Friday, January 24, 2020

Study Drugs: A Students New Best Friend? Essay -- Research Science Sc

Study Drugs: A Student's New Best Friend? Many people who want to lose weight wish there was a â€Å"magic pill† that would eliminate the process of dieting and exercising. Those looking for fun, have the â€Å"love pill† commonly known as ecstasy. In an age where everything comes to us so easily, where feelings don’t have to be felt but chemically induced instead, one might address a common problem college students face hoping to find a simple solution. Stuck in the library with a term paper due the next morning and thoughts of your empty bed just waiting for you is not a far fetched scenario for most college students. A cup of coffee can only do so much and with grades falling as fast as the temperature one resorts to other measures to stay awake. Putting it simply: study drugs. Take Lily* for example, a junior at Northeastern University. Lily tired herself out living the ideal college person’s social life. She slept all day and spent the majority of her night going to clubs, parties and bars around the city. This suited her fine until the dreaded days came when she realized she had two term papers due the next day and a test. Sitting in her room Lily wonders how she can do it all in one night. Just like the overweight she wanted a quick solution. Fortunately, unlike the overweight who don’t have the good fortune of having a pill ready to them, she did. When coming face to face with the aftermath of procrastination some students turn to study drugs. Medication such as Ritalin, Adderall, and Dexederine that are prescribed to those with attention deficit disorder, a neurological disorder that those with poor attention spans are diagnosed with, have proved to give those without the disorder, such as Lily, an extra energy b... ... Internet so I knew exactly what to tell the doctor. After that, he gave me a prescription. Now I am all set.† It is virtually impossible to keep track of those that are using the drug illegally. After all there is not law against college students carrying their own medication. This leaves plenty of opportunity for people to use and abuse the drug. All is not lost. Programs and campaigns around college campuses can help reduce the usage and addiction of study drugs. Lane Health Center at Northeastern University can use multiple measures to prevent study drugs usage by students from various walks of life. For example, alternatives should be offered in order to not only send the message of â€Å"drugs are bad† but also â€Å"there are other things you can do.† "I think people get addicted to what you can accomplish with it more than the actual drug," Lily said.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Overcoming Multimedia Addiction Essay

Some of the students nowadays are struggling to stay awake while the rest of the world is asleep just to read their friends’ posts and comments and status on Facebook. They even spend most of their time staring at the big screens of their personal computers just to play online games like DOTA and Counterstrike. Some also spend their money just to buy the latest mobile phones, mp3 players, and other techno gadgets out there. However, they must keep in mind that everything has its own limits. Otherwise, it can become a cause of concern and in extreme cases, addiction. Multimedia addiction can cause destruction and violence to students. Multimedia is simply defined as multi tasking of applications in a single device or gadget. This includes graphics, animation, pictures, videos, and other applications which can be opened simultaneously or consecutively. Smart phone, laptop, iPod, television, and mp4 player are some of many multimedia gadgets that are ‘in’ especially to students because of its amazing features. Consider the television. Whether it is a box, slim, or flat screen, it has become almost like another member of the household. It sits in the living room, in the kitchen, or even in the terrace of your house. It bombards us with all kinds of information about almost anything under the sun. It informs us on what laundry soap to use; what toothpaste to brush our teeth with, or which candidate to vote in the 2013 election. It brings us local news and news from around the world. And of course, it entertains us with sports, music, movies, telenovelas, lifestyle segments and variety programs. Cellular phones, on the other hand, are used for communication purposes. But because of technological advancements, new applications like built- in cameras are added to them. That’s why many people patronize it so much. Laptops are made for easy handling. Unlike personal computers, you can now bring it anywhere because of its small size. Almost every student today has his or her own laptops. The dependence on multimedia gadgets extend to students who became the primary beneficiaries of these gadgets. Tech- net survey said that 42 % of students are using mobile phones, 36 % are using laptop, 15 % are using play station, and 7 % are using mp3 players (â€Å"2012 Most Addicting Gadgets†, www. Technet.com). The use of multimedia gadgets can be constructive and destructive to students (Despabiladeras 15). Many of them consider the use of these gadgets constructive when they help them in their studies. Today, the internet is the major source of knowledge and information. In just one click, they can now find the answers to their assignments. They also use software like Microsoft office and the like for their project presentation. Many schools now use computer oriented techniques for teaching. The traditional way of teaching like writing too many lessons in a manila paper is already replaced by powerpoint presentations which are indeed favorable for the students. They no longer copy too many notes because there are handouts already prepared for them. Multimedia also gives information about the latest happenings and discoveries around the world. The use of social media sites like Facebook allows them to socialize with other people. Some also say that playing online games like DOTA and Counte rstrike have positive effects on them because they relieve stress from the hectic schedule of their schooling. In contrary, students say that multimedia gadgets can be destructive too. Problems begin when students became addicted to these gadgets to the point of discarding other activities which can truly affect their balance and studies (www. Gadgetforums.com). Because of these gadgets, they now prefer playing games that reading books. In most schools, use of cellular phones is banned but many of the students still carry them. They push their parents to buy them the latest mobile phone or other gizmos because their peers use it. The effect of this addiction is that they can no longer resist themselves from taking calls and accessing Facebook and other social networking sites during school hours. â€Å"The use of gadgets can be destructive when it makes your personality bad like when you become wild because of video games†, Bryan Capus said ( Despabiladeras 15). They forgot to budget their time because most of their time are consumed by these gadgets. The overuse of these also affects their health. Too much exposure to these gadgets can cause diseases like brain tumor and cancer caused by radiation (â€Å" Radiation From Gadgets†, www. Healthcare.com). They are prone to sickness because they no longer engaged in outdoor activities. It is alarming to know that 47 % of students nowadays are addicted to computers and other multimedia gadgets ( Despabiladeras 16.). Their parents have a big role in overcoming their children’s addiction. For example, most of the students are advised or told by their parents to limit their internet surfing time until 8:30 p.m. or 9:00 p.m. or but not to reach 10:00 p.m. as they have classes the next day ( Clifford 72). Some also advice their children to engage in other recreational activities like playing basketball or playing the guitar instead of watching T.V. or sitting all day in front of their PCs. One parent posted the following on gadgetforums.com: In today’s high- tech and modern world, we are all connected with each other through the miracle of working inventions and innovations like PC, tablets, smart phones, gaming, internet and so much more. And I think we feel that we won’t have a normal day without getting hooked to any one of these devices. The problem begins to rise when our children became addicted to these gadgets to the point of discarding other activities which can truly affect their balance and health. To avoid this, I try to ensure my son has balance in this area. Playing team sports has helped, that’s one thing in his like that doesn’t require gadget. Sports is one of the best ways to add moving activities to a child’s routine with the aim of creating a certain balance between studying and playing. We could not really avoid our children to get into gadgets as this is the wave of the future with the introduction of tablets which can he fully integrate with schools in the near fu ture ( www.gadgetforums.com). According to gadgetforums.com, there are eight ways to overcome gadget addiction. First, limit the amount of time you spent on any type of gadget. Second, learn to balance and manage your time. Make a time table on when to use your gadget. Third, spend most of your time in your studies. This will give you higher grades in return. Fourth, read books rather than playing games. Surfing the internet for recent news and discoveries will help too. Fifth, spend your free time with your family and friends. Go to an outing of family reunion that doesn’t require gadgets. Sixth, socialize with your true friends, not your ‘virtual’ friends. Your Facebook friends will never help you if you have a problem. Seventh, avoid buying newly released gadgets if you still have one that is still working. And the last is self discipline. It is interesting to know the opinions of students on multimedia gadget addiction; whether it is constructive or destructive for them and what their parents do in influencing their media habits. To prevent this addiction, students should analyze their gadget preferences and see what’s good of bad in it for them. They must set in mind that multimedia gadgets is there to help them, not to enslave them.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Doing business across culture and boundaries - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2247 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? DOING BUSINESS ACROSS CULTURE AND BOUNDARIES 1.0. INTRODUCTION Almost every country in the world, among other things governments are the centre of taking in to accounts macroeconomic conditions. By doing so the country will in turn into economic wellbeing and giving more opportunities to the citizens. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Doing business across culture and boundaries" essay for you Create order As far as daily money-making activities are concerned, laws, rules and institutional measures are given attention. These measures can be applied through the small as well medium sized companies in the course of their life circle. Until very recently, however, there were no globally available indicator sets for monitoring these microeconomic factors and analyzing their relevance (The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank, 2008). As also acknowledged in The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank, 2008, doing businessand the standard cost model initially developed and applied in the Netherlands are, for the present, the only standard tools used across a broad range of jurisdictions to measure the impact of government rule-making on business activity. Therefore the government can be benefited on business but the most important thing taking into account in achieving specified target, its environment must be improved. 