Here’s Exactly What to Do Before a Test

Here’s Exactly What to Do Before a Test SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Whether you’re taking the SAT, the ACT, an SAT Subject Test, the PSAT, an AP exam, a final, or any other test for high school, it's essential to know what to do beforehand so you can give yourself the best shot at getting a high score. In this guide, we introduce our top tips for what to do before a test, from how to study for a test the night before to how to relax before a test using deep breathing. Feature Image: biologycorner/Flickr What to Do the Day Before a Test Your test is tomorrow, but you have no idea what to do or whether you should even do anything at all. Should you study more? Stay up all night cramming? Give up? (Probably not!) Below, we give you our top tips on what to do the night before your test, including how to study for a test the night before and how to ensure you've got all the materials you'll need for your test. #1: Lightly Review Any Content You’re Still Struggling With The day before a test isn’t the day to do all your studying, but a little light review can be helpful. Otherwise, treat this day mostly as a day to relax. Get together your textbooks, notes, and other study materials and then find a quiet room to study in, such as your bedroom or the local library. As you review, take time to focus on any last-minute, pesky areas you’re still having trouble with. These could be a handful of SAT vocab words or a few math formulas, for example. Try to spend no more than an hour or two reviewing for your test. You don’t want to spend all day studying as it’ll wear you out the day of your test. Plus, you’re unlikely to remember every piece of information you cram in such a short amount of time! The most important point to remember is this: don’t use this day (or night) as an intense study session. Assuming you've already done the bulk of your studying beforehand (especially if you’re taking the SAT or ACT), you should feel pretty prepared by this point and shouldn’t need an entire day to review. Even if you haven’t studied as much as you wished you had, avoid cramming since you’re unlikely to remember everything you study in one lengthy, exhausting session. Instead, focus on the most difficult concepts and try to get those down pat. #2: Get Together Everything You’ll Need for the Test Preparation is the key to success- as well as the key to not feeling ridiculously stressed out the morning of your test! Whether you’ve got a Saturday morning test (such as the SAT/ACT) or have to get to school for your test, be sure to prepare all the materials you’ll need for your test the night before. Get your backpack together with everything you’ll need for your test and for your classes (if taking the test on a school day). Materials you might need to bring for your test include the following: Sharpened #2 pencils Erasers A handheld pencil sharpener A calculator Getting all these items together the day before will make you feel less stressed out the morning of your test, especially if you’re prone to pushing the snooze button one too many times! Ah, yes. Looks like the test center is right next to a creepy alley. #3: Know Where the Test Is and How to Get There If your test is being held at a test center or a school different from your own, it’s critical you know exactly where it is and how you plan to get there. Ideally, you’ll have planned this out long before your test date, but if not make sure you figure it out, by latest, the day before your test. If you're taking the SAT, the ACT, or an SAT Subject Test, you can find your test center information by looking at your admission ticket or by logging on to your College Board or ACT account. If you're taking a test at your own school, such as a midterm, a final, an AP exam, or the PSAT, know which classroom you'll be heading to and when. For most midterms and finals, you'll take your test in the same classroom as your class. However, some students might need to take certain exams at a different school if their own school doesn't offer that particular test. (This often happens with the PSAT and AP exams.) If you're in this situation, confirm which school and classroom you need to go to for your test. I suggest calling the school you're taking your test at ahead of time so you can double-check the time and location. But how should you get to your test center or school? If taking public transportation, it's a good idea to come up with a backup plan in case your bus or train comes late or fails to show up at all. For example, you could talk with a friend about having him or her drive you to your test location if your main choice of transportation falls through on test day. If you plan to drive yourself, make sure you know where you can park and how much it’ll cost (if anything). Consider traffic, too. If you’re leaving at a particularly busy time of day (even Saturdays can get busy depending on where you’re headed!), give yourself extra time to get to your test location. When it comes to tests, remember the mantra: it’s better to be extremely early than even a tad bit late. Generally, aim to get to your test center at least 30 minutes before your test so you’ll have time to check in, get seated, and calm your nerves! #4: Skip the All-Nighter and Get a Good Night’s Sleep As mentioned above, you shouldn't study a bunch the day before your test- and you should definitely skip the all-nighter! But why is pulling an all-nighter so bad for you? Let’s see what science has to say. According to a 2014 study conducted by Ghent University and KU Leuven in Belgium, students who slept at least seven hours the night before a test typically scored higher than those who got only six hours of sleep. Other studies have found that sacrificing sleep for studying is counterproductive and more sleep is strongly correlated with better grades and a higher GPA. As you can see, getting enough sleep isn’t just about feeling better on test day- it ensures that your brain will be better equipped to remember the information you've learned. So what does all of this mean for you? In general, try to aim for at least seven hours of sleep the night before your test. Obviously, what exact amount of sleep feels good can vary depending on your own body and sleeping habits. While some students might need