Tata Motors

TATA MOTORS I. INTRODUCTION Tata Group is an Indian multinational company headquartered MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA. Tata group business is spread across 7 sectors their main sector being steels. Their empire is spread across 6 continents and has its presence in 80 nations. The combined market capitalization of all the 31 listed Tata companies was $89. 88 billion as of March 2012. Tata group gets its major revenue from overseas market contributing 58%. Tata Motors Limited is an Indian multinational manufacturing company. It is a subsidiary of the Tata group.Its products include passenger cars, trucks, vans, coaches, buses and military vehicles. It is the worlds 18th largest motor vehicle manufacturing company, fourth-largest truck manufacturer and second-largest bus manufacturer by volume. In Forbes fortune 500 companies Tata motors occupies 314th position. With the launch of Tata sierra in the year in 1991 Tata motors entered the passenger car segment. Tata Motors acquired the South Korean truck manufacturer Daewoo Commercial Vehicles Company in 2004 and the British premium carmaker Jaguar Land Rover in 2008.Tata Motors has vehicle assembly operations in India, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Thailand, Spain and South Africa. It plans to establish plants in  Turkey, Indonesia and Eastern Europe. Tata Motors' principal subsidiaries include Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Daewoo and Tata Hispano. Tata Motors has consolidated revenue of 32. 5 billion USD in the financial year 2011-2012. Tata motors have an employee base of more than 55,000 employees. Tata motor is the first Indian company from the engineering sector to be listed in the New York stock exchange. II. SWOT ANALYSIS OF TATA MOTORS LIMITEDSTRENGTHS: 1) Strong domestic presence: Tata has a strong presence in Indian market and it is a key manufacturer of commercial vehicles. It is the leading producer in commercial vehicles in all segment and they are among the top 3 producers in passenger vehicles market. Tat a motor company is India’s largest company with the revenue of 1,233,133 crore in the year 2010-2011. 2) Tata motors not only have the strategy for expansion and acquisitions but also they have the intensive management development program in order to develop the leaders of tomorrow. ) Taste and preference of the consumers in local regions is always taken care of in Tata motors. 4) Tata motors have a long list of product portfolios. It has passenger cars, commercial vehicles, trucks and coaches WEAKNESS 1) Tata motors cars are considered for economy class people and not in luxury car segment. So the company lacks its place in luxury car segment. 2) Though Tata cars are present in worldwide it has created major customer base only in India and its nearby countries like Bangladesh, srilanka, Pakistan. 3) The consumer base is limited to certain areas and certain people. ) Tata cars are not following the safety standards. Their design and the body metal used leads to this types of public image. This is a major concern for Tata. Their major example is their Tata Nano. 5) Tata cars are not for the younger generation consumers. Tata cars design is not been attracted by the people of the younger generation of people. 6) Return on investment in Tata motors shares is very low. 7) Even though they have bought luxury car manufacturers Jaguar and Land rover Tata has not made its strong presence in luxury car segment. OPPORTUNITIES: ) Luxury carmaker jaguar and land rover has added a greater advantage to its product portfolio. 2) Tata has a major support from the Indian government. 3) High market demand for the passenger car segment with low price. 4) The world is geared up for the greener revolution and there is a huge market for alternate fuel vehicles. THREATS: 1) Tata cars safety standards can lay down the public trust on their varied portfolio of cars. 2) Other car companies are there for more than 40 years so Tata should learn the production and quality from othe r car manufacturing vehicles. ) The economic conditions of the world countries. The downfall of the economic conditions and the constant fluctuations in the currency rates 4) For a low cost producer sustainability and environmental causes would be a greater concern. 5) Rising cost in the global economy for the steel and raw materials for the production of car can increase the cost of production of car. Most of the cars manufactured by Tata run on Diesel and cost of the Diesel is also increasing around the world and also in home country. GROWTH STRATEGYTata motors growth strategy is to have a position, which is not easily taken up by other competitors in the domestic market, and to expand its market to other countries by 1) Leveraging in house capabilities 2) Through strategic acquisitions and mergers to have a added advantage of their capabilities. In the year 1984 Tata Motors launched Light Commercial Vehicle. In the Year 1996 SUV (sierra) was launched by Tata. In the year 1998 Tat a launched its First passenger car. In the year 2004 Tata acquired Daewoo a Korean company. In the year 2005 Tata Acquired in Hispano, SpainFormed an industrial JV with Fiat, JV in India with Marco polo of Brazil, JV in Thailand with Thonburi In the year 2007. Acquisition of JLR took place in the year 2008. ACQUISITIONS AND JOINT VENTURES: TATA MOTORS AND MORCOPOLO; Tata formed a 51:49 Joint venture With Brazil based Marcopolo for manufacturing of Buses. Targeting mass rapid transportation this joint venture between Tata and Marcopolo manufactures and assembles fully built buses technical know – how support from Tata and process and Body design from Marcopolo. TATA AND FIAT: Tata formed a 50:50 JV with Fiat.With that Joint venture fiat supplied their Engines to Tata cars and Tata motors took care of selling Fiat cars through their dealers. ACQUISITIONS: TATA – DAEWOO Tata motors acquired Daewoo commercial vehicle of South Korea in the year 2004. The reason behind the a cquisition of Daewoo was to reduce the too much exposure in the domestic market and to expand Internationally. The acquisition of Tata and Daewoo lead to the 2nd largest manufacturer of Trucks in South Korea. TATA- HISPANO: In 2005 Tata motors acquired 21% of stakes in Hispano which lead to an opportunity in fully built bus segment.Hispano is European bus manufacturer. In 2009 it acquired the remaining 79% of the stakes by making Hispano their fully owned subsidiary. JAGUAR LAND ROVER: IN the year 2008 when the ford motor company sold JLR to Tata motors it JLR became the wholly owned Subsidiary of Tata motors. Thus by acquiring JLR Tata motors made its foot print in the luxury car segment. It was also one of the greatest acquisitions. It increased the diversity of market segments and their product portfolio. It created a great opportunity for Tata to enter into to Luxury segment with the world’s iconic brand.MARKETING MIX OF TATA MOTORS: 1) PRODUCT: Tata has a wide variety of vehicles placed in different segments. It has vehicles for commercial purposes, Passenger vehicles and in defense sectors also. They have the product placement in all the segments. 2) PRICE: Tata motorcars are generally affordable. Tata motors are targeting the middle-income class of people. Their cars are generally affordable and their service cost is also affordable when compared to the other car manufactures in India. They also manufacture the world’s cheapest car (Tata Nano).They also target the High-income group of people with the acquisition of JLR. The vehicle should not be priced high from other competitors and it should not be priced too low. 3) PROMOTION: a) Personal Selling: Advertising and after sales service is the main promotion strategy of Tata Motors. The basic aspect of advertising is to how you tell the message and what is the medium to tell message. Personal selling is more of in Tata Motors. With the customers who are in the intention to make a sale Tata motors dealers do a personal talk with the customers. b) Trade Fairs and Exhibition:Trade fairs and Exhibitions can promote their new concepts and they can introduce their new vehicles. This type of fairs will get a worldwide attention and recognition for their new models. Auto expo will be a meeting for both the consumers and for the trade. This will increase the awareness among the consumers. c) Sponsorship: It is that Tata motors will be associated with some sports events or events. This will help the Brand to get recognition among the persons who is associated with those events. Tata motors are sponsoring a football game in Spain. d) Advertisements:To create more awareness among the consumers Television Advertisements is also used. Radio advertisements are done to create awareness among the rural consumers. For detailed information print media is also concentrated. DISTRIBUTION OF TATA MOTORS: DMS Technology is used for efficient coordination between the dealers who are spread w orldwide. Apart from distribution networks it has also distributed its manufacturing units in various countries apart from India. Tata motors have assembly units in Brazil, Bangladesh, Thailand, and South Africa. Supply Chain excellence is one of the major success factors for Tata motors.Tata motors distribution and logistics part of the business is outsourced to Tata motors Distribution Company limited (TDCL) that is the wholly owned subsidiary of Tata motors to keep their distribution costs minimum. Through this Tata motors is reducing at least 1% of their distribution and they can concentrate on their core business. TDCL delivers the right product in right time and in right place, which in turn offered flexibility for Tata Motors. Supplier relationship management program and dealer management system bound the suppliers and dealers. Time to time reviews of these programs ensures the program work effectively.Importance is given for supplier coverage and transaction within the organ ization. FINANACE STRATEGIES OF TATA MOTORS: Financial loss in the year 2001 was really a shock for the Tata Motors. It was caused by the reduce in demand for their Truck segment and heavy Investment for their entry into passenger car segment caused them heavy loss for Tata Motors. It caused a 110 million $ loss to the Tata motors. So in 2001 Tata motors decided a 3-phase recovery process each phase is for 2 years totally the process is for 6 years. PHASE 1: To stop the bleedingPHASE 2: To consolidate the position in the Indian market. PHASE 3: To operate Internationally. For phase 1 the key objective was to reduce the Break-even point and to move into market pricing which was the technique of cost reduction. Benchmarking its rivals is also a cost reduction technique. E- sourcing is new to India when Tata went into it. But today Tata is the largest company using e- sourcing and it is leading in the automobile industry. E- sourcing is a faster way to conducting Tenders in online. E- sourcing reduced the Break- even point to one third from two third of their utilization of capacity.The company would be even more profitable when the size is reduced to even 60%. This ensured the bleeding of the company is stopped. For phase 2 to make the product more competitive in the market they improvised in the quality of the product and new product was introduced in the market they would be required by the market for another three to five years. By tightening the credit norms and by improving the liquidity and by new sales planning process and by increasing the profitability of dealers they can strengthen their market place.For phase 3 Tata motors started to identify the international market where there is more potential and where they can earn more respectable market share. â€Å"Tata motors sales (Including Exports) Commercial and passenger vehicles = 71,826 as of august 2012 From the year 2011 to 2012 it has increased by 12% Domestic market Commercial and passenger market = 67,453 as of August 2012 59,874 as of august 2011 It has increased by 4% â€Å" http://www. tatamotors. com/media/press-releases. php? id=783 â€Å"

Equal protection and due process clauses Essay

In natural rights philosophy, a limited government is a system restricted to protecting natural rights and that does not interfere with other aspects of life. Learning from the revolution in Great Britain, colonists created this country?s limited government in an attempt to protect their country from abuse of power. Both equal protection of the law and due process of law help limited government in preventing the abuse of power. Due process of law is one of our country?s oldest constitutional principles. Taking a cue from the Magna Carta, it requires that the actions of government be conducted according to the rule of the law. It is the most important protection against arbitrary rule. Government officials were now just as accountable for their actions as anyone else. A police officer, or even the president, were now held to the same standards as the average citizen. By adding due process of law to the constitution in 1791, founders basically shot down the threat of corruption by stating that no government can be above the law. Much like due process of law, Equal protection of the law is another way of safeguarding and regulating the use of power. A requirement of the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, equal protection declares that state laws may not arbitrarily discriminate against persons. Protection of the law means that no group or individual can receive special privileges or be deprived of certain rights under the law. It reiterates the belief that our rights are God-given, and government has no right to deprive us of our unalienable rights. Along with due process of law, equal protection is one of the key principles of American Constitutionalism. In reference to the 14th amendment, Senator Jacob M. Howard, one of the 14th Amendment?s authors, once stated, ?It establishes equality before the law, and it gives, to the humblest, the poorest, the most despised?the same rights and the same protection before the law as it gives to the most powerful, the most wealthy, or the most haughty?. Without this principle of equal justice to all men and equal protection under the shield of the law, there can be no republican government and none that is really worth maintaining. Together, due process and equal protection of law help check  and balance the use of power in limited government. They protect our natural rights while at the same time avoiding interference in our lives.

