Functions Of Higher Education Education Essay

Functions Of Higher Education Education Essay The term higher education is usually used to distinguish courses of study, which result in the award of a degree, Diploma or similar advanced qualification, for various kinds of further education (Lawton and Gordon. 1993). Higher education constitutes the stage of education which starts after 15 years of schooling for the intellectual work and advanced training of students for their effective leadership role in all walks of national life. Tertiary education level is higher than that attainable on completion of a full secondary education. An accepted definition of higher education is that higher education requires as minimum requirements for admission, the successful completion of secondary education or evidence of the acquisition of an equivalent level of knowledge (Terry and Thomas, 1979). Higher education includes all education above level of the secondary school given in Colleges, Universities Graduate Schools, Professional Schools, Technical Colleges and Normal Schools (Good, 1973). Higher education is simply the highest part of the education system, in terms of students progression, the acquisition of education qualifications, its status and its influence over the rest of the educational system. Higher education is said to impart the deepest understanding in the minds of students, rather than the relatively superficial grasp that might be acceptable elsewhere in the system. In higher education, nothing can be taken on trust and the students have to think for themselves so as to be able to stand on their own feet, intellectually speaking (Barnett, 1997). Higher education is thought to advance students to the frontiers of knowledge through their being taught by those who are working in that difficult territory. Sanyal (1982) says that in order to achieve the new international order, there is the need for integrating socio-economic policies with educational policies in each country, as stronger co-operation amongst the third world countries in field of higher education. Development of higher education should not only be contingent upon economic development to achieve the new international order but should promote the development of culture in view often fact that role of science and technology, the life-style and the very sense and value of life under-go changes in the future. Objectives of higher education All over the world the universities are recognised as centres of higher learning, which are considered as expedient agents of development in the nation building. Universities generate, disseminate and utilise knowledge. As primary contributors to economic growth, they produce scientists, engineers, professionals, technicians, scholars, managers and men of exquisite capabilities. The aim of higher education is to meet the socio-cultural and developmental needs of a country. Higher education provides an opportunity for individuals to develop their potential. It fulfils the needs for high-level manpower in a society. Its objectives include cultural and material development. It produces individuals who are morally sound and capable of multifarious roles in the society. It is a medium and vehicle for achieving an objective of higher vision, should endeavours, with commitment and larger spending, in higher education (Govt. Of Pakistan, 1999). A countrys social and economic development depends on the nature and level of higher education. This fact is revealed by the statements and findings concluded by the prominent educationists and decision-makers. In the developed countries, the role of higher education in production of high quality human capital is quite evident. The Governor of the State of Kentucky, Paul Patten, once said, I have staked my success as governor on changing the way we deliver higher education to our people. Education and economic development are the twin rails that will lead us to a higher plateau and help us achieve our goal of raising the standard of living in our state. My experience in creating jobs, as the secretary of the economic development, during my term as lieutenant governor, has helped me focus on the needs of our businesses. Those businesses are the customers of our product: the graduates in higher education. Increased technology and global competition demand that we develop our students s kills and mental capacity so they can share in the tremendous prosperity of our nation. He further emphasized on the quality of higher education and the need for its improvement. He commented, higher education is in trouble. The warning signs could not be clear. Its users (students and families) think it charges a premium price for an increasingly mediocre service. Its primary suppliers (secondary schools) often fail to deliver material that meets minimum standards, and its beneficiaries (employers) often are frustrated by the quality of the finished product (McGill,1992). Quality of higher education The quality of higher education may be enhanced through providing proper professional training to the teachers by revising the existing curricula. Higher education is the most important level of education because it develops the manpower for the country that leads the nation in giving insight into its future ideals, resources, problems, and its solutions. The future of a nation depends largely on the quality of people groomed in the institution of higher education. Students experiences of their learning and the teaching in the subjects they are studying are one of the more ubiquitous sources of information about the quality of teaching for institutions and individual academics. The question of the quality is directly related to the quality of educators, students and the infrastructure provided to them by the educational institutions. The level of competency of teachers, curricula and the standards of students intake are the factors that contributes the most, in the deteriorating quality