Posts by klatz238

klatz238

Oct 11, 2010

Scholarship / how much of words is appropriate for scholarship essay? [7]

hello guys,
I have this Masters degree scholarship programme that i'm willing to apply for as soon as i am able to raise money for IELTS and when my transcript is finally released to me. I intend not to wait till all requirement is complete so i've started writing my SOP. But having found this site and known what SOP should really contain i get comfused i might be writing too long an essay. i really need to know what exatly is the standard words my essay sholud contain since it is not specified in the scholarship application instruction, someone told me it is usually between 800 to 1000 words. How true is this coz think i mine may be more than that?

Any idea pls
thanks

klatz238

Oct 11, 2010

Graduate / Statement of Purpose guidance on Business Law Needed! [3]

hello sam,
I think you should try to write your statement of purpose (SOP) first so that it can be reviewed here. SOP should include those factors that influenced your decision to pursue career in business law, your career goal and why you beleive that the course will help you achieve your career objectives. What relevant experience have you got that is directly related to the course you intend to study? What do you intend to do with such degree after completion?etc.

I do not know much but i am confident that no one can give good account of these issues for you exept you try it yourself. This is because your SOP is an account of your personal intents. Unless you sit and draft the first copy by yourself, you may not get a good essay that will help you achieve your goal. Please do not worry about how bad your draft might be. I trust that you are in the right place, just post it and see what will happen.

This is all i can say and i hope it helps.

klatz238

Oct 12, 2010

Scholarship / how much of words is appropriate for scholarship essay? [7]

Remember, they will have your c.v. for the specifics of your experiences and accomplishments.

thanks linmark,
but i think this may be diffrient, we aren't applying direct to the scholarship board, you first apply for a programme in the university. The university will then nominate you for the scholarship if the think you are qualified. I do not even Know how to title the SOP since i am applying for the programme while hoping that i will be nominated for the awards. Besides i have read people's SOP on EF and i really think such SOP of my kind needs to be detailed.

wht d'you think?

klatz238

Oct 18, 2010

Scholarship / how much of words is appropriate for scholarship essay? [7]

thanks a lot, this will do some help.

klatz238

Oct 25, 2010

Essays / How to write an essay on my goals for the school year / education importance [13]

Hi Poster,
In addition to the above, i suggest you search for samples on google, it will help you a lot in starting better. Also you need to be know that your plan must be unique and your goal must worth it. It should be well stated in a logical form to meet up with certain standards. Remember you are writting to convince them that you are the perfect candidate for the programme you are applying for.

I hope i made a point.

klatz238

Feb 12, 2011

Student Talk / Need-based scholarship; how do i demonstrate my financial need? [4]

Hi everyone, i need some enlightenment here. Responces will be highly appreciated.
There is this postgraduate scholarship that i intend applying for. It is a fully funded award that covers full tuition fee weaver, acommodation, travel and living expensis. The criteria for this scholarship are 1, academic excellence, 2, development potential, and 3, financial need.

I think i cannot find the right way to demonstrate the "need" for sponsorship. Please fellas, what are those ways in which i can convince the scholarship scheme that this award is highly needed. Of course I won't mind more education on the first two criteria too. Please help!

Thanks.

klatz238

Feb 16, 2011

Student Talk / Need-based scholarship; how do i demonstrate my financial need? [4]

Thanks Kevin, this is very helpful. I think av gotten an idea of how to sell my career plan to them showing the financial constraints just as finance is important for successful excecution of busines plan. Thanks so much for this briliant idea.

And Karam, your ideas are rear, you sound very knowledgeable about the connections among the 3 criteria. I think this is good discovery, i already have a first class in my undergraduate degree in Nigeria, plus all the accompanied awards (not financial). If this among others can satisfy the 1st criteria, the next is to create a promising career plan (rooted in my past achievement and motivators) which i think could cater for d 2nd criterion while emphasising the roles of the scholarship award in the successful actualisation of this career plan and the benefit of the plan to mankind. With this i hope i am good to go.

I will post my first draft soon so it can be reviewed by all in here. Thanks so much once again, i am very grateful!

klatz238

Feb 23, 2011

Research Papers / Research design on the death penalty (the christian and non christian views) [3]

Well i think there is a relationship between your study objective and the research question. Research question from my understanding should be formed in such a way that it will seek answers that will help achieve the research objectives. In other words any answer you might get from the respondents should become an achievement of an objective. What i'm saying is that you need to go back to your research objectives and change the sentences to questions. For example if you have objectives like

1, to investigate christian opinion on death penalty.
2, to examine biblical view of crime and the acompnied purnishment.
3, to determine what type of crime attracts death penalty in christianity and who should be the jurdge.
If you already have like 2 objectives, you could come out with 4 questions coined out from the objectives i.e. you could form two questions from each objective. For instance from the 1st objective you could form questions like

- how do christians view death penalty?
-is verdict of death penalty acceptable in christianity?
From the 3rd objective we could have questions like
-following christian indoctrinations, how should criminals be tried?
- who should be the jurdge?
- should criminals (such as murderers) be killed as purnishment?
I hope this will help a little. You need to also be "specific" about the variables in your research work. For instance if you are studying death penalty, you should select the type of crime that often lead to death sentence (murder should be your prime variable here) so that your work can have a sharp focus and shall aboivd ambiguity.

klatz238

Mar 3, 2011

Writing Feedback / SAT, example of a realistic person? - Optimism vs Realism [6]

Hi poster, I am not sure if this is helpful but I think I might make few changes.

"Is the glass half full or half empty?" This is a famous idiom, used rhetorically to determine whether someone is an optimist or a pessimist. In my point of view, even though seeing the glass half-full or having great expectations in life is a good thing, there is one fact we cannot deny; the fact that the glass is also half empty. To be able to deal with life with as few disappointments as possible, we need to be a realistic person who has a healthy proportion of expectations and "what if" attitude so that we are able to be flexible should they all fail. Both positive and negative pessimism and optimism are equally important to be considered as they comprise the whole.

There is nothing wrong to have a positive outlook on a plan or a goal, and believing we can achieve it. However, there is a danger in thinking it is dangerous to think that we can always overcome (every) problem that come up. The ironic fact is that life is not always a smooth road journey. Hence, we need to be skeptical and realistic about it in decision making. Setting a goal that is obviously impossible to achieve will end up frustrating us to the point where we give up on our goals or worse, we can't move on with our lives. We need an option, and being unreasonably optimistic may give us false promises or facades to see one thing and create inability to be resilient with the other available options.

Being realistic is also applicable in human relationship. When we relate to with people, we can always see good things in our friends, yet similar to all things, humans are not perfect. The realistic outlook can help us understand human imperfection and not overestimate the relationship so that it can't let us as down as not being able to move on at all. There are cases where our loved ones pass away or they are far away from us. Negative thoughts are bound to enter our mind and becloud our sense of judgments. Saying that we should always be positive is like giving sweet candy to ourselves. The sweet taste can easily deceive and give us false consolations and when it's gone, we become evasive and unable to acknowledge the misery.

"The girl in the park" is one good example of realistic cinema. It's about a mother who is traumatized by the disappearance of her three-year-old daughter fifteen years ago. Since then, she isolates herself from her husband and son due to her inability to cope with her loss, hence clinging to the hope of finding her daughter again. Her emptiness fades away until she meets a homeless teenage girl and she offers home to her. It's a facade that she builds in her mind, treating her like her lost daughter, and the hope that the girl is her lost daughter is always hanging in her mind. She becomes very alive and turns depressed very soon when she finds out that girl is not her daughter. The story depicts a grim picture of reality. It tells us that it is natural for a mother to be in palpable pain but her being overly optimistic in finding her daughter actually stifles her from progressing in her life and jeopardizes her relationship with many other people. The story does not force the viewer to think that every good thing will come along our way if we are hopeful.

To sum up, being realistic shows that we can still fly but we fly with the safest bet, with the parachute, so that we don't drop hard. It proves our ability to accept weaknesses and strive for the best. It gives us second options in our lives, plans and goals and alleviates the pains and disappointments that life may cause. This holistic attitude, accepting both positive and negative sides, Being optimistic and skeptical, while considering other dynamic factors will only make us stronger and make us strive safely. After all, a lotus is a beautiful flower that blossoms out of the mud.

By: Catherine

P.S: Can anyone help me think of one more example of a realistic person, I am trying to find out about a realistic person in history who did not become over hopeful, and the person was able to be resilient to do something else? Thanks a bunch!

klatz238

Mar 3, 2011

Scholarship / "Nigeria: the social and economic menace of corruption" - graduate scholarship [NEW]

Pls everyone, I need help reviewing my SOP for scholarship. The instruction goes thus;
"In not more than 500 words, give reasons for applying for the XXX scholarship explaining your educational goals and clearly describe how you will use the experience gained from your master's degree studies to help in the development of your home country"

this award provide "full" sponsorship to cover tuition, accommodation, travel and other living expenses. The scholarship is competitive as only one candidate is selected in each year.

Here is my first draft, the total words is 732 and I need to reduce it to 500 and make all necessary corrections. Any assistance will be highly appreciated. Thanks.

=========================================================
PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR MASTER'S DEGREE SPONSORSHIP
Harbison (1973) contends that "Human resources constitute the ultimate basis for wealth of nations, capital and natural resources are passive factors of production; human beings are the active agents who accumulate capital, exploit natural resources, build social, economic and political organizations, and carry forward national development. Clearly a country which is unable to develop the skills and knowledge of its people and to utilize them effectively in the national economy will be unable to develop anything else" The message is that qualitative education is sine-qua-non to nation building and since the profession of teaching plays pivotal roles in educational advancement, I have always aspired to be at the center-point of positive and developmental change in my country through my intellectual sagacity and professionalism. This desire is strengthened by number of factors which include the discovery of my pedagogical skills and the passion for engaging in active teaching and writing which I did through out my university days.