Breastfeeding Critical Incident Essay

The personal critical incident paper is designed for the students to identify and articulate their own culture and effects impacts and working with other cultures in particular Hispanic and Latino client. The author of this personal critical incident paper is a 26-year-old African American female she was born in a two-parent middle-class home she is the eldest of two girls. She graduated in the top 15 percent of her high school class. She was able to secure a great score on her ACT and her college†¦ Caroline Barber S00155374 NSG 636 Critical Incident Pressure Injuries in the Perioperative Environment. Critical Incident Essay 30% Figure 1 from Walton-Greer, P. (2009). Prevention of Pressure Ulcers in the Surgical Patient. AORN Journal, 89(3), 538-552. MARKING CRITERIA INTRODUCTION 0-2 Some key information missing in introduction & conclusion. 3-5 Detailed and focused introduction & conclusion. 6-8 Well developed introduction & conclusion. 9-10 Very well developed†¦ Service Marketing Critical Incident Report Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing & Management) Author: Goh Bing Chong Basil (5269131) * Executive Summary This critical report took place at Mischief’s restaurant during September 2015, during the interview it was revealed that an unfortunate case of the dissatisfying experience was involved. Both management and staffs level of customer service provided was a disappointment to customers. After the analysis of the critical incident report, a customers†¦ Critical Incident A Reflective Essay Rich & Parker 2001 defines critical incidents as snapshots of something that happens to a patient, their family or healthcare professional. It may be something positive, or it could be a situation where someone has suffered in some way. Reflecting on critical incidents will allow me to explore and analyse incidents and how it has affects me and what I hope to do with these effects in the course of my training towards becoming a registered practitioner. It†¦ benefits of breastfeeding for the critical analysis paper because during my clinical rotations on the floor I noticed that breast feeding is always one of the main focal points of care. I just have questions about how effective is breast feeding and are their other options that are comparable to the effects that it offers to newborns. There were several experiences that occurred during my stent in the UNC women’s hospital that illustrates many points regarding the subject of breastfeeding, two in particular†¦ purpose of this essay is to critically examine an incident from recent practice using a model of reflection. This will enable me to analyse and make sense of the incident and draw conclusions concerning personal learning outcomes. The meaning of critical analysis and critical incidents will briefly be discussed followed by the process of reflection. The incident will then be described and analysed and then I will discuss issues raised in light of the recent literature relating to the incident. I will conclude†¦ Portfolio – A description and analysis of up to 3 critical incidents encountered on school Experience A that you consider to be teaching dilemmas In this assignment, I will analyse and reflect on a critical incident that I was confronted with during school experience A (here after will be referred to as SEA). I will reflect on the implications that my critical incident has had on my practice and I will relate it to theory. In addition, I will make reference to four approaches of analysis which†¦ Critical Incident Analysis - Placement Interview Summary of the incident After having my application successfully shortlisted for a second placement with Hull City Council, I attended a briefing session where approximately 12 applicants in the same field as myself were informed of what the competitive nature of the interview process actually entailed. Selection for placement availability with adults was to be based upon individual performance in a written task, interview and group discussion at†¦ Contemporary Challenges in Mental Health Care Provision and Management 2 B73M20 Cohort 09/09 Student ID: 20328 Assignment: Critically analyse an incident experienced whilst in practice, allowing opportunity to explore professional responsibilities, concepts of care management and the impact of health policy/legislation on care provision. You should demonstrate fitness of practice (NMC, 2008). Submission Date: 14 May 2012 Assignment word count: 3000 Actual word count: 2967†¦ A critical incident is an expected occurrence in group work, though not all incidents will carry the same degree of seriousness nor will they be unambiguous in nature. The reality of differences among even those with common backgrounds or presenting problems would allude to the fact that it is more likely then not that a critical incident will occur within a group setting. Though often conflict itself is perceived as negative, it can, if apprioately addressed, be a positive turning point in a group†¦

Traffic Cameras Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Traffic Cameras - Research Paper Example Such offenses are chargeable in the courts of law as stipulated by the laws in the constitutions of the given State. In an attempt to avoid hazards and negative outcomes associated with the absence of traffic cameras at major road intersections, the governments should install the gadgets to reduce accidents and enhance security among other benefits. Road traffic collisions are accountable for 1.2 million deaths and approximately 50 million injuries annually according to the approximations by the World Health organization (Cinnamon et al. 1). Cinnamon et al. claims that motorists and pedestrians from frequent observations commit road rule violations at signalized intersections. The accidents are a major drawback to the various states as it leads to loss of scarce human resource through the deaths that normally occur. In addition, mechanical and infrastructural destructions that the intersection accidents bring along lead to infrastructural related losses and thus derail a State’s economy. A designed means of observing and monitoring traffic flow along the intersections can help in minimizing the frequency of the accidents’ occurrence. Therefore, most of the states with the need to eliminate accidents along the intersections should install the traffic cameras in order to help reduce the losses accompanying it. An argument about the sure effectiveness of the installation of the traffic cameras is relevant. A pilot installation is essential in addition to the numerous researches done that fully advocate traffic cameras as the best mechanism in reducing associated accidents. Due to the higher need to reduce the number of traffic accidents in major road intersections, installation of traffic cameras is recommendable. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) calculates that the traffic along the intersections causes more than 100,000 crashes and 1000

Global Business Plan, Hallmark Greeting Cards in Spain Assignment

Global Business Plan, Hallmark Greeting Cards in Spain - Assignment Example Spain’s two main cities, Madrid and Barcelona have a good number of shopping malls in the towns and their outskirts. These shopping malls are popular among the majority of tourists visiting Spain. This potential new market presents Hallmark with risks like currency fluctuations, infrastructure, and another market risk. The company has analyzed Spain’s political-legal environment and come up with a global company structure to accommodate it. An international promotion strategy can give the company advantage over its potential competitors (Grover, 2007). The competition mainly consists of two companies, Stockwell Greetings, and International Greetings. Hallmark looks to utilize its brand’s strong presence in other European countries and its experience in global markets to have an advantage over the competitors. Industrial technology and chemical products are Spain’s top exports (Quora.com, 2014). The company has assessed the economic environment and forecasted the potential start-up costs involved. Start-up costs include takeovers and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Financing is to be done internally through grants (Quora.com, 2014). The market size for greeting cards in Spain is relatively large. It is that over 7 billion greeting cards are purchased every year. Total revenue generated from greeting card sales are said to be over 7.5 billion. 90% of Spanish households buy greeting cards every year. An average household purchases 30 greeting cards annually. Women account for a significant percentage of greeting card purchases. Women purchase over 80% percent of the total sales while Spanish men only buy greeting cards on special events (Grover, 2007). Greeting cards appeal mainly depends on a proper understanding of the customers’ culture. Translation errors brought up by direct translation have a significant

Topic relating to Thanatology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Topic relating to Thanatology - Essay Example Thanatology is derived from the Greek word â€Å"Thanatos† which literally means death. It is the scientific study of death and all other events that are associated with it. This study is interdisciplinary in nature and encompasses the events that precede the death of an individual and those that happen after death. It also takes a keen look at the society’s reaction to death and other rituals that happen during this sad period. The grief that hits the family members, close friends and colleagues is also captured in this study. Florence and Austin (2003) are of the view that death was previously ignored by philosophers due to the preoccupation with more logical aspects of life most of which bring pleasure and keep pain away. They argue that man is naturally tempted to talk about things that bring pleasure and avoid those that bring pain. The two also point out that individuals (especially in Africa) avoid the subject of death because they believe that the mere mention of the name attracts misfortune. However with time, people begun to appreciate the inevitable and hence the study of thanatology was accepted in the modern society. Today it is a core subject in the medical profession. It is studied by nurses, psychologists as well as psychiatrists with the sole aim of helping individuals handle death and its ripple effects. Asked how they wished to die in a random radio interview, people gave various responses. Some said that they would wish to die in their sleep while others said that they would rather say goodbye to this world courtesy of an airplane accident. Others pointed out that they would wish that Jesus comes back and gave them their judgment while still alive. Quite a number said that they would rather not discuss the subject. As evident in the radio interview, the issue of death draws mixed reactions and emotions among different people. Philosophers argue that the manner in which one dies determines the emotion

