Sunday, November 24, 2019

Confidentiality in Counseling

Confidentiality in Counseling Counseling describes a method of relating and responding to other individuals with the aim of providing them with an opportunity to explore, discover, and clarify ways of living more satisfyingly and resourcefully (Bond, 2000). It depends on the context in which the word is used to derive the actual meaning. Generally, counseling is a service provided by a trained professional and it is a process that involves a series of steps.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Confidentiality in Counseling specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These include identifying the problem that needs to be addressed-such problems could be from the client who needs counseling help, consider the outcome of the decision (to the client and the entire society) understanding the client, assessing ones potential competence (skills that are required to solve the current problem), consideration of ethical standards in relation to the situation. In counseli ng, information shared includes one’s body, mind and thoughts, beliefs, feelings and fantasies (Burnard, 2005) Confidentiality refers to the ethical principle of not revealing information known to a given party to unauthorized parties. This principle ensures secrecy among two or more parties who share information to them. In addition, confidentiality restricts giving information to third parties. Counseling involves so much classified information being revealed by the client. For instance, it may involve confessions and revelations of past and current situations of darkest and very sensitive high profile information of crimes, plans that are underway to achieve a given objective, secrets that could lead to arrests and prosecution by law and other forms of confidential information that should not be allowed to reach a third party. Counseling takes on different forms depending on the situation, such as traumatic experience that has occurred in ones life, or information required on medical, career, legal, spiritual, and emotional situations that have affected a client either short or long-term. In either situation, the information shared between the client and the professional counselor should be kept and treated with the privacy and confidentiality that is deserved with regard to conformity to legal standards that describe confidentiality (Feltham and Dryden, 2006). Both confidentiality and privacy are integrally related. Privacy allows individuals to limit access to information about themselves whereas confidentiality allows individuals to control access of the information they have shared, hence enabling the development of client trust with the counselor (McLeod, 2004).Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Different groups Counseling involves a variety of different age groups; matters that affects these groups and most of the groups that seek counse ling services tend to assume that whatever they are divulging to their counselor, will be kept confidential for children and adolescents, there are many critical issues that face them, which need that counselors maintain confidentiality in offering their services. The adult clients are assumed rational in providing any kind of information to the counselors. Managing confidentiality in counseling minors tends to be very complex because most of them are frightened and have doubts that the information given out might be divulged to third parties, who might threaten the minors to the extent of causing more harm to them (McLeod, 2004). Ethical dilemma and steps Having a mentally disturbed patient who suffers from paranoia, at this point, the situation needing attention is a description of paranoia, the different forms, and symptoms with the patient and how to calm the effects of paranoia. The therapist decides on the best way possible to handle the patient. The decision made will affect both the patient and other colleagues in different ways-the patient should be informed of the measures to take when certain feelings of anxiety, fear, and or violent reactions come up. The psychologist should contact the patient’s family or friends and inform them about the consequences of the situation. Consultations and information gathering about the issue of paranoia from other professionals, the internet, and medical literatures will enhance the process of decision making by the psychologist, in order to provide best assistance, the psychologist can also direct the patient to another professional colleague who has vast experience on such situation. In such cases, the ethical standard of confidentiality is breached so to allow extensive acquiring and dissemination of knowledge that will be helpful in assisting both the patient and the entire community, but privacy and anonymity of patients situation should be taken into consideration. In order to clearly understand and p rovide solution to the situation, the psychologist should analyze the links between family, behavior, culture, and relevant theories that correlate to the dilemma of the patient.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Confidentiality in Counseling specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In most cases, counseling jeopardizes a person’s feelings, rights, position, and judgment. In this situation, the psychologist should prioritize the patient’s dilemma, and consider performance to the best even if it breaches the legalities, provided it does not endanger the patient-community relation. In offering the professional services, the psychologist should consider the role of other aspects in the community towards the decisions undertaken in the entire process, how paranoia is perceived within the cultural, religious, and social contexts, and corrective steps taken should such aspects result into conflicts, by either seeking legal assistance. In case of unexpected results in future, the psychologist should develop alternative courses of action-if for example the services given to the paranoia patient fails, or face prejudice from community, prescription of other professional services should be advised accordingly. The situation at hand should be looked at and advised within a larger perspective in consideration to the effects and those affected by the decision; the process should accommodate and harmonize the perspectives of all the members involved in counseling. All the decisions made by the professional counselor should be undertaken in consideration of personal responsibility to the latter, through reconciliatory means in consideration to ethical code, response, and actions. The possible outcome and the eventuality of the results should be evaluated by the psychologist in terms of the overall action taken in providing counseling services to the paranoia patient and the results, if negative, other ca use of action should be prescribed to correct the situation of either the patient, conflict from society, legal issues, and other areas. The above processes should be followed by the psychologist to ensure that the decision taken in order to assist the paranoia patient does not compromise the safety of all the parties involved. In addition, the services provided help the patient’s life in future; it will ensure that future challenges are overcome in a conflict free environment while guaranteeing better professional services to patients (Pope, Vasquez, 2007, p.111). Challenges facing Confidentiality Sometimes, in the counseling process, not all the information is availed by the client and such information could be needed for different issues to take place. For example, a client who has been severally abused sexually by his/her parents, or a stranger for that matter could hide such information from the counselor due to the relation that exists between the client and the perpetr ator.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This hidden information is required by the counselor and medical practitioners to prescribe medication and other measures for the client. Hence, the counselor might opt to get the information from a third party to be able to ensure the success of counseling. Such a situation breaches confidentiality of the information for both parties. Parental consent Parental consent is needed from parent or guardian before entering counseling relationship especially in cases where the minors are considered not to make informed decisions about certain issues. However, their inclusion in the counseling process might restrict some information form the minors and as a result breaching confidentiality of the entire process. Competency (Age limits) – where the client is a minor, an adult has a great influence towards confidentiality. For minors who are seen as irrational in terms of revealing information and making decisions, the confidentiality is not guaranteed to some extent because a third party has to be involved in such a context to reveal or confirm certain information. The competency of age determines the confidentiality of the counseling process. Legal issues Matters concerning the various laws of any given state influence confidentiality in a way; for example, in cases of minor pregnancy, the minor might refuse to inform her parents about the plans for an abortion or even the pregnancy. Thus, if the abortion goes out of hand, the counselor is held responsible by law as for not informing the parents. Moreover, privacy rights influence confidentiality in counseling. Decisions making models Several models are used by counselors to promote the clients welfare depending on the situation at hand. Here, complexity of the situation and information provided by the client would influence the use of a third party. Privileged communication – This refers to the rights that protect clients from disclosing information during legal proceedings without informed consent (Pat, 1998). Confidentiality in various situations is breached, such as where it has involved notifiable diseases and the entire society has to be informed of the disease and its dangers. Other situation involve the births and deaths of individuals by the clients, information given to the police officers due to accidents and or crime, court orders which would require that certain information be made available to third parties, and where the professionals have to share certain information. All these forms result in breaching of confidentiality in any cases of counseling (Palmer, 1997). Benefits of confidentiality The client benefits from confidentiality during the counseling process in that, the client has a secure environment to give a full and frank account of issues pertaining to the problems they are facing. In other words, the client has someone whom he or she can accord trust for counseling services. Confidentiality supports public confidence and trust in both counseling and th e general healthcare services. It expresses mutual respect for the client or patient, and the autonomy of the patient is guaranteed. Confidentiality also guarantees the clients’ beneficence, non-maleficence (no intentions of harming the client whatsoever), justice and equal treatment and fidelity (loyalty, reliability and action in good faith). In certain cases, confidentiality reduces chances of the client being vulnerable to certain risks that may arise if the information revealed is made public and or relayed to a third party. Confidentiality ensures that the clients’ situation is dealt with, however nasty it may look to the client, and hence reduces chances of certain solvable situations worsening and becoming catastrophic in future. Clients are able to access professional assistance without the fear of victimization, and hence the reduction of the guilty conscience in the clients’ lives (Poon, 2003). Conclusion Counseling involves numerous services that are provided to the clients by professional counselors. These services concern and influence a persons taste, beliefs, thoughts, and fantasies. Confidentiality greatly influences the entire process of counseling, as the client and the professional counselor have to build and maintain trustworthy ground of access to information from both parties for the entire process to be successful. Different groups influence the extent of confidentiality during the counseling process, hence resulting into variation of management of confidentiality among the different groups. There are situations where confidentiality needs to be breached in order to get specific information about certain issues, and also to solve and prevent the occurrence of catastrophes in the entire society from the influence of information provided by the client. The clients benefit from confidentiality in many different ways. In counseling, the professionals should adhere and strictly maintain and ensure that privacy and confid entiality of the process is maintained to the latter, as this ensures the success of the counseling process. References Bond, T. (2000). Standards and ethics for counseling in action. London: Sage. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=yVx3LkOQA8YCpg=PA150dq=confidentiality+in+counsellinghl=enei=XtLDTeb0DtHLswaM9_WHDwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=4ved=0CEEQ6AEwAw#v=onepageq=confidentiality%20in%20counsellingf=true. Burnard, P. (2005). Counseling skills for health professionals. London: Nelson Thornes Ltd. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=xQIqC-_49wECpg=PA188dq=confidentiality+in+counsellinghl=enei=XtLDTeb0DtHLswaM9_WHDwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=8ved=0CFUQ6AEwBw#v=onepageq=confidentiality%20in%20counsellingf=true. Feltham, C., and Dryden, W. (2006). Brief counselling: a practical, integrative approach. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill International. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=ak_sybCOn-gCprintsec=frontcover#v=onepageqf=false. McLeod, J. (2004). The counsellors workbook: developing a personal approach. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill International. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=GpZsUxLdgvYCpg=PA102dq=confidentiality+in+counsellinghl=enei=eDLGTdvuAsXNswbsm7SXDwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=4ved=0CEUQ6AEwAw#v=onepageq=confidentiality%20in%20counsellingf=false. Palmer, S. (1997). Handbook of counseling. London: Routledge. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=Hloe33OCZqECpg=PA525dq=confidentiality+in+counsellinghl=enei=XtLDTeb0DtHLswaM9_WHDwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CDcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepageq=confidentiality%20in%20counsellingf=true. Pat, L. (1998). Counseling Minors: Ethical and Legal Issues. Counseling and Values, Vol, 42, Issue 3. Retrieved from pc3connect.org/otherdocs/COUNSELING%20MINORS-%20ETHICAL%20AND%20LEGAL%20ISSUES.PDF. Poon, S, M. (2003). Counseling â€Å"for life enrichment faith, hope, and love.† Singapore: All Nations Enterprise Ltd. Retrieved from https://boo ks.google.com/books?id=VJD3mdqSk6oCprintsec=frontcoverdq=counsellinghl=enei=-9bDTa7NJY_CtAbakvHIDwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=6ved=0CFwQ6AEwBQ#v=onepageqf=false Pope, S, K., Vasquez, T, J. (2007). Ethics in Psychotherapy and Counseling. CA: John Wiley Sons, Inc.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Weekly questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Weekly questions - Assignment Example Apparently, US companies are tending towards outsourcing their customer service functions to companies that hire staff capable of communicating fluently in Spanish or English. While majority of international US companies have staff that is multi-lingual, most of them would still prefer to hire companies that possess a similar cultural affinity (Cromie & Zott, 2014). Therefore, they will tend to be more likely to outsource functions to locations that share a similar culture, thus preferring near-shoring. Although American companies have benefited immensely from offshore outsourcing in the past, the increasing investments in customer service has made them aware of the costs of miscommunication on their overall business. The US, as of 2013, had several trade sanctions and embargoes against several countries, including imposing embargoes on arms-related exports, financial restrictions, economic assistance restrictions, and dual-use exports controls. The embargo against Cuba is one example, which involves financial, economic, and commercial restrictions first imposed in 1960 and further extended in 1962 to cover almost all forms of imports (Coy, 2012). An arms-trade embargo has been in force since 1958 when Cuban rebels headed by Fidel Castro seized American properties and nationalized them. In addition, further actions to nationalize all privately-owned companies led to an embargo on all Cuban brown sugar imports. The US government responded to Castro’s Cold War alignment with the USSR by widening the scope of trade embargo restrictions, especially after Cuba hosted USSR missiles on their territory (Coy, 2012). This resulted in freezing of Cuban assets in the US and consolidation of all existing restrictions. Finally, in the wake of the shooting of unarmed US planes that killed four US citizens in 1992, the Helms-Burton Act restricted trafficking of property confiscated by the Cuban government

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Comparative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparative - Essay Example This paper exemplifies various similarities and differences between â€Å"Drunken Master† and â€Å"Fist of Fury†. Firstly, both films are nationalistic and portray the Chinese masculinity. Nationalism and Chinese cinema have always been intertwined. â€Å"Fist of Fury† is situated at the period when China was recovering from degradations and humiliations in the hands of Japanese and other colonial powers. Lee acts as a strong Chinese man who confronts all humiliations and challenges and triumphs over them thus portraying his nationalism. Lee defeats Japanese clearly indicating the triumph of Chinese martial arts over external forms and illustrates how customary martial arts were deeply ingrained in Lee. Additionally, Lee’s triumph and devotion to defending the society is depicted when he uses his Chinese martial arts skills to defend and protect his community against external interference, a factor that further indicates the role that men were supposed to play in the traditional Chinese community. While many analysts document Lee’s nationalism as hugely controversial and th e entire process of defining who a Chinese is as multifaceted and dubious, Lee’s character embodies a Chinese who is anti-Japanese and the avenge against the slaying of his master portray the antagonism that existed between Chinese Nationalists and the ‘others’, typically represented by Japanese villains (Louie, 92). Similarly, in the â€Å"Drunken Master†, the nationalistic spirit and Chinese masculinity are featured through the character of Jackie Chan. Chan, despite being dreadful of Chinese martial arts, is forced to train in it which later enables him to defend his father against being butchered by Yan Ti San who was hired by a business opponent to kill Chan’s father. Chan was to be trained by Beggar who is legendary for crippling students when training. When Chan finds it hard to survive in Beggar’s school, he leaves for Drunken Master’s school and learns

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Using Calculus in curves for bridges, tunnels, and more (engineering) Research Paper

Using Calculus in curves for bridges, tunnels, and more (engineering) - Research Paper Example examine the role of calculus in physics at large and specifically determination of the use of calculus in the development of bridges, tunnels as well as curves. There is high level of integration of calculus within the entire discipline of physical sciences. (Charles, R. I. 2005)This can be found in both physics as a physical science and biology as a physical science. One can also be able to find calculus in statistics and all the disciplines that relate to it, engineering and its entire spectrum, in economics, business as well as in medicine. Other areas that has witnessed the exploitation of the use of calculus include modern development. By modern development, it is important to appreciate that areas such as architecture rely extensively in the use of calculus. Another are of modern development is the field of aviation. In this area, calculus are used extensively as this paper will try to reveal in the subsequent pages. From this end, the study shall examine specific areas and also try to elaborate the importance of the use of calculus in those particular areas. The first most important area where calculus has been extensively used is â€Å"finding the slope of a curve†. There is a generalized method that can always be used to find a slope of a curve. Usually, this require particular formula of operation. Calculus can always provide a tried and tested formula for this with almost absolute accuracy. The nature of the slope is that it is always fairly elementary. By the use of some algebraic formulas, this can always be determined without any problem. To find the steepness of such a slope, there is a need to utilize calculus in determining such slope. Finding the steepness of a slope can be important in a lot more areas of the study. For example, in civil engineering, construction of roads and bridges will rely on the ability of the engineers to calculate the steepness of a given place. This would enable them determine what actions need to be taken on

Friday, November 15, 2019

The relevance of coaching and mentoring

The relevance of coaching and mentoring Coaching and mentoring both are considered to be very important activities in organisation working in the current business era, where there is high competition among different competitors in market with different types of quality products and services. All these organisations in modern management strongly believe in the development of the human resources in their as they consider humans as an asset and important resource for achievement of their organisational goals and objectives. So the make human able to carry out their job roles successfully and to make sure the achievement of the organisation objective by their hard work, skills and motivation, organisations arrange activities like coaching and mentoring to achieve their objectives through human resources in the organisation. Coaching and mentoring are popular capacity-building tools, especially in the area of leadership development. They are often mentioned in proposals and reviews as key elements of good capacity-building practice. Yet despite their current status, many of us are unclear what coaching and mentoring really involves, and where and when they work. [6] This assignment is about the understanding of the basic concepts of coaching and mentoring, the basic definitions of these two terms, what is the difference among the concepts and processes of coaching and mentoring, and what are the processes that organisation use to hire or develop a proper coach or mentor in their organisation. Objectives of Assignment This assignment is divided into two task, following are the objectives and requirements of each individual tasks. Task 1 The objectives / requirements of task one of assignment are Define the terms mentoring and coaching Demonstrate a critical and clear understanding of the differences between mentoring and coaching Critical reflection of skills required to be an effective coach and mentor Coaching and mentoring processes Leadership behaviors (particular attention must be paid to theories on motivation, learning and emotional intelligence) and styles that accommodate mentoring and coaching strategies Task 2 Following are the objectives / requirements of the task two of the assignment Critically evaluate how the current academic debate on coaching and mentoring will enable you as a Human Resources Manager to instill the importance and value of coaching and mentoring to organizations. Critically reflect on how your academic research on coaching and mentoring has contributed to the development of your subject knowledge on Human resources. Critically reflect on your achievement of any two of the module learning outcomes Definition of Mentoring Mentoring is an indefinite, relationship based activity with several specific but wide ranging goals. It does not have to be a formal process. The mentor is a facilitator who works with either an individual or a group of people over an extended time period. The agenda is open and continues to evolve over the longer term. Mentoring seeks to build wisdom the ability to apply skills, knowledge and experience to new situations and processes. [2] Mentoring relationships can deliver a number of critical benefits to nonprofit organizations and their employees. They can accelerate learning and expand the overall competency base of staff. They can help assure organizational agility, flexibility, and resourcefulness in difficult times, drawing on the guidance of seasoned professionals. They can improve the quality of work products and services through the use of feedback loops. They can strengthen networks and build collaborative ties between the organizations or work units where mentors and mentees are