1.1. FEATURES OF DOING BUSINESS As far as small as well as medium size enterprises are concerned, in doing business either domestic or abroad, some features are appropriate in both. These features which grant a quantitative measures of regulations including for starting a business, dealing with construction permits, employing workers, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and closing a business. In addition to that a fundamental premise of Doing Business is that economic activity requires good rules. These include rules that establish and clarify property rights and reduce the costs of resolving disputes, rules that increase the predictability of economic interactions and rules that provide contractual partners with core protections against abuse. While these regulations always intended to be efficient in such a way that, it will be very easy in the implementation as well accessible for those who need to use them. However rules and regulations are differing from one country to another. Such that for those countries having burdensome regulation resulted to have large number of informal sectors and unemployment, as well as economic slowdown. From this stand many countries recently have smooth business start-up. Taking the example from Azerbaijan from the graph below, in 2004 introduce the maximum time for the registration procedure and it took 122 days for starting business. As far as time goes on, in 2007 and 2008 government set up a one-stop shop. This resulted to reduce the time by 87% for registration up to 16 days. In addition to that easier set up business mostly can encourage not only higher output among the existing firms in the market but also increase the per capital income. Alternatively as of the case in the figure below the by reducing entry cost will lower the output production of the firm. This may due to the fact that many firms are encouraged to enter in to that particular market. Thus it seems that the prices of goods reduced, and finally per capita were goes down from 14.4% in 2004 and 3.2% in 2008. In view of that, doing business does not measure all aspects of the business environment that matter to firms or investorsor all factors that affect competitiveness. It does not, for example, measure security, macroeconomic stability, and corruption, labor skills of the population, the underlying strength of institutions or the quality of infrastructure. Nor does it focus on regulations specific to foreign investment. Doing Business does not cover all regulations, or all regulatory goals, in any economy. As economies and technology advance, more areas of economic activity are being regulated (The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank, 2008). 2.0. REASONS FOR ENTERPRISES GOING GLOBAL The majority of enterprises try to move and doing their businesses to outside countries by going global for the different reasons. At the same time in order to remain to the lead in the competitions, mass of the enterprises usually implement both reactive and defensive approach so as to increase their competitions strength. While others few take either reactive or defensive in achieve the same functions. From these reasons the enterprises usually move faster as possible to safe and sound a tough position in either developed or rising markets with their goods adapted specifically for the customer demand of those particular markets. However nearly all global markets are drawing enterprises together with new assets or resource investments with good encouragements. Among of the reactive or defensive reasons for doing business globally first trade barriers; because of the burden for the restrictions such as tariffs, quotas, policy of by-local and others that create manufacturing and exporting of goods too expensive, encourage many enterprises move from exporting their goods in a foreign country so as to avoid such troubles. Second, customer demands; based on customers demand, enterprises follow this opportunity for effective operations, product assurance and reliability, as well as logistical problem solutions. This will in turn to the most of the customers ask for foreign suppliers to stay and supply in a local market in order to enhance the flow of the production. On the other side enterprises follow that request to both catch-up and avoid losing the business. Third, globalization of the competitors; in this aspects companies are aware that if they leave companies overseas too long without challenge or competition, their investments or foreig n operations in the world market may be so solid that competition will be difficult. Therefore, they try to act quickly. Lastly, regulations and restrictions; most companies home government may have regulations and restrictions that are so inconvenient and expensive, thus limiting the expansion, encroaching in the companies profits, and making their costs uncontrollable. Hence the reason for the companies moving to different market environment with few foreign restrictive operations. Apart from above reactive or defensive reasons, other proactive or aggressive reasons including growth opportunities, economies of scale, incentives and resource assess and cost savings. 3.0. CHALLENGES IN DOING BUSINESS Because of the globalization nowadays many things become easier and the world is so much busy. Such that, it takes a few hours travel away by plane and for example the factories shipping materials from one place to another around the globe. Which promote the production and the relationship also is increased more widely. So far the business is developing so fast, while the market is growing internationally and it reached the point where all businesses are as a global business, particularly if we consider the amount of goods coming from different corners of the world. Among other things in generally, the complex and difficult thing in dealing and manage the business globally is that, looking for the right person who fit with the right skills. This is because, things like strategic orientation, customer focus and market knowledge is very hard task in dealing with business. Situation like this for instance Mr Rick Wang, the managing director of Retail Co Inc., the master franchisee for the Athletes Foot in China, faced when he was the first move in opening the first store on the Huaihai Road in Shanghai during the year of 1998. While team leadership, change the leadership and staff development are the simplest issues. Therefore experience, IQ and EQ are three element capabilities in business; low EQ is the most impact determiner of collapse. But many people are hired according to their IQ and simply excited as the case of EQ (emotional intelligence). Here again, doing business as well as dealing with people and even market outside your border which almost in connect with risks, is something very complicated and it needs to learn some lessons to avoid them. According to https://smallbusiness.dnb.com/sales/international-trade/740-1.html, there are various techniques that can help business