a solid eight or nine hours of sleep, others might do just fine on six hours. Regardless, the point is to get as much sleep as you need to feel well rested and prepared for your test. #5: Set an Alarm (or Two or Three) No matter when your test is- whether it's during a regular school day or on a Saturday morning- it's never a bad idea to set a few alarms (just in case you snooze through your first one!). Try not to set more than three alarms, and keep them at most 10-15 minutes apart so that you don't end up accidentally oversleeping by too long. If you're especially worried about getting up, ask someone you know to check that you're awake by a certain time. This way you can greatly reduce the risk of being late for your test. You can get a family member to check on you in your room in the morning or have a friend call or text you. The correct way to dry your hair the morning of a big test. What to Do the Day of a Test You’ve woken up (likely after hitting the snooze button a couple of times) and are ready to get out and take the test. What can you do to make sure you do your best on it? Here are our top tips for what to do the day of a test, including what to eat before a test and why you should use the bathroom before leaving home. #6: Eat a Healthy, Filling Breakfast A satisfying breakfast can give you ample energy for your test, particularly if you’re taking a long one like the SAT or ACT. According to a 2013 study on the effects of breakfast on academic performance, "Eating breakfast has a positive effect on children's cognitive performance, particularly in the domains of memory and attention." Since you’ll definitely need these two skills in order to do well on a test, we can see that eating a full breakfast is essential to making you feel energized on test day and thus getting the score you want. You should also try to eat healthily. A study conducted by the University of Alberta discovered that healthier diets were linked to better test scores and higher grades. Therefore, don’t just aim for a filling breakfast but a healthy one, too! Good brain foods to eat before a test include the following: Whole grains (oatmeal, granola, quinoa, muffins, etc.) Fresh fruit (bananas, apples, pears, etc.) Fresh vegetables (broccoli, celery, carrots, etc.) Even if you’re nervous about your test, don’t skip breakfast! Chances are, you’ll feel worse and far less energized if you don’t eat anything at all. #7: Confirm You’ve Got Everything You Need You should have gotten all your materials together the day before the test, but we advise checking once more right before you leave that you’re not forgetting anything important. Before you head out, make sure you have everything you'll need for your test (and school, too, if you're taking the test on a school day). Here are some things you might need to bring: Sharpened #2 pencils Erasers A handheld pencil sharpener A calculator Water Snacks Other materials for classes such as textbooks, notebooks, homework, etc. Lunch Money (for lunch, public transportation, etc.) Your driver’s license (if driving yourself or if photo ID is required for your test) A light sweater or jacket that's easily removable Try to avoid bringing your cell phone to your test. Any ringing or vibrating during the test could affect your scores. For example, if you were taking the SAT or ACT and your phone went off during it, your scores would be automatically canceled. This is why it's usually better to leave your phone at home. However, if you must bring your phone or feel weird not taking it with you, be absolutely sure you’ve turned it off before your test begins. Finally, be sure to wear appropriate attire to your test. Whether it’s hot or cold outside, remember that the school/test center might feel warmer or colder inside. Therefore, try to bring a sweater or light jacket you can remove or put on in case the room gets hot or chilly. #8: Go to the Bathroom While this might seem obvious, make sure to use the restroom before you leave for school or your test. Doing this reduces your chances of having to find a restroom at your school/test center and having to use the restroom during the test (which can take critical time away from answering questions). If your test is later in the school day, try to use the restroom in-between class periods, ideally right before you take your test. If you don't have time to use the bathroom before your test, don't despair- some tests might offer breaks. If your test has a break, feel free to use the restroom then. Both the SAT and ACT, for example, offer several breaks for test takers, the longest of which is 10 minutes. This should be enough time for you to go to the bathroom and return to your testing room. That said, most breaks during tests are pretty short. Therefore, by using the restroom before your test, you'll be able to use your break to do other things such as drink water, stretch, or eat a snack. I'm sure she's just using her phone to take detailed notes, right? RIGHT? What to Do Right Before a Test You’ve arrived at school or your test center and are now only a few minutes away from taking your test. What can you do at this point to ensure you get the score you want? Read on to learn how to relax before a test and why you should turn off your cell phone. #9: Turn Off Your Cell Phone If you brought a cell phone, turn it off and put it in your backpack or give it to a test proctor. SAT/ACT test centers typically have different rules for what to do with cell phones, so make sure you’re abiding by your test center's policies. If you're not sure what to do with your phone, ask a teacher or test proctor. Remember, if your phone rings, vibrates, or makes any sound during your test, you could end up forfeiting your test scores. This for sure happens on the SAT/ACT. If you're taking a final, midterm, or other school test, however, consequences will vary depending on your school's policies. In addition, don't simply put your phone on silent since alarms and other sounds can still go off! #10: Stay Calm Perhaps most importantly, take this short time right before your test to calm your nerves and reduce your anxiety. Yes, you’re taking a test. Yes, it’ll probably be a little scary. Yes, you might not feel totally prepared for it. But you can do it! To help relax yourself, take a few deep breaths as you sit at your desk. In particular, focus on deep breathing. This technique is known to quell anxiety and make you feel more relaxed. Don’t think about everything you’ve studied up until this point- just focus on feeling confident and at ease. If possible, try to stretch your arms and legs a little, too. This will help prepare your body for the upcoming immobility and get your blood flowing. #: Be Positive and Do Your Best Part of doing well on tests is having the confidence that you can do this. So take a few moments to remind yourself that you will do your best on this test and hopefully get the score you want. Also, know that it’s not the end of the world if you don’t do as well as you hoped you would. With the SAT/ACT, you can always retake the test. Or if you’re taking an AP exam or SAT Subject Test, even if you don’t get as high a score as your colleges would like, you can still give yourself a solid chance of admission by improving other parts of your college applications. Tests are important, yes, but they're not usually the only make-or-break factor! Do your best and don't let a low score negatively impact your goals. Key Takeaways: What to Do Before a Test Most tests- especially the SAT, the ACT, the PSAT, AP exams, SAT Subject Tests, midterms, and finals- are undeniably intimidating. But as long as you have a long-term study plan and know exactly what to do before a test, you’ll be able to feel confident and get a high score on it. Above, we gave you essential tips for what to do before a test. Here they are again, briefly: The Day Before the Test Lightly review any content you’re still struggling with Get together everything you’ll need for the test Know where the test is and how to get there Skip the all-nighter and get a good night’s sleep Set an alarm (or two or three) The Day of the Test Eat a healthy, filling breakfast Confirm you’ve got everything you need Go to the bathroom Immediately Before a Test Turn off your cell phone Stay calm Be positive and do your best Now get out there and ace that test! Imagine this is your teacher grading your test! What’s Next? Need help coming up with a foolproof study plan? Check out our sample SAT plans and our sample ACT schedules to help you get started. Running out of time before your test? Don't sweat it. With our 10-day cram plans for the SAT and ACT, you'll be able to get a great score, guaranteed! And if you're taking the PSAT instead, take a look at our expert last-minute cram tips. Looking for more study tips? Then read our guide to prepping for AP tests as well as our guide to prepping for SAT Subject Tests. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Mothers in Federal Prison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mothers in Federal Prison - Essay Example This information also supports the premise that when women are in federal prison it has severe repercussions on the entire family. Historically women who were mothers and sentenced to federal prisons were given lighter sentences. However, the literature indicates that tougher prison sentences, especially federal, are being handed down. As a result, more children are being affected by a parent's incarceration, (The Center for Youth and Families) The repercussions to the entire families of the incarnated women, not just the children are serious. There are emotional, political and economical effects that the entire family must endure. In the "Long Goodbye" by Amanda Coyne, all of these factors are addressed. The major factor that Coyne's work is concerned with is the emotional impact both on the mother and the rest of the family, especially the children. There is an emotional toll that affects the entire family f the imprisoned mothers. The literature suggest that the large numbers of women in federal prisons has a social impact and supports the premise that many women are in federal prisons due to the unsuccessful war on drugs. ... This causes great angst for the mothers in federal prison and it raises concerns as to what and how they will explain their incarceration to young children. The current literature also reveals that mothers in federal prisons have difficulties with adolescents and the adolescents of incarcerated mothers are problematic. (Coyne, p 73) Current literature is concerned with the unintended consequences of the incarceration of parents on children. (Coyne, p 72) These consequences may include problems with separation, caretaking, schooling, and antisocial behavior during childhood, educational failure, precocious sexuality, premature departures from home, early childbearing and marriage, and idleness and joblessness during adolescence and early adulthood. (Bloom, p 21) There is current literature that examines the dimensions and causes of these problems among children of mothers that have been sentenced in the federal district courts system. (Coyne, 74) The literature also suggests that the withdrawal or loss of a parent can result in the loss not only of economic capital, but also of social capital involving relationships among family members and the organization of family life toward the maintenance and improvement of life chances of children. (Bloom, p 22) The presence of mothers in United States prison populations is growing with the increasing reliance on incarceration as a criminal sanction, for women as well as men. (Bloom, p 22) The literature presents the results of a recent survey by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (1991) that revealed that about two-thirds of incarcerated women and more than one-half of incarcerated men are mothers of children under 18 years of age. (The Center for Youth

Business process mapping analysis for achiffa snack foods Essay

Business process mapping analysis for achiffa snack foods - Essay Example The company management has come across a number of gaps within the various systems and operations associated with the production, logistics, supply and warehousing departments. The management had in the past focused on increasing the product line by adding new products to its portfolio, and did not stress on improvement and service. Presently, there are a number of issues that are being faced the company on various fronts. There is an urgent requirement for changes in the facilities and the marketing fronts, customer handling, product pricing, product line system maintenance, packaging and storing of products. The image of being a quick service and supply chain of Achiffa Snack foods has been diminished of lately, resulting in losses to the profit margins of the organization. With pressure to get back on track with better profit margins, it is time that the Achiffa management thinks about implementing changes and improvements and devise a proper improvement strategy that focuses on e nhanced operations and better customer satisfaction. SECTION 1 BUSINESS PROCESS MAPPING ANALYSIS FOR ACHIFFA SNACK FOODS Business process mapping is related to identification of activities that are involved in the business of Achiffa Snack Foods. The process map clearly defines what the business does, the various procedures that are involved. The business process mapping of Achiffa clearly defines the various tasks involved throughout the whole supply chain of the company, from the order placement to the final delivery of the order to the customer. Business process mapping will help the company to identify where the gaps exist within the chain and which task needs more attention from the management and whether or not improvements can be made to the current process, (Kim 2006). Below is the business process mapping for Achiffa Snack Foods. The entire business of the company is divided between six departments which are identified as below – 1. Customer department – This department is in charge of functions likes order generation and collecting payments from customers on time. 2. Sales Department – This is concerned with maintaining the sales of the company at competitive levels. 3. Credit and Invoicing department – This is concerned with the accounts of the entire business. 4. Production Control Department – This is concerned with the production management of the products manufactured by Achiffa Snack foods. 5. Copying Department – This is concerned with the production scheduling and warehousing and logistics scheduling of the final delivery product. 6. Assembly and Shipping – This department is concerned with proper packaging, labeling and shipping of orders on time. PARETO ANALYSIS FOR ACHIFFA SNACK FOODS One of the recommended quality tools for Achiffa Snack food case study is the Pareto Analysis that has helped in identifying and solving the most common problems and concerns within the Achiffa

The Influence of Mass Media in Society Research Paper

The Influence of Mass Media in Society - Research Paper Example The effect of television on the way that people perceive reality can be seen in its full clarity through the influence of reality shows in the daily loves of people. The Kardashians, The Beverly Hills Wives, Guiliana and Bill, these are all scripted programs that â€Å"depict† the â€Å"real life† of a celebrity in such a manner that what they are doing on-screen becomes gospel truth to the voyeuristic viewer. This paper will focus on how television, through reality shows, has managed to changed the way that people perceive the reality of their own lives. Using facts and other verifiable information from various websites, articles,books , and/or journals, this paper will do its best to explain the phenomenon of the reality show and how it manages to change the way people view how they should conduct their lives based upon the television images and â€Å"real life† situations that they see. Towards the end, this paper will make mention of â€Å"The Hunger Gamesâ €  and how that particular movie helps to depict the evils of reality shows and how people sometimes, can no longer tell the truth between fiction and real life because of what television shows them. In order to best explain the phenomenon that has been created by the reality shows, one must first understand what a reality show is and what comprises the format. It is important for people to know that to call a reality show â€Å"unscripted† is a fallacy. According to David Rupel of the Writer's Guild of America reality shows do not have scripts but there are writers who â€Å"create formats, cast people based on character traits and edit scenes to tell a powerful, intriguing tale† (â€Å"How Reality TV works†). There are actually two types of reality shows, it either has (1) very little structure like The Kardashians, which means that the producer needs to sift through days worth of footage in order to develop a story line that the viewers will find intriguin g and stick to watching. Or (2) it is a reality show that is heavy on the formatting side such as The Amazing Race wherein the situations are pre-determined and thus includes a sense of drama that is more engaging for the audience (Rupel, David â€Å"How Reality TV Works†). Because reality shows have nothing real happening within them, one cannot help but wonder as to how the producers of such shows manage to alter the perception of people about the reality of what they are watching and influence them into illiciting an emotion that connects them to the show. Rupel, gives us a perfect example of how television and reality shows manages to alter the viewers perception of reality. He explains: When I worked on Bug Juice(a show for Disney Channel about kids at summer camp), we faced a major problem with our big boy-girl love story. After weaving this storyline through nine episodes, we were caught flat-footed when our boy Connor had the nerve to dump his girl, Stephanie, off-cam era! We had enough interview bites to explain what happened, but we needed a good visual to make it work... If you catch a rerun of the show, you will see a happy Stephanie obliviously bounce up to Connor, who solemnly takes her hand and leads her off, as his interview bite explains he needs to end things. With the help of a tender music cue, it turned out to be a touching and bittersweet end to our summer romance. The reality: Steph walked up to Connor, gushed about his Adidas

Comparison of Operations Management of Ryanair and British Airways