My studies in Manpower Planning also enabled me observed "misplacement of priorities" on the part of government and educational policy makers in my country which has since the 1990s till date, forced Nigeria to witness tumults of industrial acrimonies and crises mostly perpetrated by workers in both oil and educational sub- sectors. The impact of which is mostly felt by paupers and their wards. As a result of the resultant uncertain and unstable state of everything (education, employment, securities etc), there have been situations in which the Nigerian youth especially, those of poor family background were used as tools for disrupting the political democratic system through rigging, thuggery and ethnic conflicts. These factors in addition to economic mismanagement, leadership personal ambition or selfishness among others, were the factors that terminated the Nigerian First and Second Republic and has degenerated to the social and economic menace of corruption which today adversely hampers the Nigerian development, resulted in youths hooliganism, hoodlumism and terrorism thereby threatens the peace, security and federalism of the country. I believe with bold confidence that the only certain solution to this ugly trend is a complete overhaul in educational systems and policies which will pave ways for establishing educational institutions with global standards and programmes needed for youth reorientation and capacity building for development in the country. I am committed to becoming an erudite in Human Resources Management and Labour Relations so as to be part of the brains that will be formulating such policies for my country, carrying out researches and developing educational programme that are of positive changes. Becoming an erudite requires adequate theoretical knowledge and substantial practical skills acquired in a well equipped university and especially in multicultural context. I am convinced that the HRM that Salford Business School offers and the resourcefulness of the university will aid me in building a research work experience, boost my academic and professional strength in teaching and give me the confidence and contacts that will aid successful realization of this dream.

Despite the self-motivation, diligence, and epistemic curiosity in me which aided my outstanding academic achievement in my undergraduate days, my financial incapacity threatens to render my long-nurtured ambition a chartered dream. The offer of admission granted to me in Salford University which is conditional upon my payment of a £4500 study deposit cannot be taken by me without adequate financing. This was also understood by the university scholarship scheme who also has already granted me a sum of £3000 tuition fee reduction from the total sum of £10140 and the total fees payable by me is £7140. I am certain that I cannot successfully raise this fund and cater for other expenses such as accommodation, feeding, travel fees etc. This is why I seek for sponsorship of the XXXX so that I can successfully complete the masters' programme and immediately proceed to my doctorate degree in the same university after which I intend to return to my country as an erudite in HRM, work/teach in Nigerian universities and further my professional understanding while contributing to the pace of development in Nigeria. My undergraduate training in pedagogy will serve as good instrument in this regard. I therefore plead that I am granted this award and pledge that it will judiciously serve the purpose for which it is meant.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to your positive response.

klatz238

May 28, 2011

Research Papers / A student of HR needs guidance in research (topics etc.) [5]

Dear Adil Hussain,
I think you should first start by trying to identify what your interests are. This is because "interest" is one of the major determinant factors as to wheather or not a person will be successful in conducting credible research. So you need to choose a topic that revolves around something (in your field of study) you have passion for so that when the research work get tougher along the line, ur passion for studying the particular problem will keep you going till you successfully finish.

Second, HRM is a broad field of study and if you plan to conduct research a work in HR, you need to select which aspect or areas in HR you want to inquire into. You may want to investigate a problem, processes, practices, principles or any researchable phenomena in such areas as Compensation Management, Reqruitment Process, Training &Development, Collective Bargaining or Negotiation, Trade Unionism & Labour Politics, Organisation Behaviour, Work Place Bullying, Ergonomics, Labour Laws, to mention a few. You just need to choose which area interest you the most, then you can begin to break that into smaller sub-topics through literature review and find a particular "gap" that your research will help fill. To find a gap requires that you identify a problem that your research will solve thereby producing new knowledge in the academic community.

Third, you must also take into account your career plan before choosing your research area. I mean if you plan to study Industrial Relations at your Masters level and for instance you have always dreamt of specialising in Industrial Psychology, it will be unwise to conduct your undergraduate research in such areas as Workplace Ergonomics. These might be related in some ways because they all fall within the study of HR but i think it is safer for anyone craving to become an Industrial/Organisational Psychologist to conduct his or her undergraduate research on such areas as Motivation, Leadership, or Occupational Stress etc. I hope you get what I mean?

The main point here is that you should choose a research topic that matches perfectly with both your areas of interest and career goal, while ensuring that such topic is so formed in other to solve newly identify problem and add new knowledge to that which we already have in the area/field of study in which the research is conducted.

I may not be sure that this is helpful but I believe it is unwise to ignore it.
Best Regards!

klatz238

May 28, 2011

Writing Feedback / some people believe that sport have no place in school curriculum [4]

Dear Arefe Safaei,
I think i might also include that sport competition in school is sin-qua-non to achieving educational objectives. School curriculum is designed for these objectives. Google and study "Blooms Taxonomy of Educational Objectives" (1950s) they are basically three-congnitive domain, affective domain and psychomotor domain. They are the major framework (from theoretical point of view) guiding the design of school curriculum. If you study the third domain, you will be proud to make several claims why sport activity is as important excatly as class subject.

I hope you will have time to do this coz you may not know how useful it is unless you try.
Regards.

klatz238

May 30, 2011

Essays / Lazy societies always find to themselves excuses to do nothing!; What's CULTURE? [25]

Dear Ismail Lad,
Yoyo's words are few but they make much meaning. A study on culture is a study of 'ways people live their life' and because no two set of people live 'the same pathern of lives' a study on culture therefore seems like a journey, you need a direction to get there. This is why you must be specific about what culture you are studying as Yoyo advised above.

But basically any study on culture should capture the following about a particular social group in a particular geographical location: Myths, Religious beliefs, Traditions, Marriage Rites, Social Festivities, Values, Norms, Fashion, Family Formation, Languages, Folktales to mention a few.

So a study on culture is basically a study about some unique stuff about a particular social group that distinguish them from other group of the world. For instance if I want to know how marriage is conducted in your home town or what is important about XXX cultural dance and why the ceremony is fixed for a particular day at a particular venue, then I'm trying to understand some aspect (not all) about your culture. You see why you need to tell us about what and whose culture you are studying.

Also, I think you should go back online and ask the internet (I mean google around), be specific about it. Even if you are studying culture from general perspective, you still need to cite examples (which must be of some particular groups or comunity) and any good book on Anthropology and Sociology will help. Again if you are studying culture from general point of view, I should remind you that culture is also studied on institutional base. Just search for Organisational Culture, Political Culture, Educational Culture etc on the internet. I'm certain that you will have something to start with. Infact I think I have also heared about Global Culture or Technological Culture. There is even some sort of cultural traits among social network sites, why do we follow people on twitter and add people on facebook?

Lastly I should tell you that most of the time when we study culture, we are always interested in how our social identities are formed and affected by our socialisation process (up-bringing) why do people from Arab view or do things difrently from people in Asia and Europe, why an African Man sees poligamy as tradition and Americans may regard such as bigamy. Infact I think you should also find something about ethnocentrism, cultural lag, cultural relativity and culture shorck, then you are ready for culture studies.

Much Regards.

klatz238

May 30, 2011

Essays / How to compare and contrast myself and another member of my family? [9]

Hello Kim,
I might have useful idea for you to consider. If I was to campare and contrast myself with my father, it will be wise to look at certain domains: 1, THE COGNITIVE DOMAIN which includes level of reasoning, mindset, analytical and most importantly intellectual abilities as well as the usages of all these. 2, THE AFFECTIVE DOMAIN which includes attitudinal dispotions, affections and afinities, likes and dislikes, behavioural and interpersonal skills, hobbies, extroversion or introversion, etc 3, PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN this includes physical attributes and skills such as swimming, how hardwork am I compared with my father's? What is his body structure like? How can I compare his physical attributes and dispositions (short or tall, black or white, attractiveness, sports of choices etc) with mine?

So here is how I would structure my work. It will have five paragraphs: 1-Introduction, 2-Cognitive discriptions, 3-Affective or attitudinal comparism, 4-Physical dispositions and comparism, and lastly paragraph 5 will briefly discuss the 'basics' and conclude.

I hope this makes sense enough for your consideration kim?
=>>Hey guys! to any interested person, I know I have spelling problems which I'm already battling. Please do help correct me where necessary in every posts including this one. Thank you.

klatz238

May 30, 2011

Scholarship / The hiccups in my search for masters scholarship. [14]

Hello guys,
I have certain situation regarding my search for MS.c admision and 'full' scholarship so I thought I should post it here for discusion. I must not be shy to say that I'm so poor financially to fund my masters degree which is why I crave fully funded masters scholarship. I believe EF is not only about essays writings but also about cross-fatalisation of ideas about academic-related predicaments. So here is mine. Please read and give candid opinion. Thanks in advance

1) MY STRENGHTS: Without doubt I have good academic and experiential achievement to pursue the masters programme successfully: i) I have 1s class in my BS.c degree, ii) I have five years work experience iii) several leadership and academic awards iv) a yet to be published academic book I wrote for undergraduates in my field of study including several useful and related Writing Samples that are alreadily published.

2) MY WEAKNESSES: these include i) no money, ii) no parents to sponsor, iii) not even for application fee. Sometimes when I come across university that awards full scholarship, I often have problem with payment even if I am willing to pay application fee because iv) I do not have credit card which I consider the safest means of payment online and to get one in Nigeria seems tougher, v) I do not have GMAT or GRE but am willing to write it as soon as I am able to raise cash.

3) MY RESOLUTION: Having considered my status as highlighted above, I resolved that i) I will find universities in UK, USA or Canada where my programme of choice (Industrial and Labour Relations or HRM) is offered. ii) application should be free and online, iii) there should be a fully funded scholarship, any teaching or research assistant work or any on-campus jobs that will enable me fund my study and cater for living expenses, iv) GMAT or GRE should not be a requirement v) I will also be applying for scholarship from other external bodies, vi) I will apply to about four universities just 'to test' my competitive strength in winning admission with scholarship since I do not intend to begin the programme this year.

4) OUTCOMES: after I did a seriouse search, I found that i) all universities in Canada who offer my course require application fee (well there may be some who I am yet to come across) and few of them require GMAT or GRE, ii) Most universities in UK that offer my course require neither application fee nor GRE (this made it easy for me to do my test-running in UK, u know testing my chances of winning admision) But of all these school who would not require app-fee and GRE, only Westminster has fully funded scholarship. Others only have part-tuition awards without living expenses.iii) I have not actually done seriouse work on US but the little search I did revealed that US univ. dont take GRE and GMAT for joke and majority of those who offer my course and who can award full scholarship require application fee. I do not have anyone abroad that i can contact to use his or her Credit Card to help pay my app-fee so that I can refund. Besides, to be sincere with myself I dont even have the money. It will not favour me to claim that I'm heavy when actually I'm light.

Finally guys, when I sent application to four UK universities in February this year, by March three of them had already sent me 'unconditional' offer. Salford gave me a £3000 scholarship (considered the highest and most prestigeous award in the schoo) and asked me to pay £4500 deposit, Queen Mary does not have scholarship for graduates in Business School but require only £1000 payment of deposit before the end of June. Durham asked for £2000 deposit. I hap applied to Durham because they have two fully funded scholarships (the Commonweath Sheard Scholarship) for African masters applicants. Since the offer did not come with the nomination for the scholarship, I guess I did not make it. Westminster who has up to 6 fully funded award and no app-fee nor GRE has not replied me till date. I have sent several emails but none is replied to.

I trust that ideas needed to tackle this predicament lies on EF here so please people, help look into the above and help me in any way you can. I will really appreciate it. THANK YOU.

klatz238

May 31, 2011

Undergraduate / Common app - talking about a previous university rejection is too heavy/risky? [5]

Dearest Sabina,
I sincerely appreciate your carefulness on this matter and here is what I would do if I was in your shoes.
I will weigh my strength and weaknesses regarding my current application. How? i) By examining the level at which I have or have not met with the admission requirements ii) try as much as posible to picture what kind of candidate the university wants and see if I am potentially qualified (I really have to be sincere with myself on this) iii) since 'academic achievement' alone cannot garantee admission success (at least not for masters programme), I really need to critically assess my 'experiential achievement'. By this I mean those positions I have held (either through selection or election) and successfully display leadership qualities, those years of work experience that I have acquired which have close and direct connection with the programme I am currently applying for (note that they are looking for candidates who has potentials for success in school and you know experience is an invaluable instrument for success), those volountary service you have rendered which helped boost your strenght and understanding or the knowledge acquired from an internship sometimes ago, the number of publications you have to your credit, and so fort.

Having done an objective and factual assessment of your chances of being admitted and you are confident that you have got enough in your talent bank, then you can choose to ignore the failure you once experienced and rely on your potentials. Is this safe? You should answer that for yourself coz I do not know myself.

But hey Sabina, I believe strongly that 'no knowledge is a waste'. In fact experienced gathered from failure at times, stand greater chances of being a propelling force for future success than experience gathered from past success (of coures this may not apply to everyone). So my second advice is that you try to turn that failure to opportunity for yourself and the school, be bold to 'briefly' state how that experience has significantly turn to an asset for you and how you have learnt (or planed) to use the knowledge to build something new and important for the programme you are applying for or better still, for your career. Please Sabina, do not state this fact in expectation for symparty. Like I said, be bold about it and make sure it is 'very brief'. When you are through with your work, please do not forget to pray. I don't know about you but I believe in prayer.

I wish you well Sabina.

klatz238

Jun 2, 2011

Scholarship / The hiccups in my search for masters scholarship. [14]

Hmmm! Thank you so much Kevin and Rajiv. I really respect and appreciate your thoughtful opinion. I will continue to strive hard to achieve my career goal.

However, Kevin, I'm aware of google blogspot, I know how to use it but not how to use it for profit because I don't know what service I can render for profit. Well, I'll continue trying and I'll try out the "Elance" stuff you mentioned. Have not actually heared of it before now. Thank you so much for the advice. Will get back when I have further questions.

I'll not fail to mention how glad I am to be participating in EF. Kudos to the initiators!

klatz238

Jun 5, 2011

Scholarship / The hiccups in my search for masters scholarship. [14]

Kevin thank you very much for your help, but i have little problem. I just realised that paypal does not give room for Nigerians to open account with them. Some suggest we find someone residing in the US who would help open it for you and if you are lucky to do that and you want to be operating from Nigeria, you still have to get an internet with US IP. I don't see any sense in that so i want to ask you about other once i came across 'AlertPay, Trialpay and Plimus' please Kevin, which one should i go for? I know you do have some knowledge about this stuff and i am eager to know more.