Introduction to wind energy systems Research Paper

Introduction to wind energy systems - Research Paper Example Coal and nuclear energy have adverse environmental impacts despite being examples of alternative sources of energy. Wind power looks extremely promising as much as it has comparatively high costs. According to Johnson (14) a typical wind energy system has a turbine which works to harness kinetic energy and convert it into usable power. A wind energy system can also be combined with a solar panel. The introduction of a solar panel to the wind energy system is supposed to increase overall efficiency in terms of power generation. In other words, these two technologies complement one another. This power provides electricity for farms, homes, schools and business establishments. Site selection is very important in such a way that, for a small home, the site should be more than half an acre of land and the wind speed should be at least 16km/h (Johnson, 5). The size of the turbine to be installed greatly depends on energy consumption; for instance, homes require smaller turbines as compared to business establishments. It follows that the smaller the turbines the lesser the noise produced. The sound produced can easily be compared to the whispering of leaves as the wind blows past them. Wind energy systems can either be on-grid or off-grid. The off-grid system occurs when a home or business enterprise totally relies on the power generated by turbines and it is completely disconnected from the electric utility company. Studies reveal that this system is 30% more costly than on-grid. This system is made up of a wind turbine mounted on a tower (Appstate). The tower is usually wired up to a control box which works to regulate battery charging. Ecomall believes that an electric utility is expected to give credit to the owner in the event that a grid tie power system sends its electricity to the public grid. The electric company will sum up the monthly credits so as to determine the amount of money owed to the owner of the wind energy system;

Computer Network and Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

Computer Network and Management - Case Study Example When web cache receives the request, it first examines the cache’s inventory of stored objects to verify the existence of the requested web content. If the desired object is found, web cache determines the ‘freshness’ of the stored object by examining the object’s creation date, storage date, expiration date, and client and server preferences. If the stored object is found to be valid and up-to-date (fresh), then it is retrieved from the cache’s object store and sent as an HTTP response to the client, hence, saving time and bandwidth (Hofmann & Beaumont 2005). In case if the requested web object is not found, then the web cache transforms and forward the client request to the origin server, receives the response from the origin server, and forwards the response to the client. After sending the response to the client, web cache decides whether or not to store a copy of the object into its object store. This decision is based on (i) replacement rules, and (ii) dynamic object rules (Hofmann & Beaumont 2005). Web cache has finite capacity and therefore, once the cache is full, it is important to decide whether or not to store the current web object after removing and replacing some another stored object. There are several ways to select the object to be removed and replaced; some popular strategies listed by Hofmann & Beaumont (2005) are: Web cache uses dynamic object rules to find the approximate future value of the object through examining its characteristics in order to determine whether or not the object is valuable enough to be stored in the object store. Dynamic web content, such as stock quotes, news headlines, and weather reports changes very frequently and therefore, their value is dropped very rapidly. Personal information, such as family pictures, journals, and travel plans has a very low future value as it attracts only a few numbers of clients. Likewise, private

Project Planning - Integrating Professional Experience Essay

Project Planning - Integrating Professional Experience - Essay Example These same naysayer would also argue that the plan, once completed is disregarded and merely put on the shelf so the team can get down to doing some real work. To people management, we mean the planning activity that involves deciding on the types of people in form of resources that are required to fulfill the requirements of the project. In other words the types of skills and number of workers we need to complete the project (kwysocki, 1997). In this chapter, we will discuss about planning. What kind of role planning plays? Does it works in Governmental Infrastructure Projects? We will start this chapter with general talk about planning. Whenever we talk about the methods involved in the project management we normally refer those methods towards the management of people as well as resources. The management of people is the management of workers. Management of people guides us about the roles and duties that a worker can perform in a project for making a project successful. It also g uides management what type of staff should reserve for a specific project. How management will take advantage of skilled workers to making a project successful. Project Management plays an important role in Government Infrastructure Projects (Kerzner, 2003). Planning is a basic element of project management which allows management to make plan needed for the completion of project. As such, it is a most important feature of intellectual actions. This thought action is required to the creation and improvement of a plan, or integration of it with other plans, that is, it merge forecasting of developments with the research of situation of how to take action to them. The Word Planning is also used for explaining the appropriate actions used in such an effort, including preparation of documentation, designing work, or meetings to discuss about the main issues in project, how to achieve objectives, and what approach should be followed. Further than this, the