of higher education. Nevertheless inappropriate funding for student support services, libraries, journals, books, ill equipped laboratories and lack of repair facilities for equipment and non qualified staff are crucial factors in education. Salaries and other allowances consume the university budget, thus, little is left for the items so essential for raising the quality of education. Budgetary constraints, particularly for operation, adversely affect the quality of teaching, especially practical training. While at the level of the institution student: staff ratios (SSRs) may seem to be an inevitable consequence of funding levels, institutions in practice spend funds on buildings, on administration, on central services, on marketing, on teachers undertaking research, and so on, to very varying extents, rather than spending it all on teaching time. Low SSRs offer the potential to arrange educational practices that are known to improve educational outcomes. First, close contact with teachers is a good predictor of educational outcomes (Pascarella and Terenzini, 2005) and close contact is more easily possible when there are not too many students for each teacher to make close contact with. Second, the volume, quality and timeliness of teachers feedback on students assignments are also good predictors of educational outcomes and again this requires that teachers do not have so many assignments to mark that they cannot provide enough, high-quality feedback, promptly. A gain, low SSRs do not guarantee good feedback or feedback from experienced teachers. Meta-analysis of large numbers of studies of class-size effects has shown that the more students there are in a class, the lower the level of student achievement (Glass and Smith, 1978, 1979). Other important variables are also negatively affected by class size, such as the quality of the educational process in class (what teachers do), the quality of the physical learning environment, the extent to which student attitudes are positive and the extent of them exhibiting behaviour conducive to learning (Smith and Glass, 1979). These negative class-size effects are greatest for younger students and smallest for students 18 or over (ibid.), but the effects are still quite substantial in higher education. Lindsay and Paton-Saltzberg (1987) found in an English polytechnic that the probability of gaining an A grade is less than half in a module enrolling 50-60 than it is in a module enrolling less than 20. Large classes have negative effects not only on performance but also on the quality o f student engagement: students are more likely to adopt a surface approach in a large class (Lucas et al., 1996) and so to only try to memorise rather than attempt to understand. The number of class contact hours has very little to do with educational quality, independently of what happens in those hours, what the pedagogical model is, and what the consequences are for the quantity and quality of independent study hours. Independent study hours, to a large extent, reflect class contact hours: if there is less teaching then students study more and if there is more teaching students study less, making up total hours to similar totals regardless of the ratio of teaching to study hours (Vos, 1991). However, some pedagogic systems use class contact in ways that are very much more effective than others at generating effective independent study hours. A review of data from a number of studies by Gardiner (1997) found an average of only 0.7 hours of out-of-class studying for each hour in class, in US colleges. I n contrast each hour of the University of Oxfords tutorials generate on average 11 hours of independent study (Trigwell and Ashwin, 2004). Teachers who have teaching qualifications (normally a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, or something similar) have been found to be rated more highly by their students than teachers who have no such qualification (Nasr et al., 1996). This finding was in a context where obtaining such a qualification was largely voluntary, and those who have the qualification might be considered to be different in some way from those who have not, and this could be argued to invalidate the comparison. The difference might concern the extent of professionalism or commitment to teaching, but nevertheless there was no control group in the study. A longitudinal study that overcomes this objection has examined the impact over time on students ratings of their teachers, and on teachers thinking about teaching, of (mainly) compulsory initial training during their first year of university teaching, in eight countries. It found improvements on every scale of the Student E valuation of Educational Q uality, a questionnaire developed in the US (Marsh, 1982) and tested for use in the U K (Coffey and Gibbs, 2000), and improvements in the sophistication of teachers thinking (as measured by the Approaches to Teaching Inventory, a measure of teaching that predicts the quality of student learning, Trigwell et al., 2004). This improvement in measures of teaching quality could not be attributed to mere maturation or experience as teachers in a control group in institutions without any initial training were found to get worse over their first year, on the same measures (Gibbs and Coffey, 2004). Functions of higher education The capacity of a nation to develop economically, socially, politically and culturally derives largely from the power to develop and utilise the capabilities of its people. Higher education thus is considered sine qua non of national development, for it produces the highest level of manpower. In all advanced countries, the universities constitute the main spring of human capital. The most successful discharge of the universities role as a change agent is in the area of science and technology. The training of high-level scientific manpower is a matter of vital national concern. Higher education is today recognised as a capital