By the way thanks for the video, i cannot view it now because i am using a third-word generation phone to browse but i will view it when i get to cafe or when i have some cash to buy internet access to my laptop. Thanks once again!

klatz238

Jun 5, 2011

Essays / Lazy societies always find to themselves excuses to do nothing!; What's CULTURE? [25]

Yeah! And why is it that we neither add nor follow people on EF? Why is it that i cannot post my essay on Linkedin for corrections? Oh! I have also noticed that social interactions on EF is more of intimacy or some sort of family bonded relations. Check it, i can choose wether or not to add anyone on facebook, i may also chooce to be less concern whether or not they (my friends on facebook) progress in life. But here on EF, it is a must to help the other person fulfill a purpose else, you will find yourself stranded somtimes. In fact Kevin will go to any lenght to help you improve on your essay no matter how perfect it is. That is what families are for and that is what EF is. It is a give and take relationship for career prospects; a culture of care and reciprocity. Yeah! That is what i'll call it...

klatz238

Jun 6, 2011

Scholarship / The hiccups in my search for masters scholarship. [14]

Hmm, well like i wrote in this thread, out of the 3 schools, only Salford University offered a £3000 scholarship reducing my payable fee to £7104 out of which i'm required to pay £4500 as deposit before the end of June to secure my place. A friend told me flight fee from Nigeria to UK should cost me £900 pounds. So yes i will need to safe like £6000 at least. This is for Salford alone. For Durham, i should need like £3500 because the deposit in Durham is only £2000. For Queen Mary, i think £2500 should get me started coz they only require £1000 as deposit.

However, I believe with hardwork and commitment i should find a scholarship that will cater for my tuition fee and living expenses if i try hard. I just need to work little harder and pray. To be sincere with you Kevin, i really do appreciate your concern on this issue but i'm begining to give up all the admission and concentrate on making small money for myself while continue my search for 'full sponsorship' come 2012. This is what am trying to do right now. What do you think?

klatz238

Jun 7, 2011

Essays / Lazy societies always find to themselves excuses to do nothing!; What's CULTURE? [25]

Well, Ismail,
I do not have much to say on this essay but I will WARN you to be careful not to confuse tradition with fallacious religious beliefs. They are two distinct concepts. From my point of view, i believe traditions are 'core values' of a society with which people share some conciouseness, bond and unity. It is because of some traditional ties among a particular group of people that make them love and proud of their race over others'. Why do you think some Islamic and African countries acuse USA of 'cultural imperialism'? They believe that the trend with which United States' culture is wide-spreading across the globe is gradually watching away their traditions. Many young people in Africa today would prefer a white wedding (which is typical of Americans) and look down on the traditional marriage rites. Yet these traditions are not dead. So my point is that 'no tradition in any society is worth discarding' as you have advocated in your essay, it can only be modified in line with the trend of development. So please this is what I want you to do. Try to make your arguement in such a way that 'tradition' will be treated with preservation in your essay. You cannot boldly tell me that Morocco does not have some traditional facts which you personally will not fall in love with. I believe a society with lost tradition loses the reasons for 'coexistence' as a nation.

Having preserved tradition, you can now blame the laziness, superstitiouse beliefs and irrational religious practices on some native Moroccans whose principles and practices impede the pace of development of the country. What i mean is that you can blame them for labelling their belief on tradition. Traditions are rich and cherished so people should not stain it by claiming that their fallacious religious practices are tradition.

What i mean in summary is that you can blame people, blame religion, or some unhealthy beliefs (such as the once you said claim that it is of no use working) but please help safe the face of tradition and try to polish it instead. What i mean by polishing it is that you help us understand those areas that needs improvement or that require new innovations in our traditions. I hope you get my point? Regards!

klatz238

Jun 8, 2011

Scholarship / The hiccups in my search for masters scholarship. [14]

No no no, not at all. Fact is i feel comfortable interacting with people like you especially when i am the one recieving help hand.

About EF contributor, i will check that later. I think my device can't work perfectly with it now. 10ks for that.
Well if you ask me the kind of work i love doing, i'll say academic writing and teaching (in social and management sciences). I love academic work more than anything. I love to write academic work like research article, journals, and help people edit their work. If provided with resources i love to find a problem around and write an article spelling out the need for research in a particular area. In fact if i could get a professor whom could take me for a research assistance (even if i will be serving him for free) i will be very glad. But here is my problem; i am not sure if my skills meet up with global standard. I had finished my B.Sc before i noticed that teaching in my country is far below global standard (one of the reasons why i vowed not to study in my country for masters degree) so i kind of doubt my capabilities in this areas. Unfortunately many student from my country will not even spend their money for internet access to look for help online, i would have been very confident that i can work for anyone in my country to satisfaction because what majority of them consider the best, to me, is at the level of mediocrity.

When i viewed some of the academic work postings in Elance, i saw plenty of proposals spelling out their 10 to 15 years experience in academic writing, some of them even have plenty of sample work to display. So i get a little challenged when i see people's profile when i don't have much talent to display.

But Kevin, i think i might be wrong doubting my capacity. For example i have a female friend (my ex) who studies nursing at Edinburgh (not sure of the spelling) UK. She left Nigeria two years ago. This girl beliefs so much in me that she would call me and give her assignments, term papers with instructions to me. Nursing is not my decipline but this girl would keep praising me for work done perfectly well. After each assignment she would send me more than enough money for work done. It was when i saw things at Elance that something told me she already knows that people get payed for such kind of work. No wonder why she'd insist on remunerating me on almost all paper i write. Even when she was contesting for an elective position in the school over there, i was the one who wrote all the speeches, design her posters, campaign slogans and messages. She is my ex so i always do those work for her as a friend but she would insist on rewarding me.

Kevin, if there is a way i can create a business out of this and get payed, i will love to. At least pending the time i will get formal employment here in Nigeria. You know as a fresh graduate here you have to serve the country for 1 year (for free) before anyone can employ you. And i will begin my service by July 5, so if you can help me with ideas. You'll be suprise with the result i'll produce with your ideas.

klatz238

Jun 11, 2011

Scholarship / The hiccups in my search for masters scholarship. [14]

Yeah, thank you so very much for your kind advice, i think i have gotten enough clues to start with. I will ask my friend if she will let me use those papers in my portfolio. I will check on those books and see how helpful they can be. I will also find how i can link some people possibly professors to this thread, become a contributor on here while focusing on building my portfolio...

Honestly Kevin, I cannot thank you enough. I'm certain that in a way, I'm indebted to you and you can count on that.

Right now, I'd better get to work. I must confess that I'm happy signing out of this thread and will be back as soon as i get further questions. 10ks so much pal, you are great.

klatz238

Jun 14, 2011

Undergraduate / Social work Admission (advocate for fair and equitable access to public services) [9]

Dear Lamido,
I think you should try to dedicate a paragraph to discusing why you have choosen the school that you are applying to. You have explained why you want to study the programme but you haven't told us why you consider the school the best option. I think a little explanation of the connections between school potency, your career goal and the programme of choice will make your essay complete. This is just a thought.

Yes Kevin suggested the same book to me few days ago and i have already started reading it. I believe it will help a great deal. But Kevin, if i may ask, can you explain the reason for reading aloud the sentences and type them? I'm curious about that.

klatz238

Jun 14, 2011

Undergraduate / "quality of life" -Peace Corps; Reasons, experience, and satisfying core expectations [2]

Dear Landon, take a look at the following
"The plans and goal I have made for my life have changed endlessly, but one thing have not-my desire to serve in the Peace Corpes" why not making this sentence few and simple? The plans and goals I have made for my life have changed 'completely' except my desire to... The question was never if I would, but always when I would. Will it be before or after complete (there should be 'ing' here) my bachelor's degree?... How will this (what do you mean by 'this'? you need to be explicit) look like on my application? (After the question mark, start a new sentence with 'These') These are questions I continue to...

"In a country unashamed (i think you should remove 'unashamed', in my view it arouses unnecessary meaning and arguement) to accept..." Simply say 'in a country accepting...'

I consider two of the core expections challenging. (i think you should remove 'of the core expectations,) These are the seventh and eighth...(what do you think?)

"I'm sure I will have no trouble looking after the well-being of others, but it will be easy to disregard mine.(so remove 'my own health')...please Landon, this sentence alone doesn't show that the 8th expectation is a challenge. The instruction also begs you to specify how you intend to overcome the challenge. This sentence has not done that too. So will you please do somthing about it?

Lastly i will advise you to stick to the instruction given. I mean number of words in your essay. If it wasn't important, it wouldn't have been specified. Adherence to instructions, in my opinion, is one of the qualities a corper should possess.

klatz238

Jun 14, 2011

Undergraduate / Social work Admission (advocate for fair and equitable access to public services) [9]

Oh sorry, you said you have 'ordered' for the book, does that mean you are paying to get it? I got mine free online. The one i got is the fourth edition though, it was last modified in 2003 and it is about 109 pages. I think you can google the same copy unless you want the latest edition which, of course, might require payment.

Kevin, towards the end of the introduction, White re-emphasised Strunk advice "if you don't know how to pronouce a word, say it loud. Why compounding ignorance with inaudibility? Why run and hide?" i don't think i get the 'essence' of saying it loud even as i study alone in my room, or don't you think i should?

klatz238

Jun 15, 2011

Writing Feedback / IELTS>major effect on personality:Characteristic we born or our life experiences? [5]

Dear Per Miss
Here are some views for you to consider in support of your points.
I have come across this kind of arguements on several occasions and the topic usually given is the places of 'Nature and Nuture' in human personality development? Nature is considered to include biological/genetic factors shaping human personality while Nuture simply represents the socialisation process (up-bringing) that an individual went through. Each time i come this arguement, majority of conclusions reached is that the combination of both Nature and Nuture helps in personality development and behavioural formation, that 'none have more effect than the other'.

However, as social scientist, I have a strong opposing view to this general saying; I believe that social forces (i mean Nature) have greater influence than genetic factors. A child came to this world with a clean, clear and impresionless mind (as John Locke stated in his 'principle of tabularacer', i think you should read that) with no feelings. His mind is like a 'blank slate' and can begin to develop feelings and impresions only when he starts interacting with subjects (note that subjects include both man and animal) around him. He'll them begin to percieve and form opinion base on his personal observations of those subjects close to him (Albert Bandura call these subjects 'role models' of observing children). You see that it is this perception and personal opinion generated from his observations of role models that forms anticidents or origin of child behavioural and personality for. It said that we are what we think, isn't it?

Yes! Genetic factors also counts but do not equate social factors in child characteristic development. This brings up an arguement of whether leaders are BORNE or MADE. You will agree with me that though they are borne (which means they possess leadership traits and potentials, don't we all?) but they cannot be good learders if they went throug a deficient training (see the place of Nuture).

In one of our study on human psychology, i read about one James B. Watson, a Behavioural Psychologist who said
"give me a dozen infact, and I assure you of making each anything I want; Lawyers, Doctors,..., even Thiefs" Watson was very certain that, regardless of a child's ancenstoral origin or biological inheritance, he could mould (not physical characteristics but in terms of personal characteristics and skills) any child put to bed by anybody to become anything he so wishes.

So in summary, i think we have all been human (nature) before we become a person (personality made from nuture). If it is true that our personality are formed base on our genetic factors (which we all went through), then how come there is variations in our personality characteristics? The answer lies in the type of socialisation process (up-bringing) we went through and the kind of social forces in that forms the essential features of the society we grew from.

Best wishes!

klatz238

Jun 15, 2011

Writing Feedback / IELTS>major effect on personality:Characteristic we born or our life experiences? [5]

In addition to the above, I also read somewhere that a child of say 13yrs old was found in the woods and this child counldn't talk nor walk. She only mumbles and crawls like animals. She was given foods but could only eat raw vegitables and other kind of leaves that animals eat. All attempt at teacher her to walk, talk and become a normal human proved abortive. She died at the age of 23. My opinion is that this child would have lived longer if left where she grew from. Again, you see the supiriority of Nurture over Nature.

Oh! I have just noticed my spelling errors, please kindly make corrections. Thank you.

klatz238

Jun 15, 2011

Undergraduate / Social work Admission (advocate for fair and equitable access to public services) [9]

Yes Kevin, that's you; always with the right answer. 10ks so much for the education.

Ok, Kofo, I'm a Nigerian. I reside in Ogun State and I'm a Yoruba by tribe. Do I sound familier or why did you ask?

klatz238

Jun 18, 2011

Writing Feedback / Education brings up more job opportunities for those who are educated. [7]

Dear Simone,
Permit me to do a summary of your write-up.
-Education is good because it helps us improve our skills, enables us get better jobs and thus, improve our living styles and standards.
-It attracts foreign talented students to Canada.
These two sentences represent the only two messages you have been able to pass across in your essay. Yet they do not tell us how education help improve on a country's socio-economic and political development.

In my opinion, i think there are 4 steps you should take:
(1) Start by giving us what your perception of education is. In your essay, you have construed education to be the process of schooling, yet education is broader than that. It's simply a process through which an indivials acquires desirable skills and knowledge needed in him to be fit and useful to both himself and society; education is not complete unless it teaches people how help themselves in life and contribute positively to the development of the society where he might find himself in the future.

(2) the next is to help us understand what you think development is. Is it poverty reduction, increase in people's standard of living, improvement of a nation's technological know-how, political stability or reduced corruption and terrorism, etc.?

(3) next, tell us how education fixes into these issues of development i.e., the way in which educated people can help positively in national development. For instance if you consider improvement in Small and Medium Scales Enterprises (SMEs) in a country as the best way a country will rapidly develop, then your arguement here should explain how education will enable people to be enlightened, empowered, and self-reliant as to making them develope entrepreneurship skill and becoming business tycoon all on their own. By this, people depend less on government for improvement in their standard of living, more jobs are created, poverty alleviated, and nation's economy resutantly will witness a boom in few years. All to the glory of proper education and training.

(4) last, you briefly reiterate education as sin-qua-non to national development and make few suggestions as to how a country should invest more on educating the citizens.

I don't know if this helps, i just think you might need to consider it so you could improve on your essay.
Simone, I should also warn you to avoid repeating sentences like three times in the same essay. Check your 1st paragraph alone, you said something like "education giving us job opportunities" more than once. In the same paragraph you also mention "education as it helps us increase our lives styles" I think this paragraph is too small that this type of repeatitions could be tolerated.

Best wishes!

klatz238

Apr 10, 2012

Research Papers / CSR and Profitability - subject highlights? [3]

Dear Hubert,
I think you should try to write something about this topic and post it here first. Think of something and put it down in writing. What you do not realize is that everyone has certain idea about any phenomenon especially on topics like CSR. We just need little hints to start with and build upon. I trust that the best place to get that hint is from academic write ups usually on the internet. If you run out of ideas try to google the topic and read up to two to five articles about CSR and its benefits to organization. I am confident that there are numerous research report and journal articles on this topic on the internet so endeavor to read through few of them. You will be surprised how full of ideas you will be.

If you have done little research on the topic and gather few ideas then you put this ideas down in writing and post it here so we can help you build on it.

I hope this helps!