Personal Statement Essay Example for Free

Personal Statement Essay What you want to study at university and why * Specific aspects of the courses that interest you * Examples of coursework you have completed * Practical work you have enjoyed * Books, articles, etc. you have read related to the subject area * Work experience or voluntary work in this area * Conferences you have attended * Personal experiences that lead to the decision to take this subject * Where you hope a degree in this subject will take you in the future * Experiences that show you are a reliable and responsible person * Part-time job * Business enterprise * Community and charity work * Sixth form committee * Helping out at school events and open days * Young Enterprise, World Challenge, Duke of Edinburgh award, Asdan Award, Debating societies, and what you have gained from these experiences. Your interests and skills * What you like to do in your free time * Sport and leisure activities * Subjects you study that are not examined * Musical instrument(s) you play * Languages you speak * Prizes you have won or positions achieved in your interests From the personal statements you have just read through, you may have gathered the following guidelines: * Don’t sound arrogant and pretentious * Try to have an interesting phrase or paragraph to start and finish on * Try not to quote books, magazines or publications in a way that makes it sound like you’ve only read them to put them on your statement. * Do not lie outright and stay as close to the truth as possible * Dont try to be funny or make jokes in your statement * Dont start every sentence with I * Dont include your hobbies and interests unless they are relevant * Dont use vocabulary you dont normally use and just looked up in a dictionary * Dont use famous quotes in your statement unless you back them up with information on how and why this person’s quote influenced you. Dropping them in just for the sake of it makes you look silly and that you haven’t given serious thought to your personal statement. * Dont repeat things already on your UCAS form, e.g. predicted exam grades. * With the exception of a gap year, dont make claims you are going to do something before you come to university * Dont include clichà ©s * Dont take any political or religious viewpoints. write down a list of words or sentences you would like to use like this: * to gain greater understanding of the world around you * sends a signal to prospective employers and graduate schools * students of economics become problem-solvers * the fact is economics affects our daily lives * a challenging and diverse discipline * develops analytical skills, quantitative skills, research skills * it is interesting and relevant Another approach is to split up your notes into a few categories and write a paragraph on each category. For example: * Paragraph 1: Introduction to the subject, the aspects you’re interested in and why * Paragraph 2: What you have done related to the subject that isn’t already on your UCAS form * Paragraphs 3 and 4: Work experience placements and relevant activities at school * Paragraph 5: Your interests outside of school, particularly those that show you are a responsible and reliable person * Paragraph 6: Your goal of attending university and a memorable closing comment In our opinion its best to start with why you want to take your subject, and finish with why you want to go to university or what you want to do afterwards. Before you begin, take a look at the websites and prospectuses of the universities you are applying to, and see if they say anything about writing personal statements. Along with writing about what youve done, try and  explain why you did it, or what you think you learned from it.For example: I currently have a part time job and this has taught me about teamwork, responsibility and time management in the workplace. - Computer Games Programming personal statement I find the fields of Artificial Intelligence and Games Physics interesting and so I have decided to study a course to include these areas. I am currently studying an A level in Information Technology in which I have used Visual Basic in Microsoft Excel and Access. At home I have used the actionscript language in Macromedia Flash to build an interactive personal website. I found this aspect of computing very interesting and so I will really enjoy programming in C++ and other programming languages. I am also studying an A level in Mathematics that I really enjoy. This would be useful for many parts of the course such as games physics. When I’ve played computer games in the past I have always wanted to be able to create something similar. Consequently, the computer games programming course stood out as something that I really wanted to do. I have used some software programs such as Microsoft Visual Basic, Softimage|XSI ESP 3.0, Discreet 3DS MAX 5 (evaluation version) and Maya Per sonal Learning Edition. I would like to see people’s enjoyment when playing a game, knowing that I took part in producing it. I have emailed a few programming companies such as Valve Software, id software, Lionsoft, Electronic Arts and Codemasters explaining my situation and asking whether it would be better to take a games programming course or a software development course and learn game specific items afterwards or in my spare time. All of the replies advised me to take the computer games programming course as this way I would already possess the games programming knowledge. Undertaking my work experience as a sales assistant in a computer store allowed me to develop skills such as working in a team and dealing with customers. Although I was working with others a lot of the time, I also had to work independently. This allowed me to use my own initiative and solve problems. Whilst attending Sutton High Sports College, I have done a large amount of voluntary work. During years 10 and 11, I helped with the schools open days and sports days where I did scoring.  I also took part in after school activities such as playing music. Outside of school I have helped at â€Å"Darby and Joan’s† which is for old aged pensioners where they can get together for company, and to talk and play bingo. Year 12 saw me helping with the year 6 induction day, and assisting with scoring on both the school’s open day and the St. Helens Athletic Finals. Participation in a first aid course gained me a certificate in â€Å"Emergency Aid in the workplace for Appointed Persons.† This involved areas such as resuscitation and control of bleeding. Hobbies and interests include reading books; the genres preferred being science fiction and horror. I also like playing piano of which I am currently working towards grade 8, and I have played â€Å"The Skaters’ Waltz† at Parr Hall (a concert hall) in Warrington. I enjoy using my computer for playing games, including playing games online, and for using the internet to keep up to date with current news in the computing and gaming world, new hardware and software releases. My interests cover a wide area, which I believe will help me in both academic and social life at university. My aim is to become a computer games programmer developing any type of game for PC or console, and I believe that a university course will help me achieve my goal. - Computer Science personal statement From an early age I’ve always been deeply interested in computing. It was my dad, introducing me to the computer systems at his work place that first sparked this interest. I can always remember the feeling of wanting to know just how computers worked, why they worked and what else they could do. This interest never left me, only growing more profound and passionate with every new discovery I made. From communicating with an artificial intelligence to seeing the wonders of the Internet for the first time, computers have left me fascinated with just how much power yet mystery they hold. The A-Levels I chose to study have all helped me to develop both myself and my understanding of the subject. Physics for example has helped me to understand how certain parts of a computer function, while Computing has given me a greater insight into the business aspects of the computer industry. Chemistry and Physics have both helped to improve my analytical and evaluative skills. Within maths I have been lucky enough to have a  teacher who was very interested in computer science. He has been especially helpful, lending me books such as Gà ¶del, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid. This has given me an insight into the richness that is computer science. My interest in computing has not been restricted to the classroom and college life. Within the last twelve months I’ve used the knowledge that I’ve gained over the past twelve years together with the help of my family to set up my own computer related business. This has given me a totally new perspective on how certain things function, and how business operates. The writing of a business plan was a totally alien experience for me, but over the course of 9 months I researched and planned, and finally when the plan was complete I was rewarded with the satisfaction of knowing that I had completed something that most people would never have the chance to do especially at my age. Through the setting up of the company and its subsequent running I have learnt many things. These include how to balance tasks effectively, how critical teamwork can be and how to delegate tasks to get the job done quickly and efficiently. As well as spending time both studying and helping to run the business I understand the importance of having time to relax. One of my hobbies that I try to make time for is learning to fly, and gaining my private pilots license. As a child I dreamed of becoming a pilot and luckily its one dream that I’ve managed to follow. I love the freedom that flying gives you and the control that you have when in the air. Training for my private pilots license (PPL) has also involved me taking onboard a lot of responsibility for the safety of those onboard, and those around the aircraft. From ensuring that I carry out the pre-flight checks correctly, and knowing what’s around you both while you’re on the ground and in the air to ensuring that I’m prepared for any eventuality. I also enjoy both playing and watching tennis. I’ve played in various competitions before, and have helped to umpire junior matches at my club. To ensure that I can fit everything in I’ve had to develop very good time management, prioritising what I need to do efficiently. I’m looking forward with great anticipation to the challenges that studying for a degree in computer science will bring. - Computer Science Personal statement I want to study Computer Science because the world of computers and their integration has exploded in recent years. It has been incredible to observe the development of the computer, from something that was originally the size of a small room and now can fit easily into your hand and has become an integral part of modern society finding uses in just about everything. I want to be a part of the fastest moving technology in the world striving to advance the technologies available to industry and the consumer. While studying my AS Levels in Computing, Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics I have found that they are all interlinked. The choice of my subjects has given me an in depth understanding of the principle ideas of computing that I would not have been able to achieve studying them in one context. The area that I most enjoyed in my computing course was a piece of coursework which involved having to create a database to a stringent specification. I found this challenging to complete because I was given a problem and had to construct a working solution for it using Microsoft Access and Visual Basic in Applications. Programming is a major factor in my interest of Computer Science. I find programming appealing because of the challenge involved in creating a resolution to a problem using different methods. My study of Mathematics and Further Mathematics have played a pivotal role in my studies giving me a logical thought process that I can apply to other subject areas. I found the Mechanics module that I took in my Further Mathematics most intriguing as it could be applied to real life situations such as projectile motion. This was also true for some other modules as I found the applied side more rewarding and enjoyable as opposed to the pure side of Mathematics. While at my secondary school I chose to take my statistics module in year nine staying behind once a week so I could improve my mathematical understanding in preparation for my further education. I also opted to take a vocational art and design course which meant I attended a class at Blackburn College for two hours a week extra. In addition to these I studied an AS level in critical thinking during year ten. Studying for these extra qualifications has reinforced my determination to proceed on to higher education. In my spare time I have worked for over a season as a Ground Safety Steward at Blackburn Rovers Football Club. During my time at the club I have learnt skills such as dealing with the public and providing a welcoming atmosphere, working under pressure and becoming a  reliable and responsible person. Stewarding at Blackburn Rovers has provided me with an interesting escape from college life. At college I was a member of a cross college committee which involved representing the student voice with regards to the ICT issues within the college. I acted as the link between the student body and the administration. I found this a good use for my ICT knowledge and also gained an understanding of how problems are dealt with in a business type environment. My hobbies include keeping fit by running regularly. I benefit from this because it is a chance to test myself and it enables me to focus and calm my mind eliminating everyday stress. I hope to gain my scuba diving license this year which means I will be qualified to scuba dive. From my university experience I aim to become a more independent person and make new friends with similar interests. - Computer Games Programming Personal Statement It has been said a picture can paint a thousand words. If this is the case then I believe a game, an interactive picture, which can not only be observed but experienced fully by the user, an entire world for them to immerse themselves in can speak volumes. Games are a growing part of our society and become more and more popular every single day. Games have been a lifelong hobby and enjoyment of mine, a way of escaping to a new world where you can leave reality behind and experience scenarios and situations that would not normally be possible for most people. However my greatest passion is not with the playing of games, but the workings of them. I have always been curious about the way things work. Especially computers and the software they run. In my spare time I enjoy repairing, building and upgrading PCÃÆ'ƒÂ ¢ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢s for myself and friends. I like to learn about and have knowledge on most areas of computing hardwa re and software wise, however it is games and the creation of them which really catches my eye and sucks me in as the area I would love to go into as a career in life. Despite my passion for games and computers I am not deskbound all day long. I have a part time job as a Business Machines Associate working in the technology section of my local Staples UK ltd store. Dealing with customer problems/repairs, offering advice and maintaining security protocol among other duties. The Job which I have held for almost a year now has given me a  major confidence and initiative boost, taught me to work independently and think logically and on my feet. When not at work, school or at my PC I can be found juggling another passion of mine. Balls, clubs, fire and knives I juggle just about anything and find it to be both an enjoyable and relaxing pastime. I also attend my local gym regularly in order to keep fit as I believe this benefits the individual in many areas of life both mentally and physically. Being involved with school is another important thing to me. I have worked with the IT technicians testing the security of the school network and discovering a number of security holes which I pointed out to them which have since been corrected. I continue to help maintain the integrity and security of the network by ensuring no security holes exist. I also visit a year 10 class once a week in the morning to help out with organising assemblies and events for them. Learning more about how games are actually designed, programmed and put together has been something that I have actively tried to learn about myself ever since I had the resources available to me and have familiarised myself with Macromedia flash and the action script language it uses. AutoDesk 3DS Max and Maya (PLE edition) and have begun to teach myself C++. I wish to carry on learning about games design and programming at university so that I can pursue it as a career and continue to extend my knowledge on it throughout my life. To be involved in the creation of one of the most enjoyable and advanced forms of entertainment today is a major ambition of mine. To have the opportunity to leave a quirky Easter egg of my own hidden in a game. Games are like a concert where the audience gets to perform and I want to be the one who made the instruments. Computer games programming isnt a degree that a typical girl would probably be interested in. But then, I do not see myself as a typical student. When I first left school I studied A levels, but at the end of two years I felt as though I lacked direction and still had no idea what I wanted to do in the future. I took the opportunity to work for a year and give myself some time to think about what I wanted to do in the future. I tried to think about something that I had been passionate about my whole life, and what I came up with was games. Ever since playing the Master System II as a child I have  always had an interest in playing the newest and most exciting games, and the thrill of completing them. I enrolled on a National Diploma course for IT Practitioners and my resolve was strengthened when I started my Software Design and Development unit and discovered a passion for programming, which I continued to enjoy in my Event Driven Programming unit. I enjoy the logical thinking req uired to create a program trying to fix any problems, and the sense of achievement when the