Pharmacology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Pharmacology - Essay Example At this point, Mary was prescribed the corticosteroid known commercially as Advair. Initially, she was compliant with the recommended dose of two inhalations daily, but later began to forget. In her most recent clinic visit, this practitioner has diagnosed Mary with bacterial pneumonia following chest x-ray and isolated cultures from sputum samples. Cough was initially dry, but grew productive over the course of 24 hours. Spirometry was performed in which she achieved a forced expiratory volume of 62%. The chest x-ray revealed a flattened diaphragm, following this observation Mary was diagnosed with COPD. To treat her infection, she was given amoxicillin. Joseph (4 years old) was brought in by his parents with a high temperature and productive cough. He had no past medical history or allergies and took no prescription or over-the-counter medications. This was a comparatively difficult assessment based upon the prior experience of the practitioner considering that the questions were more directed at the parents than at the child, a frequent necessity of pediatric medicine. But the same overall structure familiar to the practitioner was maintained. As advised by Dorp (2008) the GP used simple language to communicate with the child to provide reassurance. Before asking questions she played with the child to try and gain trust. It is also advised to have a child friendly atmosphere during these assessments (Dorp 2008); but a dedicated area designed to be child friendly is not feasible at present. Following the consultation and examination, a chest infection was detected, and Paracetamol and Amoxicillin were prescribed. COPD is not contingent upon a single organic condition; impaired airflow into the lungs with subsequent breathing difficulty can result from a selection of pathologies, including chest infections. It is often tested through spirometry (Celli, 2000; CDC, 2011). This condition is a risk for both men and women, and the rates of death can

World Religion Essay Example for Free

World Religion Essay Confucianism and Daoism are two of the most influential schools of thought in ancient China. Both are not only ways of thinking, but ways of life. They are not religions: they have no teaching of worship of gods, or the afterlife; each philosophy focuses on the individual and their behavior. Confucianism and Daoism are often considered polar opposites for several reasons, although they have a few similarities. Confucianism has a core of morality, ethics, and activism. It encourages social harmony and mutual respect. Confucianists sought to perfect their character by living a virtuous life and seeking goodness. They valued ethics, respect for elders, and propriety. Confucius, the originator of Confucian thought, believed political order would be found by the proper ordering of human relationships, and so did not bother himself with the structure of the state. He stressed that a good government must fill their positions with well-educated and conscientious people, called Junzi. Confucius was followed by his disciples Mencius and Xunzi. They also possessed the same optimism that humans could improve themselves to perfection. Daoism has a core of self-reflection and oneness with the cosmos. They refused to meddle with problems that they thought defied solution, and were the prominent critics of Confucian activism. They devoted their energy to introspection, in hopes that they could better understand the natural principles of the world. The central concept of Daoism is Dao, roughly meaning “the way of nature”. The exact definition of Dao is unclear; it is portrayed as an unchanging, passive force that “does” without “doing”. Daoists try to follow Dao through Wuwei complete disengagement from competition and activism, and instead living in harmony with nature. This philosophy discouraged the presence of any government or empires, just small self-sufficient communities. There are a few similarities between Confucianism and Daoism. They were both created as a solution for the chaos that emerged from the fall of the Zhou Dynasty, although it was the arrival of Legalism that created unification in China. They both focus on self-improvement: Confucianism in the form of  relations with others, and Daoism in the form of relations with oneself and nature. Confucianism and Daoism clearly have strong contrasts, but many people believe that for a person to be whole, they should incorporate elements from each. References: Taoism and confucianism — ancient philosophies. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.ushistory.org/civ/9e.asp (Taoism and confucianism, 2012). Kapaj, L. (10 A). Via historia. Retrieved from http://puppy.viahistoria.com/classwork/taoismonconfucianism.html (Kapaj, 10 A). Huzhang. (2000). Discussion of confucianism. Retrieved from http://www.pureinsight.org/node/1048 (Huzhang, 2000).