based. And they can help protect nonprofits from unforeseen liabilities, as mentors help mentees assess risks and manage challenges. Mentorship fosters employee loyalty and commitment, improving morale while enriching organizational culture making it more humane and accountable to community. [3] The activities of mentoring a very important when there are some persons in organization at senior positions, got good experience of working with organization, have good knowledge of organization products and services, good understanding of the organizational structures and procedures, and that person wants to voluntarily or through the set procedure of the mentoring for the organization with new and un experienced employees in very informal, and friendly way. Different organization irrespective of the structure, size and business of the organization are getting benefits from the process and procedures of mentoring. Definition of Coaching To survive and make the organization a prosper institute in the tough era of competition, it is needed from the organizations to perform at their best with high level of effectiveness and motivation towards the achievement of their organizational goals and objectives. This clearly indicate that certain skills like leadership skills, taking right decision on right time (decision making) relationships between different staff members, creation and innovation activities, time management, stress management, controlling issue of high importance, conducting and controlling meetings effectively are all those skills and activities which the organizations has to be at very best in order to capture a prominent position in the market. To carry out all the above activities in proper way the organization can grab the benefits of all these, the term coaching are use. As there is no one agreed on definition of coaching exit but different management writer have come up with their own definition, in all of them some terms remains the same like working for the betterment of skills and informations in organization through a very structured process. The term coaching includes activities related to developing the organizational capacity of whole organization (such as increasing leadership for instructional reform). It includes helping management and employees reallocate their resources and improve their use of data in the service of improving instruction and it includes activities directly related to improving instruction (such as one on one observation and feedback of employees instructional strategies and small group learning of new content and pedagogy). [1] The focus of coaching is on meeting very specific objectives within a set period of time. Coaching is mainly concerned with performance and the development of certain skills. It usually takes place on a one-to-one basis and has a very specific purpose. There is usually a planned program with a much shorter timeframe than in mentoring, so the learning goals are usually determined in advance. [2] Mentoring and coaching can be stand alone activities, but they can also be used to complement each other. Characteristics of coaching Following are the main characteristics of the coaching presented by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), and most of the coaching professionals agree with these characteristics and consider these characteristics as fundamentals for coaching activities in the organization. This is development through one to one discussion. Give people understanding on their weaknesses and strengths. The aim of coaching is to address a specific issue. It is considered as short term activity, but its impact is very long term. This is known as non directive development The purpose of coaching is the improvement of performance and enhancing skills of individuals and team members working in the organization. It addresses different issues with the internal environment of the organization, and external organization. The organizations conduct coaching activities for the achievement of both organizational and individual goals. This is time specific activity. It works on the premise that clients are self-aware, or can achieve self-awareness. It is a skilled activity Benefits of coaching and mentoring The coaching and mentoring helps organization in enhancing their human resources skills and make them able to carry out their job roles and responsibilities in way which is efficient, effective and which helps the management of the organization to achieve their business goals and organization objectives. The coaching and mentoring makes the management able to fold the employees activities and role in the way that they want, it helps individuals working in organization in the improvement of their personal and professional skills, and make the employees able to achieve their individual targets and those of organization. It provide the employees a safe space to delegate Enhance the skills which the individuals encompass Ability of learning new skills Provide an insight into yours skills as a coach and mentor and also to those of others. Get unbiased, confidential support Provide fresh prospective on the related issues to work, workplace and organization environment. Provide the opportunity to make biased things clear between the individuals in the organization. Difference between coaching and mentoring The differences between coaching and mentoring are often considered being very min, even most of the people think it coaching and mentoring as different names of same concepts, and it can be difficult to distinguish between coaching, mentoring and counseling. In practice, mentoring for example is sometimes used interchangeably with coaching. Traditionally, however, mentoring in the workplace has tended to describe a relationship in which a more experienced colleague used their greater knowledge and understanding of the work or workplace to support the development of a more junior or inexperienced member of staff. Similarly, it can be hard to draw a clear distinction between coaching and counseling, not least because many of the theoretical underpinnings of coaching are drawn from the worlds of counseling and therapy. For the purpose of managing coaching services the key distinction to be drawn is that coaching is for those who are psychologically well; a coach should be able to recognize where an individual is so distressed by personal or social issues that he or she needs to be referred to specialist counseling or other support. Coaching and mentoring processes According to Robert Dilts different organizations and individuals work on development activities in different forms, these activities are conducted by managers sometime while by some organizations uses the concept and approach of internal and external mentors and coaches. Robert Dilts define the following process for coaching and mentoring Guiding: This the process which leads individuals and groups within organization from their current state to the to a desired state in their personal and professional life, same is the case like a car journey, the person driving is on current location and decides the target location and plan a certain path to reach the target. Coaching: is the process of improving another persons awareness about the deficiencies in his / her field and area of work, sets a target for that individual to achieve and improve a certain behavioral performance. Teaching: is the simple process of helping individuals and groups by an expert person to develop the skills and learning knowledge about a particular thing, place or person. Mentoring: helping to shape an individuals beliefs and values in a positive way; often a longer term career relationship from someone who has done it before Counseling: is the process of helping an individual to improve performance by resolving situations from the past. Every event that occurs in coaching is tied to activities in someones head. (Some people may argue that coaching is more heart based. Whatever your perspective is on this, consider that emotions have correlates in the brain too.) This means that a brain-based approach should underpin and explain every good coaching model and provide the field with an underpinning science. A brain-based approach is going to be inclusive and bring the disparate field to greater cohesion. Second, a brain-based approach to coaching looks attractive when you think about the other contenders for a foundational discipline, the obvious one being psychology. From an organizational perspective, psychology suffers from a mixed history and a perception of being unscientific. While psychologists are the first people called on if someone is in crisis, most senior leaders would not consider them for improving performance because of the bias they assume psychologists have for therapeutic languages and models. A brain-based approach on the other hand is something tangible and physical. We live in a materialistic world where organizations respect things that can be measured. To bring about the wide- scale use of coaching as a learning or transformation tool, we need to speak to organizations in a language they understand. [4] The main reason it may be time to build a brain-based approach to coaching is simply how profoundly useful this approach is. It is interesting to be able to explain in scientific terms why the brain needs coaches, but it is even more useful to know how coaching helps the brain improve its functioning. This points us to ways we can better measure, manage and deliver coaching initiatives, whether one to one, training internal coaches, or in teaching coaching skills to thousands of leaders. [4] When to choose coaching and mentoring For the management of any organization it is very important to choose between the activities of coaching and mentoring, their always remain some space for the improvement in organization, but the selection of activities of coaching or mentoring largely depends on the nature of the improvement that the management wants in organization, or the weaknesses they feel and want to overcome on. The below table shows information regarding coaching and mentoring and will provide idea to the management of the organization on what to chose and when to chose. Mentoring may be best whenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Coaching may be best whenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The employee needs an expert or sponsor The employee will benefit from specific knowledge about the organizations culture, values, and norms, especially when the information is informal and difficult to obtain from traditional sources The employee is reasonably clear about their career and developmental goals The employee will be helped by receiving direction The employee is a senior or more experienced leader; or where developmental issues may require strict confidentiality There is a strong desire or need to practice, apply, or implement new skills and behaviors, and excellent complement to traditional training. The employee realizes there is a gap between where they are and where they want to be (skills, knowledge, career, achievement, etc), but isnt sure how to address it The employee will be helped by sustained, objective support Skills required for good coach and mentor Getting people to change is becoming increasingly important in our rapidly changing work environment. The dominant view of organizational leaders is that getting people to change just requires information and the right motivation: we need to know what has to be changed, and then use incentives to inspire people to behave differently. This is a reductionist perspective, which works well in any linear system: if a machine breaks down, we work out logically where the source of the problem is, and then simply replace the part. However, if the thing broken is someones communication style, finding this out and trying to replace the part is not realistic. In fact, the more information we have about a human problem, the deeper the problem may become. [5] The above discussion shows the complication of the process of coaching and mentoring, that both of these are not an easy task to do, and it often requires skills, abilities and experience in the relevant field for the person who is going to take the position as coach or mentor in the organization. The skills required by a coach or mentor also depends on the field in which he / she is going to provide the mentoring or coaching facility, following is brief description of the most popular skills required by a coach and mentor in order to fully satisfy the needs of his / her job role. Skills required for good coach As coaching is a very structures and organized activity in each and every