Comparison of Operations Management of Ryanair and British Airways This essay will seek to examine, compare and contrast the operations of Ryanair and British Airways, two major but strategically differing airlines. In order to fully explore the nature of both organisations and to critically analyse factors such as the impact of operations on performance imperatives and the ability to communicate ideas persuasively regarding key operations issues. The essay will begin by providing a brief background to both organisations and their operations management transformation processes. The essay will, for each organisation, discuss the market in terms of performance objectives and will focus on key transformation processes used in their operations. Underpinning and interwoven in the analysis will be concepts and theories of operations management which will provide a rigorous conceptual framework from which closer analysis of both of these organisations will be possible. This will serve to enable a clear and distinguishing conclusion that clearly notes the k ey differences between each airlines organisational management approach. I have chosen to focus this essay upon the airline industry, a large, growing and highly competitive industry in which profit margins are often tight with external factors, such as the price of oil often having a large influence. The airline industry is an important modern component of globalisation, facilitating significant increases in economic growth, global trade, and international tourism. Deregulation of the airline industry in the US in 1978 and in Europe in 1997 resulted in a more competitive market and the inception of low cost budget airlines such as Ryanair to compete with the more proliferate domestic flag carriers such as British Airways. Analysis In order to analyse and discuss the organisational management and transformative processes employed by the different airlines, it is first necessary to provide a brief background to each in order to contextualise their respective positions within the airline industry. The decision to analyse Ryanair and British Airways was taken in order to discuss two very different airlines. There are similarities and differences between the two airlines. Both are privately owned and operated airlines, one Irish, one British, both are committed to safe and reliable air travel, and both have also had to deal with their share of controversy and adverse media attention: Ryanair over its reliance upon ancillary revenue, its approach to customer service, and its provocative advertising; British Airways over the intense rivalry with Virgin Atlantic and subsequent high profile lawsuit, and more recently the long running industrial relations dispute with its cabin crew. However, both organisations take a very different organisational approach to their operations and management, as we shall explore. A brief background to Ryanair and British Airways Ryanair is an Irish low cost airline, with its head office based in Dublin Airport and with a UK base at London Stansted Airport. In 1985 Ryanair was created by the Ryan family and began inauspiciously with one plane flying once a day carrying passengers between Waterford in the south east of Ireland to Gatwick airport in London (Ryanair, 2010). However Ryanair has rapidly expanded since the European deregulation of the airline industry in 1997 and the last decade has been characterised by rapid expansion to meet the massive increase in passenger numbers the airline carries, to the extent that now Ryanair is one of the largest and most successful airlines in the world, and is the leading low cost airline in Europe carrying over sixty six million passengers in 2009 (Ryanair, 2010). This analysis will explore how Ryanair has managed such a dramatic and successful transformation of its operations. British Airways has if perhaps a less spectacular recent history, a more illustrious (the concord for example) and proven record of longevity, with forerunner company Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited reaching back to 25 August 1919 and the worlds first international daily air travel between London and Paris (British Airways, 2010). In 1974, forerunner companies such as Cambrian Airways, Caledonian Airways, and North West Airlines were merged to become British Airways, however owing to rising fuel prices and economic recession British Airways was operating at a loss in the 1980s and under the Conservative government of the time was eventually privatised in 1987 becoming a plc in a bid to return it to profitability (British Airways, 2010). British Airways has since the mid 1990s operated fairly successfully attracting a high of just over forty million passengers in 2002, and the company making substantial yearly profits until 2008 and has suffered significant losses in 2008 and 20 09, owing to several factors such as the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud and the industrial dispute which resulted in strikes and impacted upon operational capacity (BBC, 2010. This essay will seek to examine how British Airways has been seeking to turn around its recent fortunes and return to the profitability of the past in the face of stiff competition from low cost rivals such as Ryanair. Operations Management In the ultra-competitive airline industry, it is imperative that organisations understand their market, their operational world and their strategy. Operations management and business strategy are key to business success, and incorporate a holistic approach to management strategy and decisions which drives an organisation towards a goal. Ryanair for example has an operations strategy to provide air travel at the cheapest cost, whilst maximising its revenue and profit margin, whilst British Airways aims to provide an upgraded service to everyone who chooses to fly with us (British Airways, 2010), whilst improving efficiency in its operations. In order to achieve these ambitions, successful operations management is crucial, as it: Can reduce the costs of producing products and services and being efficient; Can increase revenue by increasing customer satisfaction through good quality and service; Can reduce the amount of investment that is necessary to produce the required type and quantity of products and services by increasing the effective capacity of the operation and by being innovative in how it uses its physical resources; Can provide the basis for future innovation by building a solid base of operations skills and knowledge within the business. (Slack et al, 2007:22). Operations management then will have a significant impact upon a companys short and long term profitability. Key to successful operations management and to this essay is