investment in education. It is considered investment of human capital which increases labour productivity furthers technological innovation and produces a rate of return markedly higher than that of physical capital. Today we find the world divided into developed and developing countries. The dividing line between them is the capacity of educational and scientific attainments and its application for economic progress and prosperity (The World Bank, 1990). In modern times, higher education is considered as a means of human resource development in a society. In advanced countries, universities constitute the main spring of knowledge, ideas and innovations. Today, the most successful discharge of a university as an agent of change is in the area of science and technology. The priming and grooming of high-level professional manpower is a matter of vital concern. As a pathway to socio-economic development in a country, higher education cannot be ignored or given low priority. Higher education in a state of rapid development everywhere in the world as its benefits to the social, economic and cultural life of different communities is realisable. This has led to worldwide exponential expansion of universities and colleges; as many more people are encouraged remaining in education. However there are problems. First, higher education is expensive, and its expansion requires ample resources. Second, rapid expansion raises problems of quality ass urance and control, as increased numbers could so easily lead to a decline in standards. Third, expansion in the developing world often draws upon the resources, ideas and expertise of the developed world, even though these may not always be appropriate for every different economic and social system (North, 1997). Higher education plays an important role in the development of society. Universities for centuries had a crucial role in educating the potential professionals, businessmen, political leaders, religious and social philosophers, who serve the community, enrich its values and develop its resources. Universities are complex organisations with multiple missions and a myriad of roles. A university has the roles of providing of theoretical education and professional training, a developer and a disseminator of new knowledge, a catalyst to shape the practice of management and business and a contributor to the community and the national economy (Khurshid, 1998).

Importance Of Exercise And Diet Health And Social Care Essay

Importance Of Exercise And Diet Health And Social Care Essay Exercise and diet is considered to be an important determinant of health and sickness. Historically, a fat child means a healthy child, one who is free from infection. Today obesity or overweight in children, very often related to degenerative diseases is mainly due to improper exercise and dietary pattern. According to World Health Organization (2004), Body Mass Index between 25 and 29.99 is considered as overweight. Overweight is associated with the onset of major chronic diseases leading to complications and problems in children and adult. Childhood obesity/overweight is very often a risk factor for obesity in adulthood, compared to adult onset obesity. Hence close monitoring of overweight and taking timely preventive measures will be an effective approach in dealing with the problems. Incidence of childhood overweight is on the rise since last few decades and is still continuing to rise. Since the 1970s, the prevalence of overweight children has more than doubled for preschoolers ages 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years and it has more than tripled for children 6-11 years. Nearly one third of children and adolescents of both sexes, aged 6-19 years (30%) are considered to be either at risk for overweight (The Center for Health and Healthcare in Schools 2005). The transition in nutrition, sedentary life style, lack of exercise, increased television watching, computer addiction, improper dietary pattern adopted by children today are the major causes for overweight seen in children. The World Health Organization has identified school as important settings for promotion of physical activity among children. Physical education provided at school, is an ideal way to encourage activity and develop fitness among children. For this reason, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Association for Sports and Physical Education (NASPE), and the American Heart Association all recommended comprehensive daily physical education for children Kindergarten to 12th standard. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge on body weight and its maintenance among overweight children and to assess the effectiveness of self instructional booklet. The conceptual frame work used for this study was based on titler et al (2004) effectiveness model. A quasi experimental pre test post test control group design was used to assess the effectiveness of self-instructional booklet on body weight and its maintenance among over weight children.The study was conducted in a selected school with a sample of 60 overweight children studying in 7th to 12th standard; samples were selected by purposive sampling method. First 30 samples were assigned to the control group and the next 30 samples were assigned to the experimental group. The tool for this study was a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 2 parts.Part I was developed to assess the knowledge of over weight children in relation to body weight, diet and exercise. Each were consisted of 5 multiple response questions. Part II consisted of selected demographic variables such as age, educational qualification of father and mother, occupation of father and mother, family income, items at home, family food type and items. FINDINGS OF THE STUDY Demographic characteristics Demographic characteristics presents that almost in both the groups the children under the age group of 12-14 years, had family income above 