organization, so the person who is to be called coach must be having enough skills and abilities to organize people, lead people, and plan well in order to improve the humans skills and abilities and also to overcome on their weaknesses. Following are core skills to be found in a good coach. Must be able to provide facilitate clarification of the goal Available to employees all the time to guide them from a start point to the finish Maintain a threshold to keep focus/track Provide sufficient knowledge and help to employees that they may overcome on hurdles in pursuit of the goal. Strong Interpersonal Skills Technical Competence Patience Trustworthiness A Non-judgmental Attitude Belief in Lifelong Learning Skill at Providing Instructional Support Good Listening Skills Skills required for a Mentor As mentoring is more focused on individual relations in organization, normally this relation exits between an experienced and new staff member, the experienced member of staff is normally called as mentor, so the requirements from mentor is that he / she must have enough experience to work for that organization, and have all the related data and information on the products, services, and structure of the organization. A successful mentor should have the following skills Able to corrects mistakes Acts as a personal cheering squad Guides in improving the future Provides counsel and wisdom Supports the journey from fantasy to reality Provokes thought and wider perspectives Leadership behaviors and styles The activities and processes of coaching and mentoring needs the role of leader in organization who initiate the process, set the targets for it, and then plan the procedures to achieve the targets by proper coaching and mentoring activities, and during these activities also evaluate the process and its success by setting milestones, and motivate their team members and employees towards the achievement of their career and organization business objectives. Coaching and mentoring are two personal development methods that nurture a persons own abilities in order to improve behavior and performance. The processes of coaching and mentoring are similar insofar as they are both a series of conversations (spoken or written) between two individuals. However, there are subtle but significant differences in aim, emphasis and style. Coaching tends to be viewed as more task-oriented, skills-focused, directed and time-bound, whereas mentoring is more focused on open-ended personal development. The reality is that there is considerable convergence and overlap between these approaches. To get the best out of mentoring and coaching, we need to start by exploring their origin, evolution and application to leadership development. [6] The achievement of organizational goals largely depends on the humans working for that organization organizes different activities and the results of those activities depends on how much they are dedicated towards those activities and how much the organization staff members are motivated. The word motivation is common in everyday language, but is not easy to define rigorously in a scientific context. The concept of motivation is related to, but distinct from other concepts, such as instincts, drives, and reflexes. Motivated behavior is usually goal oriented; the goal may be associated with a drive such as hunger or thirst (called primary motivation). However, motivation is also closely tied to sensory stimuli: an animal will not usually exhibit eating behavior unless food is presented. Unlike instinctive behavior, motivation depends on affect (emotional state). Finally, motivation can be learned (in which case it is called secondary motivation) and typically elicits more complex beha viors than simple reflexes. Motivation theories and coaching / mentoring There are so many motivation theories by different management writer; the focus of each and every motivational theory is on the fulfillments of the needs of individual working for that organization and through highly motivated humans the achievement of the organizational goals. In this part of the assignment I will focus only on one motivational theory (Hull theory) which is very closely related to the gaining motivation of employees through different activities of coaching and mentoring. Hulls Theory Hulls theory provides a framework within which motivated behavior can be analyzed. Hull (1943) proposed that the initiation of learned, or habitual, patterns of movement or behavior is called motivation. In addition, Hull proposed a distinction between primary motivation, the evocation of action in relation to primary needs, and secondary motivation, the evocation of action in relation to secondary reinforcing stimuli or incentives. Primary motivation is the cornerstone of Hulls drive reduction theory. According to Hull, events that threaten survival give rise to internal drive states, and behaviors that act to reduce drive are thus rewarding. For instance, lack of food causes an increase in the hunger drive, and the consumption of food is rewarding because it leads to a reduction in the hunger drive. In our daily experiences we are faced with a continuously fluctuating combination of multiple drives and incentives. Somehow we must be able to select the behavior that is most appropriate in a given situation, while suppressing other, less adequate behaviors. Thus, motivated behavior requires a form of competition. According to Hull, at any given time the behavior with the greatest potential to reduce a given drive is released. If the drive persists, that behavior is inhibited, and the second strongest response in the drive hierarchy will be released, and so on. The concept of the Hulls theory shows that organization can get the benefits of the employees skills and knowledge about the job role if that employee is highly motivated, and motivation can only be gained through proper process of coaching and mentoring activities. Assignment Task 2 The requirements from this task are to measure and critical evaluate the current academic debate, and also a critical reflection of the learning during this course and assignment. Evaluation of academic debate We have described motivation as the internal force that energizes behaviors, and that determines which particular behavior will be emitted in response to a given set of environmental stimuli and to the internal needs of an organism. Motivation is a complex topic of research that has been studied from many different approaches. During this coursework I come across the different areas of management which focuses on the development of human resources in the organizations in order to achieve the organization goals and objectives, coaching and mentoring are the two most important activities in this regard which are most widely used and practiced in different organizations. The theories of different management writers have declare the motivation as the key factor in getting human involve in the activities of the organization which will not only results in the betterment of the individual skills and learning but also make the organization goals achievements realistic one. The academic debate during this course was very enough to meet the requirements in proper way and make the students able to understand the core of the issues which influences organization business and why they need to have an individual or group of individuals as coach and mentor in the organization and they use different motivation concepts in order to motivate the organization staff to get the desired results of the process. The nature of coaching and mentoring activities also depend largely on the size and structure of the organization, the nature of their business, the products and services they produce and how much they are focused on the personal and professional skills development of the humans working for them. These activities help in micro skills development, and the micro-skills of coaching include helping the manager develop the skills and attitudes to help and individual manage situations from within their own resources (Egan, 2004). During this stage of the training, the individual is introduced to the concepts of Empathy, Respect and Genuineness. Reflection on academic learning During this module I come across different concepts of human resource development in the organization, how to motivate individuals working for organization, how the management of the organization implement different management theories in order to get the desired results of the activities like coaching and mentoring, the process of human resource development and motivation, that how an individual working for or on the behalf of the organization can be motivated to put their hundred percent in performing their job role and focusing toward their personal and professional skills development, and through the proper use of their skills and knowledge the achievement of their organizational goals and objectives, while the employees must understand the importance of the coaching and mentoring activities which the management of the organization conduct for them and actively participate in those activities for their own personal and professional skills development, and learn the knowledge and information which will make them able to perform their job role very efficient and effectively. Conclusion and Recommendations To achieve the business goals and organizational objectives organizations use the different approaches which are discussed in very detail in this assignment. In this part the conclusion is given of the overall debate some recommendations for organization management who wish to improve the standard of coaching and mentoring in their organizations. Coaching had its origins in the world of sports, with coaches helping competitors to achieve success through structured and focused instruction and tutoring. In the 1980s, executives of major companies realized the potential a coaching-style intervention could have in helping them to work more effectively. Such approaches also permeated the development world. In the 1990s the Community Development Resource Association (CDRA) in South Africa was using such an approach as part of its development practitioner formation programs. Mentoring has been practiced in different cultures for hundreds of years. But it is only recently that mentoring has been (re)discovered by the private sector, and now by the civil society sector, as a mechanism for leadership development. The origin of mentoring can be traced back to Greek mythology. When Odysseus left home to fight in the Trojan War, he placed an old, trusted family friend, Mentor, in charge of his household, thereby delegating responsibility for protecting and educating his son Telemachus. A mentor therefore conjures up images of a wise and trusted advisor or counselor. Some African scholars make the point that such roles were commonplace in Africa long before ancient Greek civilization. The extensive literature on coaching and mentoring reveals no single definition of either term, but rather a collection of definitions that help form a picture of what the processes involve. Much of the literature explores different models that can be used and adapted by coaches and mentors, depending on their personal style and their situation. According to many definitions, while coaching and mentoring share the same principles, coaching is primarily focused on performance within the current job and emphasizes development tools, while mentoring focuses on longer-term goals and developing capability. The word motivation is common in everyday language, but is not easy to define rigorously in a scientific context. The concept of motivation is related to, but distinct from other concepts, such as instincts, drives, and reflexes. Motivated behavior is usually goal oriented; the goal may be associated with a drive such as hunger or thirst (called primary motivation). Those organizations who wish to improve the standard of their human resources through structured process of coaching and mentoring, I will suggest the following in light of what I studied during this course and preparation of the assignment. Try to make the human resource management department well structured and influential on the decision making regarding human development in the organization. Hire only those individuals as coach or mentor in the organization who have past track record of working in such organization environment. Satisfy the needs of the human resources in order to make them highly motivated. Motivated employees can only focus towards their personal and professional skills development and can contribute to the goals and objective achievement of the organization. The organization needs to invest in their human resource, and this investment will lead them to become the market leader in their product and services. The management should always identify the weak areas and the need for coaching or mentoring, and the employees should fully cooperate with the management to achieve the best of results from the process.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Company strategic plan Essay

According to company strategic plans, the company aims to achieve a net profit before tax of $1,000,000. The chief risks to this goal are: ââ€" poor sales due to economic downturn ââ€" increases in expenses such as wage expenses. In addition to Australian operations, the company is considering manufacturing overseas to take advantage of reduced costs. The company is also considering diversifying its product range to reduce exposure to poor sales of one product. Role You are the manager of Sales Centre A, based in Adelaide. The centre has achieved great success over the last year and consistently outsells other sales centres. In fact, due to the large number of accounts managed by your sales team and larger staff, your centre is expected to sell as much volume as the other two sales centres put together. Naturally, you expect cost allocations to reflect the both the needs and importance to the business of Cost Centre A. Task A The Sales General Manager, Sam Gellar has asked you to review the master budget and cost centre budgets prepared by the Senior Accountant. She would like you to meet with her to discuss the whether the budget projections are achievable, accurate, understandable and fair. She would like you to look at the budget for your cost centre closely, note any changes you think are necessary, develop an argument for the changes and negotiate those changes with her. Information you are aware of includes: ââ€" Sales in the first quarter (Q1), second quarter (Q2), and the fourth quarter (Q4) are generally 30% less than Q2. ââ€" Sales in Q2 depend on completion of 90% of repair and maintenance. ââ€" Commission negotiated with members of the sales team is now at 2.5%.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 38. Power

â€Å"Chelsea is trying to break our bindings,† Edward whispered. â€Å"But she can't find them. She can't feel us here. . . .† His eyes cut to me. â€Å"Are you doing that?† I smiled grimly at him. â€Å"I am all over this.† Edward lurched away from me suddenly, his hand reaching out toward Carlisle. At the same time, I felt a much sharper jab against the shield where it wrapped protectively around Carlisle's light. It wasn't painful, but it wasn't pleasant, either. â€Å"Carlisle? Are you all right?† Edward gasped frantically. â€Å"Yes. Why?† â€Å"Jane,† Edward answered. The moment that he said her name, a dozen pointed attacks hit in a second, stabbing all over the elastic shield, aimed at twelve different bright spots. I flexed, making sure the shield was undamaged. It didn't seem like Jane had been able to pierce it. I glanced around quickly; everyone was fine. â€Å"Incredible,† Edward said. â€Å"Why aren't they waiting for the decision?† Tanya hissed. â€Å"Normal procedure,† Edward answered brusquely. â€Å"They usually incapacitate those on trial so they can't escape.† I looked across at Jane, who was staring at our group with furious disbelief. I was pretty sure that, besides me, she'd never seen anyone remain standing through her fiery assault. It probably wasn't very mature. But I figured it would take Aro about half a second to guess – if he hadn't already – that my shield was more powerful than Edward had known; I already had a big target on my forehead and there was really no point in trying to keep the extent of what I could do a secret. So I grinned a huge, smug smile right at Jane. Her eyes narrowed, and I felt another stab of pressure, this time directed at me. I pulled my lips wider, showing my teeth. Jane let out a high-pitched scream of a snarl. Everyone jumped, even the disciplined guard. Everyone but the ancients, who didn't so much as look up from their conference. Her twin caught her arm as she crouched to spring. The Romanians started chuckling with dark anticipation. â€Å"I told you this was our time,† Vladimir said to Stefan. â€Å"Just look at the witch's face,† Stefan chortled. Alec patted his sister's shoulder soothingly, then tucked her under his arm. He turned his face to us, perfectly smooth, completely angelic. I waited for some pressure, some sign of his attack, but I felt nothing. He continued to stare in our direction, his pretty face composed. Was he attacking? Was he getting through my shield? Was I the only one who could still see him? I clutched at Edward's hand. â€Å"Are you okay?† I choked out. â€Å"Yes,† he whispered. â€Å"Is Alec trying?† Edward nodded. â€Å"His gift is slower than Jane's. It creeps. It will touch us in a few seconds.† I saw it then, when I had a clue of what to look for. A strange clear haze was oozing across the snow, nearly invisible against the white. It reminded me of a mirage – a slight warping of the view, a hint of a shimmer. I pushed my shield out from Carlisle and the rest of the front line, afraid to have the slinking mist too close when it hit. What if it stole right through my intangible protection? Should we run? A low rumbling murmured through the ground under our feet, and a gust of wind blew the snow into sudden flurries between our position and the Volturi's. Benjamin had seen the creeping threat, too, and now he tried to blow the mist away from us. The snow made it easy to see where he threw the wind, but the mist didn't react in any way. It was like air blowing harmlessly through a shadow; the shadow was immune. The triangular formation of the ancients finally broke apart when, with a racking groan, a deep, narrow fissure opened in a long zigzag across the middle of the clearing. The earth rocked under my feet for a moment. The drifts of snow plummeted into the hole, but the mist skipped right across it, as untouched by gravity as it had been by wind. Aro and Caius watched the opening earth with wide eyes. Marcus looked in the same direction without emotion. They didn't speak; they waited, too, as the mist approached us. The wind shrieked louder but didn't change the course of the mist. Jane was smiling now. And then the mist hit a wall. I could taste it as soon as it touched my shield – it had a dense, sweet, cloying flavor. It made me remember dimly the numbness of Novocain on my tongue. The mist curled upward, seeking a breach, a weakness. It found none. The fingers of searching haze twisted upward and around, trying to find a way in, and in the process illustrating the astonishing size of the protective screen. There were gasps on both sides of Benjamin's gorge. â€Å"Well done, Bella!† Benjamin cheered in a low voice. My smile returned. I could see Alec's narrowed eyes, doubt on his face for the first time as his mist swirled harmlessly around the edges of my shield. And then I knew that I could do this. Obviously, I would be the number-one priority, the first one to die, but as long as I held, we were on more than equal footing with the Volturi. We still had Benjamin and Zafrina; they had no supernatural help at all. As long as I held. â€Å"I'm going to have to concentrate,† I whispered to Edward. â€Å"When it comes to hand to hand, it's going to be harder to keep the shield around the right people.† â€Å"I'll keep them off you.† â€Å"No. You have to get to Demetri. Zafrina will keep them away from me.† Zafrina nodded solemnly. â€Å"No one will touch this young one,† she promised Edward. â€Å"I'd go after Jane and Alec myself, but I can do more good here.† â€Å"Jane's mine,† Kate hissed. â€Å"She needs a taste of her own medicine.† â€Å"And Alec owes me many lives, but I will settle for his,† Vladimir growled from the other side. â€Å"He's mine.† â€Å"I just want Caius,† Tanya said evenly. The others started divvying up opponents, too, but they were quickly interrupted. Aro, staring calmly at Alec's ineffective mist, finally spoke. â€Å"Before we vote,† he began. I shook my head angrily. I was tired of this charade. The bloodlust was igniting in me again, and I was sorry that I would help the others more by standing still. I wanted to fight. â€Å"Let me remind you,† Aro continued, â€Å"whatever the council's decision, there need be no violence here.† Edward snarled out a dark laugh. Aro stared at him sadly. â€Å"It will be a regrettable waste to our kind to lose any of you. But you especially, young Edward, and your newborn mate. The Volturi would be glad to welcome many of you into our ranks. Bella, Benjamin, Zafrina, Kate. There are many choices before you. Consider them.† Chelsea's attempt to sway us fluttered impotently against my shield. Aro's gaze swept across our hard eyes, looking for any indication of hesitation. From his expression, he found none. I knew he was desperate to keep Edward and me, to imprison us the way he had hoped to enslave Alice. But this fight was too big. He would not win if I lived. I was fiercely glad to be so powerful that I left him no way not to kill me. â€Å"Let us vote, then,† he said with apparent reluctance. Caius spoke with eager haste. â€Å"The child is an unknown quantity. There is no reason to allow such a risk to exist. It must be destroyed, along with all who protect it.† He smiled in expectation. I fought back a shriek of defiance to answer his cruel smirk. Marcus lifted his uncaring eyes, seeming to look through us as he voted. â€Å"I see no immediate danger. The child is safe enough for now. We can always reevaluate later. Let us leave in peace.† His voice was even fainter than his brothers' feathery sighs. None of the guard relaxed their ready positions at his disagreeing words. Caius's anticipatory grin did not falter. It was as if Marcus hadn't spoken at all. â€Å"I must make the deciding vote, it seems,† Aro mused. Suddenly, Edward stiffened at my side. â€Å"Yes!† he hissed. I risked a glance at him. His face glowed with an expression of triumph that I didn't understand – it was the expression an angel of destruction might wear while the world burned. Beautiful and terrifying. There was a low reaction from the guard, an uneasy murmur. â€Å"Aro?† Edward called, nearly shouted, undisguised victory in his voice. Aro hesitated for a second, assessing this new mood warily before he answered. â€Å"Yes, Edward? You have something further†¦ ?† â€Å"Perhaps,† Edward said pleasantly, controlling his unexplained excitement. â€Å"First, if I could clarify one point?† â€Å"Certainly,† Aro said, raising his eyebrows, nothing now but polite interest in his tone. My teeth ground together; Aro was never more dangerous than when he was gracious. â€Å"The danger you foresee from my daughter – this stems entirely from our inability to guess how she will develop? That is the crux of the matter?† â€Å"Yes, friend Edward,† Aro agreed. â€Å"If we could but be positive†¦ be sure that, as she grows, she will be able to stay concealed from the human world – not endanger the safety of our obscurity . . .† He trailed off, shrugging. â€Å"So, if we could only know for sure,† Edward suggested, â€Å"exactly what she will become†¦ then there would be no need for a council at all?† â€Å"If there was some way to be absolutely sure,† Aro agreed, his feathery voice slightly more shrill. He couldn't see where Edward was leading him. Neither could I. â€Å"Then, yes, there would be no question to debate.† â€Å"And we would part in peace, good friends once again?† Edward asked with a hint of irony. Even more shrill. â€Å"Of course, my young friend. Nothing would please me more.† Edward chuckled exultantly. â€Å"Then I do have something more to offer.† Aro's eyes narrowed. â€Å"She is absolutely unique. Her future can only be guessed at.† â€Å"Not absolutely unique,† Edward disagreed. â€Å"Rare, certainly, but not one of a kind.† I fought the shock, the sudden hope springing to life, as it threatened to distract me. The sickly-looking mist still swirled around the edges of my shield. And, as I struggled to focus, I felt again the sharp, stabbing pressure against my protective hold. â€Å"Aro, would you ask Jane to stop attacking my wife?† Edward asked courteously. â€Å"We are still discussing evidence.† Aro raised one hand. â€Å"Peace, dear ones. Let us hear him out.† The pressure disappeared. Jane bared her teeth at me; I couldn't help grinning back at her. â€Å"Why don't you join us, Alice?† Edward called loudly. â€Å"Alice,† Esme whispered in shock. Alice! Alice, Alice, Alice! â€Å"Alice!† â€Å"Alice!