program is finished and working. I am particularly interested in the advancing technology of gaming, especially human computer interaction and artificial intelligence, and would love to study these in more detail. When I am not at college I work in a shop selling teas and coffees. I am given a lot of responsibility there and I am trusted to run the shop on Sundays, which involves looking after the money and directing my colleagues. I have also been responsible for training new members of staff. This has given me the skills of working in a team. The job also requires me to have a good knowledge of the products, which is something I have studied in my spare time, as well as the ability to explain what you know to the customers. I think this has helped me to be able to speak to people easily and confidently. I have also developed excellent time management skills from my previous job, which required me to get a variety of different meals ready on time. These skills have been useful at college for helping me to plan my assignments and get them in on time. I also volunteer with a group called Silver Surfers, an organisation run by Age Concern to help elderly people with using computers and the internet. I enjoy doing this because I like helping people with something that I am confident in doing, and seeing the progress in someone who had never used a computer before, and by the end of the session being happy that they have achieved something. I find helping these people becoming more confident with computers very rewarding and have made friends with a lot of the clients that I have helped. I have also helped out at my college in promoting the course that I am studying. I had my photograph taken to be put in this years prospectus, and took part in a video interview about the course to be shown to prospective students. As well as playing games, I spend a lot of my free time reading. I enjoy many genres but my favourites are fantasy and romance novels. I have even started writing my own novel along these lines. Though it is still a work in progress I find writing is a good way of  letting my creativity out, and find it very satisfying when I have finished writing an interesting chapter. I also love watching films and frequently have movie nights with my friends, where we will watch anything from horrors to musicals. After completing my games programming course my aim would be to work in a games company, programming the latest console games. My dream would be to see a project that I have worked hard on selling in shops and people enjoying the products that I have put all of my passion and energy into. In a fast paced world surrounded by technology my fascination with computers continues to grow. From an early age I had an urge and desire to understand how technology worked and it is this fascination that has led me to study computer science. As I have progressed through education to satisfy my appetite for knowledge I have become an experienced programmer and website designer. During my studies I have programmed using Java, Python and PHP. On average, I have produced two games or applications per year, usually with a MySQL database backend. My portfolio so far includes: three web applications (a car rental, film hire and plane booking system), an Android application (a sponsored swim management tool) and two games (peg solitaire and noughts and crosses). One of my favourite units of work was designing the airline booking system because I find the area of Human Computer Interaction incredibly interesting. I personally find it fascinating that the interpretation of a system or application by its users can make a fundamental contribution to aspects of productivity and efficiency. For this reason my long term goal is to complete a masters degree focusing specifically in the area of user experience. My ability to solve complex problems with a methodical and logical approach was demonstrated in Computer Forensics and Advanced Databases. An excellent understanding of the operating system and file structures were required to construct plausible scenarios and timelines relating to possible crimes. I also found relational algebra challenging but fun. With the use of online tools such as Deepnet search engines I was able to find academic papers with which to research areas of particular interest and that enabled me to better understand advanced topics including privacy enhancing technologies and biometrics. During my individual project (film rental system) I had the ability to adapt  modules (Software Development Introduction and Project management) to implement an agile software development strategy. I am also really enjoying taking part in the group project which is designing a diagnostic tool for use in the NHS. I am a very reliable team player and my responsibilities so far have been: research of current diagnostic solutions and organising team meetings via hangouts on Google Plus. Work experience and working independently with various clients in website development and software support tasks has improved my confidence and working knowledge. Experience in the real world has been very beneficial; deepening my understanding of topics that I have studied at university such as Object Oriented Programming and Design allowing me to produce more reliable and efficient code with the use of frameworks (Codeigniter) and APIs (JQuery). In my free time I like to relax by going to the swimming pool. I am a dedicated and motivated swimmer and was an active member of East Sutherland and Tain Amateur Swimming Clubs, regularly participating in training and swimming competitions. I was elected as club secretary of East Sutherland for two consecutive years, during which time my responsibilities included negotiating financial agreements, co-ordinating a training strategy with coaches and working alongside designers to develop brand concepts and produce logos. As well as being a keen swimmer I am a self-taught photographer specialising in portraits. I am a highly skilled Photoshop user and am delighted to have been recently asked to showcase my work at a wedding. Why do it? The modern world depends on technology for everything from the financial markets to your weekly shop, and a good computer science degree will teach you all you need to know to create the next generation of technology and beyond. Computer science would suit you if you like to solve puzzles, enjoy mathematics at school and want a degree that involves technology and creative thinking, with a good blend of practical and theoretical work. Robert Harle, lecturer, and Alastair Beresford, academic fellow, the Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge Whats it about? Fundamentally computer science is the study of logical reasoning and practical techniques to build solutions to real-world problems using modern technology. Any broad computer science degree will equip you with powerful  analytical and programming skills as well as expose you to project management, software and hardware development Computer science is also an umbrella term used to account for many specialist or v ocational degrees involving computers and technology. Specialist degrees will begin by covering the fundamentals of computer science before concentrating on a specific area such as artificial intelligence, games development or computer security. Vocational courses typically cover management and development on current platforms with less of an emphasis on underlying theory. The list of computing pathways is getting longer by the year – in 2012, there’s over 1,200 different courses – enabling you to focus all of your attention on areas such as software engineering, artificial intelligence and games development; Abertay now even offers a four-year degree in ethical hacking and countermeasures. In your first year, theory is likely to dominate most courses, but lab time tends to increase as the years progress, with large-scale, research-led final projects on a piece of software being commonplace in the final year. Study options: As with most degrees, you’re looking at three years full-time studying, or four years in Scotland. However, a large proportion of courses offer an industrial placement year, and MEng courses last for four years. At Bath, you can study a five-year MComp, which incorporates a sandwich year, while at Buckingham, you can complete a BSc in two years. What will I need to do it? Most universities want a maths A-level, with Cambridge and Imperial both requiring an A*, as well as a further A-grade A-levels. Cambridge prefers applicants to have physics as well, and further maths is also recommended. Surprisingly, a study of computer science itself is not usually a compulsory pre-requisite. Given the number of courses at over 100 different institutions, entry grades vary widely – London Met asks for just 220 UCAS points (CCD at A-level, or equivalent). What are my job prospects? The majority of graduates go into the computer industry, working as managers, product developers and engineers at companies such as Google, Microsoft, IBM and Apple. There is also a vibrant start-up culture emerging in the UK, and graduates often work for smaller technology companies or start their own business. Despite the financial crash, computer science graduates remain in high demand in the financial sector at companies such as Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank or Goldman Sachs. The broader problem-solving and practical skills developed by  computer science graduates are highly transferable and thus graduates are in demand in almost every sector. Further study is also a popular choice, with graduates going on to careers in industrial research or teaching. Although you may find reports of high unemployment amongst new computer science graduates, your prospects will vary greatly according to the course and institution you study at. For example, this year’s Good University Guide, compiled by The Times, points out that graduate unemployment is highest among new computer science graduates, at 17 per cent. However, data from Unistats, a website run by UCAS, shows that graduate employment rates for those studying the broader computer science degrees at top universities are typically above 95 percent – higher than students studying most other subjects at the same institutions. Where’s best to do it? Cambridge topped the Complete University Guide 2012, followed by Oxford and Imperial. However, students at Stirling were most satisfied with their course, and St Andrews and Loughborough also fared well in this area. - Cracking the code: a guide to computer science Top of Form Bottom of Form * Login * | Register The currency of computer science is information – how to store it, transmit it and process it electronically. It is considered by many of its practitioners to be a foundational science, one which makes other knowledge and achievements possible. And the things that have been made possible by computer science experts permeate every aspect of our modern lives. Look at mobile phones, satellite navigation, the internet; it’s easy to forget just how sophisticated these now everyday objects are. Consider computer science, then, if you think an exciting career at the forefront of technology is the thing for you. But, this potential glamour means that the subject can be quite popular, which in combination with its basic complexity means that  you’ll have to prove your mettle, particularly if you have your sights on one of the more prestigious courses out there. Be ready to demonstrate both basic proficiency as well as demonstrable passion. If you manage to make the cut, you will begin by acquiring a basic grounding in algorithms, programming, and organizing data, with a smattering of essential mathematics. You will then be able to choose from a raft of specializations, which in turn open up a whole host of careers†¦ * View the QS World University Rankings by Subject: Computer Science Career options and prospects One of the most appealing things about a degree in computer science is, in our increasingly technological era, that employers will virtually be fighting over you. In the UK, for instance, 1 in 20 workers are employed in IT and telecoms – a field for which computer science graduates are particularly well suited – and there is still further demand, with computer science graduates enjoying one of the lowest unemployment levels in the country. In Australia there are more vacancies for ICT professionals than for business, finance and human resources professionals put together. Programmers are also always in demand, from established and new companies alike. And as more and more aspects of our modern lives become computerized it seems unlikely that opportunities will be drying up too soon. The Association for Computing Machinery identifies a raft of potential career paths. For example, there is designing and implementing software, a path has changed a lot in recent years, with web development mobile computing coming to the fore. You might also work in an academic or industrial research capacity, coming up with new ways in which we might use computers. Or you could work in planning and managing organizational technology infrastructure. This final career is best suited to candidates who specialize in information technology, as modern courses in this field tend to focus on this area. There’s plenty of scope for using your knowledge in an entrepreneurial capacity, and there are plenty of non-computer science jobs graduates might take up. Teaching, management and general IT roles are some examples. Specializations Given its nature as subject which is essentially concerned with the building  blocks of complex things, computer science contains within it a whole host of potential specializations. Some of these include: †¢ Computer graphics: The use of computers to render still or moving two or three dimensional images. This has applications outside of the traditional remit of computer science – think architecture or product design – as well as things like computer games design †¢ Programming language theory: Though programming is often treated as a means rather than an end, it is a key area of study. This is an interdisciplinary specialization, incorporating elements from subjects such as mathematics and linguistics. †¢ Human-computer interaction: With technology coming to play a greater and greater part in our lives, the way we interact with it is becoming increasingly important. The wheel of an iPod, the motion sensing devices of modern games consoles, and augmented reality applications on smart phones are examples of innovations in this field. †¢ Robotics: Sometimes incorporating artificial intelligence, robotics is the development of mechanical devices to perform tasks more efficiently than a human could (or tasks that a human could not do). Unsurprisingly, there is much crossover with engineering. †¢ Systems analysis: A study of existing computer systems with a view to improving them by making them more efficient, user friendly and generally fit for purpose. This could lead to a career in consultancy. Skill Summary Computer science is a challenging discipline, but succeeding in it will furnish you with an impressive skill set. Skills you will gain include: †¢ Technical expertise – most importantly, an understanding of algorithms and computer languages †¢ Practical skills †¢ Analytical and critical thinking †¢ Creativity †¢ Working as part of a team †¢ Communication skills †¢ Mathematical aptitude (potentially also stretching to engineering). General interdisciplinary ability †¢ Commercial awareness †¢ Adaptability to developments in the field (continuing professional development is very important in computer science) †¢ The application of  theory to real life It depends if youre dedicated and really want it, or if you just think it might be fun to write games because you enjoy playing them. Im working as a junior game developer alongside doing a BSc in Computer Science (I got recommended by various game developers to do straight Computer Science instead of * With Games Technology), its HARD work, the pay is average, you work late, you work weekends, usually without overtime pay. I have A Levels in Maths, Further Maths Physics, and did a few modules of Maths in University and I still find it difficult to grasp some of the mathematical concepts in game programming. So yes, Maths is essential, some game development companies prefer you to have a BSc in Mathematics instead of Computer Science, having knowledge of College level physics (or higher) is also a big plus. Also, the games industry is very full at the moment, I only managed to get a position from knowing people in the industry otherwise you need to be very good at what you do to get in, and stand out from the massive amount of people who are applying every day. Theres always openings for exceptional programmers (and other people who excel in their area of expertise) but put it this way, in the year Ive worked here weve had hundreds of people apply for jobs, tens of people got through for interviews, and only 2 got hired (the company has over 250 employees). One of the two guys didnt have any official education, he just sent in an amazing example of his work and was hired almost instantly. The Computer Science with Games Technology degree would only really cover you as a programmer, those types of degrees touch on 3d design too, but not in enough detail. If you dont really enjoy maths though I wouldnt say a game programmer would be the best role for you. For a designer, you would ideally need to be good at 2D art and then learn the popular 3D modelling packages 3Ds Max, Maya XSI (learn all 3,  specialize in 1) I think only one of our designers doesnt draw as well as do the 3D design. Being a producer would be an option, but a more suitable degree for that would be a business one, and then learning the fundamentals of programming and 3D design on the side. You dont need anywhere near as much programming/design experience to be a producer though just enough so you can oversee whats going on. As you say though, this is a hard role to get in to because theres usually only 1-2 producers compared to 20-25 programmers, and 30-35 designers working on a game. Im sure if youre passionate about really wanting to get into the industry you would be able to do fine in any one of those roles with the suitable learning. Its very hard work, but nothing beats the feeling of finally seeing a game youve worked on every day for the last year out on the shelf in shops, so good luck whatever area you choose.