10,000 and major facilities like television, bike and cycle. And most of the fathers were private employees and mothers were nonworking. All the mothers are literate and majority 20 23(66.7% 76.7 %) of children in both the groups had Body Mass Index value between 25 and 27.5. Body weight and its maintenance Overweight children were grouped into two, experimental group and control group. It was noted that in both the groups the knowledge of children assessed were almost similar in before intervention. In after intervention children gained knowledge in experimental group and children remained same knowledge in control group. Significant Finding Statistically there was no significant differences in the knowledge score between experimental and control group before intervention and statistically there is a significant difference of knowledge in experimental group between before and after intervention. This increase in knowledge of the experimental group could be attributed to the self-instructional booklet. CONCLUSION Good health leads to a normal life. To promote the health of the child and reduce the danger of over weight and obesity, it is important that children are encouraged to engage in some form of physical activity on a regular basis and good dietary pattern. These above facts highlight the need for self discipline in a child to live a healthy and active life. People are more lethargic when compared to their ancestors. Earlier children spent the majority of their free time playing outdoor games which meant that they were automatically getting more physical activity. Currently there are more organized sports activities but only fewer children participate in them. Many prefer to play video games or watch television which is assisting in their weight gain. The remote control, video games, the automobile, television, and to some extent the computer are all part of the environment which discourage people from being physically active. Healthy eating and exercise habits should be thought as a pair, one cannot go without the other, for the childs best health.This can be developed only through education. There is lot of education available today through magazines, televison, posters; internet etc. But these children dont show any interest in that. Perhaps material is readily available in hand; children will read it and may follow it. LIMITATIONS Exact response cannot be expected from the children. These self-reported data may not exactly reflect the reality of respondents. IMPLICATIONS The study has its implication in nursing practice, nursing education, nursing administration, nursing research, social pediatrics and community. Nursing Practice Nursing professionals can provide a better frame work for healthy life style and school based programs. Nurses understand the biologic, psychological, causative and social aspects of being an overweight and their impact on health. The nurse can render awareness through education of the parents and children at the school, hospital and community level.The nurse can also improve the knowledge of parents, children and school teachers by conducting education awareness program and by counseling. A healthy life style is important for the proper growth and development. Guidance and Counseling services should be arranged timely, provided with adequate knowledge, positive support to make the child as a healthy member of society in future. Nursing Education Findings of the study have some implication for nursing education. The health care system pays more attention on the training of nursing students and school teachers. So that they will acquire more knowledge and will be able to help oneself in knowing the importance of healthy lifestyle. Motivation to change and psychological counseling technique is the key to any lifestyle intervention. Teaching about healthy diet and the importance of maintaining moderate physical activity in young children is important as obesity is more easily prevented than treated. It is important to begin preventive efforts early in childhood. Nursing Administration Nursing administrators should be necessarily involved in formulating policies for health education program in the school, hospital as well as community settings. All the heath education and school based program should integrate education on healthy diet and regular physical activity in children. Nursing Research There is a need for extensive research in this area. The findings of the study help to expand the scientific body of knowledge upon which further research can be conducted. In the Community The community health nurse has an important role as health educator, health promoter and health protector in the community. During home visits the nurse can identify the vulnerable overweight children and observe different lifestyle adopted by the family and children. Nursing personnel working in the community should be given in service education to update and improve their knowledge regarding overweight and life style practices. Within the healthcare community, the multidisciplinary team might include a primary physician, a diabetic educator, a nurse, a dietitian, a fitness counselor and a social worker as well as the patient and family. Educating and counseling the obese and over weight children and their parents through media is vital. Healthcare professionals should also become involved in setting up new community programs to promote healthy lifestyle. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the findings of the study, the investigator proposed the following recommendations. A replication of present study can be done with large sample. Maximum publicity should be given through mass media for educating knowledge among children regarding body weight and its maintenance. A similar type of comparative study can be done between urban and rural settings. A present study can be conducted with long duration by assessing BMI and Lifestyle practices before and after intervention.

Utra Violet Radiation Essay -- Environment, Purple Violet Pigment, Pho

Protection against solar UV radiations in organisms includes production of secondary metabolites such as pigments that can absorb UV and visible light. In this study, vioA gene coding for tryptophan 2-monooxygenase involved in the biosynthetic pathway of violacein-like purple violet pigment (PVP) was cloned and sequenced from an Antarctic bacterium Janthinobacterium sp. Ant5-2. A non-pigmented vioA mutant strain was obtained following mini-Tn10 transposon mutagenesis that produced a lesser amount of extrapolymeric substances (EPS) and exhibited a compromised survival to freeze-thaw cycles at 4ËšC. Survival of vioA mutant strain during exponential and stationary growth phase was significantly reduced when exposed to UVB (320 nm) and UVC (254 nm) (dose range: 0-300 J/m ²) light. Decreased viability of the mutant strain was noticed at 4ËšC upon nutrient deprivation and exposure to UV light. The pigment production was augmented in surviving cells following increased doses of both UVB and UVC. Interestingly, at higher doses i.e. 100 and 300 J/m ², pigmented wild-type strain showed better survival to harmful UVC than UVB. This could be attributed to the pigment structure, which has absorption maxima in the visible (575 nm) as well as in the UVC (270 nm) range. In conclusion, this study defines the photoprotective role of the PVP in Janthinobacterium sp. Ant5-2 against UV radiation using single gene mutation. Perhaps the photoprotective role of PVP in this bacterium is one of the key adaptive features that define their survival in Antarctic extreme conditions, especially during austral summer months. INTRODUCTION The high energy photons in solar UV radiation are considered to be the most damaging component to the biological macromolec... ...x, which is involved in quorum sensing mediated biofilm formation (Morohoshi et al., 2010). Therefore, it is likely that loss of vioA has affected the biofilm formation in Ant5-2. Moreover, colony morphology demonstrated that PVP had substantial effect on the structural organization of colony biofilms (Fig. 4). The mechanisms whereby pigment production control colony morphology and EPS production is likely to be a complex issue yet to be determined (Dietrich et al., 2008). Until recently, the potential role of pigments as secondary metabolites modulating the cellular physiology of microorganisms in extreme environments has been neglected (Hernandez & Newman, 2001). This study provides an evidence for the role of PVP as a secondary metabolite in UV resistance and suggests its functions of primary importance in Ant5-2 residing in Antarctic extreme conditions.

Is Communication Doomed? :: essays research papers

It is essential that everyone is capable of reading, writing, and communicating in an articulate and organized manner. Unfortunately, many American students lack the necessary skills needed for effective communication. It is contradictory that there are so many illiterate students in this current age that many define as 'the age of the information superhighway.' It seems as though many of America's students are unaware of the importance of communication and literacy. Clear and effective language use is a most important and practical utility; it is the vehicle we use to convey information. An 'information superhighway' without vehicles is futile. Without effective language utilization, it is impossible to convey thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Students must have the capacity to absorb and convey information to, at least a minimal level. The meters of literacy magnitude are standardized tests Diane Ravitch writes of "poor verbal scores" and "de-emphasis on careful reading and writing" in Forbes magazine. Standardized test scores are not showing strong enough verbal skills. The latter is an indicator that more emphasis should be placed on language skill development at an earlier period in the education process. Language is the basis of any education. Whether one wishes to pursue a study in literature or science, language arts are indispensable. It is impossible for one to present a lab report or to comprehend a calculus text if he/she is unable to achieve literary discipline. Those who are able to dynamically utilize their literary skills have a plethora of information available to them. They can employ such resources as libraries and the Internet. Therefore, it is essential that, to take advantage of all available resources, one must have a solid foundation consisting of literary knowledge.The most fundamental form of communication is speech. After one's methods of speech are developed, it is then possible to migrate to more sophisticated areas of communication. It is relatively easy to communicate in America. Many people live in countries where there are dozens of dialects. Communication can be chaotic in countries such as China. Americans who are My communication skills are articulate. In my essays, I practice careful grammar and syntax. To achieve dynamic communication skills, I devote much time and patience to reading as much as I possibly can. Exposure to as much literature as possible can only amplify ones literary skills. Many students consider reading a novel or analyzing a literary work as a tedious and monotonous task. Is Communication Doomed? :: essays research papers It is essential that everyone is capable of reading, writing, and communicating in an articulate and organized manner. Unfortunately, many American students lack the necessary skills needed for effective communication. It is contradictory that there are so many illiterate students in this current age that many define as 'the age of the information superhighway.' It seems as though many of America's students are unaware of the importance of communication and literacy. Clear and effective language use is a most important and practical utility; it is the vehicle we use to convey information. An 'information superhighway' without vehicles is futile. Without effective language utilization, it is impossible to convey thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Students must have the capacity to absorb and convey information to, at least a minimal level. The meters of literacy magnitude are standardized tests Diane Ravitch writes of "poor verbal scores" and "de-emphasis on careful reading and writing" in Forbes magazine. Standardized test scores are not showing strong enough verbal skills. The latter is an indicator that more emphasis should be placed on language skill development at an earlier period in the education process. Language is the basis of any education. Whether one wishes to pursue a study in literature or science, language arts are indispensable. It is impossible for one to present a lab report or to comprehend a calculus text if he/she is unable to achieve literary discipline. Those who are able to dynamically utilize their literary skills have a plethora of information available to them. They can employ such resources as libraries and the Internet. Therefore, it is essential that, to take advantage of all available resources, one must have a solid foundation consisting of literary knowledge.The most fundamental form of communication is speech. After one's methods of speech are developed, it is then possible to migrate to more sophisticated areas of communication. It is relatively easy to communicate in America. Many people live in countries where there are dozens of dialects. Communication can be chaotic in countries such as China. Americans who are My communication skills are articulate. In my essays, I practice careful grammar and syntax. To achieve dynamic communication skills, I devote much time and patience to reading as much as I possibly can. Exposure to as much literature as possible can only amplify ones literary skills. Many students consider reading a novel or analyzing a literary work as a tedious and monotonous task.

Social Inequality Essay -- Sociology

Social inequality is a topic that has been debated for 1000’s of years, and remains a very fluid topic today. It’s fair to assume that there isn’t a defining reason as to why certain societies have progressed faster than others, as we can inly give theory as to why we see advanced, industrialized states; while other societies have failed to establish the technology often assumed with modernized nations. Jared Diamond, professor of geography and physiology at the University of California, Los Angeles has dedicated much of his adult life researching why social inequality exists. What Diamond has theorized, through his extensive study of hunter and gatherer societies of tribal Papua New Guinea, and his subsequent study of ancient Eurasian societies, was the environment which bound these cultures was the sole reason as to whether or not they advanced to a modern state. Opponents to Diamond’s theory have proposed differing theories, ranging from the societies r eligious beliefs, to whether or not the society practiced an egalitarian way of living, all of which can be debated as to justifiable causes of social inequality. Others believe Diamond’s theory is to obscure, citing that the ability of a society to adapt and make use of its natural environment is an over simplistic explanation to an issue for which there isn’t a definitive answer. So the question remains, why have certain societies progressed faster than others? Agreeing with Diamond’s theory, I believe the answer lies solely in the ability of a given society to farm, and of equal importance the type of farming each culture’s environment provides them. Nutritional resources are of great importance in Diamond’s theory as to why certain societies progressed more rapidly than oth... ...ffort or innovation, the environment that surrounds your culture, and many other societies still experiencing social inequality, is not suitable for proper expansion. References Cooper, Zarine. â€Å"Archaeology and History: Early Settlements in the Andaman Islands.† Journal of Asian Studies 63.3 (2004): 820-822. JSTOR. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. . Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel. Tim Lambert James Gold. Pbs. youtube. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. . Harris, Marvin, and Orna Johnson. Cultural Anthroplogy. 7th ed. 2000. Boston: Pearson, 2007. N. pag. Print. Nanda, Serena, and Richard Warms. â€Å"Tribal Warfare.† Cultural Anthroplogy. 10th ed. 2010. N.p.: n.p., 2010. 245. books.com. Web. 2 May 2012. Richerson. â€Å"Horticultural Societies.† booksonline. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 May 2012. .

Civil Disobedience Essay

Historically, in your opinion, has civil disobedience been effective in changing the law? Explain why or why not. What laws do you disagree with or would you consider violating to change? Explain The act of knowingly breaking a law that one feels is morally or ethically unjust is termed Civil Disobedience. While we all have a perception of right and wrong, the guideline for this thinking is our moral compass. While many individuals may see inequalities or injustices in our society, only a few make a physical stand for what they perceive to be right. Some discourage the use of civil disobedience as a tool that should be used for change, the logic being that it directly contradicts our nation’s democratic system. Others support the peaceful act of protesting or challenging laws that are unjust. It is my opinion that while technically breaking the law, it is necessary as it brings immediate attention to an unjust law. As Martin Luther King Jr. stated and I quote â€Å"An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.† Perfect examples of civil disobedience used to change laws are the Ms. Rosa Parks incident, as well as the prolonged civil rights movement initiated by Dr. King. While the above mentioned incidents of civil disobedience assisted in bringing attention to and ultimately changing unjust laws, this change was slow and not complete. One of the laws that I do not agree with is pertaining to parental rights. I feel that in the courts of law in regards to custody and parenting responsibilities, the father always gets the short end of the stick. Never have I seen things being fair and just, unless in the uncommon circumstance where the mother is clearly not fit to be a parent. In many cases the mother has custodial rights, but the child or children are neglected physically, mentally and financially. The mother just used the child for a means to gain financial support.

Sleep Journal

Jennifer Nguyen Professor Perry Daughtry Intro to Psychology 09-28-2012 Sleep Journal Essay College students like myself often put off sleep for other activities like studying, doing homework or even just staying up all night with a friend. Our body follows the twenty-four hour cycle of each day and night through a biological clock called the Circadian rhythm. On the weekdays, staying up all night and skipping meals makes it difficult to focus in class. After lunchtime, I become sleepy and have difficulty focusing on my other classes.In the afternoon, this affects my body because it does not give me energy, but instead it makes me crash earlier in the day. David Myers, the author of Exploring Psychology the eighth edition, says, â€Å"Everyone needs to get eight hours of sleep† (Myers, 75). This quote I think is so underrated, because some people in our world today only get six to nine hours of sleep, on a daily basis. If you think about it, going to sleep is not that easy. Th ere are five unique stages to sleeping. In stage one, this cycle is considered to be between being awake and slightly dozing off.When you are in this cycle, you wake up, but you do not feel like you fell asleep. The brain produces theta waves, which makes the brain waves decrease when you go into other sleep stages. In stage two, the brain begins to relax more. The sleep spindles, which are rapid, rhythmic brain waves, are present in this cycle. Your body temperature starts to decrease and your heart rate starts to slow down. In stage three, this cycle is forwarded to deep sleep. In stage four, you are in a deep sleep, but not enough to dream.Also in this cycle, â€Å"some children might wet the bed or even sleep walk† according to David Myers. In stage five, also known as the rapid eye movement (REM), the heart rate increases and eyes begin to move under the eyelids. Most dreams occur here because the brain activity was increased. The importance of sleep is a big deal, that if you did not sleep, you would die from sleep deprivation. You need sleep so that your body can restore all its needs for the next day. Not enough sleep can produce a lot of problems like car accidents, memory problems, and sleep disorders.Two most known sleep disorders are insomnia and sleep apnea. Insomnia is a sleep disorder where you cannot fall asleep. Insomnia can happen to anyone and can be either a short term or a long-term process. Another sleep disorder is called sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is caused by irregular pauses in breathing, during sleeping. Both of these disorders, if not treated, can cause heart problems and even death in most cases. There are many reasons why we dream at night. An Austrian Neurologist named Sigmund Freud considered dreams the key to understanding our inner conflicts.Some researchers believe that the dreams can help sort experiences on a daily basis, while other researchers believe that dreams may also serve a physiological function. Other theorie s suggest that dreams flow from neural activity moving upward to the brainstem. The first three nights of sleeping in my sleeping journal, my dreams were nightmares. The first night I had a dream that my grandmother passed away and nobody was there to help me through the tragedy. From the feelings of abandonment, I just went psycho. Unfortunately almost two years ago, my