† other voices murmured around me. â€Å"Alice,† Aro breathed. Relief and violent joy surged through me. It took all my will to keep the shield where it was. Alec's mist still tested, seeking a weakness – Jane would see if I left any holes. And then I heard them running through the forest, flying, closing the distance as quickly as they could with no slowing effort at silence. Both sides were motionless in expectation. The Volturi witnesses scowled in fresh confusion. Then Alice danced into the clearing from the southwest, and I felt like the bliss of seeing her face again might knock me off my feet. Jasper was only inches behind her, his sharp eyes fierce. Close after them ran three strangers; the first was a tall, muscular female with wild dark hair – obviously Kachiri. She had the same elongated limbs and features as the other Amazons, even more pronounced in her case. The next was a small olive-toned female vampire with a long braid of black hair bobbing against her back. Her deep burgundy eyes flitted nervously around the confrontation before her. And the last was a young man†¦ not quite as fast nor quite as fluid in his run. His skin was an impossible rich, dark brown. His wary eyes flashed across the gathering, and they were the color of warm teak. His hair was black and braided, too, like the woman's, though not as long. He was beautiful. As he neared us, a new sound sent shock waves through the watching crowd – the sound of another heartbeat, accelerated with exertion. Alice leaped lightly over the edges of the dissipating mist that lapped at my shield and came to a sinuous stop at Edward's side. I reached out to touch her arm, and so did Edward, Esme, Carlisle. There wasn't time for any other welcome. Jasper and the others followed her through the shield. All the guard watched, speculation in their eyes, as the latecomers crossed the invisible border without difficulty. The brawny ones, Felix and the others like him, focused their suddenly hopeful eyes on me. They had not been sure of what my shield repelled, but it was clear now that it would not stop a physical attack. As soon as Aro gave the order, the blitz would ensue, me the only object. I wondered how many Zafrina would be able to blind, and how much that would slow them. Long enough for Kate and Vladimir to take Jane and Alec out of the equation? That was all I could ask for. Edward, despite his absorption in the coup he was directing, stiffened furiously in response to their thoughts. He controlled himself and spoke to Aro again. â€Å"Alice has been searching for her own witnesses these last weeks,† he said to the ancient. â€Å"And she does not come back empty-handed. Alice, why don't you introduce the witnesses you've brought?† Caius snarled. â€Å"The time for witnesses is past! Cast your vote, Aro!† Aro raised one finger to silence his brother, his eyes glued to Alice's face. Alice stepped forward lightly and introduced the strangers. â€Å"This is Huilen and her nephew, Nahuel.† Hearing her voice†¦ it was like she'd never left. Caius's eyes tightened as Alice named the relationship between the newcomers. The Volturi witnesses hissed amongst themselves. The vampire world was changing, and everyone could feel it. â€Å"Speak, Huilen,† Aro commanded. â€Å"Give us the witness you were brought to bear.† The slight woman looked to Alice nervously. Alice nodded in encouragement, and Kachiri put her long hand on the little vampire's shoulder. â€Å"I am Huilen,† the woman announced in clear but strangely accented English. As she continued, it was apparent she had prepared herself to tell this story, that she had practiced. It flowed like a well-known nursery rhyme. â€Å"A century and a half ago, I lived with my people, the Mapuche. My sister was Pire. Our parents named her after the snow on the mountains because of her fair skin. And she was very beautiful – too beautiful. She came to me one day in secret and told me of the angel that found her in the woods, that visited her by night. I warned her.† Huilen shook her head mournfully. â€Å"As if the bruises on her skin were not warning enough. I knew it was the Libishomen of our legends, but she would not listen. She was bewitched. â€Å"She told me when she was sure her dark angel's child was growing inside her. I didn't try to discourage her from her plan to run away – I knew even our father and mother would agree that the child must be destroyed, Pire with it. I went with her into the deepest parts of the forest. She searched for her demon angel but found nothing. I cared for her, hunted for her when her strength failed. She ate the animals raw, drinking their blood. I needed no more confirmation of what she carried in her womb. I hoped to save her life before I killed the monster. â€Å"But she loved the child inside her. She called him Nahuel, after the jungle cat, when he grew strong and broke her bones – and loved him still. â€Å"I could not save her. The child ripped his way free of her, and she died quickly, begging all the while that I would care for her Nahuel. Her dying wish – and I agreed. â€Å"He bit me, though, when I tried to lift him from her body. I crawled away into the jungle to die. I didn't get far – the pain was too much. But he found me; the newborn child struggled through the underbrush to my side and waited for me. When the pain ended, he was curled against my side, sleeping. â€Å"I cared for him until he was able to hunt for himself. We hunted the villages around our forest, staying to ourselves. We have never come so far from our home, but Nahuel wished to see the child here.† Huilen bowed her head when she was finished and moved back so she was partially hidden behind Kachiri. Aro's lips were pursed. He stared at the dark-skinned youth. â€Å"Nahuel, you are one hundred and fifty years old?† he questioned. â€Å"Give or take a decade,† he answered in a clear, beautifully warm voice. His accent was barely noticeable. â€Å"We don't keep track.† â€Å"And you reached maturity at what age?† â€Å"About seven years after my birth, more or less, I was full grown.† â€Å"You have not changed since then?† Nahuel shrugged. â€Å"Not that I've noticed.† I felt a shudder tremble through Jacob's body. I didn't want to think about this yet. I would wait till the danger was past and I could concentrate. â€Å"And your diet?† Aro pressed, seeming interested in spite of himself. â€Å"Mostly blood, but some human food, too. I can survive on either.† â€Å"You were able to create an immortal?† As Aro gestured to Huilen, his voice was abruptly intense. I refocused on my shield; perhaps he was seeking a new excuse. â€Å"Yes, but none of the rest can.† A shocked murmur ran through all three groups. Aro's eyebrows shot up. â€Å"The rest?† â€Å"My sisters.† Nahuel shrugged again. Aro stared wildly for a moment before composing his face. â€Å"Perhaps you would tell us the rest of your story, for there seems to be more.† Nahuel frowned. â€Å"My father came looking for me a few years after my mother's death.† His handsome face distorted slightly. â€Å"He was pleased to find me.† Nahuel's tone suggested the feeling was not mutual. â€Å"He had two daughters, but no sons. He expected me to join him, as my sisters had. â€Å"He was surprised I was not alone. My sisters are not venomous, but whether that's due to gender or a random chance†¦ who knows? I already had my family with Huilen, and I was not interested† – he twisted the word – â€Å"in making a change. I see him from time to time. I have a new sister; she reached maturity about ten years back.† â€Å"Your father's name?† Caius asked through gritted teeth. â€Å"Joham,† Nahuel answered. â€Å"He considers himself a scientist. He thinks he's creating a new super-race.† He made no attempt to disguise the disgust in his tone. Caius looked at me. â€Å"Your daughter, is she venomous?† he demanded harshly. â€Å"No,† I responded. Nahuel's head snapped up at Aro's question, and his teak eyes turned to bore into my face. Caius looked to Aro for confirmation, but Aro was absorbed in his own thoughts. He pursed his lips and stared at Carlisle, and then Edward, and at last his eyes rested on me. Caius growled. â€Å"We take care of the aberration here, and then follow it south,† he urged Aro. Aro stared into my eyes for a long, tense moment. I had no idea what he was searching for, or what he found, but after he had measured me for that moment, something in his face changed, a faint shift in the set of his mouth and eyes, and I knew that Aro had made his decision. â€Å"Brother,† he said softly to Caius. â€Å"There appears to be no danger. This is an unusual development, but I see no threat. These half-vampire children are much like us, it appears.† â€Å"Is that your vote?† Caius demanded. â€Å"It is.† Caius scowled. â€Å"And this Joham? This immortal so fond of experimentation?† â€Å"Perhaps we should speak with him,† Aro agreed. â€Å"Stop Joham if you will,† Nahuel said flatly. â€Å"But leave my sisters be. They are innocent.† Aro nodded, his expression solemn. And then he turned back to his guard with a warm smile. â€Å"Dear ones,† he called. â€Å"We do not fight today.† The guard nodded in unison and straightened out of their ready positions. The mist dissipated swiftly, but I held my shield in place. Maybe this was another trick. I analyzed their expressions as Aro turned back to us. His face was as benign as ever, but unlike before, I sensed a strange blankness behind the fa?ade. As if his scheming was over. Caius was clearly incensed, but his rage was turned inward now; he was resigned. Marcus looked†¦ bored; there really was no other word for it. The guard was impassive and disciplined again; there were no individuals among them, just the whole. They were in formation, ready to depart. The Volturi witnesses were still wary; one after another, they departed, scattering into the woods. As their numbers dwindled, the remaining sped up. Soon they were all gone. Aro held his hands out to us, almost apologetic. Behind him, the larger part of the guard, along with Caius, Marcus, and the silent, mysterious wives, were already drifting quickly away, their formation precise once again. Only the three that seemed to be his personal guardians lingered with him. â€Å"I'm so glad this could be resolved without violence,† he said sweetly. â€Å"My friend, Carlisle – how pleased I am to call you friend again! I hope there are no hard feelings. I know you understand the strict burden that our duty places on our shoulders.† â€Å"Leave in peace, Aro,† Carlisle said stiffly. â€Å"Please remember that we still have our anonymity to protect here, and keep your guard from hunting in this region.† â€Å"Of course, Carlisle,† Aro assured him. â€Å"I am sorry to earn your disapproval, my dear friend. Perhaps, in time, you will forgive me.† â€Å"Perhaps, in time, if you prove a friend to us again.† Aro bowed his head, the picture of remorse, and drifted backward for a moment before he turned around. We watched in silence as the last four Volturi disappeared into the trees. It was very quiet. I did not drop my shield. â€Å"Is it really over?† I whispered to Edward. His smile was huge. â€Å"Yes. They've given up. Like all bullies, they're cowards underneath the swagger.† He chuckled. Alice laughed with him. â€Å"Seriously, people. They're not coming back. Everybody can relax now.† There was another beat of silence. â€Å"Of all the rotten luck,† Stefan muttered. And then it hit. Cheers erupted. Deafening howls filled the clearing. Maggie pounded Siobhan on the back. Rosalie and Emmett kissed again – longer and more ardently than before. Benjamin and Tia were locked in each other's arms, as were Carmen and Eleazar. Esme held Alice and Jasper in a tight embrace. Carlisle was warmly thanking the South American newcomers who had saved us all. Kachiri stood very close to Zafrina and Senna, their fingertips interlocked. Garrett picked Kate up off the ground and swung her around in a circle. Stefan spit on the snow. Vladimir ground his teeth together with a sour expression. And I half-climbed the giant russet wolf to rip my daughter off his back and then crushed her to my chest. Edward's arms were around us in the same second. â€Å"Nessie, Nessie, Nessie,† I crooned. Jacob laughed his big, barky laugh and poked the back of my head with his nose. â€Å"Shut up,† I mumbled. â€Å"I get to stay with you?† Nessie demanded. â€Å"Forever,† I promised her. We had forever. And Nessie was going to be fine and healthy and strong. Like the halfhuman Nahuel, in a hundred and fifty years she would still be young. And we would all be together. Happiness expanded like an explosion inside me – so extreme, so violent that I wasn't sure I'd survive it. â€Å"Forever,† Edward echoed in my ear. I couldn't speak anymore. I lifted my head and kissed him with a passion that might possibly set the forest on fire. I wouldn't have noticed.