The Canon of Scripture Essays -- Bible, New Testament

Most Christians do not think about the canon of scripture or know what it is or means in theology. Most take for granted the Bible they have and never question how it came into being. Today, we have 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament. There was a time, however, that we did not have a canon. Bruce defines canon as books of the Bible that were recognized to be considered scripture (p. 17). The importance of the canon and how it was developed was intriguing to professor and author F.F. Bruce. He dedicated his book The Canon of Scripture to explore and explain the formulation of the canon we have today. Bruce taught in universities, including the University of Manchester, where he began to lecture students on the entire canon of scripture. Bruce wrote many books and commentaries and was general editor to The New International Commentary on the New Testament. He spent a vast amount of his time researching the formation of the canon with emphasis on the New Tes tament. The contents of this review will highlight how F.F. Bruce offers his interpretative definition, review, and criticisms of the full canon of Scripture. The Canon of Scripture is divided into four sections: the introduction, followed by the Old and New Testaments, and ending with the conclusion and appendix. The introduction defines the word canon. The second section provides Bruce’s explanation of the canon of the Old Testament, starting with the Hebrew Bible. The author writes about the discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which have given us a greater understanding of the Hebrew Bible. Bruce then explains the translation of the Hebrew scriptures into Greek named the Septuagint. He closes with how the canon was viewed by the early Church Fath... ...not fit in with the overall objective of the book which is defining the canon of scripture. These lectures do not agree with the flow of the book as they involve other areas including textual criticism that pull the reader away from how the canon was formed. The Canon of Scripture is a scholarly writing that explains how the formation of the canon was completed. Bruce starts with how the Old Testament was formed and then moves to the New Testament and gives an historical account of how it was pieced together. He explores the Gnostic writers and how they prompted the church to start forming the New Testament canon because the Gnostic teachings opposed that of the church. This book provides adequate and historical research to prove what the author wants to accomplish, which is to provide answers to any question that would be asked as to how the canon was formed.

The Church of England :: essays research papers

The Church of England, a Protestant Episcopal church which is the official established church of great Britain, is a branch off Catholicism without allegiance to the pope. The Expectations of a member of the clergy within this church are a set of both written and unwritten laws. Protestant ministers, where they are allowed to marry and have children, do in a basic respect follow the same moral and ethical obligations as a catholic priest. They are to live their lives for the love of God, and Christ. However in the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin there is a fellow, whom is a minister in the church of England. Yet does not display even the basics of the moral and ethical code followed by the members of the clergy. He is in fact a pompous, self-ritchious, overly social hierarchy conscious man, who makes it a hobby of sucking up to money. This fellow, who goes by the name of Mr. Collins, is portrayed, understandably as a very objectionable individual. I believe that Jane Austin made a purpose of making every behavior and line of dialogue given by him into a reason for us to like him less and less. He starts out as a simple minded man who just happens to be a braggart. However, as the novel goes on his personality becomes more and more objectionable, and when he throws in such statements as "your sister would have rather died than disgrace her family" (in speaking of Lydia's elopement) we begin to down right detest him. The manner in which he approaches people gives us a very good idea of the type of character that Jane Austin is trying to portray. Take his proposal to Lizzy as an example. His uncouth approach to the whole matter gave us the most insight as anything had previously. He went about it in an almost condescending manner, not taking her interests to heart, and not bothering to think such menial things as love. He proposed as one might make a business proposition, giving all the financial benefits of the arrangement. When she rejected hi m, he at first showed his stupidity by not believing her rejection. Then showed his lack of tact by taking on a child like "well do you think you could do any better" attitude. In his dealings with Mrs. Debourgh, he was incredibly subservient and excessively apologetic, because of her rank in society.

Marketing Strategy for Competitive Advantage Essay

Executive Summary Three friends – Lyndon Duke Hanson, Scott Seamans, and George Boedecker, founded Crocs Inc. in the year 2002 in Colorado, USA. As the firm grew, it acquired Foam Creations in Canada to own manufacturing operations, under the leadership of Ronal Snyder in 2004, and gained sole rights. Crocs is a designer, manufacturer and retailer of molded, casual footwear for men, women and children. All Crocs footwear feature a proprietary closed-cell resin called ‘Croslite’ that provides the wearer with extreme comfort by taking the shape of the feet of the wearer due to heat. The company boasts the footwear as being ideal for casual use as well as for professional and recreational uses viz. boating, hiking and hospitality. The product is claimed to be lightweight, slip-resistant, and odor-free, and is available in several bright colors. Crocs shoes are sold across 129 countries and come in 250 styles. The company has also diversified into apparel and accessories. One major acquisition has been of that of Jibbitz show charms, for which the company has also acquired  licensing agreements with Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros. and DC Comics. The case discusses the phenomenal supply chain management of the company that has been a major reason for the success of the company, besides of course the popularity of the shoes. The achievement of an extremely flexible supply chain was the vision of Ronal Snyder, CEO, to meet customer’s demand based on the exact same principle followed by software giants. This supply chain provided Crocs with a competitive advantage in the footwear industry. Crocs had the highest profit margin in the industry at 56.5% in 2006, considerably higher than that of its competitors. Crocs created a blue ocean by creating differentiation and low costs and breaking out of the red ocean. This resulted in global expansion and quick growth. Profits increased from $10.9million in 2004 to $763.3milion in 2007. Later in the case study, we will see the Industry Analysis to understand the competitive scenario. This reveals that Nike is the market leader, followed by Adidas. A look at Porter’s Model shows that consumer’s bargaining power is a major threat in the industry. We also see the standard manufacturing practices in the industry compared to Crocs’ manufacturing techniques. The SWOT Analysis gives an understanding of the potential threats and rising opportunities. Customer’s changing tastes and threat of substitutes pose immediate threat to the firm, but it can capitalize on its unique product range and supply chain in order to gain a majority market share. Industry Analysis The global footwear market has grown from $153.2 billion in 2004 to $189.3 billion in 2007. Although the footwear industry is in the maturity stage, it is known that the demand for the product will not decline. Hence, global  sales are forecasted to reach $238 billion in 2013. Footwear industry is a highly fragmented market. The industry experiences intensive competition led by major firms such as Nike, Reebok, Adidas, and Converse. Nike is the industry leader, followed by Reebok and Adidas; Nike has a market share of 47%, Reebok – 16% and Adidas – 6%. Competitors Nike Nike is the world’s largest designer and marketer of athletic footwear and apparel. The stores are located over 180 countries. Nike is based in Oregon. It runs its manufacturing operations primarily in Asia. Nike’s footwear accounted for 60% of the company’s total net sales in 1999, after which the firm attempted to become more diversified. Nike’s largest share of sales comes from United States. Nike is one company to have crossed the $5 billion mark. Nike’s target consumers were 18-44 aged people, with six-digit income. Adidas Adidas is in the second position in the global market. It is based in Germany and sourced 97% of its footwear from Asian. Its main market is the Europe region. The firm had only a 3% market share in 2005, but after the acquisition of Reebok in 2006, the share jumped up to 9%. Footwear sales accounted for 45.5% of the total sales for Adidas in 2007. Adidas target slightly young aged, 18-44 and was especially popular among Hispanics and African Americans. Other competitors include Puma (Germany), New Balance (USA – largest privately held manufacturer), and C&J Clark (UK-based) nearing the $2.0billion mark. Porter’s Five Forces Model Threat from Existing Competition The industry is characterized by easy entry and exit. The market is competitive, with the industry being described as red ocean, often. The market has reached maturity stage, and the growth is slow-paced. Firms are  always attempting to lower costs and manage supply chain effectively to meet the changing demand. There is always a potential threat of a competitor eating into the market share. Threat from New Entrants The footwear industry is an easy market to enter for new players. Investments required are not huge, and raw materials are easily available. Legal policies are not strict, except in cases of imports in some countries. However, human rights issue is a major cause for concern in the footwear industry. Manufacturing/outsourcing decisions are used for low costs. Threat of Substitutes As entry is easy, substitutes are a major threat. Pricing becomes a key concern. Knock-offs also pose a great threat to companies even though certain designs are proprietary. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Shoes are mostly made from similar raw materials that are easily available. So, most firms manage to get materials at low costs. However, for Crocs, this is not a problem because it owns the manufacturing units and has a proprietary right over croslite. Bargaining Power of Consumers Consumers have the greatest power in the footwear industry due to availability of substitutes. Price and quality are major attributes of the product. Changing consumer taste is a potential threat. Changing fashion and trends and even fads are a problem faced by manufacturers. Competitors have come up with the concept of ‘Shoe Design’ to give the consumer the ability to custom design shoes that are delivered with two weeks. SWOT Analysis Opportunities Market penetration in the footwear industry is still considerably low, especially in Asia-Pacific region. Developing countries like India are emerging markets with huge population for firms to capitalize on.  Purchasing power of people in these countries is increasing, thus showing potential target consumer groups. Threats Substitutes and knock offs pose great threat to major players in the industry. Since pricing and quality are major concerns, low costs are the main objectives. Changing trends and consumer taste are also a serious threat. Strengths Crocs’ unique design that offers great comfort, odor-free, slip-resistant lightweight shoes at comparatively lower prices is a distinctive competency. Supply chain flexibility offers Crocs a competitive advantage over the other firms. Weakness Crocs is required to distinguish its product, especially with the usage of croslite in its footwear. This makes it difficult for Crocs to develop new products in the formal range. Financial Analysis While 92% of company’s revenues came from footwear, the remaining 8% was from the sales of accessories and apparels. Revenue has increased over the years and reached $354.7 million in 2006. There has been a tremendous increase in cost of the goods sold and was reported to be $154.2 million in 2006 from $47.8 million in 2005. Net profit margin has also been increasing and it was found to be 18.2% in 2006. Revenue was found to be $142 million in the year 2007 for Q1. Gross profit was reported to be 84.4% in the first quarter of 2007. In comparison with competitors viz. Nike and Deckers, gross profit margin of Crocs has been considerably higher. Debtor’s turnover ratio is the highest in the industry, indicating that Crocs is efficient at handling debts. Asset  management is also performed well at Crocs. But looking at the inventory turnover ratio, Crocs is one of the lowest in the industry. This shows that Crocs is unable to turn inventory into cash as effectively. It is seen that in 2006, Crocs has inventory worth $86.2million compared to $28.5million in the previous year. This shows that Crocs capital is blocked in its stock. About Crocs Inc. Mission Bring profound comfort, fun and innovation to the world’s feet. Brand Attributes Innovative Crocs shoes are distinguished from others by the following motive of the firm – Radical thinking, health-minded research, and providing solution to the Feet. Fun Colors and designs offered and the emotional experience served are important to Crocs to create its brand image. Comfort Crocs claims to offer profound comfort, ergonomic design, massaging foot bed, and lightweight. Simple Crocs believes in keeping its products simple with a versatile function. Crocs Shoes Clogs with Croslite Target Consumer Segment: Men, women and children of all ages Diabetic patients and other ailments Crocs shoes are lifestyle products that exhibit personalities like trendy, fun, and high fashion, dressy, casual and active. Various models offered include mammoth, clogs, sandals, flats, heels, boots, slip-ons, flip flops, sport, work, Ocean Minded among others. Crocs started off as a company with about 25 models in 2004, and reached a point in 2007 when it offered 250 models. Original design was the clogs that kids could personalize with Jibbitz. Over time, Crocs extended its line by using usual raw materials like leather and suede with croslite soles. Supply Chain Management For consumer, Crocs designed an extensive distribution system so its shoes were available in a variety of retail outlets from specialty stores to department stores and large shoe store chains. Footwear companies have two alternatives to choose from in the manufacturing of their products; they can both own and operate the factories that produce their products, or outsource operations. Factories may be located internationally or locally. Most firm practice outsourcing of operations to enable reduced costs. Crocs believed in meeting customer demands in the current season. Supply Chain was Crocs main focus. Crocs had adopted the global logistics strategy. The firm was vertically integrated and by 2007, had acquired various units all across the world for its operations to cater to different consumers. Hence it was faced with large capital expenditure requirements and the management of the factories themselves. Yet Crocs did a tremendous job at supply management. Where its competitors followed the seasonal order placements, Crocs had a delivery time of two to four weeks for newly placed orders, indicating how Crocs understood the demand for the product. Crocs owned the manufacturing, warehousing and retails units in almost all countries. With its effective management, Crocs was able to maintain low costs. Any other company in the footwear industry did not achieve such a flexible supply chain. The firm maintained good professional relations with the retailers, and deployed its own personnel in stores and provided a store-in-store experience to customers. Core Competencies Unique Product Crocs is the only company that offers shoes made of croslite. This material ensures extreme comfort to the wearer. Crocs owns proprietary rights over  the material, and this becomes the firm’s distinctive competency. Since Crocs is the only firm with the sole right of manufacturing such footwear, it should ensure no knock-offs are sold in the market in its name. Flexible supply chain Crocs understood the dynamic footwear industry and built a revolutionary supply chain to meet the demands of it consumers. Crocs is able to replenish stocks within weeks at short notice. This gives the firm a competitive advantage over the rivals. Other than the core business activities, Crocs has initiated a program called Crocs Cares to provide the inhabitants of disaster affected areas with shoes in over forty countries. Conclusion Crocs has managed to develop an extremely flexible supply chain in order to meet customer and retailer demands, similar to none other in the footwear industry. The firm is extensively vertically integrated and has followed a pattern of a series of acquisitions for growth. Another advantage for the firm is the sole proprietary rights over the croslite material. However, Crocs has learnt the need to extend its product line and incorporating materials like leather and suede in its products. Crocs has also managed to lure its customers by acquiring the charm business, and also by diversifying into accessories and apparels.   Although the firm is showing year-on-year profits, it is seen that by following the model of semi-finished products to achieve quick delivery, it is faced by the problem of low inventory turnover. The important thing to understand is that the industry is dynamic, and the demand is quite unpredictable due to varying trends. Thus, Crocs will continue doing better by focusing on the end-user product. References www.packagedfacts.com Global Footwear Market Report http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com How Crocs Is Outpacing The Pack http://logisticsviewpoints.com Crocs Revolutionary Supply Chain http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com Crocs Review http://ezinearticles.com History of Crocs http://www.hoovers.com Factsheet of Crocs http://company.crocs.com About Crocs – Company Profile

Role of a Mental Health Nurse Essay Example

Role of a Mental Health Nurse Essay Example Role of a Mental Health Nurse Essay Role of a Mental Health Nurse Essay What is the role of a mental health nurse? As a student in mental health nurse, I can link my experience to the following articles. The first article is modeling and remodeling theory by Helen Erickson. According to the nursing theory by Helen Erickson (modeling and role-modeling theory), it has helped me in defining the career as well understanding what is required as a mental health nurse (Walsh, K. Vandenbosch T., Boehm S. 1989). From the theory, as a nurse, you should care and nurture every patient being aware that, respecting individual patients uniqueness is what keeps the career moving. Throughout my experience, I have been able to apply the aspects coined by Helen. The second article addresses the theory of health promotion model by Nola Pender which states that Health is a positive dynamic state rather than simply the absence of disease (Thibeault, R., Hebert, M. 2007). The understanding of these theories helped me in my experience to develop a personal understanding of the importance of being positive to the caree r, giving the best services for one primary goal which is recovery from a disorder or illness. Role of a mental health nurse practitioner Another article that I can link with my experience is a review of transcultural nursing theory by Madeliene Leininger. The understanding of this theory has greatly influenced my interaction with people during my experience. The understanding of this theory also helped me understand different cultures and applied the understanding to my experience (Gustafson D., 2005). The role of this paper was to illustrate my experiences as a mental health student nurse regarding the application of nursing theories. Also, from the understanding of these theories how I applied my understanding to be able to practice as a student nurse. The question I would like answered concerning the role of a medical health nurse is; how do they apply their experience to address the multidisciplinary treatment of mental disorders having in mind that mental health treatment involves different specialist? References Gustafson D., L. (2005). Transcultural nursing theory from a critical cultural perspective. ANS. Advances in Nursing Science. 28. Thibeault, R., Hebert, M. (2007). A congruent model for health promotion in occupational therapy. Occupational Therapy International. 4, 271-293. Walsh, K. Vandenbosch T., M, Boehm S. (2009). Modelling and role-modelling: integrating nursing theory into practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 14, 755-61

How to Study for the ACT 10-Step Plan

How to Study for the ACT 10-Step Plan SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The ACT is quite possibly one of the most important tests you'll take in high school; it's vitalto go in prepared.With somany sources offering thesolution to your test preparation needs, how are you supposed to know which path to take? What follows is a summary of the best advice I haveto offer on how to studyfor the ACT, based on my extensive experience as a tutor.I'll cover when to start studying, where to find practice materials, and how to approach the process itself. This guide will give you a complete plan for studying for the ACT. 3 Guiding Principles of ACT Study We'll get to the specific recommendations in a minute, but first I want to establish the underlying tenets that should guide your ACT preparation. #1: Personalize and Individualize No two people are exactly alike- nor should their study plans be. Make sure your study plan suits your individual needs. We at PrepScholar know a lot about test prep, but you know the most aboutyou. Think about how you can use the flexibility in our suggested plan to serve you better. If you'd rather study two hours straight, fine. If you'd rather study for four half-hour increments, that's fine, too. Do what's going to work best for you! #2: Start Early Give yourself plenty of time for the test preparation process. Three months should be sufficient for most students' needs, but those looking for an extreme score increase might need to stretch this timeline out to six months. Of course, that means you should know which boat you're