Global Ocean Currents explain why Northern Hemisphere is the soggier Essay

Global Ocean Currents explain why Northern Hemisphere is the soggier one - Essay Example This zone is referred to as the zone of inter-tropical convergence, and it is neither symmetric nor centred around the equator. Rather, it is to be found over the oceans in the northern tropical regions. Frierson et al. used observational data and model simulations to show overturning circulation in the oceans, as well as associated energy transports, and their importance in boreal disposition of rainfall (Hickey, 2013). Hemispheric asymmetry in the ITCZ is caused by the influence of tropical landmasses and their associated cloud fields, and atmospheric circulation on ocean currents and temperatures (Frierson et al, 2013). On average, the Southern hemisphere absorbs more energy than the Northern hemisphere from the atmosphere. The energetic imbalance that results between the two hemispheres is redressed by meridional overturning circulation of the ocean, which transports heat from the Southern Hemisphere northwards towards the equator to be released as atmospheric heat. The ITCZ is sensitive to heat redistribution through the meridional overturning circulation. Generally, in the tropics, energy at the surface is absorbed by the oceans and released into the extra-tropical regions. When these perturbations to the mean state are explored using a model, which removes the effects of continental landmasses, hemispheric asymmetry can also be induced within the ITCZ (Frierson et al, 2013). This hypothesis that ITCZ asymmetry is determined by meridional overturning circulation can also be tested by imposing, between the extra-tropics and tropics on the two hemispheres, a symmetrical flux of surface heat. The results show that, within the extra-tropics, differences in hemispheric atmosphere-ocean flux of heat related to meridional overturning circulation are a necessity for asymmetry of ITCZ (Pike, 2013). It is still important to note that surface heat flux present in hemispheric imbalance is a result of continental

The Meaning of the Patriotism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Meaning of the Patriotism - Essay Example There is a close connection of patriotism with nationalism; however, the difference between the two is pretty much clear and open to all. This means that a man’s love and commitment towards a nation is not limited to only the area of land which he calls it his homeland rather the aspect of patriotism is much more than what is imagined. It is certainly a rule which needs to be connected with his thinking and patriotic individual always remains loyal to his country. It is a fact that the aspect of patriotism has remained different in a number of important ways. It is considered in different meanings and tones all over the world but the basic meaning is similar to everything. It is the bond of love or attachment that one has with his own country. Socially this concept has also had different consequences and meanings in the background of various movements, wars and where patriotism could change the way in which these events have been started. Patriotic movements usually last for a longer period of time since these aim to get the rights which have been denied. Thus patriotism is something more of a trend than anything else if seen broadly. The societal connotation of patriotism is somewhat close to what is noticed for nationalism yet the difference as stated above is there. However, the society keeps a strict check on the levels of patriotism which usually do not change every now and then.

What are the Qualities of an Effective Leader?

What are the Qualities of an Effective Leader? Mankind never had a society that did not have a leader or a leading group. Leaders were given power to decide the fate of their countries or organizations. Throughout history, scholars and historians praised great leaders, and harshly castigated incompetent ones. Great leaders brought their nation to prosperity and order, whereas incompetent leaders led the nation to ruins and made their people suffer and die. All leaders, eventually, reached a resolve; I shall make my country prosperous. There were many great thinkers who pointed out what the qualities of a good leader who can bring prosperity and order in the society, and some of them contradicted each other in the most drastic way. However, qualities of a great/effective leader are charisma that can manipulate peoples mind at ones will, mental stability that can control ones own emotions, ability to bring out the best from the seemingly most unhelpful resources, perceptive skill that can detect the truth, and brilliance of both mi nd and body with necessary cruelty and wickedness. In other words, the most effective leader should be nearly perfect or inhumane at some point. Manipulation of the human mind is, I believe, the most important quality of an effective leader. The definition of manipulation is the same as control. However, who really wants to be controlled when they have their own free will? That is why, a manipulation of a great leader is control without restriction, but control with free will. As a leader, one must constantly check whether his group of people are under his influence. Of course, most of the time, position gives a person immense influence over the people of the group, like the pope or a military leader. The pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, had