Social Security Systems in France

Social Security Systems in France Social security system was founded in 1910 in France. The general scheme is presented in 1945. It was firstly intended to cover the whole population. Social Security consists of a set of institutions that serve to protect individuals from the consequences of various events or situations, usually referred to as social risks. There are four branches in the social security system in France. These are illness, old age/retirement, family and work accident/occupational disease. The compulsory â€Å"general scheme† covers the general population and mostly the employees. Another one is the agricultural scheme that includes agricultural-sector employees and non-salaried workers against all risks. Moreover, the last one is the supplementary pension schemes, ARRCO and AGIRC, which are compulsory for all private-sector employees affiliated to the general and agricultural schemes.    Social security expenditures: A historical perspective The table shows that total social security expenditures between 1980 and 2013. In 2009, public social expenditure amounted to 22.1% of GDP on average in the OECD area, but this varied considerably between countries. France had the highest rate which is %32.10 of GDP in 2009. Last 8 years, expenditures increase gradually except 2011. In 2013, the total amount of social security expenditures is %33.02 of GDP. Social Security Payment system (Pay-as-you go or fully funded or a mixture), describe. In an  unfunded  defined benefit pension, no assets are set aside and the benefits are paid for by the employer or other pension sponsor as and when they are paid. Generally many countries ensure unfunded pensions arrangements, workers have benefits paid directly out of current taxes and social security contributions. We called this method as a Pay-as-you-go method. Generally most European countries are applying this method. However, many countries like France, have a hybrid systems which means they are partially funded. France set up the Pension Reserve Fund in July, 2001. The pension Reserve Fund, originally â€Å"Fonds de Reserve pour les Retraites†, has an aim of using funds from privatisalitions of state holdings to finance the future shortfall of the state PAYG pensions system. Data for Dependency Ratio (demographic data): changes over time. Show the data on a graph and describe the trend Age dependency ratio is the rate of dependents which are people younger than 15 or older than 64 divided to the working-age population which are between 15-64 age. The birth rate in France decreased to 12.70 in 2011, and death rate increased to 8.50 in 2011. Population ages between 0-14 in France was also decreased to 18.26 in 2012. The latest value for Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population) in France was 54.58 as of 2012. Over the past 51 years, the value for this indicator has fluctuated between 61.54 in 1961 and 51.31 in 1987. Income Distribution among the Aged Population The population of France was estimated 64,612,939 in 2014 and the income per household is 2,140 â‚ ¬ nets/month. France is one of only five OECD countries where income inequality and poverty have declined over the past 20 years. Income distribution among the aged population is in below; People near retirement-age (aged 51 to 65) have seen their incomes go up more rapidly than any other group. In 2009, It decreased 28,306 to 28,700. Poverty rates for this group have fallen from 10% to 5%. They have also fallen for people aged over 65 (from 10% to 8%) Describe the Structure of Social Security Tax: Employers and Employees contributions. Need also historical data for this. European countries’s social security systems collect taxes to finance their system. In France, this is financed by social security contributions. Spesific social changes(prà ©là ¨vements sociaux and contributions sociales) are seemingly a payment (to social security system), however mostly they are seemed part of the taxation system. The table below shows the contributions of the both employer and employee. They are payable. But we should consider that; the rates has changes baceuse of type of industy, companies mass, kind of job and wages. The OECD says that, the employers social securtiy contributions are 30% of the employees salary in France. The employer social security contributions in France is one of the biggest in the world rank. This is because the calculation method is still below 50% of the significant number in the table.    Collect Data for the Structure of Social Security Benefits (a measure such as the GRR) and show the re-distributional aspect of it (if present) on a graph. Social security benefits in France are Health Care Benefits, Sickness Benefits, Accidents at work, Occupational diseases, Family benefits, Maternity and Paternity benefits, Unemployment benefits, basic retirement benefits, and Death. The gross replacement rates are the most popular indicators in pension analysis. It refers to the retirement benefit per month divided by monthly labor earnings during the years before one’s retirement. In other words, GRR is only applicable for pensionable persons. One first qualifies for a full public pension after 40 years of contribution. This has been since 2003. Before that, it was 37.5 years. In recent years, there have been increased plans to raise this to 41 years. Generally, the public pension aims for a replacement rate of 50 percent after a person’s full career. There are penalties for missing years or a given number of months, such as a reduction of 1.25-5 percent of each missing year. The GRR in France is divided in three categories: low earners; average earners; and maximum earners. The low earners get a 53 percent gross replacement rate, the average earners get 39.9 percent and maximum earners get 24.8 percent. This variation in earnings across categories is based on an individual’s pre-retirement earnings. Retirement and Age Benefits: Retirement Age did not change from 2012 to 2013 in France and it is 62. The retirement age increase 60 to 62 during the previous President Nicolas Sarkozy. The average retirement age of woman is 62.17 in 2009-2013. It reached its highest level (65) in 2012 and its lowest rate (60) in 2010. The French scheme provides for two compulsory retirement systems for employees. First of all; basic retirement system, in other words â€Å"social security retirement†. This pension is implemented after the age 62. Another important point about retirement in France is pensions may be claimed later if desired. People who continue to work after the their retirement and paid contributions for more than the attributed period for a full retirement (depending on the year of birth) can be granted a higher pension. There is also an opportunity to take an early retirement under certain restrictive conditions. Early retirement is possible at age 56 for people that born in 1952. If they born in 1952 an d entered the labour force before at age 16, it means that they have validated at least 43.5 years. Moreover, it is also possible at age 59 for people that stared working before age 16. They also made at least 43.5 years of effective contributions. Moreover, pensions will be increase in certain circumstancess; those are raising child, awarded in respect of a dependent spouse and constant attendance allowance. Secondly, suplementary pension schemes are administrated by Association for Employees Supplementary Schemes (ARRCO) that covers employeees and General Association of Retirement Institutions for Executives (AGIRC) for executive staff. ARRCO includes both managerial and non managerial employees. In private sector, the pension system has two mandatory tiers: an earnings-related public pension and occupational schemes, based on a points system. For the these types of retirement the age have to be 65-67 relying on birth date. However, there is also possible to claim early retirement pensions of age of 55 or 57. The annual values of ARCCO and AGIRC points in 2011, 2012 and 2013 are: Facts and data for Benefits for Family Relations: Spouses/domestic partners Benefits, Dependent Children’s Benefit, Widowers’ Benefits, etc. Family benefits are granted for illegitimate, legitimate, adopted and foster children on condition that they are dependants of the beneficiary. Individuals should exceed age 20 to benefit from â€Å"Family benefits†. Family benefits include â€Å"basic benefits for maintenance†, â€Å"early childhood benefit† and â€Å"benefits for special purpose†. Basic benefits for maintenance are child benefit, flatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœrate allowance, and meansà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœtested family income supplement. Child benefit is paid to families that live two or more dependent children in France. Since April 2014, child benefit rates are 32% of the monthly benefit base (â‚ ¬129.99) for two children and it increases to 41% (â‚ ¬166.55) for each additional child. Families that have at least three children aged between three and 21 years can benefit from â€Å"Family income supplement†. In France, individuals should exceed age 20 to benefit from â€Å"Family benefit† but there is an exceptional situation which is flat-rate allowance. A flatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœrate allowance is paid to balance the financial loss incurred by families with three or more children when the eldest chi ld turns 20. â€Å"Early Childhood Benefit† includes birth adoption grant, basic allowance, a supplement for free choice of working time and supplement for free choice of childcare. Birth adoption grant is the coverage of expenses of a child birth or adoption.The amount of the grant is â‚ ¬927.71 for a birth and â‚ ¬1,855.42 for an adoption. The amount of basic allowance is â‚ ¬185.54 per month and it is paid after the birth/adoption grant. â€Å"Supplement for free choice of working time† has a purpose to allow family to stop working or work less and to be more interested with their child. The last early childhood benefit is â€Å"a supplement for free choice of childcare† and it is is paid to parent using the services of a registered child-care worker or a baby sitter in the house. â€Å"Benefits for Special Purpose† includes education allowance for disable children, back to school allowance, family housing allowance, moving allowance or daily parental attendance allowance for looking after a child suffering from a severe disease or handicap. Widower’s benefit: This benefit paid to surviving widows. The surviving spouse without resources or whose resources are not sufficient benefits from a pension, based on the pension the deceased would have enjoyed or benefited. In the special schemes, the pension is paid regardless of age. In the general scheme, it is paid from 55. Before that age, widows and widowers are eligible for insurance widowhood. The widow allowance is paid for two years. Unemployment Insurance Benefits Program: This program is only applicable for the employed persons. To understand what this means, below is an explanatory list of requirements needed for one to qualify for the unemployment benefits (EU 22): One must be unemployed through no fault of his/hers He/she must be a registered jobseeker and willing to abide by a personalized back-to-work plan of action He/she must be genuinely and continuously looking for work He/she must be physically fit for work He/she must not meet the full pension schemes, and He/she must produced evidence of their insurance under unemployment insurance scheme for four of the last 36 months and 28 months for those over and under 50 years age respectively Those who qualify get a daily allowance consisting of fixed reference wage (and variable parts. The variable part ranges between 57.4 and 75 percent of the reference wage. This scheme allows a payment for a period of 4 to 24 months (for under-50s) and 36 months (for over-50s). It also depends on the job seeker’s prior insurance period and age (EU 22). Health Care Coverage for the eligible recipients and their dependents. In 2000, the World Health Organization declared that France selected the â€Å"close to best overall health care† in the world. France health care system is financed by government National Health Insurance and France spent 11.6% of GDP on health care and $4,118 per capita. Even if this spending on health care is less than nine countries in the OECD (for example, Germany, Canada , Switzerland) , only two countries surpassed France’s health care spending as a percent of GDP of 11.6 %. Although the country has the second highest level of alcohol consumption in the world, France’s life expectancies is 82.2 which means one of the longest life expectancies in the world. Health care system in France is financed by two system. One of them is called â€Å"L’assurance maladie† which is a state controlled health insurance social security system. The other one is called â€Å"L’assurance complementaire† which is a separate voluntary health insurance system. â€Å"L’assurance maladie† is one the four branches of social security system. There are three main schemes that administred by NHI system according to occupation. First one is general scheme (CNAMTS : Caisse Nationale d’Assurance Maladie des Travailleurs Salarià ©s) which funds almost 75% of health spending. It covers approximately 85% of the population working in industry and commerce. It also includes retired individuals. The General Fund is administered by theCaisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM). Individuals who live in France must register at their local CPAM for national health insurance coverage and people are issued with a â€Å"carte vitale† after registration. Card vitale is a second generation of smart card that indicates national insurance rights in electronic form. The carte vitale is not a means of payment, however it does enable the government to provide reimbursement immediately and it saves patients of the need for the huge a mounts of form filling required under the old carte sociale system. Second one is agriculture scheme (MTA : Mutualità © sociale agricole) which supports occupational health and prevention of occupational risks, and conducting activities to health and social. It covers 6 per cent of the population, including farmers, agricultural employees and their families. Final one is for the self employed (RSI : Rà ©gime social des independents) that covers artisans, traders, industrialists and professionals. Social Security Reforms: pending or implemented. To address the perceived payment gaps cited above, the Council of Ministers proposed the need to find a pension system balance (that is bring financial balance, and governance and fairness in the administration of the pensions scheme). This would ensure: the adaptation of the indexation rules; increased contribution period for full pension; reduced employers’ social contribution, among others (Embassy of France in London 1). In relation to the welfare schemes, President Francois Hollande is reportedly currently looking for ways for reforms in pension, unemployment payments and family benefits. So far, the government has relied on tax increases to account for the huge deficits discussed above. However, in the future the government might increase charges on workers and employers, as well as taxes on pensioners; raise the contribution period before one qualifies for a full pension, among others (The Economist, 2013). Problems and issues with the system. A number of problems and issues have been raised over Frances social security system. In relation to pension scheme reforms, for instance, many cited financing gap between private sector employees and civil servants. The latter’s payments were included as part of state expenditure, placing them at an advantage over the former group. Therefore, there have been calls to address what many have come to see as financing gap in pension schemes for those in the private sector and civil servants (Embassy of France in London 1). There have also been fears concerning the sustainability of the systems welfare schemes. The rising deficits are a cause for alarm. The deficits of these three on the country’s general social security systems are on the increase. By 2020, the deficits of the pension, family and unemployment pay are expected to reach â‚ ¬20.9 billion (about $25 billion), â‚ ¬2.6 billion and â‚ ¬4.8 billion respectively (The Economist, 2013).   REFERENCES Embassy of France in London. The French Pension Reform- key Elements, Oct. 10, 2013. Web, June 18 2014 European Union. Your Social Security Rights in France, 2013. Web, June 18 2014 OECD. Retirement-Income Systems in OECD Countries: France, OECD, 2013. Web, 20 June 2014 The Economist. Must We Work Harder? June 22, 2013. Web, June 18, 2014 Poindessault-Bernard, L., Zuterek, A. (n.d.). Social security systems around the globe.. Retrieved June 20, 2014, from http://www.pwc.be/en_BE/be/publications/2013/social-security-booklet-sept2013.pdf Lorganisation de la Sà ©curità © sociale. (2011, January 5).Le portail du service public de la Sà ©curità © sociale / Usagers /. Retrieved June 11, 2014, from http://www.securite-sociale.fr/L-organisation-de-la-Securite-sociale?type=part

Smokey the Bear :: essays research papers

Smokey the Bear In 1950, a careless act turned into tragedy when a fire burned wild and swept away over 17,000 acres of forest watershed land in the Capitan Mountains, Lincoln National Forest. When the fire had died off, a badly burned cub was rescued from a charred tree. This cub, later named 'Smokey,'; was taken to the National Zoo where he lived out the rest of his life. Smokey was soon used to create an animated bear aimed at informing people of forest fires and fire prevention. The 'Smokey the Bear'; ad campaign was extremely effective and is still being used today as a way to inform the public of campfire do's and don'ts. Advertising is a $125 billion industry that attracts the attention of the public. Advertising is used as a tool of persuasion in television, magazines, radio, billboards, and in-store displays. The incredible amount of money, artistic ability, and intellectual energy spent on advertisements helps us understand the great power of the media and the advertiser's ability to control their viewers. Advertising in today's society is largely based on brand name recognition. It doesn't matter how good the product being sold is, but rather how good the product's advertisements are. A consumer is more likely to purchase a more expensive item because it has a flashy advertisement than buy a cheaper product they have never heard of before. The American public has a very short attention span, so only the most colorful, attractive advertisements will hold a person's attention long enough to see what the ad is selling. For instance, sex is used to sell just about everything. It is perhaps the only element that can be used by advertisers that the public will never get tired of seeing. A good example of this is alcohol advertisements. What does sex have to do with alcohol? Nothing, but it gives off the impression that when one drinks alcohol it will lead to sex. Of course, this is true to some extent, but the two do not go hand in hand. They are completely separate entities that cross paths more times than not, but alcohol advertisements give off the idea that when you purchase a case of beer, you are in store for a good night of sex. Ads like this are very misleading but it proves just how gullible the American public can be. The alcohol company Budweiser uses three frogs to sell beer to the public.

Cable Modem Access :: essays research papers fc

Cable Internet   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Internet has been around for over 40 years and despite technological advances in speed, people still complain that it’s too slow. How can people get their favorite songs or visit their favorite sites before dinner is over? This paper will discuss one option, cable internet access.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Until now internet the public had to access the WWW through slow phone lines, connecting anywhere from 300 bps in the infancy of public access to 56k. But now there are several high-speed alternatives to the old phone line, one being the cable modem. Using your cable TV provider as your ISP, people can access the Internet at speeds up to 27 Mbps, but limitations with hardware limit this to about 2Mbps (www.TechTarget.com). This speed is fine for most users. It is also â€Å"always on†. Meaning you do not have to dial-up to your ISP. It is similar to a LAN connection. This hasn’t been done before mainly because when cable TV companies were being formed, the networks were only being set up to send data and not to receive it. The remedy for this was to upgrade the networks not only to be able to receive information, but to handle the larger amount of bandwidth (www.Vicomsoft.com). The way cable internet access is possible is my using a standard cable TV coax line as the medium and a cable modem to connect the computer to the Internet. The cable TV provider has a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) that then goes through the coax line to the home. The coax line is then connected to a splitter, with one line going to the television or set-top box, and the other to the cable modem (www.Techtarget.com). The cable modem then is connected to a PC via a Cat 3 or 5 cable to a network card. Some modems can also be connected via the USB or FireWire port. The type of modem a person needs depends on the standard the provider is using. One may be using the Multimedia Cable Network Systems (MCNS)/ Data over Cable Systems Interface Specification (DOCSIS) standard, and the IEEE 802.14 standard. The faster, bandwidth efficient, better performing, and more robust choice is the MCNS DOCSIS standard (www.Vicomsoft.com). Because this is the standard, most manufacturers have developed their modems to work with it, though some manufacturers have based theirs off of the IEEE 802.14 standard.

The Presence of God in The History of Plymouth Plantation Essay example

The Presence of God in The History of Plymouth Plantation The presence of God is evident in the passage from The History of Plymouth Plantation in every event significant or not. In his diary, William Bradford describes several occurrences in which God played a major role in deciding the outcome. According to Bradford, God can help or hurt according to His will. The first of these displays of God’s will in this passage was of revenge toward a sailor. He was as Bradford described him â€Å"a proud and very profane young man... of a lusty, able body.† The sailor would â€Å"always be condemning the poor people† of the Mayflower because of their seasickness. The sailor went as far as to say that he hoped to help cast them overboard before they reached the mainland. Bradford believed that God was pleased to smite this young man with a grievous disease and ironically cause him to be the first to die and be thrown overboard. This proves that Bradford’s god is all-powerful and able to seek and gain revenge against those who go against god’s chosen people. In a later reference, God helps â€Å"one of his chosen people† survive during a storm. A young man named of John Howard was coming up from below deck when he was swept overboard. But, because it pleased God, the man grasped a main line and was able to be saved. Bradford believed that because the man was saved he was one of God’s chosen people and, therefore, later went on to become an important member of their society. This incident ...

Management and Eastern Hemisphere

1. Since arriving in Singapore, Lancaster has formulated several opinions about the health of the Eastern Hemisphere organization. What are the concerns both now and for the future? ? Lancaster’s concerns now are as below: He found that there was a major disparity in the management style of people here. Some had styles that emphasized employee empowerment. Others were of the old authoritarian school. ; the managers here didn’t seem to be growing or developing; there were some problems with the existing management assessment and development system and it needed to be changed.Managers still were using a MBO-type system that had been replaced in the U. S. some time ago. Lancaster believed strongly in ADP and had seen it change the management and culture of Black & Decker in the U. S. He also knew that 360? Feedback might not be universally embraced because of cultural differences. Now, Lancaster has been faced a difficult decision as to whether he should accept a new perfo rmance appraisal and management development system presented to him by Anita Lim, manager of Human Resources, or introduce a U.S. -designed Appraisal Development Plan (ADP) throughout the Eastern Hemisphere. For the future, Lancaster wanted to change culture and more effectively develop the people, while he thought building managers here had been difficult, for there was a limited supply of truly talented managers available, Lancaster worried about the lack of management strength in his organization. The brutal competition the company was facing throughout the region made him particular sensitive to the need for more and better managers.With Lim’s new hybrid plan, Lancaster began to have concerns about moving forward. On the one hand, he was convinced that ADP could provide significant benefits in terms of management training and development. On the other hand, he knew he would need the human resource staff’s full support if ADP were ever to be successfully implemented . 2. What problems does Lancaster want ADP to address? ? ADP was first introduced in the U. S. in 1992 as a replacement for the company’s Management by Objective (MBO) plan.Under the previous MBO program, superiors would meet individually with each subordinate to discuss the subordinate’s performance and jointly establish clear and comprehensive objectives for the subordinate for the coming year. MBO systems were widely used by Western business during the 1980s, yet, despite their widespread use, not everyone was happy with the results. It didn’t seek input from others in the organization; the boss had to give performance reviews with MBO systems, but in many cases, they wouldn’t have a lot to say.Under the MBO systems, it can be difficult to make the system objective. Lancaster wants ADP to address TWO major problems: One problem is the disparity in the management style of people in the Eastern hemisphere organization, as some had styles that emphasized employee empowerment, others were of the old authoritarian school; the other problem is the lack of growth and development in the organization. 3. What concerns do Asian managers have about ADP?How substantive are these concerns? ? The Asian managers have the concerns about ADP as below: Firstly, Asian people might not willing to open up the way Americans do, for they are likely to say something polite but won’t be critical if they are asked to provide with candid feedback on their boss; Secondly, Asians might not believe in the confidentiality of the ADP system. â€Å" No matter what a boss says about feedback being anonymous, Asians won’t believe him/her.Somehow he or she will find out who said what about whom and there will be negative consequences for that person; Thirdly, a change from MBO to ADP might be too radical. â€Å" Asians will not support radical change of this nature. † Fourthly, the staff. The staff is not going to change because of ADP if thei r boss has been afraid to tell them something negative for five years; besides, the staff cannot understand English, while the ADP is written in English, so the language will become a problem. The substantive concerns come from the culture differences.As in Asian culture, people don’t tend to open up. Growing people and building people are essential, but the Asians will never say that their career’s ambition is to have their boss’s job. As a result, while ADP is designed to build commitment and develop managers, it may backfire; what’s more, people may quite if they are pressed to open up in ways that make them uncomfortable. 4. What action should Lancaster take: wait; go ahead with hybrid or full speed ahead with the US version of ADP? ? Considering the culture differences, in my opinion, Lancaster should go ahead with hybrid. First of ll, the existing MBO-type system has its problems indeed in management and development in Eastern Hemisphere organizatio n, which need to be changed for a high performance, while the Asians might not be adapt to the ADP version because they don’t tend to open up. By moving forward more slowly, ADP could evolve over time. The reasons about that from two sides, one side is that ADP could provide significant benefits in terms of management training and development. On the other hand, it would need the human resource staff’s full support if ADP were ever to be successfully implemented.Interactive change was always less threatening, particularly when the perceived change agent was viewed by so many as an outsider. As he reflected on the input he had received, he had a growing realization that the Eastern Hemisphere was not one culture but many cultures. With the hybrid, a 180? plan, they could do the management training and develop the company without radical change as well, along with the new management assessment and development system, the staff might accept the change as well as a new cul ture gradually, and finally they could make the ADP applied to the Eastern Hemisphere.

Educating Inmates: They Are Still Human Too Essay

Introduction We live in a modern society that still hold traditional morals and beliefs. Prisoners are seen as inhumane animals who bring nothing but misery and cruelty to the world. An education is one of the most important things one may ever receive in their lives. One can no longer gain any type of employment without a high school education and even college hours, so why would society care to hold anyone back from getting an education? Prisoners are having a hard time receiving education in the prison system today. No one seems to care or support prisoners in the challenging process it takes to change their lives. County jails do not offer education programs, and in prison facilities there are many limitations and restrictions that make receiving the sub-par education that they offer a challenge to receive. An evaluation needs to take place to determine the crux of education limitations are in prison. There are many people who have been to prison or who have family and friends who have been to prison and have some sense of understanding as to the challenges inmates face. Who is standing up and being the voice for inmates who rarely are heard, and who is pushing the envelope against society and stressing the importance of education. Inmates who will be released one day must have a backup plan other than a life of crime, so their needs to be a system or program in place to reform inmates before their release. Background In researching about education everything found seems to enhance the knowledge on education in prison. It has become astoundingly clear that society does not promote a positive change for people who are incarcerated. Society has an outdated view of people incarcerated and do not seem interested in changing it. No one plans life with the idea in mind that  prison will be a part of it. With family and friends who have been incarcerated, I will be the first one to say that not all imprisoned people are innocent, but mistakes do happen. Society feels that bringing education into the correctional system is a waste of time and effort. Many students feel that inmates should not be offered for free what they have to pay for, but what most people do not realize is that not only do the inmates pay for education just like most, but they are also receiving a below average education. Although education has been in the prison system for over a century, society deters from education socially, pol itically, and economically (Palmer, 2012). In the long run however, it creates more setbacks for an inmate upon release seeing as though many jobs require post-secondary education. The decision to evaluate education in the prison system is to get a better understanding as to why there is not a nationwide push on inmates bettering themselves and staff support to follow as well. There are several barriers that prevent inmates from successfully completing programs while incarcerated. Some factors are due to environmental circumstances and other factors are due to personal circumstances. Conflicts between officers and inmates as well as transfers can lead to inmate’s incompletion of their education program. Also inmates who are released have no after plan set up between them, the prison system, and other sources to assist with the completion of an education started while incarcerated. There is no assistance for released inmates that encourages them to continue pursuing education. Psychological disorders and the stress of s chool itself may lead to an inmate dropping out or incompletion of the program. When inmates become depressed or discouraged they give up and education falls to the bottom of their list of priorities. Mental disorders that inmates receive medication for, may affect their ability to learn and the stress of how to cope and manage may cause an inmate to quit rather than deal with the obstacles at hand. Economic barriers such as funding and limitations in academics and teachers also prevent inmates from starting or completing a program. Despite the barriers that restrict education in the prison system, the government and society ultimately fail to realize that more education inmates receive the more the cost for prison funding decreases. When the Federal Pell Grant was introduced there was a relief and an increase in enrollment for inmates  because they could now afford tuition, but some political figures did not agree. Politicians tried a hand at a fear tactic where inmates were perceived to be unrepentant people who would continue to commit crimes all of their l ives so why educate them and waste money. The tactic worked and in 1994 a law was passed that took federal funding out of prisons and caused many prisons to close their education departments, an estimated 350 programs decreased to 10 or less. Many courts have helped to hold merit behind politicians tactics because many courts have also deemed education in prison has no constitutional entitlement and therefore does not have to be enforced or supported (Lockard et al., 2011). In the 21st century, despite all obstacles, enrollment for post-secondary education has steadily increased. Another factor that prevented inmates from enrolling in classes was that when the federal funding was in the prison system was that inmates who were over the age of 35 were ineligible and inmates who were convicted on drug related charges. It seems as if there are many obstacles that are preventing inmates from receiving education and not many people are fighting to change it. Education in the prison system not only helps inmates but it reduces inmate misconduct as well. Inmates who were educated prior to incarceration and continue education while incarcerated are more likely to keep their behavioral problems to a minimum. An education not only b uilds someone up mentally, it builds self-esteem and self-worth. Denying someone an education in prison becomes just the premise of a bigger mental denial that they will deal with long after they are released. Inmates get a sense of confidence that being incarcerated can sort of strips someone of. An education helps an inmate to think reasonably and acutely of what they are doing before their behavior takes a turn for the worse and not only lengthens their sentence, but start a habit of destruction. An educator believes that whether the inmate is enrolled to pass time or build up their resume for employment upon release hopefully someone will learn something useful and take that away with them and that it will be valuable to them later on in life (Rafay, 2012). There is a belief that making sure an inmate leaves prison more well of than they came should be a moral obligation that officers have. Everyone should want to reduce crime and improve the overall quality of life for everyone. Receiving an education while incarcerated also helps decrease the likelihood that a person while be subject to re-arrest  once they are released from prison. There are also several outside barriers that prevent education from being introduced into the correctional system. Factors such as academic curriculum and prison facility guidelines prevent inmates from getting an education, not to mention that the United States is lagging behind every other country in education in prison programs (Lockard et al., 2011). The teachers may also have a problem with the consistent bag searches and invasion of privacy. Inmates who may struggle with learning are not afforded the opportunity to have extended time after class to intimately receive further assistance. The education programs that are offered limited to sub-par classes that can be received from community college and the most they can leave prison with is an associate’s degree. Also, inmates who are held in the jails are never affo rded the opportunity to get and education. County jails don’t have educational programs, but ironically an inmate can spend majority of their sentence in a county facility. Due to overcrowding in prisons, pre-trial, sentencing and violations many offenders spend a lengthy time in jail and are released with not so much as a GED to show that they attempted to change their old behavior. An evaluation needs to be conducted to determine why there is such a carefree and careless attitude among society when it pertains to incarcerated human beings receiving and education. There does not seem to be enough advocates in America who are pushing to make sure that incarcerated humans are released with a better quality of life than the one they had upon arrest. There is no difference between someone incarcerated and someone in the â€Å"free world† except a mistake. Liberty and justice for all does not just apply to the law but for equality among all of society no matter the circumstance. Everyone deserves to receive education and the opportunity to turn their lives around. Why does it seem as if no one cares enough to stress the subject enough? Methods A questionnaire should be sent to 20 random citizens of random gender, age, and ethnicity in the top 5 metropolitan areas of the U.S. (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Washington D.C.) to gauge society’s opinion of education in the prison system. It should have questions that will help the evaluator understand exactly how people feel about why they do  or don’t support education in the prison system and their ideas on what can be done to change or fight to keep the current program in place. I also believe that the questionnaire should be 3-5 pages long and leave room on the last page to allow each person to give their own feedback. The data should be collected by an assigned to one elected person in each city (particularly someone who works in an prison in the city with a high position of power) and reviewed, documented, and summarized, then submitted to the researcher to be reviewed. The questionnaire should be designed with no bias in mind, but to gain an understanding on why society does or does not support education. The results should reflect that society is now becoming modern and accepting that inmates should receive education as if they were in the free world. The information should be reviewed by the board of education for the prison facility and make an effort towards implementing the ideas that they have received from society. It may be easier for the Board to absorb feedback from society because it is a general census compared to inmates whose intentions may or may not be for the best. The only concern that can be foreseen is that the 20 random citizens will not be able to provide the Board of Education for the prison facility with enough similar feedback to gather a general and collective consensus on how society feels. Discussion Americans have traditional values when it comes to how society works and a general consensus of what is moral and just. Education is seen as the ultimate strive that one makes to become better in life, and one of the most important things needed to succeed in life. Prisoners are seen as cruel inhuman beings who have no care or empathy for anyone or anything, so naturally society would feel that inmates only want to do their time and be released to commit more crime. Inmates are human though as well, and they desire the same things as anyone else. An education should be provided for them just like it is provided for citizens who are not incarcerated, and inmates need someone to stand up and fight for them to receive just that. References Lahm, K. F. (2009). Educational Participation and Inmate Misconduct. Journal Of Offender Rehabilitation, 48(1), 37. Lockard, J., & Rankins-Robertson, S. (2011). The Right to Education, Prison-University Partnerships, and Online Writing Pedagogy in the US. Critical Survey, 23(3), 23-39. Palmer, S. M. (2012). Postsecondary Correctional Education. Adult Learning, 23(4), 163-169. Rafay, A. (2012). An â€Å"Impossible Profession†? The Radical University in Prison. Radical Teacher, (95), 10-21. Sedgley, N. H., Scott, C. E., Williams, N. A., & Derrick, F. W. (2010). Prison’s Dilemma: Do Education and Jobs Programmes Affect Recidivism?. Economica, 77(307), 497-517.