in at least six months ahead of the test, so you'll want to start paying some attention to the process that early. #3: Doing Something Beats Doing Nothing What if you don't have six months, or even three months, to think about test preparation? What if you only have 15 minutes a day that you can spend studying? What if you don't have four hours free to take a practice exam? Use what you have- even if it's just 15 minutes a day for a month and a half, it'll be much better than nothing. If you have to break your practice exam(s) into multiplesittings, so be it. Not being in a position to do something right shouldn't be an excuse for not doing it at all.A little preparation is better than none. Even very little outweighs nothing at all. The ACT Prep Process: 10-Step Plan Now that we've covered the basics, let's get into the detailsof how to study for the ACT. Step 1: Read Up on the ACT If you have any lingering doubts about the ACT'sformat, its scoring, or the implications of various scores on your college hopes, this is the time to sort those questions out. Being fully comfortable with the test will help you relax a little, not to mention study more effectively. Step 2: Take a Practice Test Give this first test your best effort so as to get a more realistic score. On that note, make sure you're using an official ACT practice test. These will give you the most accurate sense of the ACT as well as the most accurate results. Plus, they're available for free! While you're taking this practice exam, make sure to read the instructions carefully;getting used to these directions will be a vital part of your test preparation. They don't change from edition to edition of the test, and you don't want to waste time on test day reading the same directions you could have grown familiar with months ago. Besides, fully understanding the task will save you a lot of grief. Oftentimes, we tend to answer the wrong question because we don't fully realize what's being asked of us. Step 3: Score Your Practice Test Review each and every question you got wrong. See why you missed the questions you did. Which ones were careless errors, and which ones were genuine weak spots in terms of content? Pay attention to all these problems since they give you good information on your tendencies, including where you tend to get careless and where you need to understand the directions better. Many practice tests come complete with answer explanations,and these are a great tool to use when you're looking at the problems you missed. Otherwise, try plugging the correct answer in and working through the problem with the goal in mind; this might help clarify things. Don't forget you can also ask for help if you're still struggling to make sense of something. Once you've got a good handle on which questions you missed (and why you missed them), try to identify the patterns of your strengths and weaknesses. Treat this as a diagnosis for where to spend the majority of your time for the next fewmonths. Step 4: Set a Reasonable Goal You know how the ACT works and you know where you stand. How much do you think you could stand to improve? What's a bit of a stretch, but still realistic? If you're scoring in the low 20s, it's too much to expect to land in the 30s. If you're scoring in the mid- to high 20s, though, a goal in the 30s might be reasonable depending on how committed you are to the process and how many resources you're willing and able to use. To set a specific ACT goal score, you'll need to look at the average ACT scores of admitted applicants to the schools you're applying to.Your goal score must be higher than these averages to give you the best chance of admission. For more tips on how to set an ACT goal score, check out our step-by-step guide. Winning at darts while blindfolded isnot a reasonablegoal. Step 5: Decide What Tools You'll Use Whatever course you take for studying, you'll need some good resources. Official resources are always the place to start.If you need to supplement ACT, Inc.'s materials, though, make sure you're looking at the credentials behind anyproduct and the average results of the people who have used itbefore you. You might choose to work solo, using books,websites, and apps on your own. This is something you should be doing to some extent no matter what. Again, you're the expert on you,so it makes sense to work out some kinks on your own. It's one of the most efficient and cheapest ways to study. Many times, however, it's not quite enough. You might choose to take advantage of an online prep program. This is kind of a happy medium; you're still working on your own, but you're getting external guidance and expertise. The guidance is all based on your work and progress and uses very accurate algorithms. That being said, it lacks that personal touch of in-person contact. You might choose to join a group course. There, you can bounce ideas around with peers and a facilitator. You've got the in-person feel, you've got great accountability, and you can ask questions specific to your needs, but the true personalization will be somewhat limited by the format. You can also choose individual tutoring. The great thing about this option is that you can get the most specialized, individualized, expert instruction available.You also get that in-person need met, though the cost is frequently prohibitive and your time with your tutor will almost certainly be limited by logistical constraints. Generally speaking, you're going to get your best results when you mix and match.It would be ideal if you could work on your own while also taking a course or completing an online program and getting tutoring. Of course, you'll need to consider all the practical restraints such as budget.Figure out what's going to get you the results you need without causing undue hardship in the present time. Step 6: Practice Follow some sort of routine for your ACT practice. Generally, you should be studying between 30 minutes and three hours each time you study- closer to 30 minutes if you're studying pretty much every day, and closer to three hours if you're only studying a couple times a week. Try to usea combination of books, websites/videos, and in-person guidance. No matter what resources you're using, it's a good idea to switch things up once in a while so you cover all your bases and give your brain a degree of variety. Our brains thrive on change, so take advantage of this fact. Step 7: Take Another Practice Test This is where things start to sound a little repetitive. You'll want to take another practice test to measure your progress. This also serves as a chance to to continue getting more comfortable with the format and layout of the ACT. You're actually going to do this a fewmore times, too,if you have room in your schedule. There's nothing like a mock exam for practicing both content and format. Aim to take a practice ACT every three weeks. You can take them less often if testing so frequently doesn't make sense in your situation, or you can opt for more often if you're feeling shaky on the tasks. Regardless,aim for at least three practice tests before the real thing. It's best to take each practice test in a single sitting under actual exam conditions so you can acclimate to the environment. This means taking the test in a quiet room and using the same time constraints you'll have on the ACT. Afterwards, analyze your results with the same care you did the first time around and plan any necessary adjustments to your routine. Time for ACT practice tests should come around periodically. Step 8: Practice Some More Continue on with your ACT study routine, making any adjustments according to the results of your most recent practice exam. Keep using the resources that helped you the most during the last round of practice, and also keep incorporating variety into your drills. Whether you're working with a tutor or not, it's a great idea to find someone who's willing to help you by being a test preparation "buddy." This could be anyone from a parent to a friend to a school librarian, just as long as they hold you accountable to your process and encourage you along the way. Step 9: Repeat Steps 7 and 8 As I mentioned before, things become cyclical at this point. You're going to study and test, study and test, right up until exam time. Keep assessing your progress,and keep asking others who are following your effortsto weigh in. Always be open to adjusting your process according to what's working and what's not. The week before the test, start to slow things down. Don't take a practice exam in that final week, and don't study quite as much; you know what you know, and it's no use driving yourself into a frenzy trying to cram anyremaining factoids into your brain. A day or two before the test, stop studying altogether, and use that time to rest and recuperate. Step 10: Maintain Self-Care Throughout the process of studying, make sure you're taking good care of yourself, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Give yourself regular encouragement. Get ample rest and do some recreational activities. Reward your hard work with small treats, whether that's an ice cream cone or a walk in the park. While you should always pay attention to your sleep,it becomes especially crucial three days to a week before the test. Our bodies don't operatesolely onthe sleep of the night before but a night or two before that. Gather all your materials the night before the ACT, and don't forget to have a good breakfast and plan in plenty of extra time for getting to the test center. Also, remind yourself that while the ACT is an important test, it doesn't define you or your future success.Keep the test in perspective. Reminders for Your ACT Studying Reading is hugely important. Even when you're not officially studying for the test, reading many different styles and genres (and actively engaging with the texts) can help prepare you for the ACT, specifically the Reading and English sections. Set minor goals to help you achieve your overarching goal. It's great to see goals getting checked off the list, and having a set of actionable, achievable items to work toward will provide invaluable guidance when you're not sure where to go next. I've said this before, but vary the sources you use and the ways you study.Our brains tend to shut down after too much repetition, so throw yourself a few curve ballswhenever possible. Remember that study buddy I said to find? Seek them out for encouragement and use them to help you stay on track when things get difficult. They can talk you through any challenges that arise in your prep. People who will give you good counsel are invaluable. Conclusion: How to Study for the ACT Studying for the ACT can seem like an overwhelming task. However,by establishing a routine of studying and taking full-length practice tests, it can be broken down into manageable steps. Your ACT study plan should be personalized,but it should also include some basic elements like frequent practice tests and varied sources to use in solo study. Similarly, it's a good idea to pursue an ACT prep course (in-person or online) and/or individual tutoring. In all of this, though, don't forget to take care of yourself- the ACT should be serving you, not the other way around.Get good rest, and make time for the fun things in life. Remember that the ACT does not determine your fate all alone. What's Next? If you want to get started on reading up about the ACT,we've got an article that covers what exactly a good score looks like, along with tips on how to get there. Need help coming up with an ACT study plan?Check out our four sample plans, and get tips on how to study for the ACT if you've only got a month before test day. Aiming for a perfect ACT score?Then read our expert tips on how to get one, from a verified 36 scorer. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today: