Essay on Octavia Butlers Kindred

Anthropology of Octavia Butlers Kindred Kindred is a 1976 novel by Octavia butler. The novel is a combination of African American literature and science fiction. This is because the book tells the story of slavery from the perspective of 1976 woman. The novel also entails elements of fantasy as it involves time travel and of course acts of heroism by the time traveler. Dana is a young African American woman who has just moved into her new apartment with her husband Kevin in California. On the ninth of June 1976 as Dana is busy unpacking in their new apartment she suddenly gets dizzy. Her vision gets blurry and all of a sudden her environment seems to slowly fade away. She wakes up in Maryland but there is a twist. It is now the nineteenth century. She notices a young boy called Rufus struggling to get his footing in the river. She quickly dashes in and saves him but he is unconscious by the time she does so. Tom Weylin, the father of Rufus arrives at the scene and almost on instinct alone points his gun at Dana leaving her terrified to say the least. She gets dizzy once again and wakes up home in her apartment in 1976. She manages to time travel again to 1815 where she finds the bedroom of Rufus burning. She manages to put out the fire and comfort the boy. She leaves the residence and heads to the residence of Alice Greenwood who she suspects may be her direct ancestor. A group of young men attack the residence and beat up the mother of Alice and her husband. One man tries to rape Dana and frightened she gets dizzy and suddenly it is 1976 again. Dana continues a series of time travels even at a point travelling back with her boyfriend Kevin. Apparently she can only travel back when Rufus is in a crisis or when his life is in danger. Her only way to travel back home is for her to get very scared for her life. On her last time travel Rufus attempts to rape her. She stabs him twice in self-defense and manages to travel back home immediately. The main characters in the novel are Dana and Rufus. Dana is a very kind and forgiving lady. This is evident since despite all the bad that Rufus does to her she still helps him when he is in crisis. Rufus even drives Alice to suicide but Dana manages to look past this and still help him when he is undergoing depression. â€Å"I would have all I could do to look after myself. But I would help him as best I could. And I would try to keep friendship with him, maybe plant a few ideas in his mind that would help both me and the people who would be his slaves in the years to come,† says Dana (Butler, p.68).Rufus on the other hand is manipulative sadistic and plainly just forgetful. He manipulates Alice by lying to her that he had sold her children. This lie takes its toll on Alice until she finally kills herself. Despite all that Dana has done for him throughout his life he still has her beaten and even attempts to rape her. The novel is very strong in its depiction of slavery. This is evident from the graphic description of how slaves were treated. â€Å"I could feel the knife in my hand, still slippery with perspiration. A slave was a slave. Anything could be done to her,† Says Dana as Rufus attempts to rape her (Butler, p. 260). The novel is weak in portraying the slaves as rebellious. They get ideas but never act on them. â€Å"I would never be to him what Tess had been to his father—a thing passed around like the whiskey jug at a husking. He wouldn’t do that to me or sell me or . . .† says Dana (Butler, p.260) In my opinion the novel is very entertaining. It is a classic fusion of the past and the present or so to speak. I would recommend it because it is the portrayal of history in an entertaining way. It fuses history with time travel. Works Cited Butler, Octavia E..Kindred. 25th anniverary ed. Boston: Beacon Press, 2003. Print.

The Effects Of Credit Crunch On The World Economy

n An economic event intertwined with the credit crunch of 2007 is the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis. In 2007, the subprime mortgage crisis dealt a huge economic blow to America and then had a great impact on the world economy. Although several actions were taken, the crisis still had severe, long-lasting consequences, which makes the world economy still in a slow recovery so far. The credit crunch of 2007 was triggered by several factors. Analyzing the cause of credit crunch can help us reduce the probability of it and then prevent financial crisis in the future. This essay consists of three parts. At first, it will discuss some causes of the credit crunch of 2007. Then we focus on credit risk, which is one of the most important causes, by giving a definition of it and describing how it results in credit crunch. The third part will discuss the implications of credit crunch for policy. 2.1 The credit crunch of 2007 **** The concept â€Å"credit crunch† was firstly introduced during the Great Depression of the 1990s. It is also known as credit squeeze, which refers to a reduction in the availability of loans and other types of credit at a given interest rate. In such an economic situation, banks and capital markets are reluctant to lend with a fear of bankruptcies and defaults. On the one hand, credit crunch is a result of a decrease in the value of bank capital. On the other hand, it can be viewed as a policy implemented by governments or bank regulators, under a condition ofShow MoreRelatedCredit Crunch And Its Effects On The Economy1451 Words   |  6 Pagesworld’s economy has been changing enormously in the past 10 years due to the different reasons and causes. Credit crunch in 2007 was one of the unforgettable situations which has been considerably affecting the global economy until now. Great recession started from the US and hit many countries around the world as it is the biggest financial market. Credit crunch refers to a sudden shortage of funds for lending, leading to a resulting decline in loans available (Pettingger, 2011). Credit crunch was oneRead MoreCase Study1380 Words   |  6 Pagesin, what were the effects of the deflation on the economy as well as on the people of Japan. It also mentions about the various reasons because of which Japan was in such a tight grip of Deflation, Depression, Demographics and Debts Guides us through the steps taken by the government in order to curb this deflation. Imparts a great knowledge to us about the various economic terms like deflation, self-liquidating credit, Non-Self Liquidating Credit and how the people and economy of a country is affectedRead MoreMonetary And Fiscal Policies And Weighing Up How Effective The Coalition Have Been Improving The British Economy1491 Words   |  6 Pagesrecovery. I will be looking to both monetary and fiscal policies and weighing up how effective the Coalition have b een in improving the British economy. I will be comparing the aims and policies to those of other countries and evaluating what has restricted the UK economy from growing. The global credit crunch of 2007-2008 had a rippling effect on economies worldwide and was considered by many economists to be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The crisis was mainlyRead MoreThe Financial Crisis Of The Housing Bubble1482 Words   |  6 Pagesbanking system, complacency of the regulators, conflict of interest of the credit rating agencies and careless investment philosophy of investors combined culminated into one of the most gruesome economic downturn that the world has seen since the great depression in 1930s. Confluence of Political and Economic factors priming the field Post the dot com bubble in 2000s, the US economy went into a recession and to stimulate the economy the Federal Reserve, adopted the expansionary monetary policy and plungedRead MoreThe Loose Noose : Failure Of Regulators1333 Words   |  6 Pagesfile for bankruptcy, this passed a wave of panic in the already falling markets and trust – the key element of the market is lost leading into the 2007-08 financial crisis. Consequences of the 2007-08 crisis Immediate aftermath The very first after effect of the economic downturn is the plummeting of housing prices. As more and more borrowers defaulted, the mortgages were foreclosed pushing more and more houses into the market. The house prices fell from +15 to 20% growth rate to a negative 15-20%Read MoreThe Recession Since World War II Essay1228 Words   |  5 Pagesof 2009, which makes it the lengthiest recession since World War II. The gross domestic product (GDP) fell 4.3% from its peak in the fourth quarter of 2007 to its trough in the second quarter of 2009, the largest decline in the post-war period. The rate for unemployment was 5 % at the end of 2007 and increased to 9.5% in the middle of 2009 and reached 10 % in October 2009. The credit crunch had many effects on the economy. One of the effects was home prices. Home prices fell about 30 %, on averageRead MoreConcepts of Microeconomics in a UK-Based Organization: Barclays Case Analysis2578 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿Impact of Credit Crunch on UK Northern Rock: The credit crunch can be basically described as the increasing costs of borrowing money due to prevailing situations and rising interest rates. The increase in the interest rates resulted in the inability of many people to afford the repayments on mortgages that led them to default. The rising interest rates had huge effects on the subprime market in the United States in which money was lent to probable risky debtors. Credit crunch was not only exacerbatedRead MoreCredit Crunch And Its Effects On The Economy1752 Words   |  8 Pagesworld’s economy has changed enormously in the past decade due to the different reasons and causes. Credit crunch in 2007 was one of the unforgettable situations which has been considerably affecting the global economy until now. Great recession started from the US and hit many countries around the world as it is the biggest financial market. Credit crunch refers to a sudden shortage of funds for lending, leading to a resulting decline in loans av ailable (Pettingger, 2011). Credit crunch was one ofRead MoreGdp Of The Us, Eu28, Canada, And China1348 Words   |  6 Pagestrends, however, there is some fluctuation which is not preferred. By 2007, credit crunch was caused by over lending of UK mortgage lenders (similar to the US) (Pettinger T. R., 2011). It affected to Northern Rock that they had to no sufficient fund. Consequently, Northern Rock had to ask the Bank of England for fund. This action gave an unexpected outcome, which is the customers’ worry and withdrawing fund. Credit crunch hit UK by multiple problems, HBOS lacked of funds, â€Å"Bradford Bingley wasRead MoreTheu.s. Housing Market And The U.s. Financial Crisis1448 Words   |  6 PagesThe credit crunch, which occurred in the U.S. housing market between 2007 and 2009, led to the biggest global financial crisis. The impact of this crisis extended over the world, and the economies of many countries were damaged. Kawai stated that: ‘The ongoing glo bal crisis has had a profound impact on the Asia and Pacific region, particularly on its exports.’ (2009:1) There were a lot of factors which brought about the crisis. Due to limited space, this essay will look at the U.S. housing market

Business Environment in China Free Essays

Every country has its own rules and regulations according to the needs, requirements and environment of the business in that country. So for any company, thinking to expand the span of business to another country and wants to invest for long term in that country, especially where production in that country involves, it is very important to understand the business environment, government policies, restrictions and future perspective of business in that country. The business has to assess whether the company has ability to incorporate most of the business needs and it should also be considered that whether the culture of the company can be integrated with the culture of that country. We will write a custom essay sample on Business Environment in China or any similar topic only for you Order Now So the business operations will be different in different ways which have been discussed below: Import/export restrictions: There are certain types of goods and services which may be prohibited in the country where the business has plan to expand. For example, in Islamic countries like Dubai, Saudi Arabia etc, it is prohibited to expert or import alcoholic products except in some situations. Certain types of quality measurement might be imposed on the companies in order to import goods in the country. Another aspect of restrictions regarding export are the restrictions regarding the quantity which is being exported by the company. Governments can restrict the quantity of any specific product or service to be exported in order to avoid shortage in home country. China has imposed custom levy on the import as well as export of the goods. In addition to this levy, china has fixed a quote for imports of different types of products in the country. These restrictions on imports allow the home countries to produce more for the residents of China and less amount will be spend on imports and hence improve trade surplus for China which will help China to increase foreign reserves and hence make the economy of China more strong. Recently, China has imposed different types of restrictions on the export of 17 metallic elements which are important for different types of manufacturing good which also includes inputs for automobiles as well as wind turbine. It has made a big issue in the world. Other export restrictions include export duties which comprises of three types; regular, temporary and special, export quota for certain types of goods including mass consumption goods. Export license is required to be the exporter (Ambler, T. , Witzel, M. Xi, C. , (2008). So if MNE has planned to come into the China for long-term investment, cost-benefit analysis should be carried out. However on the other hand, china support different types of exports and give reliefs for home productions which makes the business in china more attractive. Labor relations: It can be described as the relations between employers and employees, which are either unionized or non-unionized. Under the umbrella of labor relations, employees protect their labor right. Different countries have given authority to employees for their rights to different extents and as a result in some countries, labor has more power. So it should be considered while moving to another country that what are the conditions of labor relations in that country and hence how much the employees are powerful and how they can exert their power. It will help the companies to carry out stakeholder analysis as well as stakeholder mapping and hence can improve working conditions as well as can improve business operations. China has implemented labor relations law in 2008 (China Enacts Labor Relations Law, Effective in 2008, 2007). It has given more power to employees within the country. It has been made harder to lay off employees now. For the company like ACME or other MNE, it is very important to be noted that during last year, there was a strike by employees within factories in order to increase their wages. It was said by the employees at that time that companies are making huge profits and they are the people who are working behind the success of companies so their share must be increased and aligned with the profits of the company. So companies should understand the risk that low production costs, which are due to low wages, will no longer be attractive in future. Companies should make strategy to deal with the employees in a way which provides them job security, human rights protection, motivation along with the level of work required by the company. China’s manufacturing market is very feasible for labor intensive industries at the moment. Good relations between employers and employees can be made by providing good working conditions whether they will feel satisfied with their work. Supplier financing: It is the finance management in the situation where the products are being exported. All the credit terms are included in the contract between importer and exporter and credit agencies play their role in the process and reasonably insure that the contract terms will be fulfilled by importer and exporter will be able to receive payments. At the same time it also ensures that importer will not be liable, to the agreed extent, to pay the risks which can be the political risk or economic risks. Companies while trying to operate in other countries must think how much it is sure that they will be able to meet the contract terms and if own company or other company will not honor the contract then what will be role of supplier financing in it how the laws and regulations of countries will support to force the either company to honor the contract. Tax rules: Tax rules and policies play an important role in order to make the strategy for the business. Countries might have tax treaties with each other as a result company can have the benefit from it. Tax rules applied to foreign firms are sometimes stricter than for their home firm. Such type of tax rules decides that how the finance will be arranged and how the income distribution will be managed in order to increase the business for the company. Policy for deferred tax and tax policy for the export of products from china should also be considered. Many countries have higher tax rates which may also impact on the financial statements of the business. Tax treaties play an important role in the implications of taxation policies. If home country and the country where company wants to invest have tax treaties then it would be beneficial for the company as it will not have to face double taxation. China has incentivized companies by in regards of taxation. Tax rules have to be followed but they are not very strict. There are many companies which are enjoys tax rates as low as 15%. Many other companies have also lower tax rates by increasing the exports from China (CCH Tax Editor, 2008). Overall, China is an attractive market in regards of the incentivized tax rules. And hence it is feasible to invest in China. Depreciation Schedule: Depreciation has its impact on the financial statements of the business especially when the companies have high value for their fixed assets. Some countries allow capital allowance on depreciation and hence which becomes the source of tax savings. Straight line method and reducing balance methods etc are permitted methods in IFRS and IAS. China has flexibility in choosing the method of depreciation. However whichever method company has chosen, it will not be able to change the method in future. Depreciation will become the source of tax savings so company can choose any method which will provide more tax savings to the business. However it should be noted that companies are required to assess the suitability of depreciation method before selecting it. At the same time, companies are also required to check if depreciation needs to be revalued. All the information, regarding revalued depreciation amount and if new asset has been purchased, should be submitted to tax authorities. Minimum depreciation period in China is 20 years for land and buildings and for other types of fixed assets; it is 10 years (Yan, X. Pitt, D. , 2002). Companies have to think the time period for which the company is going to work in China. Currency properties and restrictions: It is the control over the inflow and outflow of cash by imposing different rules which are set in monetary policy of the country. It is also the control of fluctuations in currency rates within country using different ways like interest rates and money printing etc. These restrictions might impact on the business as they will not allow the company to export money from their country above some predefined level. It might affect the cashflow statement of parent company which is basically a foreign company. Currency properties restrictions might restrict the company to own properties in their country where the company is going to invest. Such types of consequences increases the risk of business as for a huge size factory, it might be required for the business to have its own premises as moving from one land to another land even within the same country is not an easy task (Riedel, J. , Jin, J. Gao, J. , 2007). China’s policy to keep its currency undervalue is the point of concern for most the countries in the world. China keeps the currency undervalued in order to support exports. It helps exporters to export for more Yuan for the export of one dollar. On the other hand, it discourages imports in China. So companies have to consider this type of currency control and should make policy regarding the restrictions by china on currency. Sources of long-term and Short-term debt: Companies are required to arrange finance for the expansion of business and to run the activities of the business smoothly in the long run. This finance can either be arranged either by raising equity of the company or it can also be arranged by debt as sometimes equity financing sometimes consume more time and shareholders’ WACC for the company is relatively high as compared to debt in most of the cases. Short term or long term debt includes loan from commercial banks or financial institutions and it will be measured that what is the interest rate for that short term finance and whether it is feasible for the company to arrange finance in foreign country or not. China is an attractive market because of easy sources of arranging debts. However china is going to make more strict changes in its short term debt policy. Treasury bills have been proved to be one of the most effective short-term debt tools in china. China has been proved to one of the most efficient market for long term debt especially in aisa. It is relatively easy to obtain long term debt at a competitive rate. Government of China is still working for more efficiency in long term debt market. Bonds are one of the most powerful long term debt tools for the companies working in China. Ethics: There must be integrity in the information provided to CEO. I will include the information about condition of human rights, labor welfare as well as all other information which belongs to the business. It is ethically necessary to provide the information because it will also help to protect the employees when company will start operating in China as company will already knew that what are the conditions are there and how these conditions can be improved (Norton, A. Hughes J. , 2009). Although it might have a bad impact on CEO but for the purpose of integrity as well as honesty, I will include all the information. However I will also include the outline solutions to the problems. How to cite Business Environment in China, Essay examples

Womens Right Essay Example For Students

Womens Right Essay The peculiarly passive obsession with security as the ultimate happiness, the compulsive conformity of life styles (engenderedat least in part by the virulent anti-communism of McCarthyismin odd combination with the Eisenhower eras pacifying blandness),and the pervasive apathy of most of the 50s was replaced in the1960s with an extraordinary and even reckless social energy and political activism. First Blacks, then other racial minorities, students, the New Left, peace protesters, and finally women, emerged one by oneas forces demanding social change. Each group became inflamed with a passion for the possible. We will write a custom essay on Womens Right specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The momentum of the feminist movement of the earlier decades ofthe 20th century had waned in the post-World War II decades. Thoughwork for womens rights actually continued by core organizations, it had become almost an underground resistance to a nearly overwhelmingly negative media blitz that insisted on proclaiming the death of feminism and on writing its obituary as it celebrated the happy suburban housewife. As early as 1946, Doris Stevens, a long-time militant suffragist with the National Womans Party, wrote to a friend, wondering if those who were living at the beginning of the last Dark Ages. . . knew the darkness had descended!1However, hope for a revival of feminist momentum in the UnitedStates was stimulated in part by a curious series of events. On August 26, 1957, (the uncelebrated 37th anniversary of the womans suffrage amendment to the U.S. Constitution), the Soviet Union announced it had successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile. On October 4, it launched Sputnik I, the firstman-made space satellite, and on November 3, Sputnik II, which carried a live dog. This demonstration of a challenging superiority in space technology spurred what was immediately termed the space racebetween the U. S. and the Soviet Union. The demands in the United States for a skilled and educated workforce escalated to the point where even women-who, along with minorities, constituted the traditional reserve labor force summonedforth in national emergencies were worth serious consideration.

Net Promoter Score for Books Build Relationships with Your Readers

Net Promoter Score for Books Build Relationships with Your Readers How To Create Deeper Relationships with Your Readers through Surveys Last updated 2017/07/07At Reedsy, we feel it’s important to let authors know about different startups and tech tools that could make their life easier. Today, we’re happy to welcome a guest post by Chad Keck, founder of Promoter.io, a Net Promoter Score startup that you can use to build your author platform and find your  Ã¢â‚¬Å"insider group†.Do you have an author mailing list? If yes, congratulations, you are among the elite group of authors who understand that the relationships you build with your readers are what’s going to drive most sales in the long run.But let me guess: do you send out emails every week or every month updating your readers on your progress and wonder what they are really thinking? You rarely hear back from them unless you are asking for feedback on a book cover or title, right?Figuring out out ways to engage with your readers is no easy thing, especially if you’re trying to create meaningful, lasting relationships that will guide your writing efforts.If you are like most authors, you might be afraid of asking your readers to take a survey because you have an inner belief that it will drive your readers away. But like most things in life, the best things come to people who won’t let their fears hold them back.So what do you do if you want to try sending a survey, but you have never tried them before?Find out your book's Net Promoter ScoreOf all survey methods, the Net Promoter Score is one of the least assuming and best to start out with. In a book called The Ultimate Question, Fred Reichheld came up with this interesting survey technique which addresses some of the biggest problems of sending surveys.The technique is called Net Promoter Score (NPS), and revolves around one key concept: bringing your surveys down to a single key question: How likely from 0-10 are you to recommend my book to a friend or colleague?Here is exactly what it might look like as an email your readers would receive that an non-fiction author recently sent through Promoter.io:Building a great author platform comes down to one thing: creating the most value possible for your readers. Whenever you want higher engagement with your audience, just keep asking yourself the same thing: â€Å"What’s in it for them?† If you keep raising the stakes and providing true value over and over again, everything else will take care of itself.Have any questions for Chad? Leave them in the comments below!

20 Ways to Spend a College New Years Eve

20 Ways to Spend a College New Years Eve New Years Eve in college can be fun and exciting as well as challenging, as many students are away from campus and their usual college friends. Theres no need to let your college New Years Eve go to waste, however. Check out these ideas for keeping things fresh, fun, and funky. 20 Ways to Spend Your College New Years Eve Hang out at home with your high school/hometown friends. If youre spending the winter break home with your parents, head out with your friends. You can reminisce about years past and celebrate your enduring friendships.Head to Vegas. Because really, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. There are some great deals to be had and great parties to attend, not to mention the 24-hour gambling.Head to New York City. Never seen the official ball drop in Times Square? Grab some friends and head to NYC for an everyone-should-see-it-at-least-once experience.Go camping. If you need a break from the chaos of your everyday life, head out into the wilderness. You can ring in the new year beneath a blanket of stars.Plan a romantic dinner with your significant other. You can go out or cook something together at home. Add two candles and as a bonus, have someone to smooch as the new year arrives.Head to a fun club with a crazy band youve never heard of. Step outside of your comfort zone, grab some fri ends and do something funky. Do something back at school. The residence halls may be closed, but many students are still living in their Greek houses or in off-campus apartments. Plan something away from campus that still allows you to celebrate with your college friends.Line up and camp out for a football game. Head to a bowl game where you can camp out the night before with other fans. When else will you be able to do so, except for during your college years?Volunteer. Look for something in your community. Go on an outdoor trip and work on trail maintenance. Head to another country. There are plenty of volunteering options that will take you into the year with good will.Head out somewhere fun with your high school and your college friends. Why not blend the best of both worlds?Go somewhere swanky. Think much, much fancier than youre used to. Head somewhere swanky and opt for an evening of elegance.Host a costume or theme party. And do so with style, too. How about the 1920s, anyone?Rent a cabin in the woods. I t can be with your high school friends, your college friends, your significant other or everyone. Hang out at a ski resort. If you ski, you can hit the slopes. And if you dont, you can curl up with hot chocolate and enjoy the scenery. Whats not to like?Go backpacking or hiking. Head out for a midnight hike (with at least one other person, of course) to ring in the new year in a unique and exhilarating way.Go on a skydiving or bungee-jumping trip. Some places offer multi-day excursions. Make your new year one to remember!Spend time with your family. The longer youre away at school, the less time you have to spend with your family. Take a break from the college scene and enjoy the evening with your family instead.Spend the evening writing or journaling. Some folks reflect and process things best when they write things out. Take the night to yourself and write to your hearts content.Host a creative New Years Eve party. Set up supplies (or have your guests bring their own) and create an atmosphere of creative energy for people to paint, sculpt, write music, or create other works of a rt. Spend a quiet night in and get some sleep! Catch up on two of the most sacred resources for many college students: time and sleep. Celebrate your year by indulging in both.

Education Experience in a United States University vs. Education in Essay

Education Experience in a United States University vs. Education in South Africa - Essay Example Later in the day I met the human resource manager, who assessed my credentials together with my goals and interests and then suggested the most suitable mentor. For once in my life, I felt happy about myself. I was taking action and doing something about my career development plans. The next day, I booked an appointment with my mentor at ten in the morning. I couldn’t wait to hear what he thought and had to say of my plans on career growth. At exactly ten in the morning, I left my office and headed for my mentor’s office in a happy mood. By now he had already been briefed by the human resource manager of the agenda. He went straight the point, asked a series of questions. These included; why I chose to become an assistant, what were my expectations as regards the job, where do I see myself in ten years to come, what fields was I interested in working and what my long term goals and dreams were. I struggled to answer some of the questions and this made me realize that I had become complacent. I had lost sight of everything that was important to me with regard to career progression. After a long chat, we came to a conclusion that for me to experience the career development that I have always wanted I had to go back to school. ... How long will it take? All these questions ran though my mind. Acquiring higher education in this day and time is undoubtedly critical; this is due to the ever increasing demand for skilled manpower in our economies. Universities, colleges and technical training institutes are the single source of skilled manpower today. Currently, there are tens of American institutions of higher learning and making a choice on which university to join poses a major challenge to many would be students. The situation is not any simpler in South Africa. South Arica has struggled to become the flag bearer in Africa when it comes to academic matters and has invested heavily in its universities in an attempt to improve the quality of education they offer and meet world class standards. According to Education UK, while choosing the course to take, one should check whether the course is right for them? What type of degree it is, whether it improves chances of following ones career plans, options available to the course, methods of teaching the course, and performance of the department in the Quality Assurance Assessment external review. After considering the advice from my mentor and my personal goals and objectives, I settled on a course that would best suit my needs. I was to take a master of Business Administration. I had always wanted to move onto a management position in employment. There are so many factors to consider when choosing which institution to join. According to the Fulbright Commission, there are over 1,700 American universities that offer postgraduate courses or degrees. It is thus not easy to narrow down to the particular institution to join. Students aspiring to join South African universities face the same challenge, they thus have to put all the