persons in reducing certain number of risks in doing business globally which include: Do plenty of homework. You should learn your target countrys credit and accounting practices, cultural nuances and export restrictions. Treat all suppliers the same. Take the same disciplined approach to bargaining with foreign merchants as you do with domestic suppliers. Resist goods you dont want and keep from being overcharged for items you like. Deal in goods within your own specialty and know your bottom line the highest amount you can afford to pay and the lowest price you can reasonably accept. Hire a freight forwarder. Using a freight forwarder to handle packing and customs-clearing paperwork will reduce shipping costs. Purchase insurance. Generally speaking, the importer and purchaser take legal possession of the goods when they leave the factory, whether or not they actually arrive. Most small importers or exporters buy all risk insurance, and many smaller dealers buy insurance from the freight forwarders or shippers. Indeed, there are not only motives to get into and benefits from global markets, but also risks drown in locating companies in certain countries. Each country may have its potentials and woes that are associated with doing business. Where also in acknowledge to https://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sidney_Okolo some of the risks in international business are: Strategic Risk: The ability of a firm to make a strategic decision in order to respond to the forces that are a source of risk which impact the competiveness of a firm like bargaining power of suppliers and consumers. Operational Risk: This is caused by the assets and financial capital that aid in the day-to-day business operations. Such as breakdown of machineries, shortfall of the goods and services, lack of perfect logistic and inventory will lead to inefficiency of production. Political Risk: The political actions and instability as well things like governments policies, economic conditions, security factors, may make it difficult for companies to operate efficiently and cannot effectively operate to its full capacity in order to maximize profit. Technological Risk: Lack of security in electronic transactions, the cost of developing new technology, and the fact that these new technology may fail, and when all of these are coupled with the outdated existing technology, the result may create a dangerous effect in doing business in the international arena. Environmental Risk: Air, water, and environmental pollution may affect the health of the citizens, and lead to public outcry of the citizens. These problems may also lead to damaging the reputation of the companies that do business in that area. Economic Risk: This comes from the inability of a country to meet its financial obligations. The changing of foreign-investment or/and domestic fiscal or monetary policies. The effect of exchange-rate and interest rate make it difficult to conduct international business. Financial Risk: This area is affected by the currency exchange rate, government flexibility in allowing the firms to repatriate profits or funds outside the country. The devaluation and inflation will also impact the firms ability to operate at an efficient capacity and still be stable. 4.0. MINIMIZING CHALLENGES IN DOING BUSINESS ACROSS CUTURE AND BOUNDARIES What manager should do? Good management skills and negotiating capabilities are the most important things when dealing with business across culture and boundaries. Countries are differing in cultures, beliefs and rituals which can create difficulties. Therefore managers need to learn those differences one by one in order to conduct a successful negotiation efficiently and effectively for the sake of profit making among them are: Cross-cultural negotiations require careful preparation in order to stay ahead and take advantage of the other party. To avoid problems, managers need to be aware of the issues like cultural differences, language, beliefs, behaviors, family environment, differences in time, work habits, and religion. Different regions have different negotiating styles. So, when managers familiarize themselves with these important negotiating tactics, they may understand the negotiating styles of their counterparts. Also building relationships; managers should look for strategic partners not only are familiar with cultures, behaviors, and languages but also can trust, respect, and be comfortable working with. Shared information; a focus group of businessmen and women is recommended in order to discuss the issues that matter to each party. In this capacity, playing role reversal prior to attending the session is recommended. Usually, questions are asked by both parties to address their concerns, the issues that matter to them, and answers are provided by both parties in response to those issues and concerns. In capitalist countries, such as the United States of America, companies use direct approach in negotiations, while in other countries, an indirect approach is used (https://ezinearticles.com/?Doing-Business-Across-Cultures-and-Bordersid=1148192). Therefore in order to be successful Companies should learn how to adapt to each environment. 5.0. CONCLUSION Part of the business growth is exporting goods to abroad, even if it can create a number of challenges. Indeed the company should first find the help from expert who understand the set of laws of export and import as well as shipping methods and regulations in foreign countries. On the other hand means for goods transportation, best shipping rates, examine the necessary documents from foreign destinations are necessary. However on a certain situation, the benefits can exceed the risks. Therefore, companies should take an assessment for that risk in each country together with intellectual property, human resource and ownership restrictions before undertaking in to any of the countries. References https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/articlepdf/1067.pdf?CFID=12268397CFTOKEN=33278808jsessionid=a8308ad6936126c2ccc6777c1f285d5a7a41 https://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sidney_Okolo https://smallbusiness.dnb.com/sales/international-trade/740-1.html https://ezinearticles.com/?Doing-Business-Across-Cultures-and-Bordersid=1148192