Friday, November 8, 2019

1-Month ACT Study Plan How to Raise Your Score Quickly

1-Month ACT Study Plan How to Raise Your Score Quickly SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Only got amonth until the ACT? No worries! In this guide, we offer you our best tips and advice on how to study for the ACT in a month.First, we’ll discuss the feasibility of a one-month ACT prep planand the four critical steps you must take toget started. Then,we’ll provide you with our besthigh-impact tips to help you get the ACT score you need for college. NOTE: This article largely assumes you’ll be studying for the ACT on your own. For additional help, contactour expert ACT tutorsor get started withour customizable online ACT prep course! Can You Study for the ACT in a Month? In short, yes, you can study for the ACT in a month- but how you manage your time will play a big role in how high of a score you ultimately get.Additionally, the feasibility of your planwill depend on how big of a point improvement you want to make, based on your baseline and goal scores (I'll explain both of these in more detail shortly). Generally speaking, how long should you study for the ACT? Below are our estimates for totalpoint improvements on the ACT based on the number of study hours you put in: 0-1 point improvement: 10 hours 1-2 point improvement: 20 hours 2-4 point improvement: 40 hours 4-6 point improvement: 80 hours 6-9 point improvement: 150 hours+ As these numbers indicate, the bigger the point improvement you want to make on the ACT, the more hours you’ll need to dedicate to your studies- and thus the more difficult it’ll be to carry out your ACT study plan within a month. For the most part, though, you should be able to study for the ACT in a month, as long as your score goals are workable. In other words, you shouldn't bespending more than five hours a day cramming for the ACT! So what does all of this mean for you? Basically, you must be prepared to create and follow a reasonable study planif you truly wish tohit your ACT goal score on test day. How to Study for the ACT in a Month: The First 4 Steps Before we give youour expert tips for a successfulmonth-long ACT study plan, let's look atthe four essential steps you'll need to take to get your plan started. Step 1: Find Your Target Score Begin by downloading our free guide to setting an ACT target score. Your ACT target score, or goal score, is the score most likely to get you into at least one of the colleges you’re applying to (excluding anysafety schools). To find your goal score, look up the 25th and 75th percentile scores for allyour schools (or just your most selective school). You can either look at your schools’ official websites or search foryour schools' ACT scores in our database by Googling â€Å"[School Name] ACT PrepScholar.† Our pages offer updated ACT (and SAT) score info for tons of schools. Here’s an example of UNC’s ACT scores and GPA page. Next, take the average of the 75th percentiles for your schools.This average will be your target score and should give you the best shot at getting accepted into at least one of the schools on your list. You can alsoaim for your most selective school’s 75th percentile instead.Compared with the average for your schools, this score will be somewhat harder to get; however, reaching it ensures that you’ll have an excellent shot at getting into allyour schools (instead of just one or a few). Step 2: Get Your Baseline Score Your second step is to figure out your baseline ACT score. A baseline score is the score you start with before beginning any ACT prep,and it’s what you’ll use to calculate how many points you’ll need to improve by in order to hit your goal score from step 1. To find this score, take anofficial ACT practice test. Treat the test as you would the real exam: find a quiet place to take it, time yourself in accordance with the official time limits, and forego extra or longer breaks than those allowed on the actual ACT. Your overarching goal is to recreate the ACT testing environment as closely as possibleso you can get an accurate baseline score. Once you finish the practice test, use your test’s answer guide to calculate your scale ACT scores for each section and theACT as a whole.Your total score (out of 36) will be your baseline ACT score. Step 3: Choose a Study Plan Once youhave your baseline and target scores, take the difference of these two scores to get the total number ofpoints you'll need to hit your goal score. For example, if my target score is 32 and I scored 27 on mypractice test, I'd need to improve my baseline score by a total of 5 points. After, match the difference you get to its corresponding number of study hours: 0-1 point improvement: 10 hours 1-2 point improvement: 20 hours 2-4 point improvement: 40 hours 4-6 point improvement: 80 hours 6-9 point improvement: 150 hours+ You now know the approximate number of hours you'll need to study for the ACT over the course of a month. But how should you spread out these hours each week? Each day? Below, we offer you different study plan optionsbased on the amount ofstudy time you'll need to commit to. But first, a brief reminder: always choose a study plan that’ll work well for you.Don’t opt for a plan that’ll require you to study excessively on weekdays if you know this type of plan will wear you out easily. Consider your commitments, and be realistic about when and how often you’ll actually be able to study. And now, here are our study plans! Light: You Want to Improve Your Score by 0-1 Points This easily manageable plan requires a total of 10 hours in a month, which comes out to about two and a half hours a week. Your best options for this plan are as follows: 2 hours and 30 minutes, once a week 1 hour and 15 minutes, twice a week 30 minutes, five times a week Medium: You Want to Improve Your Score by 1-2 Points This plan is slightly heavier than the Light Plan and requires 20 hours of prep over the course of a month, equalingfive hours a week on average. I recommend trying out the following plans: 2 hours and 30 minutes, twice a week 1 hours and 15 minutes, four times a week 1 hour, five times a week Heavy: You Want to Improve Your Score by 2-4 Points Moving on to the heavier plans now! For this plan, you'll need to study for a total of 40 hoursover the course of a month. Thiscomes out to approximately 10 hours a week, which you can divide as so: 3 hours and 20 minutes, three times a week 2 hours and 30 minutes, four times a week 2 hours, five times a week Heavier: You Want to Improve Your Score by 4-6 Points Not many students will be able to keep up withthis plan, but if you’re set on increasing your baseline score by 4-6 total points, you’ll need to prep for at least80 hours,or about 20 hours a week. Here are your options for prep schedules: 5 hours, four times a week 4 hours, five times a week 3 hours and 20 minutes, six times a week Impossible? You Want to Improve Your Score by 6-9 Points This plan requires 150+ study hours over the course of a month. That's a staggering 40 hours a week! Therefore, I strongly recommend againstundertaking this study plan. If you’re committed to improving your ACT score by as many points as possible, tryopting for the Heavier Plan and thenretake the test at a later date should you still want to improve your score. Step 4: Gather High-Quality Study Materials and Resources Finally, it’s time to gatheryour top choices forACT study materials and resources. Whether you already have a prep book picked out or are completely at a loss as to whatyou'll need for your study plan, let us help guide you with acompilation of our best ACT resources: Ultimate ACT Study Guides: Ourfree guides for the ACT English, Math, Reading, Science, andWritingsections,as well asthe test as a whole, offer a surefire combination ofcontent review and strategy. Complete Official ACT Practice Tests, Free Links:Here, we've collected all the official ACT practice tests available online. These tests are based on real ACTs and offer the most realistic practice questions you can get. Plus, they're completely free to download! Best ACT Prep Books 2018: I strongly recommend purchasing a highly reviewed ACT prep book to use as your primary guide throughout your studies. Our article offers in-depth reviews of the best ACT prep books currently available. Furthermore, all the books on ourlist have been personally reviewed by a perfect ACT scorer,so you can rest assured they'reworth theinvestment! The Best ACT Prep Websites You Should be Using: This handy compilation lists various websites you can use for all sorts of ACT help, including practice questions and strategy guides. The 4 Best ACT Apps (and How to Use Them in Your Prep): If you’re looking for on-the-go, supplementary learning materials, these four ACT apps are certain to lend a boost to your test prep! As a final tip, Isuggest browsingour SAT/ACT blog to learn more about the ACT in general, including how it works, what it tests, and what steps you can take to get the scores you need for college. Once you'vegot your study materials picked out, read onto learn about our top tips on how to study for the ACT in a month! Tjarko Busink/Flickr How to Study for the ACT in a Month: 5 Essential Tips At last, it's time for you to get your study plan off the ground! Here are five tips for making the most of your month-long ACT prep schedule. #1: Learn the ACT Format Inside and Out Before you take the ACT, it's important you know everything there is to know about the structure and content of the exam. This way there will be no surprises for you on test day! For a general overview of the ACT, read our articles on what the ACT tests and how it’s scored. For section-specific info, check outour individual guides: What’s Actually Tested on the ACT English Section? What’s Actually Tested on the ACT Math Section? Concepts, Subjects, and Skills What’s Actually Tested on the ACT Reading Section? Skills You Need What’s Actually Tested on the ACT Science Section? Skills and Topics The New Enhanced ACT Writing Test (2016): Complete Guide #2: Track Your Progress With Official Practice Tests While you study, it's imperative to track your progress using official ACT practice tests. Once again, these tests are the closest you can get to the real exam and will let you see whether you’re on track to hitting your target score. Because you'll only have a month to study for the ACT, try to taketwo to three tests in total.It's best to take oneat the beginning of your study plan (to get your baseline score) and a second one closer to the middle of your study plan, or aroundthe two-week mark. Just make sure you're spacing out your practice tests.Don't takemore than threein a month, and definitely don't take one right before test day- you'll justburn yourself out! #3: Review Basic English, Math, and Science Topics To do well on the ACT, you must familiarize yourself with all of the basic English, math, and science topics most likely to appear on the test. Here, we cover the specific concepts you'll need to have down before test day. For English First, check out our guides to the 14 most important ACT grammar rulesand basicparts of speech. Then, move on toour guides on the following critical concepts: Rhetorical skills (40-55%) Transitions Redundancy and wordiness Word choice/diction Add/delete questions Author technique/intent Organization Main idea Relevance Sentence structure (20-25%) Run-on sentences and fragments Parallel structure Faulty modifiers Punctuation(10-15%) Commas Other punctuation Grammar and usage (10-15%) Subject-verb agreement Verb tenses and forms Pronoun agreement Idioms Relative pronouns For Math We’ve got tons of topic-specific guides for ACT Math, which you can access through our ultimate ACT Math prep guide. Before you delve into higher-level math concepts, though, make sure you read all aboutintegers (we’ve also got an advanced guide to integers). Below is the breakdown of the math topics you'll need to know. I suggest beginningwith the most important sections (pre-algebra and plane geometry) before proceeding to the others. Pre-algebra (20-25%) Fractions, ratios, and proportions Statistics (mean, median, mode, etc.) Probability Sequences Plane geometry (20-25%) Lines and angles Circles Triangles Polygons Elementary algebra (15-20%) Single-variable equations Intermediate algebra (15-20%) Systems of equations Functions Word problems Coordinate geometry (15-20%) Lines and slopes Reflections, rotations, and translations Trigonometry (5-10%) For Science Luckily, you’re not expected to have a ton of background knowledge in biology or chemistry for this section!That said, there will be a handful of scientific concepts you’ll need to be familiar with in order to do well on the test. Read our guide for more info about what these fundamental topicsare and how you should study them. #4: Learn the Most Helpful Math Strategies ACT Math may or may not be your cup of tea, but with these handy strategies, you’ll be getting the Math score you want in no time! First off, always try to re-solve any ACT Math questions you answer incorrectly.This strategy is important because it lets youthink deeply about where you might’ve made a mistake with your calculations and what different steps you can take to try to get the right answer. As you re-solve the question, use thecorrect answer to guide you- but don’t look at the answer explanation before attemptingtofigure it out on your own! On test day, your two best math strategies are plugging in answers and plugging in numbers. With these strategies, even if you’re unsure how to solve a problem, you can still attempt to work it out, ultimately increasing your chances of choosing the right answer. Both of these strategies work particularly well for algebraic problems that ask you to manipulate or solve variables. #5: Pick a Strategy for Reading Passages It’s passages galore on the ACT English, Reading, and Science sections! But before we dive into possible reading strategies, let's look at thedifferent skillseach section tests: English tests your understanding of grammar, style, and flow. Reading tests your overall reading comprehension and vocab knowledge. Science tests your ability to correctly interpret data and understand scientific concepts and hypotheses. Because these three sections test such unique content, it’ll be best for you to develop separate passage-reading strategies for each section. Here are the best strategies to try out: For English There's only one highly recommended passage-reading method for English, and that's thegraf-by-graf method.With this strategy, you'llread passagesparagraph by paragraph,andanswer questions for one paragraph at a time. This method is ideal for ACT English since it lets you digest the content of the passage while also taking note of anyglaring technical errors. For Reading There are three possible passage-reading strategiesfor the Reading section of the ACT: Read the questions and then skim the passage (highly recommended) Skim the passage and then read the questions Read the passage closely (not recommended) ForScience In this section, yourpassage-reading options are as follows: Skip straight to the questions, answering as many as you can using only the visuals (i.e., graphs, tables, etc.) Skim the passage and then read the questions Read the whole passage first (not recommended) To figure out which reading strategies work best for you, take an official ACT practice test and time yourself on the English, Reading, and Science sections using official time limits. (You don’t need to take these sections back to back- separately is fine!) If possible, take multiple tests so that you can try out a different passage-reading strategy each time. Once you finish, check your answers and score your test. Thepassage-reading method that gives you the highest score on a section should be the one you practice with and use on test day! Rosmarie Voegtli/Flickr 6 Additional ACT Prep Tips for High Achievers If you want to increase your ACT baseline score by a fairly large margin- anywhere in the 4-9 point range- you’ll need to spend as much time as you can mastering allmajor ACT concepts. Our six additional tips below teach you both how to study for the ACT in a month andhow to get a super high ACT score. #6: Closely Analyze Real Questions To truly do well on the ACT, you need to know not onlythe basics of how it’s structured but also what kinds of questions it'll give you on test day and theapproaches you can use tosuccessfully tackle these problems head-on. Official ACT practice tests are your best bets for realistic questions.What you'll want to do is tear apart these questions to ensure that you can identify the ACT question types and readily understand what they’re asking you to do. For example, can you distinguish the Reading section'sinference questions fromfunction and development questions? Can you tell apart the different types of math on ACT Math? Do you understand how to read graphs and tablesso that you're capable of answering questions about scientific data? In the end, you’ll save yourself both time and brainpower if you know ahead of time what kinds of questions you’ll be asked and when they’ll appear on the test. #7: Study ALL Critical Math and English Topics In addition to studying the basics of ACT Math and English, high achievers shouldspend extra time mastering some of the less common (but still important) concepts likely to come up on the test. For Math, this means focusing on mastering trigonometry, the least prominent math topic on the ACT (albeitone that's certain to appear!). Trig accounts for 5-10% of your Math score,orfour to six questions. Although six questions doesn't sound like much, it might very well be the difference between getting a 36 and getting a 32 on Math! You should also spend time memorizing allcritical math formulas. Because the ACT doesn’t give you any formulas on test day like the SAT does, you mustspend time memorizing the ones that are most likely to appear on the exam. As for English, take a look atour complete ACT grammar guide to learn every single ACT grammar rule. You might also want to read up on the less-commonly tested topics of adjectives vs adverbs and formality. #8: Become an Expert at Critical Reading Though ACT Reading questions can be confusing and difficult, there’s a pretty easy trick you should definitely try tomaster. Here it is:there is always one definitively correct answer- meaning all other answer choices mustcontain a clear indication that they are incorrect. You can hone this crucial skill by studyingwithhigh-quality ACT Reading questions. As you practice, pay close attention to answer choices that don’t perfectly answer the question you’re being asked. A wrong answer choice is usually one that has one or more of the following qualities: Irrelevant The opposite of what’s written An inaccurateconflation of information from the passage Plausible but ultimately not supported directly by the passage On Reading, all correct answers will be supported by clearevidence in the passage. So if you come across an answer choice that sounds sort of right but isn’t actually written down or directly supported by the passage, chances are it's wrong! #9: Improve Your Vocab Fortunately, vocab doesn't make up a particularly large part of the ACT English or Reading sections. But if you’re aiming for a high score on test day, I recommend dedicating a little prep time to improving your vocab. Most vocab words on the ACT are of medium difficulty. This meansyou'll predominantly need to studyidioms and lesser-known secondary meanings of common words. To learn ACT vocab words, check outour list of 150 ACT words you should knowandScholastic’s 100-word ACT/SAT vocab list. Want to cover all your bases? You can learn even more wordswithour extensive SAT vocab list of 250+ words. (The vocab on the SAT is extremely similar to that on the ACT.) #10: Strengthen Your Weak Spots During your studies, you’ll likely notice some concepts or areas you struggle with more than you do with others. The best way to strengthen your weak spots is to concentrate more oncontent review andpractice questions. I suggest working with a combination of high-quality prep books, strategy guides, and official ACT questions. As you work on improving your ACT skills, keep track of any question types you’re continually missing.Try to identify why you're missing these questions, and start to think about how you can ultimatelytransform yourmistakes into successes. #: Pace Yourself Our last tipis to learn how to pace yourself. Knowing how to answer ACT questions won’t help you in the end if you’ve got 10 blank questions left because you ran out of time! So always be on your guard and pay attention to how long it takes you to answer specific question types. Here are the average amounts of timeyou should spend per question on each ACT section: English: 36 seconds per question Math: 60 seconds per question Reading: 53 seconds per question Science: 53 seconds per question For more detailed advice on how to pace yourself, check out ourindividual time-management guides for Math, Reading, and Science. Key Takeaways: How to Study for the ACT in a Month Although one month of ACT prep isn'tenough for everyone, it can sufficeif your goal is toimprove your score by no more than 4-6 total points.Students who want to improve their scores by 6-9 points will be better offaiming for a smaller score improvement and then retaking the ACT at a later date. When embarking onyour month-long ACT study plan, you must first set a targetscore, find your baseline score, decide ona study plan, and gather high-quality prep materials. Once you’re ready to begin studying, you can use our high-impact tips above to help you get the most out of your ACT prep. So what's my final tip? Always have the confidence that you can do this. Studying for the ACT in a month is difficult, but it’s certainly not impossible. As long as you know exactly what you'll need to do in order to make your goals a reality, you willbe successful! What’s Next? Need more advice on gearing up for theACT? Then read our in-depth and easy-to-follow guides onhow to prepare for the ACTand when you should start studying. Not a lot of time left before test day? Ourlast-minute ACT strategieswill teach you everything you need to know about strategic guessing, time management, and what you'll need to bring on test day. Only got a month left before your SAT test?Read my other guide on how to study for the SAT in a month to get step-by-step tips and advice. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today: