine that content later in your review to increase your comfort level with the material. When you're done, score your test so you can see where you fall in the AP range. You can use this online calculatorfor a decent score estimation based on how many raw points you earned.Then, set a goal for improvement, and decide how many hours you’ll need to put into your prep.If you have a couple of months, you should be able to put in 20+ hours of study time.This will be an appropriate amount studying if you’re hoping to improve by more than one AP point.If you only need to improve by one point or are just looking to raise your score within the same range, you might be able to wait until the month before the test to start the rest of the process. You shouldn’t need to study for more than 10-20 hours. Step 2: Go Through Your Mistakes If you decide to begin the rest of this process now, go through your mistakes on the practice test, and categorize them.This is how you’ll decide which content and skill areas to focus on in your review.There’s no point in studying concepts and terms that you’ve already mastered.If you want to see real improvements, this is the most important stage of the study process.You can’t fix your mistakes unless you know what they are first! Step 3: Study Appropriate Content After you finish analyzing your mistakes, start looking at notes that correspond to the areas where you had the most trouble on the test.Make sure you’re fully absorbing the information as you read.In this case, flashcards might be useful because there are so many terms to remember for AP Human Geography.If you found the free response questions especially challenging, practice a few more of those before you move on to the next step.You can also use some of the sites I’ll link to later in this article to review specific topics with short multiple-choice quizzes. Step 4: Take a Second Full Practice Test When you feel that you’ve fully addressed all of your mistakes on the first test, you can take a second test to see if your scores have improved. Compare your new score to the goal you set in the first step, and decide whether you want to go through the study process again or are happy with your current score. If you're satisfied, you can take a break and just do a bit of light review up until the test. If you find that you haven’t improved, you should reevaluate how you conducted this process and make some changes to your strategy in the next round.Were you in an environment that was too distracting? Did you skim over our notes without really absorbing them? These are the kinds of things that can cause your progress to stall. For planning purposes, here’s the estimated time required for each of the steps in the process for this exam: Step 1: 2.5 hours Step 2: 1 hour Step 3: 2 hours Step 4: 2.5 hours It should take approximately eight hours total for a complete cycle. Of course, you can always extend the time you spend reviewing content if you’re rusty on a bunch of different topics or just want to be extra thorough. Clean off that rust with an acidic solution of facts. AP Human Geography Study Tips These are a few of the most valuable strategies to keep in mind as you go through your study plan to prepare for the AP exam.They should also be helpful in your preparation for smaller assessments throughout the school year in your class. Tip #1: Know Your Regions To get full credit for most free response questions, you have to provide specific examples to support your answers.That means being able to identify the characteristics of world regions regarding their various cultures, demographics, and physical environments.You’ll see a map of the major regions covered by AP Human Geography in the content section of this guide along with a list of seven topics.You should be able to locate each region and identify the relationship it has with each of the seven topic areas. Tip #2: Terms, Terms, Terms Although knowing your way around a map is important, much of AP Human Geography is about your knowledge of terminology.I’d highly recommend making flashcards or using online flashcards in your studying (I'll put a link to some of these in the upcoming content section!).Many multiple-choice questions are essentially just asking for definitions, and some free response questions begin by asking you to define a term that the rest of the question addresses in more depth. Even if it's not this direct, knowing your way around the language of the field of geography will make it much easier to understand questions without relying on shaky assumptions or inferences. Tip #3: Pay Attention to Important Models and Theories Human Geography is mostly considered a humanities subject, but there are some scientific elements to it. These show up in the form of demographic models that are introduced throughout the course. It's important to know how to read models and understand what they represent. You should also know how they connect to major theories in human geography and what those theories say about the development of society. I'll give you a link to a comprehensive list of models and theories at the end of the next section. Skylar, how many times do I have to explain homophones to you? YOU'RE. NOT. HELPING. AP Human GeographyTopics and Notes AP Human Geography covers seven major topic areas. In this section,I’ll list each of them followed by notes that cover relevant subtopics. You can use these notes in the content review stage of your final AP study process and during the year as you review for in-class tests.You might find these notes (from CourseNotes) difficult to get through because they’re written in such a way that it’s hard to pick out key concepts. There are a lot of long paragraphs with no bolding of important terms.If you find these notes borderline incomprehensible, you should try getting a review book that puts all the content in clearer terms. I thinkCracking the AP Human Geography Exam is a good starting point. As a precursor to the notes, here's a map of all the world regions that are discussed throughout the course. You'll need to consider how these topics apply differently to varying locations around the globe: Topic #1: Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives Geography and Human Geography Topic #2: Population The Earth As Humanity’s Home Fundamentals of Population: Location, Distribution, and Density Processes and Cycles of Population Change Where and Why People Move Topic #3: Cultural Patterns and Processes Cultures, Environments, and Regions A Geography of Languages Diffusion of Languages Modern Language Mosaics Origins and Distribution of Religions Religion: Location, Diffusion, and Cultural Landscape Religion, Culture, and Conflict Topic #4: Political Organization of Space Political Culture and the Evolving State State Organization and National Power Multinationalism on the Map The Changing Global Political Landscape Topic #5: Agricultural and Rural Land Use The Livelihoods of Rural Peoples Rural Settlement Forms Commercial Agriculture Global Disparities in Nutrition and Health Topic #6: Industrialization and Economic Development Industrial Activity and Geographic Location Resources and Regions: The Global Distribution of Industry Concepts of Development From Deindustrialization to Globalization Topic #7: Cities and Urban Land Use Civilization and Urbanization Urbanization and Location Urban Pattern and Structure Changing Civic Experiences Since terms are so important on the exam, I’d also recommend checking out this full list of all vocab covered by the course (provided by Quizlet) so that you can review all the vocabulary you need to know in one place. You should also check out this overview of all the different theories and models covered throughout the course. When lots of humans get together to form an urban community, they can't help but color on everything. What an adorable species. Resources for Reviewing Content In this section, I’ll go over a few different resources that you can use to test your knowledge of the content and take practice tests and quizzes. Review Books Review books are helpful resources that provide access to additional practice questions and tests.They often include diagnostic tests that will help you diagnose your weak areas accurately and with less legwork on your part.Especially in a subject like Human Geography that can be a little elusive, review books will help you figure out exactly what you need to study and how you should study it.Read my guide to the best review books for this course to get a better idea of which ones you should consider getting.Some solid review books include: Cracking the AP Human Geography Exam (Princeton Review) Barron’s AP Human Geography AP Human Geography Crash Course (REA) Official Free Response Questions (2001-2015) This includes all the free response questions that have been asked on the AP Human Geography exam since 2001.Be aware that the scoring guidelines are only included for 2004 onwards, so the first three sets of questions for 2001-2003 don’t have official answers that you can consult. Sporcle Geography Quizzes As I mentioned in the tips section, it's important to know your world regions for AP Human Geography so you can back up your answers with specific examples.You don’t need to be a complete expert on where every country is located, but these quizzes are both fun AND educational, so I’d recommend checking them out (warning: super addictive). Countries of the World Countries of Asia Countries of Europe Countries of Africa Countries of South America Countries of North America Varsity Tutors Diagnostic Tests This site offers four diagnostic tests for AP Human Geography with 75 questions each (multiple-choice only).The tests have automatic scoring, and each is given a preliminary difficulty level rating.There are also tons of mini-quizzes listed by concept if you want to practice topic-specific questions as well as flashcards that will help you learn all the course terminology. Learnerator Practice Quizzes There are quizzes on every topic with questions categorized by difficulty level. Quizzes range in length from 10-40 questions, and the site keeps a running tally of how many questions you’ve answered correctly in each category (easy, medium, and hard). Unfortunately, you do need to pay for access to the quiz questions in the "hard" category.It’s $25 to get full access to all the AP Human Geography questions, including a bunch of free response practice. Chapter Quizzes for Human Geography: Landscapes of Human Activities (11th Edition) If you select a chapter of this book on the left-hand navigation bar, you can scroll down and click on a link for a multiple choice quiz.These quizzes are helpful review materials even if your class isn’t using this particular textbook. Now, sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor in the form of an A and/or 5. Conclusion This AP Human Geography study guide has covered a review plan for the AP test, tips for success in studying throughout the year, and a list of all the topics included in the AP Human Geography curriculum. Let's recap!The steps in a successful study plan should look something like this: Step 1: Take and Score a Practice Test Step 2: Go Through Your Mistakes Step 3: Study Appropriate Content Step 4: Take a Second Practice Test Again, you can go through this process multiple times if you don't get the results you want in the first round. Just pay close attention to whether or not you're improving. If not, make changes to amp up the effectiveness of your content review. Some study tips you should keep in mind as you study for both the AP test and in-class assessments include: Tip #1: Know Your World Regions Tip #2: Terms Are Important Tip #3: Pay Attention to Major Geographic Models and Theories After you're clear on the fundamentals of how to study, you can use the notes and practice resources in the second half of the article to prepare for unit quizzes, midterms, and the final AP test. What's Next? Are you thinking about self-studying this class or other AP classes? Find out more about whether AP self-study is right for your situation and which classes are the most manageable options. If you're still planning out your schedule for the future, check out our article on which other history classes you should takeafter AP Human Geography. You might also be interested in these articles that discussAP credit policies at colleges and which classes you should takethroughout the rest of your time in high school based on your college goals. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Gila Monster Facts

Gila Monster Facts Gila monsters are part of class Reptilia and live mainly in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Their scientific name, Heloderma suspectum, is derived from the Greek words meaning stud (helo) and skin (derma). This name refers to their studded skin. Fast Facts: Gila Monster Scientific Name: Heloderma suspectumCommon Names: Gila monsterOrder: SquamataBasic Animal Group: ReptileDistinguishing Characteristics: Heavy bodied lizard with a short tail and orange or pink spots on black skin.Size: Up to 22 inchesWeight: 1.5 - 5 poundsLife Span: Up to 20 yearsDiet: Small birds, eggs, frogs, insects, lizardsHabitat: Deserts, Grasslands, ShrublandConservation Status: Near ThreatenedFun Fact: The Gila monster is named for the Gila river in Arizona. Description Gila monsters have venomous glands located in their lower jaw. Their large heads allow them to have strong bites that let their venom in the grooves of their teeth sink into the victim. They walk high on their legs to keep their tails clear of the ground and swing their tail back and forth to maintain balance. These reptiles hunt during the spring and hide in burrows during the cold months, using fat stores in their tail to sustain them until spring time. They live up to 20 years in the wild, can grow up to 22 inches, and weigh between 1.5 and 5 pounds. Habitat and Distribution Gila monsters live in southwestern United States and northern Mexico, in habitats such as deserts, grasslands, and shrubland. They live at ground level and usually make their homes in burrows in rocky areas. Diet and Behavior Gila monster eating a mouse. John Cancalosi/Photolibrary/Getty Images Gila monsters are carnivores, and their diet consists primarily of small birds and eggs. They also eat lizards, frogs, insects, and small mammals. In situations of extreme temperatures during the day, gila monsters may be more active at night. Because they are relatively slow- reaching only about 1.5 miles per hour- they rely on stealth to catch their prey and also search cacti for eggs in bird nests. Additionally, gila monsters can not see well, so they rely on their strong sense of smell and taste to track their prey. They flick their tongues to pick up scents in the air. These creatures can eat up to 1/3 of their body weight and can store fat in their tails. This reduces the amount of time gila monsters have to spend foraging for food. Gila Monster Bite Gila monsters have powerful jaws that allow them to bite and hold on to their victim for up to 10 minutes. They store venom in the grooves of their teeth in their lower jaw. Most of its food can be consumed by swallowing it entirely or with one quick bite. For larger prey, like small mammals, gila monster venom seeps into the body of the bitten animal and attacks its nervous system. A gila monster bite can be very painful to humans but isnt typically fatal. Reproduction and Offspring Gila monster hatching from an egg. Â  C. Allan Morgan/Photolibrary/Getty Images Gila monsters reach the age of maturity between 3-5 years. Breeding season is in early summer, when males compete by participating in wrestling matches. The female digs a hole and lightly covers her 2-12 eggs that weigh 1.4 ounces and span 2.5 by 1.2 inches on average. Roughly 4 months later, the eggs hatch and gila monsters of sizes averaging 6.3 inches emerge. They look like miniature adults with more vibrant colors and are on their own at birth. These young will grow to become diurnal creatures that spend the majority of their lives underground with a burst of activity during the spring, which is spent hunting for food. Three to four large meals will be all the food it needs to survive the winter. They are mostly solitary animals, but gather in small communities during mating season. Conservation Status Gila monsters are designated as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). While the total number of gila monsters is unknown, their population has been found to be decreasing in the United States and Mexico at an unknown rate. The biggest threat to gila monsters is humans, as the animals are hunted as prized possessions and killed by household pets. They are also illegally collected as pets. Gila Monsters and Humans Notably, a protein component of gila monsters’ venom called Exendin-4 is used in a drug to manage Type II diabetes. The protein has a homeostatic effect by regulating glucose levels in the body. Researchers have found this drug to help manage Type II diabetes by boosting insulin secretion and restoring insulin response. Researchers are currently looking into whether this protein can be used to treat memory disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. Sources C., Triplitt, and Chiquette E. Exenatide: From The Gila Monster To The Pharmacy.. NCBI, 2006, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16529340.Foothills Palo Verde Fact Sheet. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2008, https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Gila%20Monster.php. Gila Monster. The IUCN Red List Of Threatened Species, 2007, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/9865/13022716#population.Gila Monster. Smithsonians National Zoo Conservation Biology Institute, 2019, https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/gila-monster.Gila Monster Lizard. Fws.Gov, 2019, https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/es/gilaMonster.php.Gila Monster | San Diego Zoo Animals Plants. San Diego Zoo, 2019, https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/gila-monster. Accessed 1 June 2019.Zug, George R. Gila Monster | Description, Habitat, Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2019, https://www.britannica.com/animal/Gila-monster.