operations strategy as it informs and instructs the fortunes of an organisation by charting the direction that they will follow. Operations Strategy and the Target Market For years up until the deregulation of the European airline industry in 1997, the European airline industry was dominated by national flag carriers, often subsidized by national governments, that offered full service flights but generally with high fares, of which British Airways is a good example. British Airways operational and management past is more complicated than Ryanairs due to several factors but largely because of its history and status as a flag bearing airliner. British Airways has had to overcome obstacles to success in its history privatisation was successfully navigated through programmes such as Putting People First and A Day in the Life which emphasised staff development, employee engagement and a collaborative approach to industrial relations (Upchurch, 2010:3). British Airways in the early 1990s was a profit making organisation based upon customer related innovations, however other airlines quickly copied the operational strategy, resulting in declining revenue a nd resulting in major job losses (British Airways, 2010) owing to greater competition. British Airways thus had to evolve its strategy and ambitions, and ensure that the strategic objective was aligned with the operations management of the company: British Airways strategic objectives focused on engaging in mergers with other airlines, hiring and training a good crew and maintaining its financial and social status. The strategic objective of British Airways are in line with the operations management system of the company. The operations objectives make sure that British Airways would continuously provide the best service to clients. The operations objectives make sure that the organizational objectives are met. The operations objectives guide the firm so that the organizational objectives will be met by British Airways. (Operations Management, 2010). Deregulation of the industry increased competition not only from within pre deregulation competitors but also with newly created airlines, and paved the way for what was essentially a revolution in air travel that has seen the creation of a multitude of low cost airlines offering cheap fares but with reduced services. Ryanair is the principal and most successful of these airlines and it achieved this success through innovating and redirecting its attentions in the market. Rather than try and compete with existing airlines in attracting the usual business travellers, Ryanair a different target market by seeking to attract large numbers of leisure travellers instead (Chesbrough, 2007). However, Ryanair was not initially a profitable organisation, unable to compete with the more established airlines. Realising this, Ryanair crucially and fundamentally over hauled its operational strategy in 1991: We patterned Ryanair after Southwest Airlines, the most consistently profitable airline in the US [says Michael OLeary, Ryanairs Chief Executive]. Southwest founder Herb Kelleher created a formula for success that works by flying only one type of airplane the 737 using smaller airports, providing no frills service on board, selling tickets directly to customers and offering passengers the lowest fares in the market. We have adapted this model for our market place and are now setting the low fare standard for Europe. (OLeary in Slack et al, 2007:62). Essentially then, this change in strategy by Ryanair highlights how important operational strategy is to an organisation. Perhaps the biggest challenge for British Airways has been the ongoing struggle against the low cost airlines which points to a strategic choice for British Airways between continuing to operate a full service and customer service focused high quality liner, or to adopt the low cost model. British Airways has refused to go down the low cost route, preferring instead to differentiate its customer base, focusing on premium, high-yielding passengers (in First and Business Class) (Upchurch, 2010:3), whilst rationalising some routes, cutting loss making routes and attempting to increase efficiency and savings through job cuts. Through changing their strategy significantly to copy a successful model, Ryanair fundamentally altered its operations but importantly enabled it to grow to become the leading European low cost airline. It was the strategic decisions that were taken that have been key and these include stream lining the operations wherever possible and aggressively optimizing production costs. By using only one aircraft type the 737, Ryanair were able to save a significant amount of money through standardization of parts, maintenance and servicing (Slack et al, 2007:62), whilst saving pilot training costs as the average training time for flight crews on the Boeing 737 is two weeks compared to an average of seven on other aircraft (Roseingrave, 2000). Ryanair maximised the aircraft seating capacity, whilst implementing a policy of charging for the seat only and increasing revenue through ancillary services such as charging for luggage, for online check in, for priority boarding and for on board fo od and drink (Box, 2007). Ryanair have also diversified the range of services that they offer, a cursory glance at their website highlights the range of services currently promoted in addition to their low cost flight seats, such as car hire, travel insurance, discounted hotels, airport transfer, credit cards, gift vouchers, hostels and bed breakfasts, cruise holidays, cheap mobile roaming, villas and apartments and campsite holidays (Ryanair, 2010). However, this is not unusual for an airline company, British Airways offers similar but more aims for a more up-market target. Perhaps one of the most important strategic decision that has been taken by Ryanair management is the decision to use low cost secondary airports: Flying in and out of low-cost uncongested secondary airports has become the trademark of Ryanair. Selected airports are generally close to large population centres. Secondary airports work well for Ryanair because they are less expensive, generally because they are the only airline flying there. In some cases these airports actually pay Ryanair to provide services. As Ryanair has a strong negotiating hand, if airports raise costs Ryanair can move capacity to lower-cost airports. Since secondary airports are uncongested, Ryanair is able to do 25-minute turnarounds, which enhance aircraft utilization and on-time performance. (Roseingrave, 2000:49 50). This combination of strategies aimed at keeping operating costs as low as possible have proved to be successful. However their success is can only be measured if customers are satisfied with the service provided. Ryanair is not famous for its customer service; indeed OLeary, the Ryanair CEO, clearly states the companys policy on customer service: We guarantee to give you the lowest air fare. You get a safe flight. You get a normally on time flight. Thats the package. We dont and wont give you anything more. Are we going to say sorry for our lack of customer service? Absolutely not. If a plane is cancelled, will we put you up in a hotel overnight? Absolutely not. If a plane is delayed, will we give you a voucher for a restaurant? Absolutely not. (OLeary in Slack et al, 2007: 62). Essentially, this is exactly what defines Ryanairs service concept, a tripartite concept outlined by Johnston and Clark (2008: 42). Firstly, the organising idea, or the essence of the service bought or used by the customer (Johnston and Clark, 2008: 42) is the guarantee to be given the lowest air fare, a safe flight and usually an on time flight. For British Airways, customers are the focus, which means that their employees will strive to ensure customer satisfaction and they will provide a more costly and full service. Secondly, the service experience, or the customers direct experience of the service process which concerns the way the service provider deals with the customer (Johnston and Clark, 2008: 42) is displayed in the simplicity of the deal they are up front and honest about the fact that the customer, even a customer in a service industry, should not have high expectations of customer service or customer care in the event of things going wrong. British Airways has long p ortrayed itself as the Worlds Favourite Airline owing to its commitment to a high quality service and standard of care, including compensation where appropriate. Again this is a far more costly model than Ryanairs but is aimed at a different if smaller market. Thirdly, the service outcome or the result for the customer of the service (in particular, the benefits provided, the resulting emotions and assessment of value for money) (Johnston and Clark, 2008: 42) is proven in the price guarantee, and the fact that Ryanair has increased its share of the passenger market dramatically within the last decade going from carrying around seven million passengers in 2000, to an estimated seventy million in 2010 (Ryanair, 2010). Conclusion So was it just the success of Ryanair that allowed OLeary to predict that Ryanair would overtake British Airways by carrying 3.5 million passengers a month in 2005. He went on to say, The very fact that a Mickey Mouse Irish airline can start in a field in Waterford 20 years ago, and in 20 years, overtake the worlds self styled, self proclaimed favourite airline is testament to the demand for low-airfare travel around Europe (Box, 2007: 65). Or was British Airways in operational decline. It would appear that the low-cost model of airline has been more successful in recent times and it is fair to say that with the recent and ongoing worldwide economic uncertainties that it is likely to continue to be the dominant force in air travel. Whilst British Airways has had a track record of being able to successfully adapt its operational strategy, it has in recent years been in decline and has so far failed to convincingly react to the growing threat to it from low-cost airlines. It has had to deal with additional problems such as the industrial dispute, whereas Ryanair being a airline that operates without an employees union, has avoided having to deal with complicated wrangles. The recent merger with the Spanish Airline Iberia has provided stability. But is British Airways merely delaying the inevitable? Is it attempting to become an airline that is too big to fail? As we saw in the economic crash, banks that purported to be too big to fail can and did, needing state intervention to prevent economic disaster. Time will tell, but currently the future of air travel would appear to have found hegemony in the low-cost, no frills airlines.

Adam Smith Biography :: essays research papers

Adam Smith was born on July 5, 1723 in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. At the age of fourteen, Smith entered the University of Glasgow, where he studied moral philosophy under Francis Hutcheson. Here Smith developed his strong passion for liberty, reason, and free speech. In 1740 he was awarded the Snell Exhibition and entered Balliol College, Oxford. In 1746 Smith left Oxford. In 1748 Smith began delivering public lectures in Edinburgh under the patronage of the Lord Kames. In 1751 Smith Was appointed the Chair of Logic at University of Glasgow, the next year he was appointed the Chair of Moral Philosophy, which was the position of his old teacher Francis Hutcheson. In 1759 he published The Theory of Moral Sentiments, it was embodied several of his lectures from his roles at Glasgow. In 1762 the academic senate of the University of Glasgow conferred on Smith the title of Doctor of Laws (LL.D.). Smith subsequently resigned from his professorship and from 1764-66 traveled with his pupil , mostly in France. On returning home to Kirkcaldy Smith was elected fellow of the Royal Society of London and he devoted much of the next ten years to his magnum opus. The Wealth of Nations was published on March 9, 1776. It was written for the average educated individual of the 18th century rather than for specialists and mathematicians. There are three main concepts that Adam Smith expands upon in this work that forms the foundation of free market economics: division of labour, pursuit of self interest, and freedom of trade. As for Smith?s characteristics and personal views, not much is known beyond what can be deduced from his published works. Shortly before his death, Smith had nearly all his manuscripts destroyed. In his last years he seemed to have been planning two major treatises, one on the theory and history of law and one on the sciences and arts.

A Critique Paper on the Article Essay

There had been rampant news about economic crises that come and go due to a variety of reasons. More often than not, these crises affected a number of countries, and not surprisingly, a lot of businesses as well, especially those that operated in the affected countries. The issue here now is how a business’s top management will respond when faced with the repercussions of a crisis. Of course, there are many courses of action to choose from, and one of these options is restructuring. Corporate restructuring is entered into by firms that deemed that no other viable options exist but this. The usual form of restructuring is debt restructuring, wherein the creditor and the debtor renegotiate the terms and conditions of the existing debt of the latter in order to make it less onerous to fulfill. It may lead one to wonder why any sensible creditor would agree to this knowing it would be disadvantageous on his part. One of the main reasons why creditors agree to this arrangement is because of its relationship with the debtor. If it is in good terms with the debtor or has a history of mutual benefit, creditors would then consider this option, notwithstanding the detriments on its part. Restructuring is not also limited to corporate bodies. Any types of businesses, may it be small, medium or large enterprises, may use this option. In fact, this paper tackles the restructuring process and the probability of its success based on small- and medium-sized enterprises, given the following variables of determination enumerated in the paper. II. Main discussion a. Summary of the article This paper aims to measure the likelihood of success of a firm’s restructuring process with a bank’s assistance, given identified factors. To empirically test the paper’s hypothesis, the model is formulated as follows: Success in Restructuring = f (firm size, ROA, debt ratio, debt structure, bank debt, restructuring period, value of collateral) The size of the firm, which is measured using a firm’s total assets, is taken into consideration in determining the outcome of the restructuring process. This is so because it determines the level of resources a firm possesses. In the same vein, the value of collateral is considered as well as the degree of collaterized debt a firm has. The firm’s return on assets (ROA) is included as a measure of the firm’s profitability. The debt ratio, which is the portion of total debt on total assets, is considered for obvious reasons. The debt structure is incorporated to determine mainly the percentage of short-term and longterm to the total debt of the firm. The bank debt, measured as the percentage of debt owed to the bank in relation to the total debt, is taken into consideration. This is so because a firm receiving bank assistance for its debt restructuring may be affected because of their liabilities towards the ones helping them during their tumultuous times. Lastly, the restructuring period is added. A longer period would require more resources to be expended on the part of the distressed firm, in turn affecting the likelihood of success of its restructuring. Since this [paper] was made in the context of the Netherlands, the sample of firms and all other relevant data were taken from said country. The researchers gathered and classified 51 â€Å"successful firms† and 22 â€Å"unsuccessful firms†. The paper employed a qualitative response model (QRM), particularly the logit, to test their model in its multi-variate setting. The results of the empirical test were summarized in the subsequent tables (all taken from the paper): Table 2. 1 shows that both classes of firms were relatively comparable in terms of their size despite the difference (Total assets), but this is significant only at the 10% level, meaning, the size discrepancy is not enough to be a source of bias in the results. In the industry level, it can be seen that the Manufacturing and the Services and Transport industries are the ones that experience a lot of financial distress (results were significant at the 1% level, in other words, really significant). However, it is a different story between the two. The Manufacturing industry has more cases of unsuccessful restructurings whereas it is the other way around for the Services and Transport. The Other industries is also significant (10% level), which can mean that the researchers should have considered more industries rather than lumping them all in one. For the reasons of distress, it is surprising to see that only Overinvestment was significant (5% level). This can explain the reason why Manufacturing is on the top of the list: overinvestment has led the firms to grow at unmanageable levels, which was also coupled by a decreasing demand for the firm’s products, leading to their demise. Table 2. 2 answers the main topic at hand, which is the determination of significant factors (firm characteristics) to the probability of successful restructuring. These figures were taken pre-restructuring. The results show that the significant factors were those that relate to a firm’s debt. Moreover, it can be seen that unsuccessful firms had a really high debt ratio compared to the successful firms. It can therefore be concluded that a firm’s debt condition spells out its success or failure in debt restructuring. b. Significance This study can be useful for firms of all sizes and also to banks, the former to determine if restructuring is a wise decision given their debt situation, and the latter to decide if a financially-distressed irm is worth helping given their financial constraints. To put it simply, it helps both parties (especially the banks) to maximize the use of their resources that will reap them the most benefits. This is also not limited to developed countries, since this can also be applied in developing countries like the Philippines. Policy-makers can also get value from the results of this study by implementing the appropriate rules in connection with t his issue to ensure that the economic condition of the country will be protected from any harm that can emanate from this. III. Relation to class discussion It was actually in class that I have first heard of restructuring, and of course how to address the accounting problems posed by debt restructuring. In relation to this article, it actually deviates from the accounting issues learned in class, and takes it to another level, which is applying it in the real-world context. For my part, journal articles like these make me think that there is more to something that what we initially see. For instance, the class opened my eyes to the accounting perspective of debt restructuring, but this article made me appreciate this topic a whole lot more because of the familiarity I have with the topic and the discussion itself. Moreover, it has enriched my knowledge on the said topic. After this, I am really encouraged to read a lot more to quench my thirst for knowledge not only in my chosen field of expertise, but also in anything I am curious about. After all, living a meaningful and satisfying life is not by being ignorant, but by being curious about the things around you.