Start up business in Saudi Arabia challenges of finding finance

Start up business in Saudi Arabia challenges of finding finance Background overview Entrepreneurs share similar problems in terms of access to sufficient capital to start their business, ability to attract customers, developing a sufficient cash flow to sustain their venture and a variety of other issues that are involved in the process of developing a business (Zahra Wright 2011, pp. 67-83).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Start up business in Saudi Arabia: challenges of finding finance. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this section the various methods of capital access available to entrepreneurs within Saudi Arabia, and the difficulties that are associated with the process of obtaining sufficient funds to start a profitable business venture will be analyzed. Considering the fact that it is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, and part of the G20 group of states, the low rate of growth for its entrepreneurial sector engenders a number of questions that necessit ates further research and analysis. It is expected that this section will act as the basis behind an assessment that would create effective suggestions as to how entrepreneurs within the country can best respond to various financial opportunities and challenges. Saudi Arabian Economy and SME SMEs in Saudi Arabia A majority of the start up businesses in Saudi Arabia are in form of SMEs. Within the study Leading the way (2005, pp. 78-79), it was explained that in most market economies, small to medium scale enterprises (SMEs) make up the bulk of a countrys enterprises. This constitutes 80 to 90 percent of local businesses (Leading the way 2005, pp. 78-79). Such an orientation can also be seen in the case of Saudi Arabia, wherein SMEs make up 92 percent of local businesses within the country, and employ up to 80 percent of the workforce (Leading the way 2005, pp. 78-79). H.M. King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud himself has been quoted as stating that entrepreneurs are the backbone of the Saudi Arabian economy and are instrumental towards its continued growth and prosperity (Kayed Hassan 2010, pp. 379-413). (Kayed Hassan 2010, pp. 379-413)Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It must be noted that despite the fact that SMEs constitute 92 percent of local businesses, they are still overshadowed by the countrys oil and natural gas industry which accounts for 90 percent of export earnings, 45 percent of the GDP and 80 percent of the governments budget revenues (Kayed Hassan 2010, pp. 379-413). This is in sharp contrast to the situation found in countries such as the U.S., U.K., China and other industrialized countries where local SMEs makeup more than 70 percent of GDP, 60 to 70 percent of local government revenue and 75 percent of export earnings (Kayed Hassan 2010, pp. 379-413). While Saudi Arabias status as an oil exporter does entail a d ecidedly different economic structure, it must be noted that given the non-renewable state of its oil reserves, it is absolutely necessary to implement some measure of encouraging the development of start up businesses in order to have a strong local economy in place that is not dependent on resource that will inevitably dry up (Lindsey 2011, pp. 1). Entrepreneurial Growth Rate (Saudi Arabia 2012, pp. 1-18) (Outlook for 2011-15: Economic policy outlook 2010, pp. 7-9) Unfortunately, an examination of the development of local industries within the country reveals that entrepreneurial growth has remained low at 3.3 to 3.5 percent annually, with the much lauded Saudi Fast Growth 100 group (a listing of the top 100 locally owned corporations that were started by entrepreneurs) gaining a combined annual revenue of $2.4 billion equivalent to $9 billion Saudi Riyals) with 90 percent of their revenue originating from within Saudi Arabia itself (Outlook for 2011-15: Economic policy outlook 2 010, pp. 7-9). While $2.4 billion may seem like a significant sum for the accumulated revenue of the top 100 companies within Saudi Arabia, this pales in comparison to the hundreds of billions accumulated by the top 100 companies started by entrepreneurs in countries such as the U.S., U.K, and China. Even a developing country such as the Philippines has a local SME industry where the top 100 companies started by entrepreneurs reach revenues of $10 billion or more.Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Start up business in Saudi Arabia: challenges of finding finance. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The fact that the revenue of these companies mostly originate from within the Saudi Arabian economy itself rather than through international exports shows how relatively young the companies started by local entrepreneurs are within country considering the fact that focusing on local instead of external markets is one of the first stages of entrepreneurial activity. Such factors can be considered indicative of a major problem existing within the Saudi Arabian entrepreneurial landscape which can be connected to the lack of sufficient access to funding for local entrepreneurs in order to sufficiently grow their businesses to a level that can be considered internationally competitive. Saudi Arabia’s economy According to Economic Structure and Context (2012, pp. 16-17), Saudi Arabia’s economy is heavily dependent on its oil reserves. This is because oil is the major export commodity in this economy. Additionally, the oil industry provides employment to a majority of the citizens. This implies that this economy is susceptible to the volatile oil prices in the world market, and any changes in the production of oil by the oil industry. To address this vulnerability, the government has acquired a number of foreign assets which help in cushioning the economy against changes in the oil prices, w hich affect the economy adversely. For this reason, the economy is able to withstand shocks in the oil world market provided that it is not for an extended period (Chapter 2: Economic Outlook 2011, pp. 15-23). It must be pointed that the government continues to be the major player in the economy. This implies that the economy is not fully liberalised. However, the government is at the forefront in encouraging entrepreneurship with a view to increasing employment opportunities for the youth, who form the bulk of the kingdom’s population. This increased employment level, as a result of increase in private investment, will have the effect of enhancing the standard of living in the kingdom (Economic Structure and Context 2012, pp. 16-17). Government’s involvement in the economy has helped in improving the standards of living for the Saudi nationals (Jacknis 2011, pp. 107-116). However, this involvement has repercussions that include: distortion of the market, subdued produ ctivity, and discourage competition.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It can be said that the government’s dominance in the economy has lowered the efficiency of the economy. Nonetheless, the government has been working towards liberalization of the economy and complying with international treaties, with a view to improving the economy. The Saudi government has also embarked on the privatisation of the some sectors of the economy including: telecommunication, water and aviation. The major objective of this privatization has been to attract foreign investment in the economy. This will serve as the much needed boost to propel the economy to a higher growth trajectory. Moreover, the government has also increased public expenditure as a stimulus for economic growth. This increased public expenditure has been instrumental in facilitating the growth of Saudi economic cities that has acted as an incentive for the entrepreneurs (Economic Structure and Context 2012, pp. 16-17). Literature Review This section explores various aspects related to the finan cing of entrepreneurial ventures within Saudi Arabia, the way in which financial institutions and loan processes operate, as well as the current state of key funding sources in relation to their counterparts in other countries. It is expected that through an examination of such aspects of the Saudi Arabian entrepreneurial and financing sectors of the economy, a greater degree of understanding regarding the current state of venture financing and the processes involved in it will be developed. The Financing of Business Ventures within Saudi Arabia One of the oddest discrepancies that has come up during the research process is that despite the fact that Saudi Arabia is widely recognized as a leader in promoting and supporting entrepreneurial activities, it actually has a financial sector that is not as conducive towards small to medium business loans as one might expect (Ahmad 2011, pp. 610-614). It is usually the case that if a country is known for supporting entrepreneurial activity, this would in turn result in a commensurate effect on its local banking sector wherein loans for small to medium scale enterprises and ventures would be more readily given. However, this is not the case and in fact it is actually more difficult to obtain these types of loans within Saudi Arabia as compared to other countries within the same region (i.e. the U.A.E, Egypt, Jordan, Israel etc.) as well as in countries such as China, the U.K. and the U.S (Ahmad 2011, pp. 610-614). In order to address this rather odd disparity, an examination was conducted as to how small and medium scale enterprises were normally funded and how did this type of funding differ from what can be seen in other countries. It was seen that in the case of Saudi Arabia, the family played a crucial role in the funding and development of start up business ventures wherein more than 75% of local businesses started by entrepreneurs were a result of family members contributing towards the initial starting capital o f the entrepreneur and actively gave advice regarding the proper management of the business (Constraints on Development: Small Businesses in Saudi Arabia 1992, pp. 333-351). In fact, it was noted by researchers in the report Constraints on Development: Small Businesses in Saudi Arabia (1992, pp. 333-341) that it is the strong interfamily ties within the countrys culture that limits the export market of Saudi Arabia due to the development of a business culture, wherein it has become preferable to deal with family members or friends of the family when it comes to joint business ventures and business opportunities, which in effect severely curtails the ability of a business to expand beyond its current market due to the inherent hesitance in dealing with the unfamiliar (Constraints on Development: Small Businesses in Saudi Arabia 1992, pp. 333-351). Going back to the issue of family and its connection to the financing of small to medium scale enterprises, what must be understood is tha t the proliferation of family as one of the primary methods of financing entrepreneurial business ventures has actually resulted in the local banking sector developing in such a way that they cater more towards large scale enterprises or higher tier medium scale businesses as compared to small or lower tier medium scale companies (Chapter 4: Business Environment 2012, pp. 27-33). The problem with this is that this in effect isolates a large percentage of the local population who do not have access to considerable family funds to start their business. Such a situation is in stark contrast to the way in which the banking sector in other countries such as China, the U.S., the U.K. and even in certain sectors in the Middle East work, since it is often seen that investing in entrepreneurs creates numerous beneficial actions (i.e. better local economy, greater amount of deposits, helping out what could potentially develop into a larger enterprise etc.) which banks generally think of as sa fe bets when it comes to loans, especially when it comes to the attitude of entrepreneurs to pay back what they owe on even if a particular business did not turn out as successful as expected (S.T. 2000, pp. 42) (Mahdi1998, pp. 1970-1971). It is often the case that such individuals within Saudi Arabia have to rely on their own personal savings as their primary method of creating start-up capital, which is an incredibly laborious and time consuming process, which would of course slow down the process of entrepreneurial activity within any country that utilizes such a system (Chapter 4: Business Environment 2012, pp. 27-33). Evidence of this can be seen in Saudi Arabias 3.3 to 3.5 percent annual entrepreneurial growths, which shows the negative impact that the current loan system has on creating better entrepreneurial activities within the country (Chapter 4: Business Environment 2012, pp. 27-33). The inherent weakness of the family fund system currently utilized by a vast majority of entrepreneurs is that when it comes to expanding the business beyond its current form and structure, this is when family members at times balk and refuse to or are unable to provide the necessary funds for the development of the business beyond its current form (Siddiqi 2008, pp. 44). The reason behind this is a plethora of issues ranging from the belief that after a business has been established, an individual should be responsible for its own expansion or that expansion itself is potentially risky without sufficient added benefits (Siddiqi 2008, pp. 44). As a result, this curtails the potential for various entrepreneurial ventures to expand to foreign locations and this is evidenced by the fact that nearly 90% of all local entrepreneurial revenue is derived from within the Saudi economy alone instead of through outside ventures (Siddiqi 2008, pp. 44). It must also be noted that another problem with the family based method of funding is that it actively promotes insufficient marke t examinations and a more lax behaviour when it comes to developing processes that are more efficient and less costly (Robson, 2005pp. 40-42). Based on the study by Constraints on Development: Small Businesses in Saudi Arabia (1992, pp. 340), it was noted that family based methods of funding were considered a relatively safe and easy method of funding for a business, which did not have the same stringent procedures and viability checks that are necessary when it comes to a bank loan (Footwear Industry Profile: Saudi Arabia 2012, pp. 1-29). As such, entrepreneurs under this particular system are less likely to favor processes that maximized the usage of capital and utilized more efficient methods of operations due to the rather easy way in which funds could be obtained to run a business (Constraints on Development: Small Businesses in Saudi Arabia 1992, pp. 333-351). This, Baqadir, Patrick, Burns (2011, pp. 551-559) remark, is one of the main reasons why plenty of businesses fail wi thin the first year of operation in Saudi Arabia, since it is usually the stringent process of loan evaluation seen in most banks that encourages entrepreneurs to think ‘outside the box’, resulting in financial success and ingenuity (Baqadir, Patrick, Burns 2011, pp. 551-561). Though not particularly as relevant, it must be noted that there is also another socially based reason as to why certain entrepreneurs are experiencing a higher degree of difficulty when it comes to finding sufficient capital: declining rates of marriage (Pope 2002, pp. 2). With the development of new internal policies within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia comes an era where women have started to become more empowered. This is evidenced by the fact that nearly 54% of all university graduates within Saudi Arabia are women and that a growing percentage of them have started to focus on their own careers and the development of the family business rather than enter into a prospective marriage (Pope 2002, pp. 2). As a result, with declining marriage rates comes a distinct decline in access to sufficient capital by bachelors since it is the intermarriage between families that often times enhances the ability of an entrepreneur to access sufficient capital to establish his own business. Public Aid Programs Aside from the aforementioned traditional methods of funding that exist within the context of the Saudi Arabian culture, there also exist other methods of funding that are more in line with what is normally seen in other countries. The first of these methods of funding is the KAFALAH fund which is a $200 million fund that acts as a protection net against loan defaults meant to encourage local banks to lend to entrepreneurs (Country analysis report: Saudi Arabia 2011, pp. 1-68). The reason why KAFALA fund was created in the first place was due to the fact that between 2001 to 2009 local banks experienced increasing levels of loan defaulters (Country analysis report: Saudi Arabia 2011 , pp. 1-68). One of the main reasons behind this was simply the fact that entrepreneurs at the time lacked the necessary skills and capabilities to properly market their products, develop their businesses and enhance operations which inevitably resulted in the collapse of their ventures (Country analysis report: Saudi Arabia 2011, pp. 1-68). This was an endemic problem during that time until it was addressed by H.M. King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud in the form of the king Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the King Saud University (KSU) and various other educational institutions that focused on the creation, support and development of entrepreneurs within Saudi Arabia. It was through such programs that, in the words of H.M. King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, a new type of entrepreneur entered into the Saudi Arabian market economy Country analysis report: Saudi Arabia 2011, pp. 1-68). Such individuals were better informed, better prepared and more likely to create fewer mistakes as compared to their predecessors. Unfortunately, various Islamic banks were still reeling from the amount of loan defaults hence the necessity of creating stimulus funds in order to encourage lending (Apparel Retail Industry Profile: Saudi Arabia 2012, pp.1-25). Despite this, it was noted by various Saudi entrepreneurs that such activities were still insufficient, many of whom were of the opinion that it should be the government itself that should facilitate access to funds for entrepreneurs rather than having to go through the laborious and often times unfruitful process of filing for a bank loan (Dairy Industry Profile: Saudi Arabia 2012, pp. 1-32). One manifestation of such a necessity came in the form of the government sponsored AlAhli Small Business Program which is a type of loan/training program enabling entrepreneurs to gain access to a variety of funding sources that are in cooperation with the National Commercial Bank while at the same time provides training courses and various types of support systems so as to enable these potential entrepreneurs to develop the necessary skills, mindsets and abilities to effectively run their fledgling businesses (Country Update 2012, pp. 1-5). Other sources of funds also exist, which are there to address the problem of developing a funding program for young Saudi men and women that are underprivileged yet still would like to be entrepreneurs. For this particular scenario, the centennial fund exists which provides 50,000 200,000 SAR in funds for particular business ventures which is payable within 5 years. Similar to the AlAhli Small Business Program, the Centennial fund also provides training and development services but it also provides a mentoring program wherein experienced entrepreneurs help in guiding people who make use of the fund, through a 3 year mentoring program designed to increase the success of their business. Other more gender specific funds come in the form of the Prince Sul tan bin Abdulaziz fund for nurturing women entrepreneurs (Country Update 2012, pp. 1-5). As its name implies, this fund focuses specifically on providing women entrepreneurs with the necessary funds and training to undertake a variety of entrepreneurial ventures. Banking There are several banking institutions within Saudi Arabia that do in fact provide small business loans to start up business such as Al Rajhi Banking Investment Corp., the Riyadh Bank, the National Commercial Bank etc (Economic Growth: Outlook 2012, pp. 4-6). It must be noted though that due to the high degree of loan default experienced by these banks from 2001 to 2009 the loan process often involves considerable amounts of paperwork and at times recommendations from well established businessmen in order to gain approval for particular loans (Economic Growth: Outlook 2012, pp. 4-6). This in effect shuts out various entrepreneurs who do not have the same amount of clout or the connections necessary to show that the y can be trusted to pay back the loan. Additionally, the entrepreneurs have to go through other hurdles in form of government sponsored programs, which act as intermediaries between the bank and the entrepreneur and acts as a safety net in case of loan default. While this section has shown that there exists, quite literally, a plethora of funding and training opportunities for local entrepreneurs to start their own business ventures, what it does not show is that most of the funding and training opportunities are oriented towards the development of localized business opportunities and neglect to encompass a wider range of potential ventures through international markets. The study of Mortland (2009, p 19) which examined the funding and training opportunities that are currently in place within Saudi Arabia reveals that most of the revenue derived from entrepreneurial activity within the country is primarily as a result of derived income from local markets (Mortland 2009, p. 19). Ther e are relatively few cases of entrepreneurs which focus on international trade with one of the reasons being that despite the presence of funding programs with associated training schemes, these programs actually encourage and focus on developing entrepreneurs to focus on developing local market (Mortland 2009, p. 19). They propagate the notion that international business ventures are somewhat risky. This engenders a business culture that is more internally focused rather than externally adaptive. In cases where an entrepreneur is actively seeking funds to expand their business venture with a view to engaging in international trade, their loan requests are often turned down. Banks tend to agree to loans of this nature when requested by large firms or conglomerations. This in effect shuts out small entrepreneurs from international trade which is an important aspect of developing a local business. Venture Capitalists within Saudi Arabia Another of the problems faced by entrepreneurs w ithin Saudi Arabia is the distinct lack of venture capitalists within the country. An examination of data obtained from 2010 reveals that Saudi Arabia has the lowest ranking of any G20 country in terms of venture capital funding with only $5 million being invested by venture capitalists in local businesses at the time. Studies such as those in the Country analysis report: Saudi Arabia (2011, pp. 1 68 ) reveal that venture capital funding is an important facilitator of entrepreneurial activity since it acts as a method of funding outside of the regular methods facilitated through bank loans (Country analysis report: Saudi Arabia 2011, pp. 1-68). With entrepreneurs and the venture capitalists sharing the risks that come with developing a particular business venture this actually results in the sharing of ideas, better internal management of operations and funds and the creation of new lines of business which helps to considerably expand the venture beyond what the entrepreneur would have been capable of doing alone. As seen in the case of the U.S. and U.K., venture capital investments have helped to create a solid foundation for the development of numerous businesses which has actually encouraged entrepreneurial activity due to the potential that venture capitalists may choose to invest with a particular venture thus enabling it to expand based on the plans of the entrepreneur. The lack of venture capital funding in the case of Saudi Arabia helps to explain the relatively low growth seen in the development of new entrepreneurial ventures; since an external source of capital without the accompanying financial indebtedness associated with a bank loans would have definitely encouraged the development of a sufficiently strong entrepreneurial sector within the country (Country analysis report: Saudi Arabia 2011, pp. 1-68). One way of explaining the lack of venture capital funding can be seen in Chapter 4: Business Environment (2012, pp. 27-33) of Saudi Arabiaâ€℠¢s business forecast report which explored various aspects of financing within Saudi Arabia. Chapter 4: Business Environment (2012, pp. 27-33) shows that the concept of venture capital funding is relatively new within Saudi Arabia since it is a development that has only occurred within the past few decades within various other countries (Chapter 4: Business Environment 2012, pp. 27-33). Since Saudi Arabia has developed in an entirely different way as compared to other countries such as the U.S. due its emphasis on Shariah law in its banking and finance sector this would of course result in the creation of distinctly different financial instruments for funding business ventures within the country (Chapter 4: Business Environment 2012, pp. 27-33). This is especially true when taking into consideration the fact that â€Å"family funds† are still one of the primary methods of funding a business within the country and external methods of funding not associated with either the stat e or a bank are still viewed with a certain degree of distrust by the local business culture. Aside from that, most entrepreneurs within Saudi Arabia have no idea what a venture capital fund is or how it even operates, thus its level of acceptability and implementation within the context of the local economy is also rather low (Chapter 4: Business Environment 2012, pp. 27-33). Furthermore, since the venture capital sector of the Saudi Arabian economy is still within its relative infancy this means that the road shows, presentations, exhibits and forums normally associated with venture capital firms as seen in the context of the U.S. and the U.K. are relatively absent (Chapter 4: Business Environment 2012, pp. 27-33). This means that venture capitalists can neither show what methods of financing they can offer to entrepreneurs and neither can prospective entrepreneurs show their business ventures to venture capitalists (Chapter 4: Business Environment 2012, pp. 27-33). In the end, th is creates a situation that is not at all conducive towards the development of any form of venture capital financing operation within the Saudi Arabia and explains why the amount of venture capital funding is so low within the country despite the size of its economy. Entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia and the local Stock Market Aside from venture capital investments, another alternative to financing the expansion of a business venture has been through the use of the stock market. In regions such as the U.S., U.K., and several parts of Asia, posting their company on the local stock market has been an effective method by which entrepreneurs of mid-sized corporations have been able to garner sufficient funds in a rather efficient manner. Unfortunately, in the case of Saudi Arabia, it has been noted that despite the fact that the local stock market has actually improved by 50% as a source of funding for businesses, most of this has been primarily isolated to large scale enterprises and has b arely been used to finance start up businesses (Bradley 2005, pp. 1- 22). One of the reasons behind this is the apparent lack of a specific market that can cater for the needs of the start up businesses. Consequently, this prevents various Saudi entrepreneurs from accessing needed funds for expansion as compared to their counterparts within the G20 countries. From a certain perspective, it can be assumed that due to the current predilection of Saudi entrepreneurs to view the stock market as a novelty exclusively for the rich rather than alternative method of funding, resulting to a situation in which the ability of the stock market to raise capital for the entrepreneurs is greatly hampered. Studies such as those seen in the report â€Å"Saudi Arabia business forecast report Q3 2012† (2012, pp. 1-51) have indicated that despite the 90% rise in the usage of Saudi Arabian stock market, start up businesses continue to have a relatively low profile in it due to an insufficient amo unt of information regarding the process of registration, compliance and how the stock market works in general (Saudi Arabia business forecast report Q3 2012 2012, pp. 1-51) It is based on this that the report recommends a greater degree of government assistance in the form of information campaigns so as to educate local entrepreneurs regarding the various advantages of posting their company on the stock market (Saudi Arabia business forecast report Q3 2012 2012, pp. 1-51). Common problems that prevent Saudi entrepreneurs from obtaining finance. Hussain and Yaqub (2010, pp. 22-28) note that as it is common when an entrepreneur wants to access loan from a financial institutions, the financial institutions subject the entrepreneur through a series of checks. This entails giving a business plan that shows the ability of the business to repay loans. In situations in which the business plan does not depict the ability of the business to generate the revenue that can support the repayment of the loan, the request is turned down. The challenge sometimes is not in developing business plan, but rather the ability to write a good business plan that highlights the major strengths of the business. From this section it can be seen that entrepreneurs have limited sources of capital (Hussain and Yaqub 2010, pp. 22-28). The few sources of capital that exists are meant for large-scale businesses, and not necessarily for the upcoming entrepreneurs. As it has been highlighted, most entrepreneurs obtain the much needed capital from their ‘families’. This implies that those entrepreneurs who come from families that are not well-off find it more difficult to procure the much needed capital. Additionally, it can be inferred that the financial institutions are not very friendly to the upcoming entrepreneurs and, unless the government institutes measures to facilitate easier access to loan for the entrepreneurs, the level of growth of the private investments will continue to be low. SOURCES OF FINANCE CHALLENGES Families Most ladies are getting educated and becoming very independent and they don’t want to get married. Some families are not very well-off such that they can facilitate financing for the entrepreneurs. Banks They prefer dealing with large scale businesses as opposed to financing small scale businesses. The banks ask for a lot of requirement from the entrepreneurs seeking loans for capital. Public Aid Programs Apparently the fund does not provide enough resources that can provide the much needed capital to the entrepreneurs. Venture capitalist Lack of venture capitalists in Saudi Arabia that can provide the much needed capital to the entrepreneurs Local stock market It is biased in favour of large scale enterprises as opposed to the upcoming business ventures Methodology Aims Wahyuni (2012, pp. 69-80) contends that a research should have objectives. In this regard this research is supposed to consider the f ollowing objectives. Firstly, the research is supposed to investigate the sources of finance for start-up businesses in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the research will also look into the bottlenecks that the entrepreneurs face when it comes to accessing sources of finance. The other objective will be to explore the various opportunities and challenges, which the entrepreneurs have to face when it comes to accessing finance from the financial institutions. In order to achieve those objectives the research will seek to address the following questions: Where do the successful business starters in Saudi Arabia get their capital from? What challenges do business start-ups encounter when financing their ventures? What can business start-ups do to avoid failure when sourcing out capital for their ventures? Study Design Given the nature of this research, the most appropriate research design that will be adopted for this paper is the qualitative research (Bansal Corley 2012, pp. 509-513). Th is will enable the researcher to have open ended questions that will help in generating of information regarding the challenges which the entrepreneurs face in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the use of qualitative research method enables the researcher to have fewer participants which enable a more thorough approach to be adopted. Additionally, the information will be derived from both the primary and secondary sources. The sample participants for this study will be drawn from those individuals who have been involve in business venture in Saudi Arabia, and those who have been involved in the bank’s lending system. This will aid in getting the necessary information regarding the challenges that Saudi entrepreneurs face in an attempt to obtain finance for their fledgling businesses. The number of participants will be limited to thirty individuals from the cities of Jeddah and Mecca. This is because qualitative research uses a limited number of participants (Bansal Corley 2012, pp. 50 9-513). Furthermore, the participants must have attempted to get financing from the financial institutions and failed. The participant must exclusively own or owned a business venture. Another condition for the participant is that they must have complied with the regulations regarding application for financing, including submitting a business plan. It must also be acknowledged that if any information leaks to the financial institutions it might result to victimization of those participants. For this reason, the information should be kept securely so that it cannot be accessed by people who might victimize the participants. Data Collection Process As indicated earlier, the participants for this study will be drawn from both the entrepreneurial side and the banks’ lending system. Some of the questions which could be posed to the individuals in the banking sector will be on the number of loan requests by the entrepreneurs that were rejected and those that were accepted. The rese archer will also probe those participants so that he can have a glimpse at the reasons that led to either the cancellation or the acceptance of those loan requests. It must also be noted that the participants will be interviewed individually to enhance the confidentiality of the research. The participants will be instrumental in helping to unravel the challenges that the entrepreneurs face when it comes to accessing finance. Additionally, the questions that will be presented to the participants will be open-ended to enhance the ability of the research to generate a lot of information. Reliability of the interview data will be tested by comparing the variables under study with similar variables from previous studies while the validity will be tested by determining the extent to which the information concurs with global financing approaches. The interviews will be conducted on weekends to ensure that most of the participants will not be held up in their jobs, which could preclude them from attending the sessions. Another important thing which will be highlighted to the participants pertains to the confidentiality of their responses. This will encourage the participants to be more genuine with their responses. The preferred study technique for this research will be cross-sectional. This will be informed by the fact that this study is meant to unravel information which can be used in future when carrying out research on the same issue (Wahyuni 2012, pp. 69-80). Additionally, the time as well as the resources allocated for this research are vey limited and does not allow for the use of longitudinal technique. The data collected from this research will be analysed using data reduction techniques. This entails sifting through the data to determine those that are relevant to the issue being considered. Reference List Ahmad, S 2011, Businesswomen in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Characteristic, growth patterns and progression in a regional context, Equality, Diversity Inclusion, 30, 7, pp. 610-614, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost. Apparel Retail Industry Profile: Saudi Arabia 2012, Apparel Retail Industry Profile: Saudi Arabia, pp. 1-25, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost. 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Definition of a Boson Particle

Definition of a Boson Particle In particle physics, a boson is a type of particle that obeys the rules of Bose-Einstein statistics. These bosons also have a quantum spin with contains an integer value, such as 0, 1, -1, -2, 2, etc. (By comparison, there are other types of particles, called fermions, that have a half-integer spin, such as 1/2, -1/2, -3/2, and so on.) Whats So Special About a Boson? Bosons are sometimes called force particles, because it is the bosons that control the interaction of physical forces, such as electromagnetism and possibly even gravity itself. The name boson comes from the surname of Indian physicist Satyendra Nath Bose, a brilliant physicist from the early twentieth century who worked with Albert Einstein to develop a method of analysis called Bose-Einstein statistics. In an effort to fully understand Plancks law (the thermodynamics equilibrium equation that came out of Max Plancks work on the blackbody radiation problem), Bose first proposed the method in a 1924 paper trying to analyze the behavior of photons. He sent the paper to Einstein, who was able to get it published ... and then went on to extend Boses reasoning beyond mere photons, but also to apply to matter particles. One of the most dramatic effects of Bose-Einstein statistics is the prediction that bosons can overlap and coexist with other bosons. Fermions, on the other hand, cannot do this, because they follow the Pauli Exclusion Principle  (chemists focus primarily on the way the Pauli Exclusion Principle impacts the behavior of electrons in orbit around an atomic nucleus.) Because of this, it is possible for photons to become a laser and some matter is able to form the exotic state of a Bose-Einstein condensate. Fundamental Bosons According to the Standard Model of quantum physics, there are a number of fundamental bosons, which are not made up of smaller particles. This includes the basic gauge bosons, the particles that mediate the fundamental forces of physics (except for gravity, which well get to in a moment). These four gauge bosons have spin 1 and have all been experimentally observed: Photon - Known as the particle of light, photons carry all electromagnetic energy and act as the gauge boson that mediates the force of electromagnetic interactions.Gluon - Gluons mediate the interactions of the strong nuclear force, which binds together quarks to form protons and neutrons and also holds the protons and neutrons together within an atoms nucleus.W Boson - One of the two gauge bosons involved in mediating the weak nuclear force.Z Boson - One of the two gauge bosons involved in mediating the weak nuclear force. In addition to the above, there are other fundamental bosons predicted, but without clear experimental confirmation (yet): Higgs Boson - According to the Standard Model, the Higgs Boson is the particle that gives rise to all mass. On July 4, 2012, scientists at the Large Hadron Collider announced that they had good reason to believe theyd found evidence of the Higgs Boson. Further research is ongoing in an attempt to get better information about the particles exact properties. The particle is predicted to have a quantum spin value of 0, which is why it is classified as a boson.Graviton - The graviton is a theoretical particle which has not yet been experimentally detected. Since the other fundamental forces - electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force - are all explained in terms of a gauge boson that mediates the force, it was only natural to attempt to use the same mechanism to explain gravity. The resulting theoretical particle is the graviton, which is predicted to have a quantum spin value of 2.Bosonic Superpartners - Under the theory of supersymmetry, every fermion would have a so-far-undetected bosonic counterpart. Since there are 12 fundamental fermions, this would suggest that - if supersymmetry is true - there are another 12 fundamental bosons that have not yet been detected, presumably because they are highly unstable and have decayed into other forms. Composite Bosons Some bosons are formed when two or more particles join together to create an integer-spin particle, such as: Mesons - Mesons are formed when two quarks bond together. Since quarks are fermions and have half-integer spins, if two of them are bonded together, then the spin of the resulting particle (which is the sum of the individual spins) would be an integer, making it a boson.Helium-4 atom - A helium-4 atom contains 2 protons, 2 neutrons, and 2 electrons ... and if you add up all of those spins, youll end up with an integer every time. Helium-4 is particularly noteworthy because it becomes a superfluid when cooled to ultra-low temperatures, making it a brilliant example of Bose-Einstein statistics in action. If youre following the math, any composite particle that contains an even number of fermions is going to be a boson, because an even number of half-integers is always going to add up to an integer.

Definition of a Boson Particle

Definition of a Boson Particle In particle physics, a boson is a type of particle that obeys the rules of Bose-Einstein statistics. These bosons also have a quantum spin with contains an integer value, such as 0, 1, -1, -2, 2, etc. (By comparison, there are other types of particles, called fermions, that have a half-integer spin, such as 1/2, -1/2, -3/2, and so on.) Whats So Special About a Boson? Bosons are sometimes called force particles, because it is the bosons that control the interaction of physical forces, such as electromagnetism and possibly even gravity itself. The name boson comes from the surname of Indian physicist Satyendra Nath Bose, a brilliant physicist from the early twentieth century who worked with Albert Einstein to develop a method of analysis called Bose-Einstein statistics. In an effort to fully understand Plancks law (the thermodynamics equilibrium equation that came out of Max Plancks work on the blackbody radiation problem), Bose first proposed the method in a 1924 paper trying to analyze the behavior of photons. He sent the paper to Einstein, who was able to get it published ... and then went on to extend Boses reasoning beyond mere photons, but also to apply to matter particles. One of the most dramatic effects of Bose-Einstein statistics is the prediction that bosons can overlap and coexist with other bosons. Fermions, on the other hand, cannot do this, because they follow the Pauli Exclusion Principle  (chemists focus primarily on the way the Pauli Exclusion Principle impacts the behavior of electrons in orbit around an atomic nucleus.) Because of this, it is possible for photons to become a laser and some matter is able to form the exotic state of a Bose-Einstein condensate. Fundamental Bosons According to the Standard Model of quantum physics, there are a number of fundamental bosons, which are not made up of smaller particles. This includes the basic gauge bosons, the particles that mediate the fundamental forces of physics (except for gravity, which well get to in a moment). These four gauge bosons have spin 1 and have all been experimentally observed: Photon - Known as the particle of light, photons carry all electromagnetic energy and act as the gauge boson that mediates the force of electromagnetic interactions.Gluon - Gluons mediate the interactions of the strong nuclear force, which binds together quarks to form protons and neutrons and also holds the protons and neutrons together within an atoms nucleus.W Boson - One of the two gauge bosons involved in mediating the weak nuclear force.Z Boson - One of the two gauge bosons involved in mediating the weak nuclear force. In addition to the above, there are other fundamental bosons predicted, but without clear experimental confirmation (yet): Higgs Boson - According to the Standard Model, the Higgs Boson is the particle that gives rise to all mass. On July 4, 2012, scientists at the Large Hadron Collider announced that they had good reason to believe theyd found evidence of the Higgs Boson. Further research is ongoing in an attempt to get better information about the particles exact properties. The particle is predicted to have a quantum spin value of 0, which is why it is classified as a boson.Graviton - The graviton is a theoretical particle which has not yet been experimentally detected. Since the other fundamental forces - electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force - are all explained in terms of a gauge boson that mediates the force, it was only natural to attempt to use the same mechanism to explain gravity. The resulting theoretical particle is the graviton, which is predicted to have a quantum spin value of 2.Bosonic Superpartners - Under the theory of supersymmetry, every fermion would have a so-far-undetected bosonic counterpart. Since there are 12 fundamental fermions, this would suggest that - if supersymmetry is true - there are another 12 fundamental bosons that have not yet been detected, presumably because they are highly unstable and have decayed into other forms. Composite Bosons Some bosons are formed when two or more particles join together to create an integer-spin particle, such as: Mesons - Mesons are formed when two quarks bond together. Since quarks are fermions and have half-integer spins, if two of them are bonded together, then the spin of the resulting particle (which is the sum of the individual spins) would be an integer, making it a boson.Helium-4 atom - A helium-4 atom contains 2 protons, 2 neutrons, and 2 electrons ... and if you add up all of those spins, youll end up with an integer every time. Helium-4 is particularly noteworthy because it becomes a superfluid when cooled to ultra-low temperatures, making it a brilliant example of Bose-Einstein statistics in action. If youre following the math, any composite particle that contains an even number of fermions is going to be a boson, because an even number of half-integers is always going to add up to an integer.

Michael Collins movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Michael Collins - Movie Review Example The British government had ruled the country for over 700 years and the cruelty with which it subjected the rule in the country made them revolt into armed resistance. However, what aggravated the situation more was the killing of a group of Irish rebels who had staged a six-day siege at Dublin’s General Post Office. Among the rebels in the group, only one of them survived the attack, De Valera who was an American citizen of Irish blood. All the other rebels succumbed to shootings in the execution. When a number of De Valera’s supporters are arrested and imprisoned, one of them, Michael Collins walked out of jail with the belief that a new approach was needed to free Ireland from the British rule. He and several other volunteers organized armed resistance by using a combination of terrorists’ acts of violence and guerrilla warfare. The movie is based at the first and fourth stages of insurgency. The first stage of insurgency is characterized by initial use of ter rorism acts in fighting before their increase in numbers to get the capacity to stage a guerrilla fight. If the rebels succeed with their terrorism, they receive support from other angry men and women who form similar groups and join in the fight. The reaction of the dominant government is disruption of lives and hurting the innocent people. This stage is marked in the movie by the use of a combination of terrorism acts of violence and guerrilla war tactics. The various groups attacked the British military in the regions where it showed signs of weakness. The rebels also used informants, with Collins having a key inside informant who gave them crucial information on the plans of the British military. Despite the violent war that they faced from the British, the rebels remained focused and fought with undeterred determination to secure their freedom. Stage four of an insurgency is characterized by the departure of foreigners, while the local surrogates give-up power. The guerrilla fi ghters become superfluous while the leaders of the insurgency become leaders of the government. In the movie, this stage is demonstrated by the announcement of the British government’s willingness to negotiate with the fighters. This lead to the group led by Collins to consider negotiations and bring the war to end. When the negotiations began, radicals such as Collins loosened their view of the war and rebellion when they realized that the violence was causing numerous deaths to innocent people. Collins himself wanted negations to start while the likes of De Valera felt that negotiations were not the best way to go in the struggle to secure Ireland’s freedom. The agreement was that the final political control would be left in the arms of the British, which was an indication of a crucial journey, according to Collins, in achieving true freedom of the people. The rivalry between the two rebel leaders caused violence among the pro-and anti-treaty group factions. The movi e used a guerrilla type of insurgency, where the rebels used armed rebellion against the British authority instituted in Ireland. The rebels organized themselves into groups of volunteer guerrilla fighters, who staged armed war against the dominating British rule. They opted to attack the weakest points of the British military, thereby weakening its forces the country. With the help

Starbucks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Starbucks - Essay Example Back in the US, situations were totally different. The option to drink a cup of coffee that was prepared according to the customers’ preference was not available. The available options were fast-food restaurants or gourmet cafes which were not open in the early morning hours of the day. Schultz was influenced by these three factors; absence of coffee shops in the early morning hours or extended hours of the day, the inability of the shops to prepare coffee according to the choice of customers, and people’s interest in using cafes as places of public interaction. Thus, Schultz started his own Coffee bar that allowed customers to decide the nature of the coffee to be made. Thus, in 1986, Schultz opened his coffee bar in Seattle in the name ‘Il Giornale’ and on the first day, they served 300 customers and precisely according to his observation, most of the customers came in the morning hours. Soon, he acquired the Starbucks’ name and operation. Thus, it is evident that the success of Starbucks was largely dependent on its success in identifying the opportunity and bringing into practice what they have envisioned. 2. The five forces according to Porter’s Five-force model are: a) potential entry of new competitors, b) potential development of substitute products, c) bargaining power of suppliers, d) rivalry among competing firms, and e) bargaining power of consumers. When the first force is considered, the biggest threat comes from McDonalds’ McCafe as it is easy for McDonald to add coffee services to their existing retail services. As per reports, the income from McCafe is 15% higher than the income from a regular McDonald and presently, it is the largest in Australia and New Zealand. In addition, Starbucks has something to worry as it has not started providing canned or bottled coffee; and it is clear that one who wants to save time and money will certainly go for canned or bottled coffee instead of the Starbucks mug (Strategic Management PMS 3393). When the third point is considered, one has to accept that Starbucks is victimized to this situation very often. In 2001, Starbucks was forced to buy coffee bean at a higher price as the suppliers raised the price. However, prior agreements on price will help the company overcome this problem. In machines and technology, the company will have to go for the total ownership of supplies. However, rivalry among competing firms is the most important one. Currently, there are about 14,000 coffee outlets in the US and there are many restaurants and supermarkets where coffee is cheaper than that of Starbucks. Some other important competitors are Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme followed by coffee brands like Tully’s and Pete’s Coffee. In addition, their non-coffee products are threatened by brands like Orange Julius and Jamba Juice (Starbucks: â€Å"The Non-Coffee Treat†). However, as far as Starbucks retains perfection and quality, these competitors will not raise any serious threat. The last point is the bargaining power of customers. It seems that customers bargain only when alternatives are available and hence, this will not create a threat to Starbucks. In addition, its huge popularity reduces the bargaining power of the public. In fact, the situation was totally different in the

The physical objects Essay Example for Free

The physical objects Essay What is the significance of the physical objects that Ibsen has used in Act-1?Amidst a beautiful rose garden, where the sunrays came beaming down, she was sitting as though she had been totally oblivious to the happening of the world. This is the way a novelist would elucidate such a situation, with the use of apt words and adjectives, using his language skill to express the emotions of the characters but drama involves a completely different approach, an entirely special technique of writing. A dramatist would probably have to delineate the same situation by the physical presence of the beautiful roses, the display of the beaming sunrays and with the actress having to emote the feeling of loneliness. And it is only then, that the audience would understand that in the beautiful rose garden, there is a girl feeling very lonely. In what you would call A Good Drama, the audience is challenged to look not only at the dialogue and actors, but is challenged to examine staging, lighting and even the furniture. Stage directions become cryptic messages of characterization. The dramatists portrayal is well supported by the physical presence of certain objects and the audiences dramatic interpretation goes beyond the traditional analysis of dialogue and relationships. This environmental thinking creates a new dimension of meaning in drama  It is this kind of interaction between the living and non-living characters which allow Henrik Ibsen to reveal emotion and motivation in his play Hedda Gabler. Ibsen gives detailed stage directions about the lighting, the props, and certain objects, to achieve his effects and to supplement his thoughts. Two of the most dramatically significant of these objects are the portrait of Heddas father and the pair of pistols. Each of these emphasizes the dissonant relationship between Hedda and her new environment. Though the portrait of Heddas father in a generals uniform is never directly referred to, it gives us an indication of Heddas military-aristocratic paternal background. The pistols were inherited by Hedda from her father. Her perplexing habit of aiming the pistols at people {Eilert} dramatizes the profound dissonance between herself and her present world, and her frustration with the emptiness of her life. It seems she can conceive of no future for herself other than a life of excruciating boredom. The way in which the portrait and the pistols figure in her world suggests that she is caught up in the repetition of her past rather than engaged in the creation of a future. This is because Hedda, a beautiful young lady was married to Tesman, an indefatigable scholar, both of them having hardly any evident similarities. Although there is no apparent reason for them to have got married one is coaxed into believing by Heddas attitude that Temans world seemed to offer her some sort of security. However she began to feel suffocate in the claustrophobically middle class atmosphere. An early indication of Heddas hostility to the world in which she finds herself is when, on an impulse, she speaks demeaning of a hat, which she knows to be Aunt Julies, {Tesmans aunt} but which she pretends to believe is the maids. That hat was newly and specially bought by Aunt Julie and was even considered attractive by Tesman but Hedda referred to it as old which proves to be a clear indication of the difference in the social classes from which Hedda and Tesman came. The mention by Aunt Julie of her parasol being hers and not the maid Bertas signifies that in spite of the demeaning behaviour of Hedda towards Aunt Julie, the aunt never reciprocated the same way. If Heddas character has been formed in a military-paternal setting, Tesman still lives in an atmosphere of motherly concern, brought up as he has been by a trio of self-sacrificing women Aunt Julie, Aunt Rina and Berta. Tesmans elation over his bedroom slippers, which were embroidered by Aunt Rina, and the fact that he even mentioned about them to Hedda on their honeymoon, is clearly proved by it. Differences between Hedda and Tesman are further indicated by the piano, which was placed in the drawing room. The piano does not fit in the drawing room, just as Hedda doesnt fit into the Tesman family and its middle-class lifestyle. George and Hedda make different assumptions about remedying the problem of the piano. George assumes they will trade it in for a new piano and is startled by Heddas extravagant assumption they will keep it and buy a new one. The entire drawing room itself is indicative of what kind of a mismatch Hedda was to Tesmans family. The room is like Hedda in its sophistication and elegance. It symbolizes Heddas lifestyle, rather than those of the Tesmans. Aunt Julie expressing surprise at Hedda having the covers of the furniture removed further reflects this. This reminds us of the saying that one mans luxury might be anothers necessity. Also the reactions of the characters to the lighting and the position of the glass door are of some significance. While aunt Julie wants the glass door open to welcome the morning fresh air, Hedda refers to it as the flood of sunlight. She however prefers to draw the curtains so that the light becomes softer and does not want the light to go away completely. Light often represents life and aliveness and thus aunt Julies welcoming of the morning light epitomizes her optimistic attitude towards life and her positive thinking. Darkness usually symbolizes danger or vice but Heddas want of soft light and not complete darkness gives us signs of her mysterious past. It shows us that although Hedda was interested in all the mysteries and adventures of life, she preferred to keep a sufficient distance from all those things, which would disturb or disrupt her lifes stability. In this way Ibsen uses the glass door to indicate their varying attitudes towards life. Heddas emptiness of life is further illustrated by her distastefulness towards the flowers and her finding the flowers somewhat stifling. Flowers usually are a mark of happiness and hope and often symbolize a new freshness of life. But Heddas views about the flowers are somewhat opposite.  Thus Ibsen has skillfully used various physical objects to reflect essential characteristics of the relations between the characters and to personify his characters. His detailed stage direction reminds us of what, owner of Prithvi theatre, Mumbai had said, Stage direction is an integral part of every drama. Without the props appropriately placed on stage, the play, however brilliant it may be, appears like a body without a soul, a tear without an emotion and love without a heart.

Covenants Essay -- Essays Papers

Covenants The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:1-3) According to J.I. Packer, "Covenants are solemn agreements, negotiated or unilaterally imposed, that bind the parties to each other in permanent defined relationships, with specific promises, claims, and obligations on both sides." There are essentially two types of covenants in Scripture: a covenant of works and a covenant of grace. A covenant of works does not offer salvation and will result in the spiritual death of those who trusts their ability to fulfill their part of the covenant. The reason for this is because the covenant is annulled if either party fails to perfectly fulfill the conditions of the covenant. On the other hand, the covenant of grace is established upon a relationship that God maintains with those whom He has chosen. This covenant has characteristics that are considered unilateral or hierarchical. That is, such a covenant is mutually binding between the Sovereign and His chosen people, even though its implementation is entirely one sided. An example is the case of Noah. God's sovereignty is evident in His establishment of who was to be saved from the flood by means of the ark (He even decided the means whereby mankind was saved from eternal destruction through His Son Jesus Christ). Furthermore, God determined who should be saved, specifically, Noah, his sons and their wives. God himself administered the covenant, thus... ...ligations, promises, and oaths. When someone enters into a covenant it is implicate that they will fulfill their obligations. From this it is obvious why a covenant is necessary in our relationship with God. God is under no authority but His own, he has no one to call him to account for what he does other than his own standards or righteousness. He has no obligation to anyone; he is completely independent of his creation, his creatures, and of Mankind. How do we know that he will keep his word? How can we be sure that in the end he will not deceive us? The only basis for our hope is that God has bound himself in a covenantal agreement with his people. He has more than promised, or given us his word; rather he has entered into a sacred contract, upon the penalty of death. It is precisely for this reason that we may be assured that He will fulfill all that He has said.

Exploring the use of ICT in Early Childhood Education in New Zealand Essay

In New Zealand, education styles have been like fashions that revive. Education system has changed a lot. The old system came back into use with some modifications to suit the current situation. In New Zealand, a school base curriculum development (SBCD) is one of the learning systems used in 1980s and 1990s. The system was dropped and later reused with the renewed interests implemented. According to Bolstad (2004), the system reflected the current situation integrating all the educational needs according to the researches done. SBCD was believed to give an opportunity for schools to use new technology and ideas amongst other things. Literature Review For over a decade now, there has been a lot of emphasis on introduction of information communication technology in schools. Introduction of technology in schools was thought of as a way of improving on teaching methods hence enhance the way of thinking and understanding of learners. To make it efficient, the curriculum had to be flexible to allow for changes in the future. ICT use in some schools has not been productive. The current situations calls for innovative people and knowledge based activities to restore New Zealand’s social and economic goals (Bolstad, 2004). According to Studies, New Zealand has registered an increase in the need for early childhood education. This calls for an increased number of trained teachers to provide the early childhood education. In addition the New Zealand government has implemented a strategy that runs for ten years to help promote early childhood education. The country has developed a culture that promotes early childhood education to children as the future of the nation (Arataki, 2002).   According to Arataki (2002), New Zealand will have realized their vision. All registered teachers in Early Childhood institutions will have undergone diploma training in Early Childhood Education. The quality of education that a child has depends on the teacher’s knowledge, skills and attitudes. The quality of education and personality of a teacher will affect the child much. At this age the teacher are encouraged to use cognitive teaching aids to incorporate the educational and care procedures to the children. With the implementation of Information Communication Technology in Early Childhood Education, the teachers should also have trained on information technology issues. Research in New Zealand the Early Childhood Education is home based. The home based institutions are under government control and hence get assessed frequently to ensure quality services to the children. There are places where learning has been enriched. Computers have been used in classes to demonstrate processes for the children. This builds on their way of thinking and they grow up in a different way of thinking. ICT enhance development of children from all perspectives. The in formation provided in school can be written in DVDs and used later at home. This will make both the parents and the teachers to have a shared responsibility in teaching the child (Ministry of Education, 2008). There is evidence that New Zealand Ministry of Education (2008) has adopted an ICT system to be used in Early Childhood Education. The main aim of developing the ICT system was to promote remote access, group work, network and resource sharing using a computer. This was meant to promote learning between young people in groups especially the early childhood children. The ICT system was to support any child applications to enhance the services given by their educators or teachers. The system had to be accessible through out the learning time to ensure all children and their teachers have reliable access to the required services.   There is a data management system used to filter traffic and this has been used to ensure all the mails received through the network are free from any threat. This has made the system appropriate for storing learning materials hence no need of buying or carrying them. Computer and internet access has served both the parents and teachers the cost of buying such learning materials to ensure quality services to the children. In addition it a stress free way of educating the children. These children gets to learn a lot making them get more prepared for the future (Ministry of Education, 2008). Studies show that there are computer based centers or libraries where children can be taken to get such services. In New Zealand, the home based early childhood centers have achieved this very easily. The programs have been made in to video tape or DVD players and watched in televisions at homes. This is encouraging to a child since they will find it as easy as watching the TV programs or playing games in their play stations. The programs encourage s both the learners and the trainers’ participation (Ministry of Education, 2008). Latest research show that early Childhood Education requires cognitive teaching aids. By using technology, the children will get access to many materials that can be used to help them relate what they have learnt to life experiences. It is also advantageous to the parents in that their children can easily access trainings form anywhere (Ministry of Education, 2008). With the computers and a reliable network access, these children can now access such services at home. This saves the parents from looking for good schools for their children. The children’s progress records can be accessed over the internet.   According to latest reports from Ministry of Education (2008), New Zealand ICT has formed the foundation of Early Childhood Education. This called for multimedia network service provider. The New Zealand government has introduced ICT use in their curriculum that has enhanced Early Childhood Education in this nation. Internet access use has enhanced communication between parents and the teachers. It has also engaged the parents in providing such services hence quality childhood care is assured amongst children in New Zealand. The web based learning materials is an added opportunity for the children.   Currently, the web has made the children get access to a well developed and managed learning process (Ministry of Education, 2008). This has expanded the child’s area of interest and has provided a new dimension to their learning capabilities. Teachers can take advantage of internet to provide a wide range of teaching resources or aids to the children hence an added opportunity to develop him/ her self professionally.   According to Ministry of Education (2008), a standard has been formed to ensure the ICT usage in Early Childhood Education is universally applicable in all communities. This ensures quality services that are accessible anywhere all over the world. The standards also assure the teachers if the easy maintainability requirements of the ICT systems.   Standardization will also make it easy for the trainers to be able to have the required qualifications to operate any such systems. The systems should be highly reliable to promote the learners and others users confidence. Studies have shown that the introduction of computers in schools has been cost effective. It has reduced the paper work involved in keeping records especially in the Early Childhood centers. With the little children it is a times very hard to help them take care of their property. By using computer systems, record keeping has been improved. Computers provide very convenient and secure data storages. Information collected and stored in the computers can be easily shared or transferred through the internet or using the portable data storage devices like CDs or flash disks (Ministry of Education, 2008). The ICT system is well protected physically. A firewall has been built and antivirus software installed to ensures data security. The system has been protected from any internal and external attacks. This makes it the best for the Early Childhood Education services (Ministry of Education, 2008). The student details will be safe, easily managed hence reduced workload for the teachers in maintaining orderliness. Latest studies show that data recovery systems have been used to help recover user data in case of any disaster. The auto-recovery system is good for the children (Ministry of Education, 2008). At their age they can easily tamper with the information in the computers hence to help track down their progress. At this age also, the children may tend to be very care less with their work or they just don’t feel interested in learning. This is an alternative way to engage all of them. Through using computers and every child’s work can be saves, this provides an easier way of monitoring the child’s work.   Teachers can make it to manage more than one or a big class remotely using networked computers. This an added advantage to both the teachers and the children. Every child will be able to receive the teacher’s attention or facilitate communication between the learner and the teacher (Ministry of Education, 2008). With the technology enhancements, the network is sound enabled with web cameras and UVC (USB Video Class) to allow for video chats sessions (Ministry of Education, 2008). This provides an easier way to teach the children. They will be listening and watching the actions and hence learn form them. Conclusion. From this study I would conclude that Information communication technology (ICT) has contributed a lot to the Early Childhood Education in the New Zealand (Ministry of education, 2008). Children have been introduced to computers at such a tender age and this will be a greater future for this nation. The children will be more creative and innovative to learn and use technology. This will enhance their productivity to the nation hence improve their economy. Technology use is cost effective, efficient and proves production quality. The New Zealand has invested much on their children as the future generation of the nation. In New Zealand all the teachers providing to Early Childhood Education are therefore expected to attend the right trains to ensure quality education to the children. The success of ICT system in ECE in New Zealand is as a result of these teachers. It is therefore appropriate for all teachers to be computer literate to benefit from introduction of technology use in our learning institutions. As a matter of fact, the children tend to emulate their teachers (Arataki, 2002) and so the teachers should be the first to understand well the technological advances. If the teachers are up to date with the technology applications then the children are assured of a continuous improvement on the quality of education they get from the teacher.   The New Zealand government should therefore ensure the teachers go for trainings occasionally to up date their experience or knowledge on technology applications. The New Zealand’s 2012 vision on Early Childhood Education is achievable. Reference: Arataki, N.H. 2002, Ministry of Education. Pathways to the future: A10 year strategic plan for early childhood education. Wellington: Learning Media. Bolstad, R. 2004. School-based curriculum development: principles, processes, and

Picture Archiving and Communication System Essay

The Picture Archival and Communication System (PACS) is a system that permits several types of imaging including CT, MRI, plain X-rays, etc, to be captured, stored and transmitted electronically (using a computer). This would enable convenience for the doctors and other healthcare professionals in accessing and evaluating the images. Films have been used in medicine for more than 100 years. By using PACS, there is a great chance that the entire process of imaging would go from film to film-free, encouraging greater convenience and flexibility in accessing, storage, transmission and retrieval of the X-ray images (NHS, 2009). When PACS was initially developed (early 1980’s), all images including X-rays, CT scans and MRI scans were shot on films and then converted to images by taking frame-grabbed snapshots. Although technology was able to obtain snapshots of the CT and MRI scans on the computer, they were still converted to film and photographed, as plain X-rays had to be film-processed and then photographed. Once photographed, the images could be stored in the forms of files and folders on the computer system and shared over the LAN network. During the early 1990’s, there was also a chance of sharing radiographic images over an external network or with a dedicated gateway. During the 1990’s, the network connections were very slow and the images needed a greater bandwidth for effective transmission of images. Hence many of the PACS systems had failed to prevent digital transmission of information over a network of hospitals. The Hammersmith Hospital in London and the Sozialmedizinisches Zentrum Ost in Vienna were the first hospitals in the Europe to employ the PACS system in the early 1990’s (Inchingol, 2001). Today, automatic capturing methods can be used with PACS (first captured images) and this has replaced conventional imaging techniques with digital ones. Certain protocols have been developed by several organizations including the DICOM standards (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine and the TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). Effectively, these two standards are utilized in managing the storage, input, retrieval and transmission of images. These protocols have been extended to use for laboratory and other healthcare settings which transmission of medical reports has been essential. Hospitals would play a major role in the management of the clinical data associated with the PACS system. DICOM is also ensuring that the end-users have greater conveniences in using the PACS system rather than creating greater problems and making issues more difficult. Another system known as Data and Picture Archiving and Communication System (DPACS) which was initiated by a university in Italy helps in several aspects including retrieval of images and remote consultation with specialists, transmission of information, etc. This system is superior and is capable of being used with other EMR tools. Several imaging machinery, hardware and software systems are based on DICOM. Newer management systems are effectively trying to integrate several components of the EMR with the PACS and develop a very strong integrated system. There are rapid changes in technology and the PACS systems have to stay abreast of the use of such technology. In the year 2000, only 5% of the hospitals in the US had a PACS system, which increased to 20 to 40 % in 2003 and 2004. PACS helps in the management of sensitive radiological data, and hence is very critical in handling the patients in various clinical setups (Inchingol, 2001). The use of a PACS system in a hospital may be initially very costly for the hospital, but in the long-run, there is set to be an advantage has PACS can help lower costs and provide several benefits in terms of quality standards, flexibility and the ease in transferring information to other hospitals. Some of the advantages of the PACS system include:- †¢ Images can be transferred anywhere over the network (or internet) and hence consultation with specialists can be organized across the world †¢ In the future, there would be several benefits as costs would come down, support would improve, standards would be more easily followed, technical innovations would be developed, etc †¢ PACS can be utilized across various setting including cardiology, oncology, surgery, nuclear medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery, community medicine, etc. These specialists may require individual specialized images to be taken and used over the PACS. †¢ PACS promises to be a reliable and safe system †¢ Greater integration of the PACS with other systems such as the EMR, LIS, etc, to form what is known as the virtually integrated electronic patient record (VIEPR). In the early 1990’s, the implementation of a PACS system was very costly for the hospital. Some of the elements of the purchase of such a system included hardware, software, development of a network, infrastructure, support systems, etc. Initially, as PACS was newer technology, a hospital had to spend several millions on purchasing such a system. There was an even higher expenditure on running and maintaining such a system and the usage of electricity, and support staff. However, with time, technology of PACS became even cheaper, and there were several benefits noted including decrease in the number of lost images, reduced exposure to X-rays, higher quality of images, reduction in errors whilst observing the X-ray, etc (Bryan S, 1998). There is also a reduced need to use films, which helps reduce the costs of X-rays for the patient. However, it is important to note than although PCAS would ensure a film-free setup, there may be several situations in which films would also be required (Inchingol, 2001). The PCAS can be integrated with several systems including the radiology information system, HIS, VIEPR, etc. The vendors of all these systems should ensure greater amount of integration so that the functional efficiency would be able to be improved (Inchingol, 2001). Overall the PCAS has been implemented in several hospitals over the world and huge benefits are obtained in terms of reduction in costs, effectiveness, quality and access of healthcare, etc. Initially an organization may find it costly to implement such a system. However, in the long-run, there would be immense benefits and organizations would be able to recover the costs. Vendors also need to improve the integration of PCAS with other systems. Bibliography Bryan S, W. G. (1998). Costs and benefits of hospital-wide picture archive and communications systems (PACS): results from the evaluation of Hammersmith Hospital. Annu Meet Int Soc Technol Assess Health Care Int Soc Technol Assess Health Care Meet , 14: 84. http://gateway. nlm. nih. gov/MeetingAbstracts/ma? f=102237049. html Inchingol, P. (2001). Picture Archiving and Communications Systems in Today’s Healthcare. B u s i n e s s b r i e f i n g : n e x t – g e n e r a t i o n h e a l t h c a r e. http://www. wma. net/e/publications/pdf/2000/inchingolo. pdf NHS. (2009). Learn more about PACS. Retrieved February 24, 2009, from Connecting for Health NHS: http://www. connectingforhealth. nhs. uk/systemsandservices/pacs/learn

Earn an Ivy League Degree Online

Earn an Ivy League Degree Online Almost all of the eight ivy league universities offer some form of online courses, certificates, or degree programs. Find out how you can get a top-notch online education from Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, UPenn, or Yale. Brown Brown offers two blended (online plus face-to-face) degree programs. The  IE-Brown Executive MBA program  offers professionals the chance to get a global education over a 15-month period. MBA students work together online and have five week-long sessions in person. The in-person meetings are in Madrid, Spain; Brown University in Providence, United States; and Cape Town, Africa. The Executive Master of Healthcare Leadership degree is an accelerated program for healthcare professionals. The 16-month program requires online students to meet on campus between the start and end of each term – four times total. Brown also offers online pre-college courses for advanced learners in grades 9-12. Subjects such as â€Å"So, You Want to be a Doctor?† and â€Å"Writing for College and Beyond,† prepare students for their upcoming college experience. Columbia Through the Teacher’s College, Columbia offers online certificates in â€Å"Cognition and Technology,† â€Å"Designing Interactive Multimedia Instruction,† and â€Å"Teaching and Learning with Technology.† Students can also enroll in one of two fully online education Masters degrees. The Computing in Education M.A. helps educational professionals prepare to work with technology in schools. The Diabetes Education and Management M.S. prepares health care workers to educate and advocate for improved understanding about diabetes. The Columbia Video Network enables students to earn advanced engineering degrees from home. Virtual students have no residency requirements and have the same access to their professors as traditional students. Degrees available online include M.S. in Computer Science, M.S. in Electrical Engineering, M.S. in Engineering and Management Systems, M.S. in Materials Science, M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, P.D. in Computer Science, P.D. in Electrical Engineering, P.D. in Mechanical Engineering. Students may also take individual online courses in medicine and religion through Columbia’s online programs. Cornell Through the  eCornell program, students can take individual courses and earn certificates completely online. Multi-course certificate programs are available in fields such as Finance and Managerial Accounting, Healthcare, Hospitality and Food Services Management, Human Resources Management, Leadership and Strategic Management, Management Essentials, Marketing, Sales Leadership, Product Leadership and Systems Design, and Plant-Based Nutrition. eCornell courses are designed and taught by Cornell faculty. They have set start and end dates, but are taught asynchronously. Courses and certificates offer students continuing education credits. Dartmouth Dartmouth College has a very limited number of online options. Students can earn The Dartmouth Institute (TDI) Certificate in The Fundamentals of Value-Based Healthcare by completing six online courses. The courses are generally not available for those outside of the certificate program. Health professionals are required to view a limited number of one-hour live streaming sessions, which are usually conducted on Wednesdays. Presenters lecture on topics such as Health Care Finance, Shared Decision Making in Patient-Centered Care, Health Care Informatics, and Understanding the Implications of Variation. Harvard Through the Harvard Extension School, students can take individual online courses, earn certificates, or even earn a degree. The  Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree program allows students to earn an undergraduate degree with the guidance of top-notch professors. Potential students â€Å"earn their way in† by earning a grade of B or higher in three introductory courses. Students must complete four courses on campus, but the rest of the degree can be completed through online options. Degree candidates have access to a variety of Harvard resources including internships, seminars, and research assistance. The Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies in the  field of finance or general management degree can be earned by taking 12 courses. Four of these courses must be traditional or blended courses. For distance learning students, blended courses can be taken by traveling to campus for one-weekend session per course. Additional blended Masters programs are available in Psychology, Anthropology, Biology, English, and more. Most require some evening courses on campus. Graduate certificates can be earned fully online and enrollment is open (no application required). Harvard Extension certificates can be earned in the fields of management, sustainability and environmental management, science and information technology, and social sciences. Notable certificates include Business Communication, Cybersecurity, Nonprofit Management, Marketing Management, Green Building and Sustainability, Data Science, Nanotechnology, Legal Studies, and  Software Engineering. Princeton Sorry, online learners. Princeton isn’t offering any courses or degree programs completely online at this time. UPenn While the University of Pennsylvania doesn’t offer any fully online degrees or certificates, the Penn Online Learning Initiative allows students to take  individual courses. Online courses are offered in Arts and Sciences, Executive Education, Nursing, Dentistry, and also English Language Test Preparation. Generally, students interested in these courses will need to apply to the university as a visiting student. Yale Every year, Yale students enroll in virtual courses through Yale Summer Online. Current students or graduates from other colleges are also invited to enroll in these for-credit courses. The course sessions are five-weeks long, and students are required to participate in a weekly live video group meeting with faculty. Some of the class offerings include: Abnormal Psychology, Econometrics and Data Analysis I, Milton, Modern American Drama and Moralities of Everyday Life.

Ultimate Guide to the University of California Schools

Ultimate Guide to the University of California Schools SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The University of California schools are widely regarded as some of the best public universities in the nation. Because I have provided college counseling to hundreds of students in California and chaperoned college visits to UC campuses, I’m very familiar with these colleges and know people who have attended each of the nine UC schools that offer undergraduate education. In this article, I will describe the UC system, profile each of the University of California colleges, and explain how to choose which UC school to attend. About the UC System There arenine UC schools that offer both undergraduate and graduate education.UC San Francisco is only a graduate and professional school.The nine UC colleges are UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, UC Irvine,UC Davis,UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside, and UC Merced. The UC schools are large public research universities, and they are generally considered to be some of the best public universities in the country.The UC system has more than 238,000 students and more than 190,000 faculty and staff. Most of the UC schools are big and have over 20,000 undergraduate students. UC Merced, which opened in 2005, is the newest of the UC campuses and has the smallest enrollment. It has around 7,000 undergraduates. UCLA, which has the largest undergraduate enrollment, has over 30,000. The UCs are governed by The Regents of the University of California, a 26-member board established under the California Constitution.While each school is unique and has its own personality, the University of Californiaschools offer many of the same benefits and possible disadvantages.As parts of the UC system, they’re all well-regarded, selective, research-oriented colleges. They're generally strong in STEM, the humanities, and the social sciences. Also, UC studentstend to be diverse and accepting of diversity, although African-Americans and Latinos are underrepresented at most of the UC campuses. Many of the complaints about the University of California colleges are typical of complaints about large public universities. Class sizes can be very large, and some students have difficulty navigating the bureaucracy. Students can have trouble registering, getting into the classes they need, and dealing with financial aid.While the in-state tuition for California residents is significantly lower than tuition at private colleges, many students claim that there is not a lot of financial aid available for middle-class students, and tuition costs continue to rise. Comparing the UC Schools by the Numbers I created a table comparing the undergraduate enrollments, average standardized test scores, and acceptance rates for each of the UC campuses. Take a look at the table to get an idea of the size and selectivity of each UC institution. School Number of Undergraduates Middle 50% SAT Score Middle 50% ACT Score Acceptance Rate UC Berkeley 30,574 1340-1530 29-35 15.1% UCLA 31,002 1240-1490 27-33 16.1% UC San Diego 28,587 1250-1470 29-34 36% UC Santa Barbara 22,186 1240-1470 26-32 32% UC Davis 30,145 1120-1360 25-31 43.5% UC Irvine 29,307 1170-1410 24-30 36.5% UC Santa Cruz 17,577 1160-1370 24-30 51.4% UC Riverside 20,069 1090-1300 23-29 57.2% UC Merced 7,375 1020-1230 18-23 69.1% Ranking the UC Schools While rankings are somewhat subjective, based on reputation and objective statistics, I’vesortedthe UC schools into four tiers. The first tier is UC Berkeley and UCLA.They’re the most selective and generally the most well-regarded of the UC schools. Non-UC colleges that would be in this tier includeUniversity of Notre Dame, Georgetown University, USC, and the University of Virginia. The second tier is UCSB, UCSD, UC Davis, and UC Irvine.Their US News and Forbes rankings, average GPAs, average standardized test scores, and admission rates are all very similar. It would be difficult to definitively rank one ahead of the others. Non-UC colleges that would be in this tier include Boston University, Tulane University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and University of Wisconsin-Madison. The third tier is UC Santa Cruz and UC Riverside.UC Santa Cruz probably has a better reputation and is ranked higher by various publications, but these two school'sacceptance rates and average standardized test scores are similar. Non-UC colleges in this tier would be University of Colorado-Boulder, University of San Diego, Florida State University, and University of San Francisco. The fourth tier is UC Merced. UC Mercedis not necessarily trying to directly compete with the other UC campuses. It’s the newest of the UC campuses and has a significantly smaller enrollment than all the others. It also has the highest percentage of underrepresented minorities and low-income students of all of the UCs. It’s heavily invested in providing access to education to students in the San Joaquin Valley of California and offering a UC education to more California residents. I created a table with my rankings of the UC schools. Also, I included their US News rankings for National Universities and their overall Forbes rankings.Basically, I just averaged the US News and Forbes rankings to determine my own. School US News Ranking ForbesRanking 1. UC Berkeley 22 14 2. UCLA 19 46 3. UCSB 30 85 4. UCSD 41 81 5. UC Davis 38 94 6. UC Irvine 33 96 7. UC Santa Cruz 70 185 8. UC Riverside 85 204 9. UC Merced 136 unranked UC Berkeley (Berkeley Lab/flickr) Profiles of EachUC School In many respects, there are more similarities between the UC schools than there are differences.They’re all selective, research-oriented schools that share the same governing board. They have diverse student bodies, emphasize sustainability and environmentalism, and they offer many on-campus opportunities for student involvement. However, I think the primary differences between the schools are related to their locations and campus cultures.I’ll give brief descriptions of each school’s location and some information about what makes each school unique compared to the other UCs.I’ve been to every UC campus except Merced, but I have been in the Merced area. Also, I have friends and former students who have attended each UC. My assessments are based on my campus visits, information from the school websites, the opinions of friends and former students who attended these schools, and published student reviews. After my assessments, I used quotes from current and former students for each college from Niche,a website that provides reviews, rankings, and statistics about neighborhoods and schools.I tried to include both pros and cons that revealed how students feel about their experience at the school and were representative of many of the comments that I read. UC Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley is located in Berkeley, 15 miles across the bay from San Francisco.Berkeley is a vibrant, unique college town.It’s affectionately known as â€Å"Bezerkeley† because of the eclectic students and history of radical political activism in the city. I've always enjoyed my trips to Berkeley because there seems to be so much going on both on and off campus.At UC Berkeley, in one evening, you can attend a cultural event, join a political rally, go to a frat party, and top the night off with some good, cheap eats at Blondie’s or Top Dog. UC Berkeley is the oldest of the UCs and is known for its academically gifted students and renowned faculty.Berkeley was ranked the #1 public national university by US News for 19 straight years (losing out to UCLA for 2019). Also, in 2012, Berkeley started a scholarship fund for undocumented students. Student Reviews Here's what students have to say about UC Berkeley: Pros: In general, students rave about the campus and the school’s location close to the Bay Area. It gives them lots of opportunities for social opportunities as well as internships and networking connections. One student says, â€Å"There is so much to do and see in the area - I'm constantly visiting SF or going on fun trips.† Students also praise the quality of the classes they take (even if they’re challenging) and the intelligence and motivation of their fellow classmates. One student said, â€Å"Amazing faculty, the smartest students. Many classes push everyone to their limits even if the topic seems somewhat easy.† Another mentioned, â€Å"Berkeley was definitely the most challenging thing I've encountered in my life so far. But the hard work and stress made me stronger.† Cons: A major drawback that many students mentioned is the prevalence of crime in the area. â€Å"The biggest issue is the amount of crime.†Another says, â€Å"There are robberies and sexual harassments [sic] around or even on campus every day.† Students also mention lack of diversity as an issue, although the school is working on improving the problem. One student stated, â€Å"As a student of color, it is hard to go from Los Angeles to Berkeley especially when there is no one to relate to there.† As a large public university, Berkeley also doesn’t have the ability to routinely check keep tabs on all students, and a common refrain was that students at Berkeley need to know how to do things on their own. â€Å"I felt like students were on their own. No one really held your hand through anything. You had to make all by yourself.† UCLA UCLA is located in Westwood, a very nice area of West Los Angeles. Also, UCLA isthe only UC in a big city. However, Westwood has a number of restaurants, bars, and off-campus apartments for students that give it a college town feel within a city. At UCLA, 96% of freshmen live on campus, which contributes to alively on-campus culture.UCLA is a very spirited school. Even though many of the UCs excel in different sports, UC Berkeley and UCLA have the biggest fan bases and are the only UCs with FBS football programs.I’ve been to many basketball and football games at UCLA. The student body and alumni love their Bruins, and UCLA has more NCAA championships than any other college in the country. Furthermore, there are 13 Nobel Prize winners among the faculty, and this year UCLA was ranked #1 in Top Public Schools by US News. Student Reviews Here's what students have to say about UCLA: Pros: Academics get high marks at UCLA. Most students are very happy with their professors and the quality of the classes they’re taking. â€Å"All my professors are super helpful and have extended office hours the week before midterms and finals. There are many research opportunities and internships open every quarter.† Beyond the classroom, students also feel that UCLA provides numerous activities for students to get involved in, and its location in Los Angeles means there are many additional opportunities nearby. â€Å"Being in Los Angeles there is everything you need to get a head start on your career with volunteer, student organizations and internships in most fields.† Students also praise the friendliness of their classmates and how easy it is to make friends at UCLA. â€Å"The social scene is great and you're bound to meet people who you can click with.† â€Å"There are plenty of clubs to allow students to develop their interests.† As a bonus, many students particularly loved the food offerings at UCLA. â€Å"The food is the best in the nation, and I can honestly vouch for the quality of it. There is tons of variety and there are also many healthy options.† Cons: Although UCLA’s large size allows it to provide lots of opportunities for students, some feel that attending such a large school has drawbacks because there are a lot of people to compete with, and it can be difficult to find the resources you need. One student said, â€Å"A thing that I do not like about UCLA is the fact that class enrollment is a very stressful process as most of the time you will not be able to get popular classes as there are so many students who want the same time and same lecture class as you. With such a big school, it is kind of hard to make really close friends as schedules are vastly different.† Another mentioned, â€Å"The only issue is that due to the largeness of the student body population, some resources are hard to access like counselors for instance.† The high cost of tuition and living expenses is also a drawback for some students. â€Å"I find UCLA to be a bit on the expensive side, particularly for those who live on-campus.† UCLA(Prayitno/flickr) UCSB UCSB is located in Isla Vista, a beach town about an hour and a half north of Los Angeles.The school is literally steps from the Pacific Ocean, and even though it’s an academically rigorous institution, the laid back beach vibe permeates the UCSB culture. UCSB also has garnered a reputation as a party school, even though not all of the students participate in the party scene. However, UCSB still maintains an excellent academic reputation. In its 2013 rankings of the world’s top 500 universities, Leiden University ranked UCSB #2 in terms of impact in the sciences. Also, the Koegel Autism Center at UCSB’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education has been recognized by the National Research Council as one of the top 10 state-of-the-art treatment centers for autism in the US. Student Reviews Here's what students have to say about UCSB: Pros: Students love UCSB’s campus and its location in Santa Barbara. One student who praised the school ended by saying, â€Å"It also doesn't hurt that the campus is stunning and you can study right on the beach!† Social butterflies mentioned that it’s easy to find parties here, but students who don’t like partying still enjoy themselves and the social atmosphere at UCSB. One student said, â€Å"The social scene is always full of excitement and things to do,† while another mentioned that, â€Å"Everyone thinks UCSB is a huge party school, but I actually haven't been to one party there and I don't feel pressured to go to any.† Cons: Many students praised the academics at UCSB, but others weren’t completely satisfied with their classes there, especially intro classes. â€Å"As a chemistry major, the average class size for my major-related classes are easily in the 100s. There are some professors that are able to teach us complex topics; however, the general consensus is self-study.† â€Å"Class sizes are larger, and certain classes are difficult to get into.† Students also mention that the dorms are pretty small and somewhat dated. â€Å"Most of the dorms are triple occupancy and the only dorms that offer double occupancy is either too small or a mile away from campus. In addition, the cost of living on campus is on the expensive side.† Want to build the best possible college application for UC schools? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Ryosuke Yagi/Flickr UCSD UCSD is located in La Jolla, an affluent community in the northern part of San Diego.La Jolla is an extremely nice area and has an average daily temperature of 70.5 degrees. UCSD is also very close to the Pacific Ocean. It's home to the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, one of the first centers dedicated to ocean, earth, and atmospheric science research and education. The school is organized into six residential colleges that help give it a smaller college feel within a large university. The journal Nature ranked UCSD first in the US in earth and environmental research.It’s also top among all UCs in terms of total active inventions and total US patents. UCSD is known for having a less energetic and involved on-campus culture compared to other UCs like UCSB, UCLA, or Berkeley. However, I have friends who were part of Greek life and actively involved in extracurricular activities at UCSD, and they thoroughly enjoyed their UCSD experience. Student Reviews Here's what students have to say about UCSD: Pros: Students had many positive things to say about the academics at UCSD. â€Å"The professors really know their stuff, and the ones I have had are so full of information! They want you to learn material from their class, and their lectures are so passionate and interesting!† Another student stated that â€Å"The academics at the school were excellent because there are very interesting classes and the students here are serious and you can tell they very much value their education.† Students particularly praised STEM classes and research being done at the school. â€Å"I love how engaged this institution is with research; they conduct amazing studies for the department of psychology and cognitive science. Really allows students to get involved and think critically of how behavior and attitude are tied in with our mind.† Cons: The major drawback to UCSD that most students mentioned is the lack of a party scene. â€Å"It is very socially dead unless you have the friends and the people that aren't dead.† However, other students find that there are plenty of social opportunities, especially if you look beyond parties. â€Å"Just because UCSD holds the reputation of no parties does not make the school socially dead, there are other ways people can socialize! There are campus events for everyone in any college and there are events that are specific to each individual college.† Another drawback is the large and sprawling campus. â€Å"Biggest downside is that the campus is HUGE, getting to back to back classes is difficult. This means you often have to do a lot of walking, and it can make the school feel like less of a community because everything is so spread out." UCSD (SD Dirk/Flickr) UC Davis UC Davis is located in Davis, a rural townin Northern California.Davis is 11 miles from Sacramento and 70 miles from San Francisco. The town of Davis is known for its friendly community and small town feel.Many of the UC Davis students seem to appreciate that the campus is surrounded by nature. According to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016, UC Davis is rankedfirstin veterinary medicine in the world. Because the campus is somewhat secluded, the on-campus culture at UC Davis is pretty active. It’s not known for being as wild as UCSB or Berkeley, but students seem to be more involved and social on campus than students at UCSD, UC Irvine, or UC Riverside. Student Reviews Here's what students have to say about UC Davis: Pros: UC Davis’s small and peaceful campus, surrounded by nature, is a draw for many students. â€Å"The campus is extremely beautiful, there is so much agriculture and life surrounding it that I never feel as though I'm not at home.† The school is also known for high-quality research, particularly in the sciences, which students can get involved in. â€Å"The school offers many research opportunities for students in the field of biological sciences.† Additionally, many students also feel that the campus has a very tight-knit community where everyone is friendly and welcoming. â€Å"It is the perfect college town and everyone is very friendly.† â€Å"The people here are super nice! I can talk to virtually everyone about anything.† Cons: Students who aren’t used to or don’t enjoy rural life often have difficulties with UC Davis’ small town setting. â€Å"Many say that the smell of cows is overwhelming.† UC Davis is also primarily a bike campus which can be difficult if you’re used to driving and having your car nearby. "You absolutely need to have a bike here, and there are many paths specifically for bike use." UC Davis (Ivan Kozik/Flickr) UC Irvine UC Irvine is located in Irvine, an affluent city in Orange County, California.Irvine is consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in the US and has some of the best public schools. According to US News, among specific undergraduate programs, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering ranked43rd among engineering schools whose highest degree is a doctorate. Furthermore, in US News's most recent rankings of graduate programs and specialties, UCI's literary criticism and theory, criminology, and organic chemistry eachranked in the top 10 in the country. The city of Irvine is not known for being the most exciting place, and the UC Irvine campus is also on the quiet side. The people I know who had the most fun at UCI were outgoing and involved with on-campus activities. Student Reviews Here's what students had to say about UC Irvine: Pros: Students at UC Irvine frequently mention how supportive the school community is, particularly professors who go out of their way to help students succeed. â€Å"The students, faculty, and staff are very welcoming and very eager to discover who and what they want to be.† â€Å"Professors are really helpful and try to give as much help as they can.† Many students also feel that UC Irvine gives them lots of opportunities to get hands-on experience outside of the classroom. â€Å"The school offers a lot of research opportunities and a chance to gain experience.† Another student mentioned that â€Å"There are a lot of chances to get an internship because there are many companies near school.† Cons: Some students struggle with how quiet the UC Irvine social scene is. â€Å"There is a very limited party scene that is dominated by Greek life.† â€Å"I would like to see the school stop being a commuter school as on the weekends it is very boring.† However, others mentioned that there are lots of clubs to join and the school is working on providing more. UC Irvine (UCI UC Irvine/Flickr) UC Santa Cruz UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, a coastal city about 32 miles south of San Jose and 75 miles south of San Francisco.Santa Cruz is known for its coastline, redwood forests, and being socially liberal. The biggest tourist attraction in the area is probably the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The campus of UC Santa Cruz is in the forest, and the students have a reputation for being a tad on the hippie side.PETA2, the young adult division of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, rated UC Santa Cruz as the #1 most vegan-friendly college in 2011.Approximately 25 percent of produce served in dining halls is organic, with much of it coming from local providers, such as the Farm and Garden run by UCSC’s Center for Agroecology Sustainable Food Systems. In 2014, Bestcolleges.com ranked UCSC #1 in the nation among top 50 colleges for Hispanic students.My friends who attended UC Santa Cruz speak highly of their undergraduate experience. Because it’s smaller than most of the other UCs, it seems to have more of a community feel, and it offers a social, progressive environment. Student Reviews Here's what students have to say about UC Santa Cruz: Pros: The academics at UC Santa Cruz get a lot of positive feedback, especially the supportive professors and small class sizes. â€Å"From my experience, the majority of the classes are very small and very individually oriented comparative to other universities, and you will never be hard pressed to find help if you need it.† Students love UC Santa Cruz’s campus, and they feel like being surrounded by nature makes going to class and studying more enjoyable. â€Å"The campus is most literally placed in the middle of a forest. It has a great college town with the boardwalk/beach, great food, and a great little town.† â€Å"Honestly, this campus is probably the most beautiful campus I've ever seen.† Cons: Students looking for a stereotypical campus full of parties may be disappointed by UC Santa Cruz, which mostly has a smaller, quieter social scene. â€Å"The social scene isn't as big as other college campuses which is a bummer but everyone joins the clubs and activities they are interested in so it's not too bad.† Other students mentioned they think the school would be improved if the dining hall stepped up the quality of its food and if the school provided more on-campus housing for students. â€Å"Improvement of housing and dining services would help.† â€Å"Many students have been protesting the lack of available off-campus housing to the University Board of Executives.† Some students also mentioned the difficulty of getting into certain classes as another drawback to the school and possible consequence of having small classes. â€Å"I would love if UC Santa Cruz expanded the number of courses offered per quarter because enrollment for classes is one of this school's biggest inconvenience for students. Many students, including myself, have not been able to enroll in a class they need for their major thus interfering with their graduation dates.† UC Santa Cruz (Benjamin Pender/Flickr) UC Riverside UC Riverside is located in Riverside, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles.Riverside is the largest city in what is known as the Inland Empire of Southern California.The area around the campus is probably not the nicest, and students have commented on the crime and not feeling safe walking alone at night. Originally, UC Riverside was a small liberal arts college when it opened in 1954, but it became a general university in 1959.Over the years, the student body has expanded rapidly, and the school and student body are still growing.The UC Riverside School of Medicine enrolled its first class in 2013. Also, according to its website, UCR enrolls a higher percentage of Pell Grant recipients than any other top research university in the country.There seems to be a significant push by UCR to make sure that it’s on the same level as the other UCs. It's adding students, new facilities, and plans to add 330 ladder-ranked faculty members. UC Riverside doesn't have the most active on-campus culture. About 70 percent of students are commuters, and freshmen don’t have to live on campus. Student Reviews Here's what students have to say about UC Riverside: Pros: One of the most commonly mentioned strengths of UC Riverside is its supportive environment. Students feel that everyone, from professors to staff to other students, are ready to help and want students to do well. â€Å"There is so much help offered to students here. From academic, to personal, and financial help, they've pretty much got it all here.† â€Å"There are so many people that can help advise you when it comes to picking classes. Don't worry about being lost because there is a lot of help around!† UC Riverside is also known for being a very diverse school that welcomes all students. â€Å"From an African American standpoint, UC Riverside really feels like a home away from home for me as I am able to meet and connect with people that look like me.† Cons: Student opinion of campus social life is mixed. Some mention that you can have a very active social life if you join Greek life or a lot of clubs, but others feel that the school’s high number of commuters makes it difficult to find many things to do on weekends. â€Å"During the weekends it gets boring, a lot of people go home so if you don't live close or don't have a car or anything then it gets kinda boring.† â€Å"I recommend staying on campus If, not then join an active club. If you don't follow my recommendations, then prepare to be lonely like I was. The party scene is near to non-existent.† Some students also mention large class sizes as a drawback that can make it difficult to get one-on-one attention from professors. â€Å"The only downside is that there are way too many students per faculty so the individual problems are not attended right away.† â€Å"The classes were very overpopulated 300-500 students sometimes.† UC Riverside (Ken/Flickr) UC Merced UC Merced is located in Merced, a small city in the San Joaquin Valley of Northern California.Merced is less than two hours to Yosemite National Park to the east and Monterey Bay to the west.Merced is in more of a rural area. Also, UC Merced opened in 2005 and it has a substantially lower undergraduate enrollment than the rest of the UCs. According to its website, UC Merced is the only American university with every building on campus environmentally certified. It pledges a Triple Zero Commitment, a plan to consume zero net energy, produce zero landfill waste, and zero net emissions on campus by 2020. Some students wish that Merced was more of an exciting town while others appreciate the smaller tight-knit community on campus and the small town feel of Merced. Furthermore, many students seem to appreciate that they’re part of creating the on-campus culture at UC Merced because it’s only 10 years old. They get to start organizations and leave a lasting legacy for future students. Student Reviews Here's what students have to say about UC Merced: Pros: Many students find the fact that UC Merced is a small and growing school to be one of its biggest strengths. The small size fosters a sense of community among students, and since the school is so new, many of them feel they get to have an important role in shaping what the school will be like for future students. â€Å"The school consists of a very small tight-knit community. There is a lot of student involvement on campus.† â€Å"I enjoy attending University of California Merced since it is a new school it is currently growing and I am excited to be able to grow with it.† In contrast to many other UC schools, many students are also happy with the amount of financial aid they’ve gotten and how easy it is to communicate with the financial aid department. â€Å"The school leads the UC system in financial aid given to students.† Cons: Although students love the tight-knit atmosphere at UC Merced, many mentioned that campus can feel boring and isolated when they’re looking for things to do. â€Å"UC Merced is a great university, but is in the middle of nowhere which tends to make weekends uneventful.† This can be especially difficult for freshman, since they aren’t allowed to have cars on campus. â€Å"The school is like its own private island. Therefore, when ordering an Uber it takes about 20 minutes to arrive and takes an even longer time to get anywhere into town.† Also, as a fairly small and new school, UC Merced doesn’t have the diversity of majors and classes that many of the other UC schools offer. â€Å"I wish UC Merced have more specific majors instead of broad Biology with emphasis tracks.† However, this is expected to change as the school continues to grow. UC Merced (tanyaboza/Flickr) How Do You Decide Which UC Schools to Apply To? One benefit of applying to University of California colleges is that you can apply to all nine of the UC schools with just one application. However, I don't recommend applying to a school that you have no desire to attend. Also, unless you qualify for a fee waiver, you have to pay $70 for each campus that you apply to. Even if you qualify for a fee waiver, UC will only waive the application fee for up to four UC campuses. Fee waivers are based on your family's income; you can apply for a fee waiver within the online application, and you'll be notified immediately if you qualify. Before selecting the UC colleges you'll apply to, look at your list of all the colleges you're applying to. Make sure you have enoughsafety schools. If not, consider applying to at least one of the less selective UCs, if your credentials would make you an extremely strong candidate for admission. Generally, you should have at least an 80% chance of getting in to consider a college a safety school. To help determine your odds of admission for each UC, google the name of the school and "prepscholar admission requirements." On each school's profile, you'll find our admissions calculatorthat will help you roughly determine your chances of gaining admission to that college. Start by eliminating the UCs you know you don't want to attend. Research each of the campuses. If possible, visit and take campus tours. Which schools don't have the majors you're considering? Which schools have a location or on-campus culture that doesn't appeal to you? If you're applying to UCs, I recommend applying to two to six campuses, depending on how many other schools you're applying to and your specific needs. Also, if you're in the top 9% of California high school graduates and aren't admitted to any of the UC campuses you apply to, you'll be offered a spot at another campus if space is available. However, you shouldn't assume there will be available space; that's why you should apply to safety schools. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. How Do You Decide Which UC School To Attend? If you’re in the position to choose which UC school to attend, then congratulations!You’ve done well enough in high school to have the opportunity to attend a great college, regardless of which one you choose. Honestly, you should choose which UC to attend the same way you would go about choosing any college.Determine the factors that are most important to you in a college. Then, research the colleges you’re considering extensively. There are many factors to consider to determine if a college is a good fit for you including location, selectivity, support services, and the majors offered. Look at the school’s website, and use guidebooks, college finders, search websites, and other ranking lists to help you in the college selection process. If possible, consult with teachers, counselors, parents, current students, and alumni. Most students who are deciding between UCs seem to base their college decisions primarily on selectivity, location, and campus culture.Selectivity seems to be the biggest priority for most students who are deciding between UC schools. It’s rare to find a student who opts to go to UC Riverside over UCLA. Most students want to go to the most selective school that accepts them, especially if both colleges are in the same general area. The next biggest priority for most students is location. Even though Berkeley may be ranked a little higher and might be slightly more selective, many students choose to attend UCLA over Berkeley. Some students prefer Southern California to Northern California, or they find the environment in Berkeley to be too overwhelming and prefer the more subdued confines of Westwood. Additionally, some students want to be close to home and some prefer to be a little further away. If you want to be in a rural environment, UC Davis and UC Merced are good options.If you want to be by the beach, you may prefer UCSB, UC Santa Cruz, or UCSD.If you want to be in Northern California, you should consider UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz or UC Merced. Furthermore, the campus culture is an important factor for many students. By campus culture, I’m primarily referring to the energy and activity on campus. You can find parties and numerous on-campus activities and organizations at all UCs, but some are known for offering a more enthusiastic on-campus environment and a more festive culture. Some students prefer to embrace a more lively college experience while others like being in a more quiet environment to focus on their studies.UCSB, fairly or not, has probably earned the reputation for being the best party school.UCLA and UC Berkeley have lively campus cultures, big-time sports, and active Greek life.UC Irvine and UC Riverside have more commuter students and the on-campus environments are not quite as lively. Also, while all the UCs are well-regarded academic schools, they do have different majors and programs.Because UC Davis is in a more rural area, it has more majors related to agriculture. For example, you can get a Bachelor’s in food science or international agriculture at UC Davis. Meanwhile, you can’t major in any agriculture-related field at UC Berkeley. If you’re interested in a specific major or program, or if you want to compare the majors offered at the different UCs, I recommend using a college finder like Big Future to quickly and easily compare the different colleges and get a complete list of the available majors. Finally, finances can be a major factor for some students when deciding which UC to attend.The cost of attendance is basically the same for each UC, but the financial aid you receive from each school can vary.Also, some students save money by living at home, so they choose the campus that is closest for financial reasons. Especially because most upperclassmen live off campus at UCs, the cost of living of the area of the school is a factor for students who are concerned about finances.It’s much cheaper to live in Davis, Merced, or Riverside than in Los Angeles, Irvine, or Berkeley. What's Next? Not sure if you want to attend a UC school? Read our guide on which colleges you should apply to. Ready to start your UC application? Check out this post on how to apply for college. You may also want to read about how to write a perfect UC personal statementandlearn how to come up with great college essay ideas. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: