20 Words with More Than One Spelling

20 Words with More Than One Spelling 20 Words with More Than One Spelling 20 Words with More Than One Spelling By Mark Nichol When the dictionary lists two alternate spellings of a word, should you use your judgment (or is that judgement?), or is there some other criterion for selection? Most dictionaries describe what is, rather than prescribe what should be hence the alternatives but they usually favor one form over the other. For both convenience and consistency, follow the dictionary’s indirect dictates. In printed dictionaries, the preferred form will have the full definition, while the runner-up will be cross-referenced to the winner. Online, the spelling in the Web page’s heading indicates the preference, though the other choice will likely also be listed. Here are some common entries with more than one orthography: 1. Acknowledgment/acknowledgement: Acknowledgment, though it looks awkward because the spelling implies that the g is pronounced hard, rather than (correctly) soft, is the preferred spelling, at least in American English. 2. Adviser/advisor: Adviser is the preferred spelling, though it is inconsistent with the spelling of the adjectival form advisory. 3. Aesthetic/esthetic: Aesthetic is the preferred spelling, a rare case of the digraph retained in American English in favor of a single-vowel spelling. (See also amoeba/ameba and archaeology/archeology.) 4. Ameba/amoeba: Amoeba is the preferred spelling. It also has variant plural forms: Amoebas is acceptable in all but the most strictly scientific contexts, where amoebae is preferred. 5. Amok/amuck: Amok is the traditional spelling, preferred to amuck. 6. Among/amongst: The -st extension is, in both American English and British English, widely considered an unnecessary appendage. (The same preference applies for amid/amidst and while/whilst; whilst is, at any rate, rare in American English.) 7. Analog/analogue: Analog is one of fourteen words in which the original -ue ending is clipped. Whether one form or the other is preferred varies depending on not only the word but also, occasionally, on which part of speech it represents. Most one- and two-syllable words ending in -ue have no truncated variant; prologue is the exception. 8. Archaeology/archeology: The version with the ae digraph is preferred over the single-vowel form. 9. Ax/axe: Ax is the preferred spelling, alone and in compounds (axman, battle-ax). 10. Collectable/collectible: Collectible is the preferred variant. 11. Barbecue/Barbeque: Barbeque is a variant of barbecue influenced by the truncation BBQ. 12. Disc/disk: Disc is a variant of disk, though it has valid status in the â€Å"phrase compact disc† and references to similar media. 13. Donut/doughnut: Donut is an informal variant of doughnut. 14. Enquire/inquire: Inquire is the preferred American English spelling, but in British English, enquire prevails. 15. Flier/flyer: Spelling depends on meaning. See this post, in which I conclude that pilots and passengers are fliers, and posted papers are flyers. 16. Gray/grey: Gray is the preferred spelling in American English; British English favors grey. 17. Nite/night: Nite is an informal variant of night. 18. Theater/theatre: The former spelling is preferred in American English, though the latter form sometimes appears in proper names. 19. Toward/towards: In American English, towards and other similar words are considered informal variants of the forms in which the s is omitted. 20. Whiskey/whisky: The former spelling is more common in the United States (as well as in Ireland), though usage in labeling varies. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing a Reference Letter (With Examples)Yay, Hooray, Woo-hoo and Other Acclamations7 Other Types of Pronouns

Whats a Weighted GPA How to Calculate It

What's a Weighted GPA How to Calculate It SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Your weighted GPA in high school tells colleges a lot about your ability to take on academic challenges. In this article, I’ll go through a basic description of what a weighted GPA is, why it matters for you, and how you can calculate your own weighted GPA if your school uses this type of scale. What Is a Weighted GPA? A weighted GPA is a GPA that takes the difficulty of your classes into account along with your grades. On a typical unweighted scale (which is solely based on grades and not on the difficulty of your classes), GPAs are recorded as numbers ranging from 0 to 4.0.This scale is why the ideal of the perfect 4.0 GPA exists. If your school uses weighted GPAs, however, the scale goes up higher.Typically a weighted GPA scale ranges from 0 to 5.0.This is to accommodate grades in AP or honors courses, where an A on the weighted scale translates to a 5.0 based on the difficulty of the class.Regular-level classes maintain the typical unweighted scale, where an A translates into a 4.0.Many schools also offer mid-level classes between regular and honors classes where an A translates into a 4.5. This means that someone who takes more difficult courses throughout high school will end up with a higher weighted GPA than someone who takes less difficult courses even if their actual grades are identical. Why Should You Care About Your Weighted GPA? You should pay attention to your weighted GPA because it will have an impact on the college application process and on how you interpret advice about GPAs. If you’re trying to figure out whether your GPA is â€Å"good†, most of the advice you find will be based on the unweighted scale.This is because the unweighted scale is more widely used, and weighted scales often differ between high schools. This advice can be misleading for students who only know their weighted GPAs. If you have a 4.0 weighted GPA, you're not necessarily good to go for admission to any college.A student with a 4.0 weighted GPA may be in the lowest-level classes earning all As or in the highest-level classes earning all Bs.Even with the same weighted GPA, these two cases will not be viewed the same way.Colleges will favor the student with Bs in high-level classes because that student was willing to take on more academic challenges. Weighted GPAs incentivize you to take more difficult classes without fear of slightly lower grades messing up your GPA.Earning high grades in harder classes will have a significant positive influence on your weighted GPA.Imagine a student is earning all Bs in regular-level classes, giving him or her a 3.0 weighted GPA.Then let’s say that student decides to switch into more difficult classes in two of the five subject areas and earns B-s in those classes.Even with slightly lower grades, this would move the student’s weighted GPA for the semester up from a 3.0 to a 3.3. 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. With weighted GPA, you can become an academic mountain goat, fearlessly scaling the rocky crags of progressively more challenging classes. How to Calculate Weighted GPA So with all this in mind, how do you calculate your weighted GPA?It’s pretty easy if you know your grades so far in high school and the levels of classes you’ve taken.The simplest way to translate grades into weighted GPA is to follow the unweighted scale for regular-level classes, add 0.5 to the unweighted scale for mid-level classes (such as honors classes), and add 1.0 to the unweighted scale for high-level classes (such as APs). Here’s the unweighted scale for reference: Grade GPA A+ 4.0 A 4.0 A- 3.7 B+ 3.3 B 3.0 B- 2.7 C+ 2.3 C 2.0 C- 1.7 D+ 1.3 D 1.0 F 0.0 One way to calculate your weighted GPA is to find your average unweighted GPA and multiply that by the number of classes you've taken. Then, add 0.5 for each mid-level class you took and 1.0 for each high-level class you took. Divide the result by the total number of classes to find your weighted GPA so far. I'll use a hypthetical example to go through a more detailed description of how to calculate weighted GPA. Let’s say you’re in the middle of your sophomore year, so you’ve completed three semesters of high school thus far. Here are some example charts of the classes you may have taken, their levels, and your grades for each semester: First Semester Freshman Year Class Level Letter Grade Unweighted GPA Weighted GPA 1 Honors Biology B+ 3.3 3.8 2 Honors Algebra 1 B 3.0 3.5 3 Honors Human Geography B 3.0 3.5 4 Freshman English A 4.0 4.0 5 Spanish 1 A- 3.7 3.7 The weighted GPA for this semester is the average of all the numbers in the last column.Your first semester freshman year weighted GPA would be a 3.7. For the second semester, let’s say you continued to take the same level classes but improved your grades: Second Semester Freshman Year Class Level Letter Grade Unweighted GPA Weighted GPA 1 Honors Biology A 4.0 4.5 2 Honors Algebra 1 B+ 3.3 3.8 3 Honors Human Geography B+ 3.3 3.8 4 Freshman English A 4.0 4.0 5 Spanish 1 A 4.0 4.0 This time, when we average all the numbers in the last column, your second semester freshman year weighted GPA is a 4.0. For the first semester of sophomore year, let’s say you decided to take mostly mid-level classes with one high-level class (you were ready to move up in the mid-level class and the regular-level classes where you earned As!). First Semester Sophomore Year Class Level Letter Grade Unweighted GPA Weighted GPA 1 AP World History B+ 3.3 4.3 2 Honors Chemistry B+ 3.3 3.8 3 Honors Algebra II B+ 3.3 3.8 4 Honors English A- 3.7 4.2 5 Honors Spanish II A- 3.7 4.2 If we average all the numbers in the last column, your first semester sophomore year weighted GPA comes out to a 4.1. Now, to figure out your cumulative GPA, we just have to average the weighted GPAs from each semester (note that this only works if you took the same amount of classes each semester - if you didn't, I would recommend just using the formula I described earlier in this section rather than going semester by semester). Semester Weighted GPA First - Freshman Year 3.7 Second - Freshman Year 4.0 First - Sophomore Year 4.1 Cumulative 3.9 So far, your cumulative weighted GPA is a 3.9. Hopefully this example will help you understand how to calculate your weighted GPA.If your school is more specific about what grade corresponds to what GPA (i.e. it assigns a different GPA to different averages within each letter grade, so a 90 A- would translate to a lower GPA than a 92 A-),take a look at this more detailed chart to make your calculations more accurate. Conclusion Weighted GPA is a way for high schools to create a measure of academic achievement that takes into account the difficulty of a student’s course load and not just his or her grades alone.On a weighted GPA scale, GPAs typically range from 0 to 5.0, with a 5.0 representing all As in the highest-level classes.Weighted GPA gives you a way to gauge your progress throughout high school based on both grades AND willingness to take on intellectual challenges. You shouldn’t judge your weighted GPA by its position on the unweighted scale.Even weighted GPAs that are over a 4.0 are not guaranteed to get you into the most selective schools.Based on the example in this article, you should be able to calculate your weighted GPA and determine whether you need to take more difficult classes to improve your stats for college! What's Next? Now that you know about weighted GPA, you may be wondering whether colleges will consider it more or less strongly than your basic unweighted GPA. Learn about which GPA matters more for collegeadmissions. Are you just wondering whether your weighted or unweighted GPA will be considered "good" in the college admissions process? Take a look at this article on what constitutes a good or bad GPA for college. Not sure which classes you should be taking in high school to ensure that you have a good shot at selective colleges? Read this article for some advice! Want to improve your GPA?Check out our in-depth guide to raising your grades, from a writer who got a perfect 4.0 GPA. Read it for free now:

Supramolecular Polymers based on Hydrogen Bonding Essay

Supramolecular Polymers based on Hydrogen Bonding - Essay Example The paper tells that a supramolecular polymer refers to any kind of self-assembly that results in the creation of polymer-like aggregates occurring through reversible interactions between one or more kinds of components. Because of the reversible interactions, these polymers can thermally equilibrate with their monomers, unlike conventional polymers. These polymers are responsive to external stimuli. The mechanical properties of these polymers respond strongly to changes in solvent or temperature because of their reversible interactions, and so, they are in continuous equilibrium with their environment. Therefore, the functional properties of these polymers are highly useful. Supramolecular polymers show polymer like rheological properties because of their macromolecular structure and can also form gels if the self-assembled chains are long enough. Supramolecular polymers comprise of non-covalently bonded monomers and are of various types that include crystals, colloids, gels, liquid crystals, and hydrogen bonded polymers. Hydrogen bonded supramolecular polymers are those polymers in which the monomers are held together only by hydrogen bonds. The utility of hydrogen bonds in bringing polymers together was first shown by Stadler and coworkers. Supramolecular polymers can generally be classified into main-chain and side-chain polymers. The main-chain polymers are further divided into linear main-chain polymers, networks and linear polymers based on their bidirectional units. Side-chain polymers are further divided into two classes. The first one includes polymers with binding motifs in the side-chain, and the second one includes polymers with binding motifs in the main chain (Ligthart 2006). Supramolecular polymers of the linear main-chain type can be formed via the assembly of bifunctional or multifunctional monomers or planar structures that can assemble on both sides of a plane (Ligthart 2006). Figure 1 — Two classes of supramolecular polymers (a) Main -chain polymers, (b) Side-chain polymers (Source: Ligthart 2006, p. 3) According to Greef et al. (2009), supramolecular polymers can be classified based on the type of interactions that lead to their formation. Accordingly, the different types of supramolecular polymers that can be classified based on the interactions include those that are formed by hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, ?-? interactions, and metal-ligand binding. However, Greef et al argue that this scheme of classification, although useful, ignores mechanistic details that have been revealed as research in the field progresses. They thus propose another system of classification, which includes two groups. The first group of polymers are those that have monomers of single type, which undergo complementary end-group or self-complementary interactions. With the help of complementary couples that are directional (A-B), and self-complementary binding motifs (A-A), all kinds of polymeric structures such as cross-lin ked networks, linear homo-polymers and copolymers, and branched structures can be synthesized (Ligthart 2006). For instance, polymerization of an A2 monomer which results from the reversible A: A self-complementary interaction, comes under the first group. The polymerization of A-B monomer through a reversible A: B complementary end-group interaction is another example of the first group of supramolecular

Guadalcanal Battle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Guadalcanal Battle - Essay Example After the victory at ‘Battle of Midway’ American forces started planning for recapturing of Pacific Islands from Japanese. The first event in this direction was the Guadalcanal battle. The use of islands, like Guadalcanal, Tulagi and Florida in Southern Solomon by Japanese forces was proving a major threat to supply routes between USA, Australia and New Zealand. The battle began for the sole purpose of ensuring safety for these routes.There was difference of opinion in Japan over the importance of this island. While many army officers thought it better to manage the existing and over-stretched empire, the other faction wanted further territorial expansion. This could be a reason for the Japanese lacking the will to counter allied attacks at Guadalcanal. Leading the attack on August 07, 1942, allied forces expected stiff resistance from Japanese army, but the tactical combined approach by allied forces took the other side by complete surprise and they did not find any res istance from Japanese. This boosted the will of allied forces to head for all-out victory. Although the rough climate and weather caused communication and operational problems for Americans, there was no fighting on the island for almost 24 hours, after the attack. However, the following days   witnessed severe fighting as Japanese cruiser force attack eventually threw the Allied forces out of the reach of the crucial Guadalcanal airfield.Such disarray within Japanese forces was the major element for American victory.... The rough terrain faced by Japanese was another factor for the American victory, as Japanese forces were down with fatigue and could not prove their mettle in counter-offensive attacks. Such disarray within Japanese forces was the major element for American victory. (The Battle of Guadalcanal) Lessons learnt The lessons from this battle have relevance to current defense preparations by the US. Various defense studies have reinforced the fact that America cannot afford to neglect events in the Pacific region, if the country has to safeguard its economic and security interests. With China increasing its military might and economic hold on world trade, the importance of Pacific region is still high on the American defense agenda. The challenges posed by many nations towards ‘anti-access’ or ‘area –denial’ strategies for Americans still pose threats to the country’s security. These causes lead to the battle of Guadalcanal, forcing Americans to reca pture strategic Pacific islands from Japan, during world war. They are important even today. (Holzer) Logistics of the area remains a challenge, irrespective of the development of modern weaponry with latest technology. Supply routes are vulnerable even today. The time and distance involved with any military operations in the area has relevance even today, as the forces need to access the rough vast terrain of the region. The lessons learnt by marines and sailors during Guadalcanal battle have been relevant for all the following campaigns in Pacific region. The policy changes for Asia-pacific, including military strategies have been influenced by such lessons, being relevant for Marine and Naval Corps in 2012, as well. (Holzer) Examples of intelligence failures Command and control

Socialization is done when children follow the footsteps Essay Example for Free

Socialization is done when children follow the footsteps Essay Socialization can be referred to as the process by where adults and children learn from each other. It is often said that socialization begins at home and this is true because it is the responsibility of the family to teach children from a very early age the norms and values of society. It is the process by which they learn right from wrong. Socialization is done when children follow the footsteps of their parents, teachers or older siblings. Socialization never really stops because all through life, people learn new things and they are never knowledgeable enough to know everything. During this process of socialization children develop a sense of self and become their own person. They become unique and have a distinct personality. Individuals develop their potential and learn culture through this process of socialization. Humans are unlike any other species and they need to learn things and how to survive. It is important for humans to learn their culture for it is a part of who they are. We learn by internalizing which is the process when people take norms values beliefs and language as their own and accept them as their own. Importance of socialization Socialization is important for many reasons: It helps a person become who they really are. It provides the basics for a person to learn about their culture and their way of behavior. Socialization helps people discover their talents and they find out that they are really good at something and they enjoy that. Through socialization children can develop as a person and acquire normal social graces. Children need to feel cared for and loved so when parents take time out for their children and teach them values and norms this helps them to develop properly. Learn ways on how to think talk and actions that are important for social living Is a way by which the society can pass culture along to the next generation We achieve harmony and are able to it into society We develop skills and learn not to always act on instinct It avoids isolation and improper development of children It allows us to develop our potential to develop or maximize skills We develop proper learning Agents of socialization The family is a major agent of socialization. It gives individuals their first experience, earliest and deepest experience to relationships and their exposure to the way of life. The family also teaches their own about the social and physical environment and teaches them to follow it. Children learn from the type of environment that elders create. The family also gives children a social place when it comes to religion race or culture. This makes up the child’s self-concept. The family are the ones responsible to teach children manners, respect and obedience. They cannot allow their children to go to school without teaching them how to talk to older people with respect or how to obey when told to do something. The school also plays a role in the socialization of children. The school is a port way for children to learn about their ancestors and to teach them of the way people behaved in the older times compared to the way they behave now. They learn how society is connected to race and gender. The school is their first experience to bureaucracy. This means that the school prepares them for the future because it runs on a time schedule and is governed by rules. This is helpful because it prepares them for when they get a job. It is also proven that schools mold children into gender roles. School also open opportunities or children to join peer groups in which they meet people with similar interests or talents. The mass media is also an agent of socialization. The mass media provides a vast amount of information to a huge audience at the same time. It is proven to have a great impact on the behavior and attitude of children. The media is also a port way for people to learn about different cultures and to meet people of different race and ethnicity. The media can inspire people to achieve access and to follow their dreams. Children will view successful people on the television and aspire to be like them. This is a good thing because children will have ambition. Theories on socialization George Herbert Mead: He developed a theory on social behaviorism. It explained how a person’s personality can be affected by social experience. He saw the power that environment had when it came to shaping behavior. He studied inward thinking. His main concept was self. He described this as the part of a person’s personality composed of self- awareness and self- image. He considered that self only develops when people interact with others. He said that humans care what others think of them and that is what they think of themselves as well. Lawrence Kohlberg: He studied how people distinguish between right and wrong. At an early age for children, they think that whatever feel good to them is right. Another aspect of his is that teenagers in the adolescent stage lose their selfishness and learn to act according to what parents tell them and by the rules of their school. He also said that individuals learn not to argue with what is legal or right. Jean Piaget: he studied human cognition. This refers to how people think. He wondered how children made sense of the world. He described the way children made their way through life based on what they thought of it. Piaget believed that biological maturation and increasing social experience was reflected by human behavior. He stated four stages of cognitive development which included sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. Sigmund Freud: He studied mental disorder and personality. He believed that biology played a major role in the way people develop. He said that the human personality had three parts which include: The id which represents the innate human drives, this would be the human life and death instincts, the ego which refers to the internalized cultural values and norms and the ego which he considered resolved the competition between the restraints of the superego and the demands of the id. . Family Basic Concepts Family is a group of people who are closely related to each other by blood, adaption or marriage. The family is considered the basic unit of society. A family is considered to be the people who will always be there for you, no matter the situation you are involved in. Whenever in need of something the first place you run to is home. You are confident that there you can be safe and that there will be the people you can depend on. The family is the group of people who play a significant role in an individual’s life. Bonds within a family are considered kinship. Within every society there are families, however the views of people and whom they consider to be their family may vary depending on historical changes and culture. Family of orientation refers to when individuals are born into a family that includes parents and siblings living together. This plays an important role in socialization. A family of procreation is when adults decide to start their own family either naturally or through adaption. Marriage is an important aspect when considering starting a family. Marriage is a legal union between two people who commit to each other and this involves economic cooperation, sexual activity and childbearing. Children born out of marriage are considered to be illegitimate. Global Variations Types of families: Extended family: Is a family that includes more than three generations living in the same household. Everyone is connected by blood. Nuclear family: A family that includes a mother, father and their children living under the same roof. Sibling household: This is a family that an older brother or sister is the one in charge of the rest of children. They are required to be the parents and take care of the younger ones. Reconstituted family: This is a family type formed by the combination of two single- parent families. Single- parent family: Is a family type that involves one parent taking care of the household. Marriage patterns This refers to the way in which individuals are required to marry: Endogamy: This refers to marriage between people of the same social category. This limits marriage prospects to other people of the same gender, social class or race. Exogamy: This is when people of different social class get married. This type of marriage promotes cultural diffusion and builds alliances. Monogamy: This is marriage between two people. Polygamy: This is a type of marriage that unites two or more people. Polygyny: This refers to marriage of one man to two or more women. Polyandry: This refers to marriage of one woman to two or more men. Residential Patterns This talks about where a couple resides after being married: Patrilocality: This pattern refers to when the married couple lives with or close to the husband’s parents or family. Matrilocality: This is when the married couple lives close by or with the wife’s family. Neolocality: This refers to when the married couple live in a new place away from any side of their families. Patterns of Decent This refers to a system families used to trace their kinship over generations. Patrilineal descent: This is when individuals trace their kinship through men. This is when sons are the ones who inherit or get property passed on to them by their fathers. Matrilineal descent: This is a system used to trace kinship through women. This is when mothers pass on property or inheritance to their daughters. Bilateral Descent: in order to promote gender equality, this system traces kinship through both men and women. Theoretical Analysis of the Family Functions of the family Structural and functional analysis: Socialization: The teaching of right from wrong to children. Regulation of sexual activity: Every culture tries to regulate sexual activity in order to maintain property rights and kinship organization. Social Placement: Families try to maintain social organization in order to confer their social identity. Material, emotional and financial security: Families provide financial assistance, physical protection and emotional support. Inequality and the family: Social- Conflict analysis Property and Inheritance: Identifying heirs in order to transmit property. Patriarchy: This is how men own women as their sexual and economic property. Racial and ethnic inequality: Families promote people marry others like themselves. Stages of Family Life This is the way how a family evolves. Courtship: Is when partners get to know each other and see if they are compatible. Settling in: This involves romantic love where partners fall in love with each other and usually plan to marry or not. Child rearing: This is the raising of children on the right path showing them love and kindness. The family in later life: This is when people stay married but for the final years of their marriage they return to living with only one spouse. Transitions and problems in family They are many things that break up the family: Divorce is the dissolution of a marriage. Causes: Individualism is on the rise: This is when family members stop spending as much time with each other. Romantic love often subsides: When sexual passion fades this is when relationships fade. Women are now less dependent on men: Women leave unhappy marriages because wives are now not financially dependent on husbands. Many of today’s marriages are stressful: Most families face the problem of not having enough time or energy for family. Divorce is socially acceptable: Divorce is no longer being discouraged. Legally, a divorce is easier to get: Now divorces are easy to get as long as the couple says the marriage has fail. References Macionis John J., Sociology- (13th Edition). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009

Diagnosing and Treating Depression Essay -- essays research papers

When someone says the word depression, it causes a great deal of confusion to American people today. Frequently, depression is used to describe when someone is feeling low, miserable, or having ‘gotten out of bed on the wrong side'. However, doctors use the word in two different ways. They can use it to describe the symptom of low mood, or to refer to a specific illness, Depression. Doctors make a diagnosis of depression after assessing the severity of the low mood, other associated symptoms and the duration of the problem. People who have experienced an episode of depression are at risk of developing another in the future. A small amount of people may experience an incidence of depression as part of a type of bipolar disorder, manic depression, which is characterized by episodes of both low and high dispositions. Depression is very common in the United States, occurring in more than five to ten percent of Americans over their lifetime. A â€Å"depressing† statistic is that women are twice more likely to get depression than men. There are no individual personality types that are more at risk than others, yet some risk factors have been identified. These include inherited or genetic factors, such as having parents or grandparents who have endured depression. Some non-genetic factors that can contribute to depression are having a tragedy early on in life such as the death of a parent or close friend. The causes of depression are very obscure and unknown to psychologists. Heredity is a major factor because it leads to the chemical imbalances of the neurotransmitter, Serotonin. Early life experiences like a death may make some people more susceptible. Another cause of depression could be stressful life events, such as losing a job or ... ... of phone numbers that you can call to receive help. Sometimes these are better because you can talk to a real person, even a depression survivor, who can more easily understand your problems. The first is the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program whose number is 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433). Another anonymous hotline is the National Depressive & Manic-Depressive Association (800) 826-3632. The National Foundation for Depressive Illness also has a 24/7 hotline: (800) 248-4344. The last hotline is D/ART Depression Awareness, Recognition, and Treatment: (800) 969-6942. Feel free to use any one of these toll free numbers to try and control your, or a friend’s, depression. One book that can help is Frank Minirth’s Freedom From Depression. Overall, depression can lead to many worse things, and the best thing that we can do is identify it early and try to treat it.

Knapps Stage Model Essay

Dear John, the drama-filled romance movie, John Tyree, a young soldier, meets Savannah Curtis, a college student on spring break, and they quickly fall in love. The movie directed by Lasse Hallstrom, adapted from Nicolas Sparks’ novel of the same name. Dear John showcased many aspects of communications in its most simple forms. Including the ten stages of the Knapp Stage Model, which could actually be witnessed throughout the Dear John the movie and the book, as the two main characters, John and Savannah, developed their relationship and as they tried to maintain their relationship. In the Knapp’s Stage Model, Mark Knapp describes the progression and development of relationships as a series of ten stages in two phases: the ‘coming together’, initiation is followed by the experimenting , intensifying, integrating and bonding stages. In the ‘coming apart’, the differentiating, circumscribing, stagnating, avoiding and terminating stage occurs. The se stages are illustrated in the film Dear John. In the opening scene of Dear John, it was John’s and Savannah’s first time meeting, it was attraction at first sight. During the night scene at the beach, they conversed. I would still think it’s the initiating stage because the content of their conversation. They didn’t ask questions with the intention of knowing more of each other apart from that one question, ‘’When are you going back? † which was rather casual. That will sum up the initiating stage. In the later scene, John asked for a date and Savannah agreed. That means they have both passed each other’s test so there is an experimenting stage. By the way, John actually stayed at the Barbeque till the night when he mentioned that his dad cooked dinner. Why else would one blow off his dad if it isn’t because he likes the girl? Therefore, that supports my stand that they were already attracted to each other at the beach. At the dinner scene, they were started talking about something more personal. They were making small talk. The topic of family and John’s past came in. These topics usually w ouldn’t be brought up at the initiating stage because they’re too personal. I would also like to link to another concept with this scene which is relational needs of openness. If you notice, John wasn’t too comfortable with the talk to the point he asked â€Å"why do you want to know so much?† He would fall under the kind that closed off to other people. His answers were all one-liners, straight to the point with no further explanations. In the next scene, when they were walking towards the wooden house, that was another example of  getting to know each other through talking. This ends off the experimenting stage. They have a fight, but reconcile before John’s leave from the army is over. When john returns to the army, he and Savannah begin long distance relationship through handwritten letters. The first letter was very clear that Savannah loves John. Previously, John actually gave Savannah a note in which the content wasn’t disclosed to the audience till the very end of the movie. The note said â€Å"I love you† which was why Savannah wrote him, that letter was a reply. Those were disclosures of feelings to each other . In that scene, John said â€Å"I made you a promise, didn’t I?† and later, they both agreed to write to each other all the time. She was supposed to wait for him for a year while he was away in Germany. That was a sense of commitment to the relationship. This will summarize the intensifying stage. The fourth stage is integrating. This point is rather straightforward. It’s the turning point whereby the couple announces to their friends and family that they are a couple. In this case, you could see John being introduced to Savannah’s parents. Couples do not always follow strictly to the model. Steps could be jumped or revisited again. Sadly, there was no fifth stage (Bonding – marriage, engagement) for this pair in the movie. Conflicts arise because of different perceptions; it is also illustrated in this movie. There was a fighting scene at the patio and it was because John wanted to extend his tour with the army but Savannah did not want to wait for another two years. So after a long time apart, John and Savannah find themselves drifting apart and resigned to being apart from John, and Savannah sends a ‘Dear John’ letter telling him that she has bec ome engaged to someone else. John finally got a letter from Savannah which she initiated a break up. Break ups are due to many possible factors, in their case, changes, poor communication and unrealistic expectations. Changes referred to the huge changes they went through from the two weeks of summer break together to being thousand miles apart. Next, poor communication, I think this might be the least contributing factor. Even though, letters took weeks or months to reach each other, their letters were filled with words. They told each other everything about their lives so it wasn’t a case of drifting apart. Lastly, it is the factor I think contributed the most probably which is an unrealistic expectation. Long distance relationships are hard enough and a person can only take it for so long. The first year was fine but when  John added two more years onto the pile, it was too hard for Savannah to take. Although John’s and Savannah’s falling out they eventually came together as friends, es pecially when John’s father is on his death bed, John returns home and connects with his father, something he was not able to do before. John then sells his father’s coin collection to fund Savannah’s husband’s cancer treatment. In the last scene of the film, John sees Savannah on the street and they embrace. The movie may not showcase as much details; however it does show the importance of communication in a relationship. For example, Savannah chooses to write a letter to John to break the news of her engagement, instead of calling him, it shows that it is already a sign od avoiding the issue directly. A handwritten letter is a linear form of communication, as John is not given a chance to reply immediately. If you were in John’s position, and you received a similar letter about your partner’s engagement, would you go back home to fight for what you want, or would you be ‘John’, and just bury yourself with work? Hopefully, now you have a better understanding of the Knapp’s model and see how it fits into every relationship!