a great influence over the strong sponsors of Catholicism until the end of Renaissance Europe. Military leaders, on the other hand, are capable of starting an uprising all by themselves. One general rule that applies in the military is simple: follow without question. This gives them the authority to control people without any difficulties, but we do not call them effective leaders just because their influence can cause substantial damage to the society. The manipulation of an effective leader is not forced, but voluntary. The case of the popes is forced because the sponsors religion requires them to help the pope when in times of need, and furthermore, if some sponsors do not cooperate, this group of non-religious people will be isolated from the community of leaders and lose what influence they had. Therefore, it is not entirely voluntary but mostly forced. An effective leader can make people do what he or she wants them to do without telling them to do so because the interest of the people lie parallel with that of the leader. An effective leaders people do what they feel necessary for them to do, without knowing that the leader wanted them to move in this way, just like how Lao tzu described a good leader. A clear example is Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin. According to the Record of the Great historian, also known as Shiji(à ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ²Ã ƒ ¨Ã‚ ¨Ã‹Å"), by Sima Qian, although Li Shimin gained his throne through an immoral mean, he later made his nation prosperous that even when a valuable property fell on the ground, no one bothered to pick them up thinking that someone might have lost it in unconsciously. Also, when there were catastrophes that flooded a whole city, people, without taking orders from anyone, went out to help in the rebuilding process. This was in fact the very thing that Li Shimin wanted to see happen and his popularity has given him the power to manipulate people without doubting that it will cause them ruin. Some might ask why manipulation is the key element for an effective leader. Would it not be like playing god? Is it not that the same as controlling people with sweet talking, or luring children with candies? Indeed, it might look like playing god, but power of god is way beyond the abilities of humans. The god in this context is not necessarily god from the bible, but a supernatural being with immense powers to create, control, and destroy mankind. One of his powers can be described as invisible string that treats humans like puppets, whereas manipulations done by a leader is like a contract that enables each other to act, but for a very long period of time. Gods power makes men work like his puppet, a doll that can be controlled with his invisible hand, broken, and forgotten. If a person A is considered to be controllable, breakable, and forgettable by another person B, then it means that this person A is not an equal of person B, but person A becomes an inferior of person B. There are no man that can do such thing for they neither have the power to completely control another persons mind nor have the cruelty to treat everyone, including their family, as lesser than themselves. That is the limitation of people compared to the ability of a god. Now, if this is not godly at all, it seems like luring children with sweets. To this statement, I must ask; does it really? Is it a give and take process? If manipulation was indeed a give and take process, that would require one to lose a thing and gain something else. In comparison with the given idea, the leader must give something to the people and earn something, and the people should gain something and lose something. In this manipulative process, no side loses anything because the concept of pain of losing a possession is non-existent in this case. Naturally, a fact that all human can agree on is the following statement, if one loses his or her possession, he or she feels pain for the loss. In logic, when one sta tement, If P, then Q is true, then its inversion, If not P then not Q, of its conversion, If not Q then not P, becomes true, which is also called a contraposition. Considering the previous statement true, logic states that its contraposition, if one does not feel pain for loss, one did not lose anything, becomes true. Therefore, neither side lost anything to each other. Consider how two lovers give each other gifts and supports. If one side needs something, another will gladly provide it knowing very well that the giver will not benefit a lot. There is no pain of losing a possession in this situation, and furthermore, the giver will not say he has lost anything. Perceptive skill is a follow up of manipulation of people. Perceptive skill refers to an ability to see the truth and to understand a matter, object, and other people with great competence. People with this skill are likely draw closer to the essence of the problem. A leader needs this because the ability to detect the essence of the problem will most likely give a leader a very good position to start the job. If the problem is unknown, there can be no solution at all. Furthermore, if the problem is misunderstood, it is highly probable that one will never reach most appropriate answer to the problem. The case of Edward Blackbeard Teach can show that perceptive skill is one of the quality of a good leader. He understood that commanding a fleet required a man with more than just brute force. The problem was how to get a strong grip on the interest and faith of his crews and captains. He, despite being a pirate, was intelligible enough to get the attention of his crew by following their opinions. If their opinions seemed fair enough, he considered them. Also, he had an intimidating body build and face; and he did not kill or inflict harm on his captives, but cultivated a sense of fear in them, making the story to be exaggerated and avoid fighting as much as possible, and plunder without much fighting. Even during his fight, he always attached slow burning fumes to his hair and beard to give his enemies and crews a demonic image. This pirate leader achieved success mostly from his ability to see the problem with the commanding a group of people. His understanding of the working of human mind made him an epitome of pirates during his era. Another important quality of an effective leader is mental stability in any situation, which means even if someone was brutally murdered in front of him or her, he or she can maintain his clear sense of reality and give rational options for the problem. There is a proverb in Korea which says, Even if one is in a tigers jaw, get the mind right, one can survive. This means that despite any circumstance, if one can remain sane, he or she can overcome those circumstances. Therefore, control of emotion is crucial. For instance, if a leader happens to come across an incident where his people have messed with him, he will form some kind of grudge upon those people even though he knows that he should not. The grudge will keep accumulating as time passes, and leader will eventually release it with his granted power. This could be devastating for the country. An example in which a leader failed by no control of emotion is Yeonsangun of Joseon Dynasty. According to the Annals of the Joseon Dyna sty , this king had no patience whatsoever, and whenever he was angry, he would kill his subjects without any hesitation. This led to the frustration of the citizens and other officials, both corrupt and righteous. The result was an uprising that had damaged the country for a long period of time. Uncontrolled emotion leads everyone, including the leader himself, to ruin. Control of emotion, or maintaining the stability of ones mind is crucial. Another crucial component of being a leader is his ability to make decisions that will bring the best outcome out of any circumstances. Imagine a stock broker who is in charge of distributing his clients money to buy the stocks to bring them more money to and in turn earn compensation. This requires a lot of researching and decision making above all. With the same given resources, a slight change can make a certain company grow bigger or go bankrupt. It is the job of a stock broker to convince his clients to use him and spend their money to make it grow bigger. The same can be said about a leader. A leader is chosen by the people, given powers by the people, and asked to take responsibility for the improvement of the society. To be a good leader, it is necessary for them to have the capability and competence to make the right decisions. Wuzi, the strategist during the warring state period in China, had a personal belief that if ever one wants a battle won, it is necessary to have the right decision making accordingly. He stated various ways to keep soldiers motivated and answers for some of the situations in the battlefield that can lead to right decision making. It is said that with his strategies, he won almost all battles he had joined in his 50 years of being a military commander. So, it is always important for a leader to make the correct decision to bring out the best result. Last qualities that a leader needs are brilliance and cruelty. It is quite obvious that a superior man is given more privileges and power because most people would choose a smarter and stronger man to be their leader because this stronger man is capable of thinking, or doing things that they cannot do. However, it may be questionable as to why a leader needs to be cruel. It actually is necessary for them to be cruel as well as brilliant because cruelty brings fear, and fear, if used well, can bring order. It is not a cruelty that is embedded with anger or frustration. It is rather a cruelty used as a means to control the people. Control is necessary if the society is to maintain its order. Take Joseph Stalin for example; he was cruel and demanded complete control over the people he was ruling. Although in a repressed nature, he was able to bring some order in Soviet Union. So, the essay has discussed some of the important qualities of being a leader. It can be said that if a person has one or two of those qualities, that person has some chances of being a good leader. However, a person cannot have all the aspects mentioned in this essay, for that would be too perfect of a human being. It is difficult for a person to have charisma that can manipulate peoples mind at ones will. Also, it would be extremely difficult to acquire mental stability that can control emotions in the face of gory and painful death. As far as I am concerned, there are limits in which humans are capable of and a single human can only be so good as to have one of two of the qualities of a good leader. To be successful like the leaders previously discussed, it will not take all but few of the qualities of an efficient leader.

Who Killed Martin Luther King Essay -- Civil Rights

Scratching the Surface, Not Driving in Bullets or: Why White People are Such Morons A great number of people know who Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was. My generation has had the opportunity to learn about his work in the civil rights movement and his â€Å"I have a Dream† speech as early as elementary school. I’d venture to say that a fewer amount of people know that this icon was assassinated and James Earl Ray, a white man, was arrested as his killer. Unfortunately, an even smaller number of people have heard of, or have read about a remarkable civil rights writer named James Baldwin. Determining whom killed Martin Luther King seems to still be an issue because of the guilt of the white man. If white men were properly educated, there would be no reason for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. If white people would analyze their past, like Baldwin suggests, in a truthful manner, the guilt should dissipate. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader during the middle part of the twentieth century. He gave many speeches and led peace marches to gain equal rights for African Americans. I chose to research the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. I guess I knew that he was assassinated but I didn’t know the details. I wanted to know who killed him, when, where, and how King died. The Purpose of this paper is not to determine if James Earl Ray did in fact kill Martin Luther King. Rather, it is a dissection of characters and events utilizing the ideas of the illustrious James Baldwin. In the early part of 1968 he was interested in producing another civil rights march for the poor. Before that could happen, the sanitation workers of the city of Memphis, Tennessee, summoned him. He arrived in March in ord... ...ca, 1998. 63-84. ---. â€Å"Down at the Cross.† 1955. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 63-84. Harrison, Eric. â€Å"The Killing of Dr. King Revisited.† NewsBank NewsFile Collection 4 (1994): A-15 McKinley, James. Assassination in America. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1975. Pepper, William F. Orders to Kill: The Truth Behind the Murder of Martin Luther King. New York: Caroll & Graf Publishers, Inc., 1995. Ray, James Earl. Who Killed Martin Luther King? The True Story By the Alleged Assassin. Washington, D.C.: National Press Books, 1992. Seigenthaler, John. A Search For Justice. Nashville, TN: Aurora Publishers, inc., 1971. Wexler, Sanford. An Eyewitness History of The Civil Rights Movement. New York: Checkmark Books an imprint of Facts on File, Inc., 1993.

Mgt 4045

Explain the rationale for the global harmonization of financial reporting and disclosure requirements. -Make the financial statement more comparable across the global market so investors can invest their capital in more efficient comparable. 2. Identify two groups that are exerting pressure for pursuing global harmonization. How do these two groups stand to benefit from harmonization? -Investors are concerned with the reliability and comparability of sinacial statement in countries other than theirs.They favor this because it will help lower cost of investing in countries aboard and enhance the effectiveness of investment decisions. Multinational companies want global harmonization because of the increase in international diversity of manufacturing and sales. The fact that all accounting practices are not compatible means that they devote more resources to prepare and consolidate there financial statements. 3. What are the main obstacles to global accounting harmonization? In your op inion, are these obstacles likely to be overcome in the near future? The main obstacles are due to economics and politics. I think it will be a very slow and hard process to invoke in the near future because of everyone sensitivity and pride of there own countries.The polices would have to come from a super national organization and combine principals of many different countries. 4. What is the role of each of the following supra-national organizations? a. International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) -Developed as a parent entity of the IASB, it is an independent standards setter that assumes accounting standards setting responsibilities from IASC. . International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) -Organizational accounting organization that represents accountants employed in public practices, and the primary activity is to serve public interests and to facilitate cooperation among members. c. International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) -Known as the international standard setters for securities market, it promote high standards of regulation for sounds markets, and establishes standard and effective surveillance of international securities to name a few objectives. d.Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) -â€Å"Rich mans club†, comprised of 30 countries that produce 2/3 of the worlds goods and services in were all countries are committed to a market economy and pluralistic democracy, that provided governments with a setting to discuss, develop, and perfect economic an d social policies. 5. The FASB has described their proposal to transition to IFRS as an â€Å"improve and adopt† approach. What are the two parts of this â€Å"improve and adopt† proposal? Why does the FASB support this approach? First, the â€Å"improve and adopt† plan will require a joint effort by FASB and IASB to develop and improve standards in the areas that will benefit financial statements users universally. Secondly, a gradual approach transition to IFRS will reduce the disruptions that might occur from an abrupt switch. -Third, this approach allows other infrastructures elements to improve and converge while IFRS and improved and mandated. Finally, this approach avoids the added cost and complexity of dealing with two accounting systems. 6.What is the current plan for joint projects between the FASB and IASB? What is your assessment of the reasonableness of this plan? -The current plan between the joint projects is on a modified strategy and a delayed timeline for several of their convergence project extended till the end of 2011. Even thought that are delayed it is said that it will not negatively impact the SEC’s timeline. I think it is a good idea to have a longer period of time to implement these joint projects because it gives the stakeholders more time to express there input. 7.The PWC article identifies eleven (11) joint projects currently underway (i. e. , financial instruments, revenue recognition, leases, etc. ). Select three of these joint projects to consider in depth. For the three projects you have selected: -Financial Instruments- The issues with the financial instruments used to cause an inconsistent way of reporting value, revenue and other forms of financial information’s that could misleading investors. The joint project it to bring off these financial instruments together to make it easier to understand.To bring convergence there is a need for multiple new a more useful approaches like, recognizing losses earlier and recognizing credit impairments when not thought to collect. -Revenue recognition- Revenue recognition currently recognizes revenue when the customer signs into an agreement and values the price of fulfillment as being a fixed value. The new joint project would require the recognition of a contract come after the contract is fulfilled and not be able to keep the value as fixed.Another important aspect of the proposal is to est ablish principles to promote comparability among similar contracts. -Leases- -Consolidation- Under the ne joint projects, many of the companies will still be able to consider certain investment companies under the U. S. GAAP are likely to continue to meet qualifications under the new definition, but some may not. The one major change will be defining if the company has control over the investment company and how that will be determined. a. Provide a brief overview of the issue. b. Explain why it is important. c.Describe what needs to be done to bring about convergence. 8. The authors of the last article, Paul Miller and Paul Bahnson, are not proponents of international uniformity of accounting standards. Identify three reasons they are against it (they provide more than three). Do you agree? -He believes that uniformity is not comparable, it kills innovation, and doesn’t believe IFRS is uniformed. I do agree with him in some aspects because uniformity across a global market, while a very noble goal, is almost impossible to achieve and could result in so many problems.

Job Satisfaction and Employees Performance

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1. 0 Background of the study of Job Satisfaction and Employee Performance in Total Nigeria Plc. The Total Nigeria PLC is a privately held, owned and managed industrial lubrication, oil and gas manufacturing company spread across the geographical regions and districts in Nigeria. The company has been a part of the Nigeria manufacturing landscape since 1962 and has earned the reputation as one of the key suppliers for lubrication equipment, oil and gas products in the industry.It manufactures petrol, kerosene, diesel, cooking gas, car care products, insecticides and lubricants such as oilers spray systems, applicators and condition monitoring equipment. Total Nigeria Plc. is dedicated to selling its products through distribution. TOTAL is the world’s fourth-largest publicly-traded integrated oil and gas company, with operations in more than 130 countries spanning all aspects of the petroleum industry, including Upstream operations (oil and gas exploratio n, development and production, LNG) and Downstream operations (refining, marketing and the trading and shipping of crude oil and petroleum products ).TOTAL employees more than 95,000 employees worldwide, TOTAL reported sales of â‚ ¬153. 8 billion in 2006. TOTAL Upstream activities are carried out by three subsidiary companies in Nigeria. They are: 1. Total Export and Production Nigeria Limited (TEPNG) 2. Total Upstream Nigeria Limited (TUPNL) for oil/gas 3. Total Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Limited for gas. They are committed partners in Nigeria's growth and improvement: what they take out of the ground, they put into the economy.Their long term vision is to remain Nigeria's preferred operator, promoting the nation's economy through their various activities, and all the while contributing positively to the sustainable development of its communities. Samuel Emeka Mbah (Unilag Research Paper): There is a general consensus that there exists a managerial problem of finding successful mechanism of retaining employees especially in a job environment that is characterized by constant yearnings for pay rise.Employee job satisfaction has influence on employee turnover in organisations. The implication of this is that the extent to which an organisation is able to retain its employees’ depend on the level of job satisfaction that are made available to these workers. Job satisfaction is known to have positive impact on employee turnover intentions. It means that dissatisfaction on the job increases or will increase the rate of employee turnover intention in organisation. Job satisfaction is how content an individual is with his or her job.Dessler (1978:37) refers to job satisfaction, ‘as the degree of needs satisfaction that is derived from and or experienced on the job’. He affirms to the ability of employees in an organisation aspirations, feeling happy doing their job with the hope that their needs will be achieved. A job is a group of positions , which involves essentially the same duties, responsibility, skill and knowledge†. Scholars and human resource professionals generally make a distinction between affective job satisfaction and cognitive job satisfaction.Affective job satisfaction is the extent of pleasurable emotional feelings individuals have about their jobs overall, and is different to cognitive job satisfaction which is the extent of individuals’ satisfaction with particular facets of their jobs, such as pay, pension arrangements, working hours, and numerous other aspects of their jobs. Consequently, the inability of employees to achieve their needs will amount to dissatisfaction because job satisfaction is a general attitude towards an individual’s job, and the difference between the amount of reward workers receive and the amount they believe they should receive.It has been observed that a person with a high level of job satisfaction holds positive attitude towards the job while the person who is dissatisfied with the job holds negative attitude about the job. Also satisfied employees are known to show higher level work performance in organisations. By analysing job satisfaction an organisation can possibly increase positive outcomes such as employee satisfaction and performance, and may decrease absenteeism and turnover. 1. 1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Employees in Total Nigeria Plc. lay important roles, so employee’s satisfaction is a very essential one; hence there arises a need to study the job satisfaction of oil, gas and lubrication employees. The Total Nigeria Plc. has been a part of the Nigerian industrial setting for over 40years. Investigating the employee’s value-perception can aid in managers building and creating work environments that help them to achieve high levels of employee satisfaction. The intention of investigating employee job satisfaction is therefore a step toward creating a healthy psychological contract for people at work (Palme r, 1999, Pg. ). This research therefore, seeks to evaluate the antecedents of employee turnover in the Total Nigeria PLC with a view to understanding its retention strategy. It would also evaluate the level of employee job satisfaction in relation to pay, nature of work and supervision as well as recommend ways of sustaining or improving on the company’s retention strategy. This research study would help in mapping out strategies and methods that would foster objective conclusions. 1. 2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDYJob satisfaction can be used as a powerful tool to achieve goal congruency and enhance employee motivation. It has been observed and noted that employees who find self-identity within the organisational context are motivated even in the face of adversity and channel their efforts towards the achievement of organisational goals. The absence of employee motivation may have significant negative implications to the company achieving its strategy. The objectives of this resea rch are: 1. To access the general level of job satisfaction in Total Nigeria Plc. . To determine the nature of the relationship between employees’ job satisfaction level and their performance. 3. To determine the major sources of dissatisfaction in Total Nigeria Plc. 4. To recommend some measures for improving the satisfaction level of the employees. This research will reinforce the knowledge on the holistic approach to job satisfaction from corporate strategy to individual level. It would also help in the academic understanding and development in the field of change management with specific reference to job satisfaction.It will be useful to Total Nigeria Plc. , other state owned enterprises, governmental and private sector organisations in Nigeria in the implementation of job satisfaction. It will give an overview of management and employees’ understanding of the whole concept of job satisfaction, their level of participation in its implementation, from strategy devel opment, goal setting to performance reviews, and their perception regarding its impact on the achievement of corporate objectives. 1. 3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1. How can the general level of job satisfaction in Total Nigeria Plc. e accessed? 2. How can the nature of the relationship between employees’ job satisfaction level and their performance be determined? 3. How can the major sources of dissatisfaction in Total Nigeria Plc. Be determined? 4. Recommend some measures for improving the satisfaction level of employees? 1. 4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS 1. There is no association between working conditions and job satisfaction. 2. There is no association between rewards provided and job satisfaction. 3. There is no association between welfare measures and job satisfaction. . There is no association between job security and job satisfaction. 1. 5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 1. Job satisfaction should be the major determinants of an employee organizational behaviour. 2. A satisfied employee will be having positive attitude towards his or her job and would go beyond the normal expectation in his or her job. 3. A person who places high importance on imagination, independence and freedom is likely to be poorly matched with an organization that seeks conformity from its employees. 1. 6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDYThe study included all employees of the organisation, with the exception of the researcher and the CEO and regional managers. All the findings and observations made in the study are purely based on the respondents’ answers which may be biased. Time and cost is also another constraint. 1. 6 DEFINITION OF TERMS PLC – Public Liability Company LNG – Liquefied Natural Gas TEPNG – Total Export and Production Nigeria Limited Unilag – University of Nigeria, Lagos State CEO – Chief Executive Officer TUPNL – Total Upstream Nigeria Limited

The eNotes Blog How to Make the Most of your Study AbroadExperience

How to Make the Most of your Study AbroadExperience Part 2 of   Another Kind of Green:  15 helpful tips  from our editorial intern on how  to prepare for and make the most of your time studying abroad. Once in a while when its good, itll feel like it should.   In John Mayers Song Stop this Train, Mayer compares life to a train thats moving too fast, wanting it to stop.   He acknowledges that every now and again there comes a time when everythings grooving.   If you tuned into my previous post, part 1 of Another Kind of Green, then you already know that while studying abroad everything feels like it should.   The experience is extremely amazing and provides great value to college students.   It is the most rewarding, gratifying, adventurous, and beneficial educational step Ive ever taken in my life.   Studying abroad requires careful planning before and during the trip.   Taking the right steps to prepare for studying abroad will ease your transition   and reduce the culture shock of integrating into a new environment and culture.   It can also ensure a good fit between yourself and the educational institution, and even more importantly the country.   By keeping in mind the following tips for the  before  and  during parts of your journey, you will be able to maximize your experience and keep on riding that train. Before 1. Research.  The fun kind.   Where do you want to go?   Talk to your friends, family, and school counselors.   Read peoples reviews of their past trips and experiences.   Think about your goals.   Are you comfortable with change and desire a completely new experience (think Moscow, Prague, Thailand)?   Or would you rather stay in a somewhat familiar environment with people speaking a language you understand (think Dublin, London, or Australia).   Picture yourself in that country as best you can and try to imagine if you have a smile on your face or not.   Go with your gut.   I chose to study in Rome because of its blend of history and modernity and because I am 50% Italian. 2. Research.  Still fun. Consider a study abroad program that will simplify the entire process for you.   They can provide access to housing, application to schools, the sending of transcripts, reviewing of the necessary documents before you go.   They have a wealth of knowledge and resources that you can tap into, and is also beneficial from an emergency and safety standpoint.   Being a part of a study abroad program also means you will instantly be a part of a solid base of other students who are just like you.   They are a little more expensive than going on your own, however.   I ended up choosing the SAI program because of the convenient services they provided. 3. Research. A  little less fun. If you are not going to be a part of a study abroad program, find a university that fulfills your needs.   Do you need course credit?   Will your grades transfer to your home university GPA?   These things matter.   Check with your school to see if they have a study abroad program or connection with schools abroad.   I ended up electing to NOT study abroad through the UC program offered by my school, and went to a school my study abroad program recommended.   I took fun elective classes such as web design and entrepreneurship because I didnt need to fulfill any requirements. 4. Budget.  This will affect your entire trip.   First of all, you need to save a considerable amount of money to pay for your airfare, education, housing, food, activities, trips, etc.   Ive witnessed people who didnt save enough and couldnt go on any trips, go out at night, or eat more than one meal a day because they ran out of money.   Second, find a way that you will obtain  the local currency when you are abroad.   Flexible debit cards that allow you to withdraw from a number of ATMs with little or no withdrawal fees are perfect for taking with you.   Keep in mind also that many credit cards have a surcharge fee for all purchases outside of the US.   I brought over a considerable amount of Euros with me, and only had to make a couple of ATM withdrawals once in Italy.   I also used an American Express to avoid any surcharges when paying with card (which is accepted less in Europe). 5. Get the paperwork over with.   Fill out any and all forms required for your trip.   Do this way in advance so you are not stressed near your departure.   Passports can take a long time to come in the mail, and the same with receiving your student VISA. 6. Pack appropriately.  And smartly.   Dont bring bathing suits and tank tops if youre going to a cold place.   You dont want your attire to scream HEY, IM AMERICAN! either.   That can be a good way to attract   pickpocketers and other troublemakers.   Pack items that are flexible and match well with several other items.   I recommend packing extra towels and DONT recommend packing items you think you will only wear once or twice.   Make sure to stock up on any prescriptions or favorite grooming products, as you will likely not find these wherever youre going.   I made several trips to the mall to purchase nicer clothes to try to match the fashionable Italians. 7. Reach out to roommates.   Its nice to have someones contact and already be familiar with a face when you arrive.   Everything will be so new, and going through that with someone can make everything easier. I Facebook messaged two of my roommates to introduce myself (both of whom didnt respondbut I became close with them once I was there). 8. Stay linked to home.  Set up a way to keep in contact with friends and family from home.   Facebook and iMessage are the most convenient ways of doing this.   Bringing an iPhone or other wi-fi capable device will provide you access to any wireless network even if you dont have cell or data service.   A simple international phone that has calling and texting is useful for emergencies and calling people when you really need to.   You can save on expensive rates by using apps such as Viber, WhatsApp, and Tango for free calls and texts. 9. Learn the language.   This obviously only applies to those going to a non-English speaking country.   Having a little knowledge of the language and learning a few key words can really help you out and lower your stress level once you arrive, and its also a cool trait to have that your friends will value.   Rosetta Stone is a great option for tackling the basics of a language before you depart.   I bought the first level of Italian and pretty much completed it, and found it really gave me a head start on everyone in learning some useful and common expressions.   Also, I recommend using Google Maps and the street view feature to become accustomed with a couple streets around your school and housing.   Once youre there, youll recognize key landmarks and decrease your chance of being lost (also is another good trait to have that friends value). 10. Be open to new things.   Your study abroad experience largely depends on your mindset.   Go in with an open attitude and the will to experience new things. During 1. Cycle over.  Ã‚  You made it to your destination.   The planning and travel is over, and now its time to enjoy it.   Y0u may find this difficult because you are extremely tired and jet lagged.   Try to cycle over and force yourself to go to sleep and wake up at the appropriate hours.   If you arrive during the day, stay awake until its at least dark.   Bring melatonin  and take it for the first week.   It is a natural supplement that helps you stay asleep and get the deep sleep that is crucial to cycling over quickly.   I used this throughout my trip as my sleeping patterns were often inconsistent due to travel. 2. Find the necessities.   Talk to people or walk around and discover a grocery store, dry cleaner/fluff-and-fold, coffee shop, bar, cheap restaurant, late night restaurant, and gym.   Knowing these landmarks from the beginning will give you a general knowledge of places that will come in handy for the rest of your trip.   Also, find a buddy and an emergency contact right away.   Do these things ASAP, or else you will put them off and become too busy to do them later.   I didnt find a gym for a week or so, but my friends and I used things in our room like suitcases and potted plants to get a scrappy at-home workout (pictured to the right). 3. Get comfortable.   For the first couple weeks, just become comfortable with yourself in your new atmosphere.   Be yourself and make friends naturally.   Its okay if these friends mostly are Americansyou can eventually integrate yourself further into the culture and make friends with the natives.   I highly recommend branching out though at some point.   You will surely have the most fun and learn the most about the culture, food, and fun places from native students.   The last third of my trip I really started hanging out with Italians, and it totally changed my experience for the better. 4. Research, again.  Now that youre there, youll start to hear people talk about all the places they want to visit on the weekends.   I recommend planning these trips early.   The advantage to this is that it reduces your stress and helps you save on airfare.   The disadvantage is that its not obvious yet who you want to go on these trips with.   The best way to find cheap flights is skyscanner.net.   Dont use the round-trip option.   You can sometimes find better deals if you get two one-way flights.   Also, coming back early Monday morning (6:00am) before class is often the cheapest option.   Youll end up sleeping at the airport, but saving a bunch of money.   I still remember the four of five early mornings sleeping sprawled out across the terminal floor.   The app TripIt is a great tool to use to organize your trip information. As far as places to go, try to visit a wide variety of destinations.   Coastal trips are attractive, but mix in some that have a different feel as well.   My favorite trips were Ireland and Switzerland. 5. Relax, and enjoy.   This is your time and you can do what you want with it.   Take care of your studies, but really explore this new home and live it to the fullest.   It will be over in the blink of an eye and youll say I cant believe I just spent four months here.   I stopped making to-do lists and really tried to be as free as possible.   Be adventurous and try things you havent before.   Get comfortable, but not too comfortable.   You want to feel at home, but you should also continue to discover new things.   I had a great time and found some beautiful sights just walking around the streets of Trastevere on my own after class. Related articles Another Kind of Green: How Studying Abroad Can Improve Your College Experience ()