grandmother in fact passed away.It is unclear to me why I dreamt of this memory. My second dream was that my psychology class had visited a local jail and our teacher created an experiment where every other student was a prisoner, and everybody else was a guard. I was one of the prisoners and the guards tortured me to a point where I could no longer think. My psychology professor Mr. Daughtry, told our class about this experiment on actual prisoners, which influenced to dream of this particular subject. My third dream was that I had rented a cabin with my friend.The owner was a psycho killer with the intention of ki lling us. We made it out alive. These dreams caused me to wake up with sweat all over my body and my head would spin a little bit. The next four nights of sleeping were fairly decent. The dreams consisted of dreaming about being in a fairytale and going back to high school because in that dream it was mandatory to go back to the high school. The last seven nights of my sleeping journal, I only had one nightmare, because I went camping with my church group and we were in the woods and we had told scary stories.My sleep patterns on the weekend are very different to my sleep patterns on the weekday because I usually go to bed really late and not wake up until late in the afternoon. During this journal, it was hard for me to get used to waking up on specific times, since I would stay up late to do homework or study for a test coming up. This is one of the reasons why my sleeping habits have not been normal. I have learned that my sleeping habits do have an affect on my daily life. I sho uld try and get enough sleep, so that my body can actually rest and not be so stressed out.I wish that I would not skip dinner for homework, because when I do wake up, my stomach hurts a lot from not eating. This problem also makes me crash during the day since I do not have enough time to eat, and so my production level decreases. Sleep Journal Entries Jennifer Nguyen Mr. Daughtry Intro to Psychology 09-09-2012 Day 1: I went to sleep at 1:00 am and woke up at 6:11 am. The dream was that my grandmother passed away and that I had nobody to confide in. It got to a point where I just went psycho and was led to a mental house. 09-10-2012 Day 2: I went to sleep at 12:00 am and woke up at 7:30 am.The dream was that my psychology class went to visit the local jail. My psychology teacher decided to do this experiment, where every other student was a prisoner and the rest were guards. I was unfortunately a prisoner, and the guards tortured me so bad that it broke my spirit. 09-11-2012 Day 3: I went to sleep at 10:00 pm and woke up at 7:00 am. My dream was that I went to go on a vacation on a remote island. I went with a friend and the person who owned the cabin was a strange man. We discovered that the strange man was a killer and he went after us. We called for help and we never saw that guy ever again. 9-12-2012 Day 4: I went to bed at 3:14 am and woke up ate 8:00 am. I could not remember this dream. 09-13-2012 Day 5: I went to bed at 1:20 am and woke up 6:52 am. I could not fall asleep. After twenty minutes had gone by, I dreamt that I was with my boyfriend and we had gotten into this big argument and he dumped me. The next day, he decided to show up to my house with a girl, and I cried. He said that he was just joking and that it was his friend. He wanted to g back out with me and we did. 09-16-2012 Day 6: I went to bed at 9:00 pm and woke up at 6:00 am. My dream was that I was getting married to a famous prince.Before this all happened, he proposed to me and he ha d this big secret. He did not tell that he was a prince and I inherited everything. This dream was a total fairytale! 09-17-2012 Day 7: I went to bed at 12:12 am and woke up at 6:32 am. My dream was that I was back in high school and that I had to go back to my high school because it was mandatory for all 2012 graduates. 09-18-2012 Day 8: I went to bed at 9:20 pm and woke up at 5:52 am. My dream was that I was in a theatre play and I was the main lead. I did so well that I was booked in Hollywood as a professional.I was basically a celebrity. 09-19-2012 Day 9: I went to bed at 1:18 am and woke up at 6:30 am. My dream was that I went to school and our school had won this lottery where we got to see Kate Middleton in person. She was really nice and sweet. 09-20-2012 Day 10: I went to bed at 11:20 pm and woke up at 6:25 am. My dream was that I had grown up and that I had my life all settled. I was a nurse and that I lived comfortably in a house with my husband and two kids. 09-21-12 Da y 11: I went to bed at 3:00 am and woke up at 8:00 am. My dream was that I was at camp and I happened to be all alone.Then all of a sudden, the killer came out and tried to kill me, but I managed to get to safety. 09-22-12 Day 12: I went to bed at 1:00 am and woke up at 7:45 am. I could not remember this dream. 09-23-2012 Day 13: I went to bed at 9:00 pm and woke up at 6:31 am. I could not remember this dream. 09-24-2012 Day 14: I went to bed at 9:00 pm and woke up at 6:15 am. My dream was that I was in a relationship with Ian Heccox and we have been dating for a long time. He got down on one knee after we have a very romantic boat ride in Paris. Of course I said yes. We got married in Paris and it was very magical.