20 Tips for Freelance Writers

20 Tips for Freelance Writers 20 Tips for Freelance Writers 20 Tips for Freelance Writers By Mark Nichol Whether you’re moonlighting as a writer or it’s your sole source of income, you must take it seriously in all aspects, from workplace organization to work habits to professional development to marketing to client relations. Here’s some advice about succeeding as a professional writer: 1. Establish a professional work environment. Even if you don’t have a dedicated home office, set up your workspace to maximize your comfort and productivity, with equipment, supplies, and reference works well organized and handy. Impress on family and friends the importance of respecting your space and your time. (Working at home is a much more familiar concept than it used to be, but some people still don’t consider freelancing a real job). 2. Research reasonable compensation for your particular market niche or for the media in which you want to be published, and ask for it. If you’re just starting out, negotiate at the low end of the range. When you’ve reached a certain level of success, expect high-end compensation. Don’t waste your time on projects that pay little or nothing unless the topic or the client has some special meaning for you. Accepting meager pay depresses the freelance industry. But be realistic about your monetary worth in a highly competitive business. 3. Educate yourself about marketing, negotiation, and general communication skills to help build confidence when it comes time to submitting queries, discussing compensation, and corresponding during and between projects. 4. Develop the discipline to do the hardest or least pleasant tasks first and save the best for last. You may have a hard time getting started each day, but you’ll be glad you got the difficult work out of the way, and the day will only get better. 5. If you devote a certain amount of time to working each day but you temporarily have too little work to fill it, spend the rest of the time researching your next clients or projects and writing and submitting queries. 6. Treat all your correspondence as if it were an assignment: Write impeccably, with no content or factual errors. Double-check personal names, job titles, and company names before you type them. 7. Keep meticulous records when tracking submissions and responses, scheduling assignment timelines, and updating contact information. 8. Advertise using strategies old and new, from flyers and newspaper ads to online marketing and your own professional Web site. But don’t wait for work to come to you. In addition to researching national or international companies, organizations, and publications you’d like to write for, investigate local opportunities such as community-based nonprofit organizations. 9. Build relationships with other freelance writers. Establish client-exchange agreements: If you’re too busy to accept a project, you’ll recommend someone else; in return, they’ll do the same for you. Don’t treat colleagues as an enemy you have to keep client contacts or trade secrets from. 10. Join professional organizations and attend workshop and conferences when you can. Research the writing business, and keep up on emerging opportunities and trends. 11. Don’t miss deadlines. Don’t miss deadlines. Don’t miss deadlines. Did I mention that you shouldn’t miss deadlines? 12. If you’re going to miss a deadline, let your client know as soon as possible. Don’t offer a reason, don’t make excuses, don’t ask for forgiveness. Simply request the shortest possible extension you can manage, promise that the project will be in your client’s email in-box or on their desk first thing in the morning on the new deadline date, and deliver on that promise. When you submit the project, ask for a chance to redeem yourself a new project you will complete for a reduced or waived fee and get it in early. 13. Expect and accept revisions, formatting alterations, scheduling changes, and anything else you can imagine (and some things you can’t). If you can’t be flexible about such things, you’re in the wrong line of work. 14. Be firm and insistent about being paid on time. Clients may assume that your freelance work is a sideline, not the way you make a living, and may not appreciate the importance of paying you punctually. Correct this misapprehension in no uncertain terms. If the issue strains your working relationship, that’s a sign that a relationship with this client is not a good investment of your time and energy. 15. Ask satisfied clients to serve as references or write brief referral notes. Keep reference contact information and referrals in a single Microsoft Word document so you can copy and paste them into a new document or into the body of an email to a client as needed. 16. Once you’ve developed a successful track record, consider presenting yourself as an authority on freelance writing. (If you’re successful, you must be doing it right.) Look for opportunities to speak about your work before community groups, teach classes and workshops, and write about the business of writing. These activities will look good on your resume and may result in acquisition of new clients. 17. Prioritize your clients: When you find projects that are engaging and rewarding, knock yourself out keeping that client happy. If another client asks for numerous rewrites, is always slow in responding, or won’t give you a â€Å"raise† after several projects or when you decide to raise your rates for cost-of-living increases, jettison that client to make room for a better relationship. Keeping that client in hopes that things will get better is a counterproductive strain on your business. 18. Communicate with your clients: If you’re unsure about assignment procedures, restate them in reply in your own words and ask for confirmation that you understand directions. Help clients understand their own work: Some companies and organizations assign project management to people with insufficient aptitude or time for managing projects successfully. Tactfully suggest more efficient procedures or more effective design, presentation, or organization, regardless of the person’s apparent level of expertise. 19. Ask what else you can do to help with the project. Does the client need a source list for fact-checking? Would they like a sidebar, or links to pertinent Web sites? Are they unsure about whether to present the product as a brochure or a newsletter, or how many parts to divide it into? Clients have problems. Offer to solve them or, at the very least, help this project go smoothly as much as possible so that they can attend to problem projects. 20. Do everything in your power to build an association in clients’ minds between you and successful, high-quality projects. Think of, and market, yourself as a problem solver. Build a relationship so that when clients need help, they think of you. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:5 Uses of InfinitivesWhat is Dative Case?The "Pied" in The Pied Piper

How to handle anxiety and stress in the workplaceÂÂ

How to handle anxiety and stress in the workplace   The world of work offers many challenges. We get to learn more about our passions and interests, as well as our strengths and areas for improvement, and it gives us opportunities to mature as we take on new responsibilities, gain professional satisfaction, and chart a course for our lifelong career journeys- all key factors in leading a happy and fulfilling life. However- there’s a flipside to the work coin, which includes the reality that work is not always fun and easy. In fact, for most of us, our work lives can be a serious and persistent source of anxiety and stress, and it’s no small matter: It can affect all facets of our lives- not just our time spent at work- and can have lasting effects on our physical and mental well-being.The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) recently conducted a survey regarding workplace stress and anxiety. Among their key findings:Employees say stress and anxiety most often impacts their workplace performance (56 percen t),  relationship with coworkers and peers (51 percent),  quality of work (50 percent), and relationships with superiors (43 percent).More than three-fourths who say stress interferes with their work say it carries over to their personal life, particularly men (83 percent vs. 72 percent for women).7 in 10 adults report that workplace stress affects their personal relationships, mainly with their spouses. Men (79 percent) report it affecting personal relationships more than women (61 percent).The main culprits of work-related stress are deadlines (55 percent),  interpersonal relationships (53 percent),  staff management (50 percent), and  dealing with issues/problems that arise (49 percent).Does this sound familiar? If so, and you’re experiencing anxiety and stress resulting from work, you’re not alone- and you don’t have to suffer through it with no end in sight.Be honest about itWhen some of us feel the weight of workplace stress and anxiety, our firs t impulse may be to write it off as something else. We analyze the symptoms- everything from lethargy to sleeplessness to irritability and changes in mood and behavior- and make excuses. We say that we’re just tired, or we’re just feeling sick, or even that it’s due to the weather. Basically, we do anything but acknowledge that our stress has a direct and obvious source- our jobs. We also try to rationalize that it’s only temporary, and that things will get better after this project or this â€Å"busy period,† even though it often never does. The truth is, these attempts to rationalize and â€Å"explain away† our work stress and anxiety only serves one purpose- to prolong it and avoid confronting it. The first step in handling workplace anxiety and stress is to be honest about it. This empowering move will help you begin to deal with it effectively.Diagnose the problem(s)Workplace stress and anxiety is similar to other problems in life in th at you need to fully understand the issues contributing to the situation before you can turn the tide and overcome it. When you’re feeling the effects of work stress and anxiety, take a step back from things and give yourself the time to fully understand each and every individual source and symptom that is affecting your life. Often, a â€Å"one size fits all† solution to your workplace anxiety is ineffective when there are multiple sources at play. Once you see all of the sources clearly, you can start thinking about effective individual solutions for each. Often, just understanding the problems can alleviate some of the strain and propel you on the path to improvement.Get helpLike other issues involving our jobs, we’re rarely completely alone in having to deal with stress and anxiety. Help is available- whether or not you choose to ask for it and accept it is your call. Depending on the issues that are contributing to your stress and anxiety and your specific workplace dynamic, you may benefit from taking the direct approach- be open with colleagues or bosses regarding the issues in an attempt to come up with effective solutions. Also, don’t forget that friends, family, and peers can be great sources of help and guidance here- especially if they’ve gone through similar situations. Also, don’t count out seeking the help of a professional. Many workplaces offer help through counseling and guidance services (both in-house and/or outside), and you always have the option of hiring a professional for help, the cost of which may be covered by your insurance plan. The bottom line is that you’re not alone here, and seeking help to deal with difficult issues isn’t shameful or embarrassing- it’s smart strategic thinking!Find outletsWhile there are times we can effectively tackle and reduce our workplace stress and anxiety by confronting it head-on, the truth is, sometimes it isn’t quite so easy. Simp ly put, some of us just have to accept that it’s a facet of our jobs. However, what we do have control over is how we spend our time outside of work, and making time for activities that help us offset the negative impact of our work is always a good idea. Get involved in things you enjoy doing in an effort to alleviate workplace stress and anxiety- finding a fulfilling life outside of work is very often the key to finding happiness within it.

Analysis of an Article in a Microeconomics Viewpoint Essay

Analysis of an Article in a Microeconomics Viewpoint - Essay Example In the end of business organizations however, the increase will mean additional costs by business organizations. If this happens, this will be detrimental to the company and they will tend to compensate by cutting number of workers in order to maintain their original costs. Another issue is the economic viewpoint which is used in legislation. In the real world situation, changes in the economic policies should always be approved by government officials. As politicians have different viewpoints, it is often hard to pass bills and laws which will bring about drastic changes. The issue on minimum wage is always debated in all economies globally and not just in the United States. As the writer puts in the article, there are two sides of the coin which should be taken into consideration before the minimum wage could be raised. Through our class discussions, I have learned that minimum wage should be a matter of supply and demand. It is the least acceptable payment that an employee can accept while it is the highest which can be charged for a firm. For an employee, minimum wage should be able to cover up for the estimated productivity of the worker as well as the opportunity cost of his time. On the other hand, a company should make sure that the employee's output is worth his hourly payment.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Essay Example It was in the late 2002, researchers found in the clinics of southern China, a febrile upper respiratory illness, which was progressing into a life threatening pneumonia in some persons. It later turned out to be an explosive outbreak in Hong Kong, which The World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2003 defined as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The WHO has formed guidelines for the global surveillance of severe acute reparatory syndrome, for the purpose of detecting cases rapidly and to prevent the further national or international spreading of the disease. Characteristics of SARS –spread and severity of SARS Through droplets The major mode of spreading the disease is considered to be by droplet spread by close person-to-person contact. The most cases reported that people who lived with the patient or had direct contact had affected the disease. In a research study it was found that, SARS-CoV would affect the persons in close vicinity of an infected person. Through contact with fomites Studies have proven that virus can remain viable on a dry surface for a period up to 24hours. By touching the objects or surfaces contaminated with the virus can affect in the sensitive parts like membranes of the eye, nose, or mouth. Virus spread through the fomites has higher risk of causing the disease. Through the faeces Studies have proven that the SARS-CoV can sustain in faeces. It can remain unharmed at room temperature for 1to 2 days and stays up to 4days in stools from patients with diarrhea. Through airborne spread The community outbreak in the March 2003, which affected more than 300 patients, points a finger at the possibility of transmitting the virus airborne. A diarrhea patient had been affected by the virus-laden aerosols that traveled from the sewer of the other flats. Some of the aerosols that assist the disease transmission are created by some medical procedures such as endotracheal intubation, open tracheal suction, and nasopharyngeal aspirat ion. The situations prevailed in the hospital is under the study that whether inadequate ventilation in the packed atmosphere has contributed anything to the hospital outbreak. The epidemic SARS was started as a hospital outbreak in many countries highly affecting the health care workers. Failure to implement adequate personal protective equipment or proper infection control procedures were said to be the reasons for such hospital outbreaks. Some cases reported had no history of infection and were sporadically occurring. The scientists found it difficulty in preventing the virus as there was rapid dissemination in the major cities. In the same way, it was found that the herd immunity was very low in the affected countries. Only in places where effective public health measures were in practice, people could put off the virus. Most feared characteristic The factor that makes people nervous about traveling and cancels their travel plans is that the SARS can transmit through contact wit h fomites. The WHO has officially declared cases about the patients affected by the virus through fecal-oral contact. So they fear in going to other places where they may have to get in contact with other people or even need to go to a hotel. If an affected person had been in the hotel before them, the virus can still remain unharmed in the surface and can transmit the disease into them. It is proven that the virus can remain in the dry surface for 24hours. Such fear and anxiety about the disease causes people to cancel their trips to other countries, in fact it helps in preventing the disease to some extent. Bibliography Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. SARS Case 1, Autospy Singapore. Retrieved from http://www.afip.org/hot-topics/SARS/case1.html Trends and directions for global public health

Legal Process Essay Example for Free

Legal Process Essay The scenario for this paper states that John is an employee in a private sector organization and he wants to file a discrimination complaint against his employer. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and explain in detail what the legal process is for filing such complaint. The paper will also explain the part that the courts play in these types of complaints. Every case is different so the paper will explain how these laws potentially apply to John. John has decided to file a discrimination complaint against his employer. However, John is not sure how or what needs to be done in order to do this so he must first do some research. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was created to protect employees like John from discrimination violations. The laws against discrimination at work include race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and disability (Bennett Anderson, 2007). All these laws are enforced by the EEOC. The law states that if a person believes that they are a victim of discrimination they must first file a complaint through the EEOC before filing a lawsuit against the employer (EEOC, 2013). John has several ways that he can initiate the process of filing his complaint he can choose to file in person at a nearest location or he can file through mail. He will need to disclose some information in writing like his name, phone number, employer’s name, address, and a brief but detailed summary of the violation/s with dates and locations. All these things are very important because the EEOC can determine whether or not an investigation is needed. According to the EEOC John has 180 days to file a complaint but if in his state there are any laws against discrimination it can extended to 300 days to file a complaint. Also it is important to know that in some cases there are state and local laws that prohibit discrimination in the work place so the EEOC will automatically file the charge with the Fair Employment Practices Agencies (FEPA) which protect the victim under both federal and state law (EEOC, 2013). Now that John is ready to file his complaint with the EEOC he know just needs to wait for them to handle the charge. The EEOC must notify the employer within 10 days of receiving the complaint. Depending on the case that John may have the EEOC may offer that both parties participate in mediation as a way to resolve the issue. However if the case is more severe and or if this doesn’t resolve the issue the case will be given to an investigator for the case to be looked into with more detailed (EEOC, 2013). The EEOC will establish the priority level of the claim and if any laws have been broken. Of course at any point during the process a settlement may be pursued; however if it is not workable, the investigation will carry on and once the investigation is complete the EEOC will make a decision on the case. If the investigation determines that there was no breach of the law the discrimination charges will be dismissed. Notification is then provided to John as a right to sue and he may then file a lawsuit against his employer. In some cases there may not be an investigation because the EEOC finds that John has very little evidence and that there really was no discrimination violation they may choose to close the complaint. If that is the case John would also be notified by mail and he has the option of filing a civil lawsuit against his employer. Once John decides to proceed with the civil lawsuit the courts would now get involve. At this point it would be a good idea for John to hire an attorney who specializes in employment law. In this type of lawsuit the employer can request to have a jury present, if that is the case the jury would listen to both sides of the story, their evidence and their witnesses. A judge will make the final decision in instances such as this. If however, the losing side feels the verdict is unjust they are still able to request an appeal of the verdict. The Appeals Court renders the final judgment except in cases in which a petition is filed with the US Supreme Court. Discrimination has become difficult to distinguish in the global workplace, for the protection of the employee and the employer; businesses must be mindful of relevant state and federal employment laws and the procedure for tackling discrimination. Companies must communicate the â€Å"no tolerance policy† for discrimination to all employees because employee rights are esteemed. Discriminatory acts can be found in varied workplace environments, the employment hiring process, the office setting, and even during the termination of an employee. When a discrimination suit is filed against an employer, the process can be long and extensive. These discrimination laws have been made available to employees to use when individuals believe that a violation of employee rights has occurred in the workplace.

Exposing the Weakness of Saint Anselm of Canterbury’s Ontological Argum

Exposing the Weakness of Saint Anselm of Canterbury’s Ontological Argument In a world of scientific inquiry, atheism, and the assassination of God, we are often neglectful of our Glorious God’s existence. With new theories of neuropsychology, quantum physics, gene therapy, evolution, and psychobiology, we are constantly forced to edge God out of our lives, to be replaced with cold, empty scientific thought. What, with meme theory, genetic predisposition, evolutionary spontaneous generation, dark matter, super string theory, multi-layered universes, and the neurological reasons behind consciousness, we are becoming more and more distant from the reality that is God. This is disappointing. This is painful. And thankfully, this is avoidable. We must look no further than Saint Anselm and his Ontological Argument of 1077 B.C., and we are again reminded of the irrefutability of the Lord’s existence, and His awe-inspiring plan for us all. Saint Anselm of Canterbury is not only the theologian responsible for one of the most potent arguments against atheism, but he is also the archbishop responsible for interpreting the Holy Bible in support of the Holy Crusades for Pope Urban II. Without Anselm, we would be without the Ontological Proof, and we never would have waged war against the infidel Turks, or the heathen Jews. So, we are doubly indebted to Saint Anselm, and should take this opportunity to learn a little more about him: Anselm was one of the early Church Fathers who attempted to justify faith, not by reference to Holy Scripture, but through the use of logic and reason alone. Having been inspired by Saint Augustine’s The City of God, (413-426,) Anselm understood that to defeat Paganism, he must support his ... ...errifying of all, no Yoohoo Chocolate Drink. (A careful reading of The Revelations of John show this to be one facet of Hell.) So, Believe in the Lord, friends, He Must Exist! You need never doubt again, as the man who doubts further supports the undeniable existence of God Almighty. In order to deny the existence of God, we must first conceive of a God, and in order to conceive of a God, God must exist, because the concept of God can be improved upon, and therefore, God must exist. This concludes my exposition of Saint Anselm of Canterbury’s Ontological Argument. Works Sited: Ian McGreal: Great Thinkers of the Western World. New York, Harper Collins Co., 1992. Pg. 81-86. John Hopkins: A Companion to the Study of St. Anselm. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1972. Saint Anselm: Monologion. England, 1077. Saint Anselm: Proslogion. England, 1078.

The Age of Social Influence

We know that the once linear and transaction-centric purchase funnel is now multi-directional, random and heavily influenced by opinion and information gathered by consumers. And we know that because of social media and technology, consumers can now enter the purchase cycle at various points, and spontaneously influence others as they travel along the path the purchase. But do we really understand how marketers can unlock the real value of all this? Do we know how social media works with other more established media?And do we know how to harness the power of social media for real commercial gain? In order to find aanswers to some of these crucial questions, Initiative set out to explore the individual and combined strength of TV, social and mobile, and how consumer interaction with each has altered the path to purchase. Specifically, we wanted to investigate: †¢ Howdoweproducegreatersynergybetweenoursiloed media,socialandmobilebudgetsandtacticsthatresultina greaterreturnoninvest ment? †¢ Whataretheimpactofsocial,TVandmobileonshopper decision-making? †¢ Whatroledoesconsumerinfluenceplayalongthepathto purchase?However, our study found that while the integration of social, TV and mobile has indeed altered the way consumers make decisions about brands, it is not because of their ability to simply multiply brand messages. Increasingly, consumers are becoming the driving force powering what, when and where brand interactions occur. Based upon our findings, Initiative believes that by leveraging the consumer’s natural inclination to engage with media across multiple screens and social media, we can create a consumer-powered media synergy effect that is both non-linear and emotional – driving deeper engagement and trust.

Why Is Ghana Still an Ledc?

Why is Ghana still an LEDC? Peilin Cheng 9A Although Ghana is rich in raw materials and precious metals, it is still a Less Economically Developed Country (LEDC). There are many different reasons ranging from the environment and climate to their debt problem. Ghana is in the tropics of Africa near the equator which means the temperature is very hot, there is also a hot dry North East wind called the harmattan which blows between December and March. Ghana’s climate and ecosystems are split into three different climate and ecosystems: The Tropical rainforest is hot and wet all year round.This means that it is a good source of timber wood however more of the rainforest is being cut down for firewood or by farmers to clear land for farming, Ghana is the second largest cocoa producer in the world because of the ideal growing climate. The farmers gain more land to grow on but once the nutrients have been used up the soil becomes useless and most farmers cannot afford fertiliser so t he land is abandoned. Over three quarters of the rainforest has been destroyed so deforestation is a problem. Diamonds, gold, bauxite and many other useful ores or precious metals are also found in the rainforest area.The Savannah is hot and very dry due to drought, deforestation and overgrazing and there are not as many useful natural resources there, unfortunately more of the North of Ghana is turning into desert. Desertification is a growing environmental problem because the ground is too dry for agricultural uses and so it slows down Ghana’s development. The majority of Ghana’s workforce is farmers so the state of the land is very important to them. Both desertification and deforestation mean fewer crops to sell and eat so there is more poverty.The Coastal Savannah is quite hot and dry but some oil has been found offshore (although it is not enough, it has to import a lot more), it has more natural gas which Ghana has begun to use. The River Volta is used for hydro electricity and fishing which has helped Ghana develop. There are also some historical reasons on why Ghana is still in poverty. Ghana was not always one country; it used to be made up of separate kingdoms and so some people were wealthy. Then some Europeans arrived in 1650 and began trading gold with Ghana.Later, the British began demanding slaves for their plantations in America so they bought at least 5000 people per year from the country, this held back development. The kingdoms went to war for over 150 years for people to sell. Many Europeans competed for trade but the British soon took over and by 1901 the kingdoms had been forced together and Ghana had become a British colony, this is a mixture of both helping and hindering development because the British did build railways to speed up the process as well as roads, schools and hospitals for the people but they had to pay taxes for them.The British exported diamonds, gold, ivory, timber, pepper, corn and cocoa which made the E uropeans very rich but not the people in Ghana. In 1957 Ghana finally gained independence but problems soon arose, they had no factories, few services and not many educated or skilled people. Since Ghana had just gained independence, it wanted to develop fast so they borrowed a lot of money from the World Bank and other governments. When people borrow money they have to pay an interest on the loan, most of the bank loans were made in the early 1970s when the rates were low.Then they suddenly rose so poorer countries like Ghana could not maintain their repayments and so had to spend more money than they were earning on repaying their debt than actually developing. This meant less money for building schools, hospitals, clean water supplies as well as other things the people desperately needed. Being in debt can have a huge impact on life, especially if you are living in a developing country. There were fewer schools which meant there was a very low literacy rate so it was harder to fi nd work which meant unemployment.Plans to create a clean water supply were put on hold which meant an unhealthy workforce due to dirty water, bad healthcare and unhygienic living conditions, this also lead to unemployment. Unemployment meant no income and money so people lived in poverty and was not able to pay for medicine or school. This resulted in a cycle which was hard to break. Most poor countries depend on selling their crops (e. g. sugar, cocoa, coffee, bananas, etc. ) to other countries but despite that fact, Ghana is not getting richer.When Ghana tries to sell their crops to a richer country, it faces large tariffs which put buyers off. The world price of many crops are falling because too much is being grown and also big food companies who buy most of their crops force the price down. The tariffs stop crops being sold and the falling world prices mean they earn less. At the same time, farmers in richer and more developed countries who grow similar crops get subsidies for them. Those crops are the shipped to poorer countries at such low prices the local farmers cannot compete with and so hey go out of business. Poorer countries cannot stop those imports because the World Bank has forced them to lower tariffs in exchange for their loans. In 2000 there was a campaign in the UK to cancel the debt of some of the world’s poorest countries. The campaign was a success and this meant that the money that would be used to repay their debt could be used to develop their countries. They could spend it on clean water supplies, healthcare, education and other things.Ghana has many natural resources and the discovery of oil meant it could be used or sold and the natural gases could be used to power objects and generate electricity. I think that the main reason why Ghana is still an LEDC is because it cannot repay its huge debt since it cannot sell its crops fairly because powerful companies force their prices down unfairly. Hopefully their debt will be cance lled by the richer countries so they can concentrate on developing their country. Sources: http://www. economist. com/content/global_debt_clock , geog. 3- Oxford

A Synestia Is What Happens as a Planet Forms

A Synestia Is What Happens as a Planet Forms A long time ago, in a nebula that no longer exists, our newborn planet was hit with a giant impact so energetic that it melted part of the planet and the impactor and created a spinning molten glob. That whirling disk of hot melted rock was turning so fast that from the outside it would have been difficult to tell the difference between the planet and the disk. This object is called a synestia and understanding how it formed may lead to new insights into the process of planetary formation. The synestia phase of a planets birth sounds like something out of weird science fiction movie, but it may be a natural step in the formation of worlds. It very likely happened several times during the birth process for most of the planets in our solar system, particularly the rocky worlds of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Its all part of a process called accretion, where smaller chunks of rock in a planetary birth crà ©che called a protoplanetary disk slammed together to make bigger objects called planetesimals. The planetesimals crashed together to make planets. The impacts release huge amounts of energy, which translates into enough heat to melt rocks. As the worlds got larger, their gravity helped hold them together and eventually played a role in rounding their shapes. Smaller worlds (such as moons) can also form the same way. Earth and its Synestia Phases The process of accretion in planetary formation is not a new idea, but the idea that our planets and their moons went through the spinning molten glob phase, probably more than once, is a new wrinkle. Planetary formation takes millions of years to accomplish, depending on many factors, including the size of the planet and how much material there is in the birth cloud. Earth probably took at least 10 million years to form. Its birth cloud process was, like most births, messy and busy. The birth cloud was filled with rocks and planesimals continually colliding with each other like a huge game of billiards played with rocky bodies. One collision would set off others, sending material careening through space. Large impacts were so violent that each of the bodies that collided would melt and vaporize. Since these globs were spinning, some of their material would create a spinning disk (like a ring) around each impactor. The result would look something like a donut with a filling in the middle instead of a hole. The central area would be the impactor, surrounded by molten material. That intermediate planetary object, the synestia, was a phase. Its very likely that infant Earth spent some time as one of these spinning, molten objects. It turns out that many planets could have gone through this process as they formed. How long they stay that way depends on their masses, but eventually, the planet and its molten glob of material cool and settle back into a single, rounded planet. Earth probably spent a hundred years in the synestia phase before cooling. The infant solar system didnt quiet down after the baby Earth formed. Its possible that Earth went through several synestias before the final form of our planet appeared. The entire solar system went through periods of bombardmenet that left craters on the rocky worlds and moons. If Earth were hit several times by large impactors, multiple synestias would happen. Lunar Implications The idea of a synestia comes from scientists working on modeling and understanding the formation of the planets. It may explain another step in planetary formation and could also solve some interesting questions about the Moon and how it formed. Early in solar system history, a Mars-sized object called Theia crashed into the infant Earth. The materials of the two worlds mingled, although the crash did not destroy Earth. The debris kicked up from the collision eventually coalesced to create the Moon. That explains why the Moon and Earth are closely related in their composition. However, its also possible that after the collision, a synestia formed and our planet and its satellite both coalesced separately as the materials in the synestia donut cooled. The synestia is really a new class of object. Although astronomers havent observed one yet, the computer models of this intermediate step in planet and moon formation will give them idea of what to look for as they study planetary systems currently forming in our galaxy. In the meantime, the search for newborn planets continues.

15 Tips For Planning Successful Social Media Events

15 Tips For Planning Successful Social Media Events A great and memorable event  Ã‚  takes time, money, sweat, tears†¦well, hopefully not tears. But it does take a lot of planning to get it right and, when the event is over, youll discover that each person had a completely different experience at the same event. So how do you prepare for something, like a conference, meetup, or press event, and how do you prepare for the reaction to it? Each week, I attend  1 Million Cups  here in  Bismarck-Mandan. At each meeting, a local  entrepreneur  will present their business idea, answer and ask questions, and get feedback. 1 Million Cups is also a great way for people within the community to network and drink a free cup of coffee. I started going for the free coffee, to be honest, but the event was so well done and insightful that I kept coming back. In fact, I now live tweet on their Twitter account each week! What could make an event that good? How can you plan an event like that yourself? 1. Give yourself time. No matter how small or simple the event, you need to give yourself enough time to troubleshoot and problem solve. A lot of last minute details will pop up and youll want to have time to deal with them. This means you need to start planning early for several things: Booking speakers:  A speaker will need anywhere from six months to a years notice before they agree to speak at an event. If you are extremely lucky, a speaker will be able to come last minute but DO NOT rely on this. Have a speaker booked months in advanced and even have a back-up or two. This will help prevent scrambling at the last minute for a replacement, or ending up with no speaker (or a bad speaker). Booking a venue: One of the first things on your to-do list should be to book a venue. Without knowing what your venue is capable of, you really cant plan much. Have a back up venue, just in case. This is especially important if the event takes place outside (weather can be unpredictable.) Booking a block of hotel rooms:  Along with a venue, your event may need to have a block of hotel rooms set aside for guests traveling to multi-day events. You want to be sure attendees will be able to find a place to stay; the last thing you want are hotels that are full and have no rooms left. Contacting the press:  People have to know about your event if you want them to attend, so dont be shy about letting the press know youre having an event. Send them a press release with the information about the event, including information that alerts them to whether or not the event is something they might want to cover. Keep in mind that this is a short list. There are a multitude of things that need to be planned ahead of time. 2. Focus on your goal. Stick with the theme/purpose of the event. It’s easy to get side-tracked or want to please more people, but stick with your goal. A lack of focus makes it difficult to pull an event together and the end result is confusing for the guests. In order to determine your goal, think about what feeling you want people to walk away with. Do you want people to be inspired? Do you want people to   take action? Do you just want people to be entertained? What do you want people to bring to the event and what do you want them to take away? 3. Make useful lists. When planning any event, lists are your best friend. You can use any list system youd like, but make sure that the  important tasks are first. When creating your list, the most challenging and important tasks should be on top of the list. For example, the venue, food/drinks, and speaker/entertainment have to happen, so be sure those are in place first. When the big items are in place, you’ll find it easier to plan the smaller details. Plus, it can be hard to plan the small details if youre not sure how big the venue will be, what the time the caters are showing up, or what type of entertainment there will be. Think big-picture first, then worry about the details. Where will you keep your list? Evernote  Is my personal favorite. Its a great platform to get organized and Im able to share it with multiple people. Google Docs  is similar to Evernote, and great for those who make heavy use of Google products already. There, your able to create documents and share them with people. They can have specific permissions, like just being able to view or being able to edit the document. Google Keep is a simple note and list application that makes lists easy. Wunderlist  lets you plan for events, collaborate with others, and access the lists from anywhere. Which ever list platform you choose (and you might even choose pen and paper), just be sure it fits what you need. Complex tools dont always help plan for simple events. There are a lot of  online resources  to help you with lists for event planning, but you should always customize a pre-made planning list for your own event. Each event is unique. Whats your favorite list app? What do you use for planning? 4. Get help from others. Asking for help isn’t a bad thing. Volunteers can be a great source of help, as long as you know where to find them. Find groups or organizations that might be interested (or benefit) from your event. Reach out to local universities to see if students would be interested, particularly those with related majors. Students might be a great source for help with social media, marketing, or public relations, for example. They build experience and a resume, and you build a great event. Dont forget to reach out to your own social media fans or blog readers. They might love to help, too. Consider giving away free entrance or other swag as an incentive to get involved. There are always some little details that need to get done. Give them to your volunteers to do. Just be sure to treat them well and thank them. This will make them want to help you out again. Planning an event? Get volunteers, and give them ownership. Their enthusiasm helps build the event.5. Know what your audience expects. What does your audience expect from your event? As I mentioned earlier, I attend a weekly event called 1 Million Cups Bismarck-Mandan. There are 1 Million Cups events all around the United States. I guarantee each event is different, although the goal of each is the same: to engage entrepreneurs in communities around the world. My expectations for my first event were low, because I had never heard of 1 Million Cups before. However, after the first event, my expectations rise every time. Now, I expect there to be an insightful speaker(s) who has a unique business/business idea. I expect them to give advice to the audience, but also need advice back. I expect there to always be delicious coffee and friendly people to network with. Ive gone to eight of these events and I have yet to be disappointed. Its important for an event to reach and connect with their audience. 1 Million cups connects with me because Im interested in what the speakers have to say. I love getting and giving advice, meeting new people, and I have a strong love for coffee, especially free coffee! Determine your target audience for your event. Find what interests them so you know how to plan everything from speakers to entertainment and food. Know if your audience will have disabilities and plan accordingly making sure everyone has access to the full event. 6. Have the outcome in mind. What would you like the outcome to be? Is there a call to action? Would you like people to sign up or buy something? Join a movement? The outcome is different than the goal. The event has a purpose, and the outcome is the action that comes from that purpose. Perhaps your goal is to inspire people to help out in their community. The outcome might be an entire community-first movement from those who participated. Or perhaps you hope the outcome is a stronger connection between the community and your business (e.g. Riggs Partners and their efforts with Smashburger). 7. Scheduling the date and time. Be smart when you’re planning the date of the event. Don’t plan it too close to holidays or other similar, related events that are happening in the area. Make sure your target audience won’t have to decide between your event and another one. Yet again, knowing your target audience helps. Does your event target high school students? Make sure youre not conflicting with sports seasons or extra-curricular events. Full-time workers? You might want to keep your event to weekends. If you do have to schedule your event the same day as another event, make sure its at a time that doesnt conflict with the other event or try to make your event more appealing than the competition. 8. Be realistic about whats possible. It’s fun to day dream about events, but make sure you’re being realistic when planning. Know how much time you have to pull off the event and know your budget. If you’re planning a bigger event, give yourself a few months. You wont necessarily need more money for a bigger event, youll just have to be more creative. 9. Stick with SMART goals. Be smart and stick with SMART goals. This will help keep the event reasonable. S Specific. Use action verbs to describe the 5 Ws: who, what, when, where, and why. M Measurable. Make sure your goals can be measured. If they cant be measured, how can you let sponsors know if you were successful or not? A Achievable. Once again, be realistic. Its so easy to think big, but plan for what your resources and time allow. R Relevant. The goals need to be relevant to why youre planning the event in the first place. T Time-bound. Set mini goals for when tasks need to be completed to help keep you and your team on track with time. 10. Budget It’s easy to say, â€Å"Oh, this will be a small event. It won’t cost much,† and never set a budget. If you do this, you’re setting yourself up to over spend, by a lot. Set a budget, keep an expense report. If you find yourself straining against your budget, youll have to get creative (maybe even DIY!). There are many places you can go to help for planning your budget and working with finances. Mint.com, for example, is free and fast. Another site is Planning Pod, which can do much more than just help you with a budget. Planning Pod can help you track, create, build, manage, collaborate, and prepare. You can also create your own budget managing system using Excel or a Google Docs spreadsheet. Its also important to know how you are paying for an event. Are you paying for the event through sponsors? If so, be sure to get your sponsors first, before you sign contracts or start spending money on the event. It would be unfortunate to have a sponsor pull out of the event when you have signed contracts and booked the venue and entertainment. 11. Get Creative Bring in fresh ideas. It’s important to try new and creative things at events. And if you use DIY, it can help keep the cost down. How do you keep the cost down and stay creative? You could find a few DIY books, watch DIY shows, orPinterest.  Its a great resource for event planners. You can browse for ideas for all types of events, finding ideas on everything from food, drinks, decorations, games, and more. It’s like the holy grail of DIY. Julius Solairs  lists 20 different Pinterest boards to follow for different components of events. This post by   Angela Schelp has some tips on how to plan an event via Pinterest. This post  by Yusno Yunos has some great ideas on why using Pinterest is an exceptional tool for event planners. As you can see, Pinterest is a great tool to use when it comes to planning events. If youre not a fan of Pinterest, try DIY blogs that focus on great event planning. Youll find  great blogs  that give you the help and inspiration needed for planning a variety of events. Whenever there is a craft fair near by, go to it. You may not buy anything, but they are a great place to get ideas and meet makers who might be able to help you out with your event for a reasonable cost.  I was involved with a fundraiser where we were to have a product to sell. When I was brainstorming ideas I thought about a tie blanket I saw at a craft fair. We were able to get fabric stores to donate the fabric, and the fundraiser turned out to be a huge success. Ideas are everywhere. 12. Marketing One of the most important aspects of an event is marketing it. If you want people to show up, you need to let them know the event is happening. Dont just assume people will tell their friends and the event will spread by word of mouth. Where is your audience most likely to see your message? TV? Radio? Social media? Promote your event where your audience is. You might even want to send  out a press release. In order to help organize your marketing efforts, a marketing plan is necessary. Youll be dealing with press deadlines, and staggering your promotion of the event on social media. Perhaps youll be writing blog posts leading up to the event, and have to coordinate with writers and designers for those posts. A plan–with a timeline–is the only way youll get the marketing to fall into place. An editorial calendar is a great tool, too. 13. Incorporate social media Every event should incorporate social media. Not just to promote an event, but also during the event. If Twitter is an appropriate medium for your audience, create a hashtag for your event. It will help people spread the excitement of the event while at the the event, or while talking about attending the event. Attendees can interact with one another. It will also make measuring your reach on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, more effective. Another reason to use social media is because its an inexpensive way to market/advertise your event. By creating a hashtag and an event landing page on your site and on social media platforms, you start the conversation ahead of time.

History and philosophy of International Baccalaureate programme Essay

History and philosophy of International Baccalaureate programme - Essay Example The research also finds that there is need for further research regarding the efficacy and efficiency of the IBP versus those of ordinary educational programs. In the meritocratic world of today, where the quality of education is greatly valued, it seems important to evaluate the different systems of education in order to assure that the future generation gets the best education possible. With the effects of globalization on today’s world, whereby mobility is an essential factor in the work arena, finding an education system that can be validated internationally is of great importance. Many of the novel problems in the globalized world have been solved through the evolution of International Baccalaureate Program. The International Baccalaureate Program evolved to allow for the children of mobile parents worldwide to receive a good education. It was intended to enable students to qualify for universities of their choice and study in international schools. So, what started as a solution to a global problem was embraced worldwide because of the academic rigor and international education imparted thereby (Walker, 2004, p. 7). The International School of Geneva was founded in 1924 to meet the needs of the employees of the, now defunct, League of Nations. The school was the oldest international school in Geneva to survive the Second World War. Its inception was, indeed, a first step towards world harmony and, thus, peace. Its staff came from different countries; the school had to accommodate a diverse range of culture and also prepare the children for university education in their own countries (Peterson, 2005). Although, in the beginning, the idea ignited some of the post war idealists, due to low mobility it did not grow as it did after the Second World War. In 1951, the International Schools Association (ISA) was set up to help the growing number of international schools. One of the problems encountered by schools throughout the world was to