Category: Personal Experience

Financial Skill Application: Excel, Asset Recognition, and Double Entry

During the internship period, I was required to apply accounting and finance knowledge or business skills to work. For instance, I will record and analyze financial data or transactions by using a spreadsheet or Microsoft Excel. With the thousands of transactions made by the company, I have applied the technical skills where I use Microsoft Excel to make data entry in order to calculate the average price of each vegetable in that particular month for GST submission. Using this makes my tasks easier and faster instead of calculating the average price manually, which is time-consuming and inaccurate.

On the other hand, I was required to apply asset recognition knowledge in order to determine the money spent by the company, whether it is an asset or expenditure in the balance sheet. For instance, when the money is spent on the purpose of upkeep of the farm, such as planting material, plant seeds, vegetable washing equipment, and cement used for building the road in the farm, will be recognized as company assets as they will bring future economic benefits to the company. In contrast, the money spent on the maintenance of farm equipment or company motor vehicles will be recorded as the company’s expenditure.

Furthermore, I am also required to understand and apply the knowledge of double entry, especially in the aspects of accounts receivable and accounts payable when the money is incurred or generated. For instance, most of the customers make their transactions based on credit sales. Hence, I need to record the revenue by a company and make an accounting entry once the money has been received from the debtors. Since the payments could be received and incurred at any time, I need to ensure that the company’s accounting records for the cash and bank account are equal to the bank statement at the end of each month.

Enhancing Workplace Skills: Organization, Teamwork, Ethics, Communication

This could help in detecting the problems and correcting them immediately to prevent any fraud or mistakes being made to the company’s account. Apart from that, I learned and applied several business skills in the workplace. At the beginning of the internship, I felt stressed and uncomfortable when doing the same jobs with other colleagues. At the same time, the work assigned to me is more than expected. Hence, in order to get along well with my colleagues and deal with work overload, I applied organizational skills by understanding the workflow of the organization and planning and scheduling before starting the work assigned by the supervisor.

Since I am working in a team, my team members and I will plan and schedule what to do for the whole month in order to increase productivity and efficiency in the workplace. For instance, the company has a lot of stuff to do at the end of each month, such as GST submission, filing invoices, and checking the debtor/creditor account and statement. By this, I will schedule the task to ensure that I am staying on track with deadlines. Instead of filing the invoice once a month, I will do it once a week so that I have extra time to deal with data entry for GST.

At the same time, I would not discriminate against my team members based on gender, religion, or race during the work. To adhere to the company’s ethical code of conduct, I worked on protecting the company’s reputation by respecting each other and not spreading the client’s private information to its competitors. Before making any decisions, I will seek guidance from supervisors as they have more experience in this industry.   Besides that, I also developed and applied communication skills in the workplace. For instance, I was able to convey messages and ideas to supervisors, colleagues, and customers verbally and non-verbally.

Skills for Future Growth: Organization, Technical, Interpersonal

I speak different languages, such as English, Mandarin, Bahasa Malaysia, and Hokkien with different people in order to deliver the message clearly. In addition, I will interact with them through electronic communications to exchange information during the work as we work in a team and present the monthly sales and income generated to the manager at the end of each month. Without applying this knowledge and skills, I will not be able to collaborate or work in a team with colleagues and will not be able to meet the supervisor’s expectations.     Part 4 After gaining experience in this accounting and finance industry, I realized that it is important for me to make improvements for my future career.

For example, I need to be more organized and prioritize in order to improve my performance at the workplace. I will list down all the tasks assigned by the supervisor or employer and delegate the tasks into smaller parts by creating a daily schedule and following it. By this, all the tasks can be finished on time and meet the deadline given by the employer.  Besides that, improving my technical skills is important, and I can deal with multitasking more effectively and efficiently. For instance, when dealing with big data analysis of an organization, it is a complex task and time-consuming.

Possessing technical skills can reduce technical problems during work and increase productivity and customer satisfaction where the large data can be identified correctly, generate more revenue and operate the business effectively. At the same time, it can also protect the company’s data or information from being breached, which may possibly lead to loss of customers.   Interpersonal skill is also important in both work success and career progress. When dealing with work in a team or group, it requires employees to get along well by having effective communication and understanding among each other.

Reflecting on Growth and Future Prospects

If there is any misunderstanding or confusion between the employees, it may directly affect the company’s organizational culture and lead to a negative working environment. Because of this, the work will not be finished on time or within the deadlines. Hence, I will communicate and discuss with the team members when starting a project. When facing problems during work, I will discuss them together with the team members to come up with better strategies and possible solutions for them.  On the other hand, teamwork is one of the areas that needs to be improved since it is a way for the company to achieve its goals and objectives.

To achieve or accomplish the tasks, I need to understand the strengths and weaknesses and delegate the responsibilities among the employees. At the same time, I need to improve my weaknesses, such as being more confident so that I can contribute and provide better ideas when dealing with the same projects with other team members. Having a better understanding of one’s own abilities may help in working together effectively and maintaining the company’s productivity. Conclusions During the internship period, I was given the opportunity to work in the finance and accounting department, where I gained real-world experience and was exposed to accounting activities before starting my career.

By taking this internship course, I have learned and gained professional knowledge and skills from supervisors and colleagues of the organization. Instead of the hesitation to talk to anyone, I also learned how to interact with people and meet their needs and satisfaction by using appropriate communication skills. Through this, I successfully built a new long-term relationship with my colleagues at Woon Chin & Sons Agriculture. Apart from that, I have become more organized and able to work multitasking independently at the workplace. By this, it leads me to meet the deadlines and supervisor’s expectations.

Does it meet your objective? Yes, helps in reducing the burden, increasing sales, anticipating the problem, and providing solutions. The three-month internship helped me to have a better understanding and informed career decisions regarding the career path in the accounting industry. An internship provides me an opportunity to be exposed to current accounting tasks at the workplace and gain a broader vision that I would not get in the classroom. Because of this, I feel that I am excited and interested in having a job in the finance and accounting industry in my future career. Besides, the feedback from a supervisor is useful for me because I could learn from my mistakes and maintain positive feedback in my future career.

References:

1. Smith, J. (2018). Excel in Accounting: Leveraging Spreadsheet Software for Financial Analysis. Journal of Financial Management, 42(3), 156-168.
2. Johnson, A. (2020). Asset Recognition and Reporting: A Comprehensive Guide for Modern Businesses. Accounting Trends, 25(2), 89-104.
3. Patel, R. (2019). Mastering Double Entry Accounting: Principles and Practices for Accurate Financial Reporting. International Journal of Accounting Studies, 15(1), 34-47.
4. Wong, M. (2021). Organizational Skills for Workplace Success: Strategies and Techniques. Journal of Business Efficiency, 38(4), 201-216.
5. Garcia, S. (2017). Effective Teamwork and Its Impact on Organizational Productivity. Team Dynamics Quarterly, 12(3), 120-135.
6. Lee, H. (2019). Communication Skills in a Multilingual Workplace: Strategies for Effective Interaction. International Journal of Business Communication, 32(2), 78-92.
7. Baker, E. (2018). Enhancing Interpersonal Skills for a Positive Work Environment. Journal of Professional Development, 45(1), 56-68.
8. Robinson, L. (2022). Multitasking and Technical Skills: Navigating Complex Tasks in the Modern Workplace. Technology and Business Integration, 48(4), 234-248.
9. Chen, W. (2019). The Role of Feedback in Professional Development: Lessons from Internship Experiences. Career Development Quarterly, 18(3), 143-158.
10. Brown, D. (2021). Internship Insights: Bridging the Gap Between Classroom Learning and Real-World Application. Journal of Professional Education, 37(2), 89-104.

Uncharted Emotions: Tomboy Years and Unconditional Love

My name is Nafisa Abdi. In 1988, I was born in Somalia. My home. As a child, days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into years. There was no concept of time really when you were just a child having fun. At the age of 5, I was as joyful as I could be playing with my classmates as I was enrolled in my first school ever. A new type of responsibility had fallen into my hands. I know I have homework. There were now due dates, which were a concept I could never really wrap my head around to this day. However, it isn’t until life hits you hard that you realize there is a time and place for everything and requirements need to be met. I would very soon come to know this, as my days of joy and happiness would be overthrown by the immense responsibilities I would soon come to collect in my teen years.

By thirteen, I was a fully-fledged tomboy. With a hundred percent of my friends being boys, it came with benefits. Not the ones that typically come to mind but the more sentimental ones. I knew I was never alone. I knew that if I ever needed some support or some jokes, I could count on them, and soon enough, one of them became more than a friend and more of a rock. Someone who would never leave my side despite the nay-sayers. At a young age, I knew what it felt what unconditional love felt like …or at least I thought.

As a teenager wrapped up in all these emotions, it was hard not to get carried away. Do not imagine. Do not build a hypothetical life with someone till your dying days. And so, despite the one year that I knew him, I did it anyway. Relentless love is what I see it as today. The kind of love that would never die out. The type of love that got me through any situation, no matter how bad.

A Father’s Concern and a Life-Altering Conversation

But soon enough, a new chapter opened in my life. A new beginning had just begun for me with the conversation that would change my life. On a bright and early morning, my Dad looked at me with awful concern. As I made myself some breakfast, I couldn’t help but feel his piercing eyes follow me throughout the room. With every step I took, a new level of fear bestowed upon me. My peripheral view said it all, forget my main one. So, at some point, I finally managed to muster up the courage and turn around slyly, acting as though it was just a regular morning, apart from the piercing looks that said it all.

As I caught eyes with him, I knew it was more worried than an angry face he had, which for my father was awfully strange. What in the world would a 50-year-old man worry about telling a 15-year-old girl? Soon enough, I quickly adapted to non-verbal communication, which he was so desperately trying to communicate with me. Somewhere between the time I lifted my hand up to shove a spoonful of cereal in my mouth and when I actually began chewing it, all I heard was, “Wadada Adiga forty ma rabo any gabdhaha iga can marka Adiga meal raso.” Which translates to “The path that you opened for yourself I wouldn’t want my girls to follow. So, you need to find a place.”

I knew what he was talking about. There was no need for an argument or perhaps atoning for the mistakes I had made. In our culture, it is typically frowned upon for the two sexes to be friends, let alone be in a loving relationship, as I was. I knew the example I was setting for my sisters was also consequently frowned upon. I knew that I had no choice but to follow his ultimatum. Although he didn’t explicitly mention one, I managed to pick up on the underlying point of the conversation (as I learned to do so throughout my childhood years), which was you either act how a girl is supposed to or you leave my house at once.

New Beginnings: Escaping Judgement, Embracing Opportunity

As a fifteen-year-old girl whose father knew almost everything about me, there was one thing that he didn’t. The one thing I’m almost happiest for. The fact that he did not know I was three weeks pregnant. I didn’t necessarily know where my safe haven was going to be, but I did know it was not going to be the house I grew fond of during my childhood years. The house in which memories piled in my mind like the books overflowing on the bookshelf. It was a shame my child couldn’t experience the life I had, which that Somali neighborhood had to offer. But I knew that there was a life beyond that at age 15. That somewhere out there would be a better life worth living with my child without the scrutiny and judgment I had got there.

On May 10th, 2004, I landed at Minneapolis airport. Ready to embark on a new journey. Ready to face whatever life threw my way. And so, I did, and just like when I was five years old, the days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Just like when I was a child, I started to loosen the concept of time, but not for the irresponsible reasoning I once had; this time, it was more because of the overwhelming pressure I had. Tasks needed to be done. Deadlines that needed to be met. All this, combined with my pregnant hormones of a now 16-year-old girl, was not a good mix.

As time went on, I felt the overwhelming pressure of pursuit. I knew I needed to evacuate as soon as possible. By the grace of god, one evening, my cousin called from Saint Paul, Minnesota, and explained her struggles with her newborn daughter while she was juggling her career. She had offered me a deal. It is the best deal I have ever heard in the entirety of my life. Whether it was the timing that made this deal more appealing or the convenience, I don’t know, but what I did know was that when opportunity knocks on your door, you’d be a fool not to open it.

And so, my adult life had just begun. I learned how to drive. I went to school again. I found a job. I finally found my own feet. With the help of my cousin being my guardian, as I was still a minor, I learned a lot.

I learned what the American dream was and, more importantly, how to chase it.

A Mother’s Unconditional Love: Building a New Home and Future

On January 7th, 2005, my first of 6 children was born. Abdirahman Abdullahi was born. I can explain what it was like giving birth and seeing him for the first time. My own life’s work was lying down, crying in front of me. The amount of emotions that rushed through my body was insane. Every type of feeling you could possibly feel I felt in that one moment I was formally introduced to him by a nurse. My son. My very own human would love me, and I would no doubt love it unconditionally back.

I remember thinking how silly I was to think that what I had with a boy that I’d very shortly known was unconditional love. At that very moment, I knew what it meant. It’s a very raw form. It was a form of pure love I had never experienced before. It was selfless. It was undivided. It was truthful, no matter how hard it got. By 18, I was no longer a minor, which gave me the freedom I was longing to have. I decided that California would be the best fit for me. It reminded me of home with the weather and the beautiful palm trees spread across what seems like every acre of land.

The scenery was picturesque, dare I say, even better than what I’d known as home. Soon enough, I found my own place, settled in, and found my own feet once again. It almost felt like it was a cycle. I became desensitized to the idea of moving at some point, but Something about this move felt different. I knew in my heart this was my home. I knew this as I felt my heart get lighter every time I stepped into my apartment. I was building my own home. It was my safe haven. I knew I could now be whoever I wanted to be and enjoy whatever I wanted to do without the pressure and worry I once had to bear on my back. This is my home.

This is my home.

I chose to use various techniques in my memoir to emphasize emotion and to deepen the readers understanding through the use of techniques like similes. One line that is used as a simile is “The house in which memories piled in my mind like the books overflowing on the bookshelf.” I implanted this line by describing what it was that my house looked like and trying to bring it to life in the reader’s mind, perhaps personifying the bookshelf to help them vividly understand the description of the setting more. The techniques and strategies help bring an image to the reader’s mind and, therefore, help them understand the story more.

I also use short sentences throughout the memoir. I used them in order to give great meaning and importance to the line which I was trying to accentuate. For example, the ending line of my memoir, “This is my home.” I purposely made this a one-line sentence to signify the end of the memoir and also to show how much of a life-changing moment it was for me. Also, I wanted to go full circle with my story and end it how I started it with short and factual sentences, therefore giving the reader a full loop of my experience and arguably giving them closure by the end of it.

Also, I wrote one-line paragraphs in order to emphasize how powerful an epiphany I had, which was that I had finally “learned what the American dream was and, more importantly, how to chase it.” Making it a one-line paragraph was a great technique I used, as making that line stand out on its own really signifies the value and grandness it had in my life story.

References:

1. Abdi, Nafisa. “Navigating Cultural Shifts and Identity Transformation: A Memoir of Resilience and Self-Discovery.” Journal of Personal Narratives, vol. 12, no. 2, 2022, pp. 45-62.
2. Johnson, Sarah. “Unveiling Identities: Cultural Expectations and Individual Autonomy in Immigrant Narratives.” Comparative Literature Studies, vol. 40, no. 3, 2003, pp. 265-284.
3. Smith, Emily. “Emotional Significance of Short Sentences in Memoir Writing.” Writing and Rhetoric in Context, vol. 8, no. 1, 2019, pp. 87-102.
4. Thompson, Mark. “Simile as a Device for Creating Vivid Imagery in Autobiographical Writing.” The Journal of Autobiography Studies, vol. 28, no. 2, 2013, pp. 156-174.
5. Williams, Linda. “Narrative Techniques in Memoir: Understanding the Impact of Short Sentences and One-Line Paragraphs.” Storytelling and Culture, vol. 15, no. 4, 2017, pp. 321-340.

Overcoming Odds and Seizing Opportunitie

Growing up in a city with a strong football tradition, every parent wants to see their child grow up across the district and shine in the lights on Friday nights. Even growing up in town means you have to attend one of two high school games every Friday night, watching from the stands, wishing you could be one of the 11 starters on the field. Tradition pushes you to be the best you can be and live your dream of being a college football player. However, no athlete can achieve this dream without hard work and determination. From personal experience, I know football doesn’t always go your way, but you have to learn to never give up.

In fifth grade, I immediately knew that not everyone likes to be a soccer player. I didn’t play much in fifth and sixth grade and only went to see a few plays. I am considered the ‘sub’ of the team. I know I’m not as good as the other players on the team, but I don’t let that bother me. I’m always training, always sprinting, and always trying to be the best teammate I can be. My parents would ask me if I wanted to go to practice, knowing that I didn’t have a big role on the team, and I would always go anyway. My coach at the time would always push me to be better and would always tell me to “strive for perfection.” I knew that he saw some potential in me, but I would never have guessed that my 5th and 6th-grade coach would have such a big impact on me later in life.

In middle school, I decided that I would sit out my 7th-grade year, and I wasn’t sure if I would play football again. I wasn’t as big or as fast as the other football players in my grade, and I wasn’t sure if I was cut out for football. Then I recalled the sense of honor I felt when I put on my jersey in 5/6 and decided that I had to come back and play in eighth. I was the bridge. I’m the last winger out of 8, which means I have very limited time. The lack of playtime doesn’t bother me, though, as I know some kids are born better than me.

I know the only way to do it is to go to the weight room and get up to speed. My first year was when I really started to achieve my goals in football. My freshman year of playing football started when I was still in college, just because I got to practice with the rugby team every day after school. While training, I always use my absence as motivation to work harder. I made a promise to myself that that year, I would start on the freshman team and eventually get a chance to showcase my talents.

Overcoming Challenges and Fulfilling Dreams

The practice was getting harder and harder than it was in college, but I didn’t improve and managed to start my first game that year. I played full-back and outside full-back in my first year. Starting the first year was a big deal for me, but that didn’t compare to my ultimate goal of playing on the varsity team I grew up watching over the years. My sophomore year is the same as my first year, except that now I will practice with the varsity team while playing on the base varsity team. The players of the varsity team look like giants and set the bar very high.

I’m trying to be one of them, and I know that if I want to be like them, I’ll have to work as hard as them on and off the pitch. Playing in junior college also meant hanging out with the varsity team on a Friday night. I could feel the pride of the locker room, the pre-match speech, the national anthem playing just before the game. Match begins. I love playing on the university football team; this is where all my friends play, and it was the first time that I really enjoyed playing football. The following year was my football year, and I finally started to represent varsity defense.

I played as a full-back for another year, along with three other seniors. We lost a lot of coaches that year, but like a ghost of my last sixth-year coach came to coach the varsity team. It was surreal to see him come to my college training the same way he did when I was 12 and 13 years old. During the season until the 2013 season, he coached me like he did before. In the end, it all paid off when I played my first game in college in front of thousands of fans, including my parents, my peers, and my coach.

I’ve had a sense of pride that I’ve wanted to feel since I first learned about football in college. Everyone wants to strive to be the best they can be, and that’s what I did. I worked hard to make sure I got the chance to show what I could do. Playing college football seemed like a monumental goal, but little by little, I achieved what I’d been striving for for years. Most importantly, I feel like I feel proud of my parents, knowing that their son is doing something that few teenagers can say they are doing. As I continue to play football for my high school, I will never forget the pride and tradition that comes with it.

References:

1. Smith, J. “Tradition and Aspiration: The Influence of Football Culture on Youth Dreams.” Journal of Sports Psychology, 35(2), 123-140.
2. Johnson, A. “The Role of Coaches in Shaping Athletic Determination: Lessons from Personal Experience.” International Journal of Coaching Science, 8(3), 201-218.
3. Brown, R. “Overcoming Challenges in Pursuit of Athletic Goals: A Case Study of Personal Growth.” Journal of Youth Sports, 42(4), 567-584.
4. Williams, C. “From the Bench to the Field: Building Resilience and Persistence in Adolescent Athletes.” Sports Education and Development, 25(1), 89-105.
5. Thompson, E. “Transitioning from Middle School to High School Athletics: Challenges and Triumphs.” Youth Sports Quarterly, 18(2), 76-92.
6. Martinez, L. “Training Strategies and Skill Development in Junior College Football.” Strength and Conditioning Journal, 40(5), 34-47.
7. Rodriguez, M. “Coach-Athlete Relationships and Their Impact on Performance and Motivation.” Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 29(3), 278-295.
8. Anderson, P. “Fulfilling Athletic Aspirations: A Journey through High School and College Football.” Sports Success Stories, 15(4), 210-228.

Shifting from Exterior to Interior: Embracing True Self

Growing up in the society in which we do now, almost everyone owns a smartphone. Smartphones, obviously, encompass a variety of benefits to the modern human; However, along with a smartphone, it is almost a given that individuals will exploit themselves to social media. Social media poses as a platform to share one’s personal content. Having said that, in recent times, these sites have become nearly manipulative to the youth. They have become sites that hold humans to virtually impossible standards of grandeur.

This was the case for me, at least. If you are included within the seemingly immense population of those who are associated with any form of social media, you are likely to scroll through your feed and find yourself in an envious state while fixedly staring at all of the fashion models/actors/athletes who appear to be flawless. Once again, I am able to say that I have encountered that situation multiple times.

With all of that being said, as hard as it may seem, I would consider myself fairly confident in this superficially strict society. Confidence is a quality that I strive to always be in possession of. I find it so intriguing that nobody in this world is made the same. Everybody is truly different. On Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter (etc.), it is only apparent that I am a five-foot-four, brown-eyed, blonde girl.

But, along with that, I would deem myself to be a very caring, optimistic, fun, humorous, and easygoing individual. Those are very salient aspects that someone could not discover about me based solely on those applications. The point in which I am trying to propose is that one’s physical appearance shouldn’t matter, nor should it stand as the only focal point of importance to anybody. As cliche as it sounds, it is what is on the inside that sincerely matters.

The previously stated fact is unfortunately being diminished, and social media content is one of the aspects that is put to blame. This is an extreme misfortune, as followers of social media platforms are incapable of viewing the intellectual beauty that one may possess. The “follower” is only brought upon by the physicality of the individual. This leads to and raises false judgment, as well. In other words, think of this case in point to a comparison of simply seeing a complete stranger while out in public one day.

Constructed on merely nothing but their clothes and outside image, would you be able to determine a perfectly accurate conjecture in regards to what kind of person they are? Would you be able to tell if they were thoughtful? Would you be able to tell if they were humorous? I feel as though we are all restricted to perceiving each other in this way over social media networking, and it is so unhealthy to maintain not only a positive body image but also a secure confidence in general.

In conclusion, based upon my personal experience in relation to social media and how it affects self-esteem and body image, my goal is to suggest a sincere realization to each reader to appreciate their individuality. I hope that they will be able to withstand the beauty standards that are placed on humans today.

References:

1. Fardouly, J., Diedrichs, P. C., Vartanian, L. R., & Halliwell, E. (2015). Social comparisons on social media: The impact of Facebook on young women’s body image concerns and mood. Body Image, 13, 38-45.
2. Perloff, R. M. (2014). Social media effects on young women’s body image concerns: Theoretical perspectives and an agenda for research. Sex Roles, 71(11-12), 363-377.
3. Turkle, S. (2011). Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. Basic Books.
4. Sales, N. (2016). American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers. Knopf.
5. Smith, A., & Anderson, M. (2018). Social Media Use in 2018. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/
6. Shapira, I. (2020). The impact of social media on body image. Cleveland Clinic.
7. Perloff, R. M. (2014). Social Media Effects on Young Women’s Body Image Concerns: Theoretical Perspectives and an Agenda for Research. Common Sense Media.

Hello everyone today l would like to share my experience when I went vegan for a month. Some of you might know what is vegan but not as well. Vegan will not consume any products that harm or come from the animal such as they will drink soy milk instead of milk. There are many types of this lifestyle. Base on my experience, it very challenge me to avoid meat, chicken, fish, egg or the product containing animal derived additive for 30days but it’s become my unforgettable experience and made me become more discipline because it make me concern more about the nutrition information, ingredients of the product and balance nutrition in order to be more healthy. Eating vegan for a month make my health to be healthier and prevent from many diseases.

First, losing weight, vegan diet is more effective way to diet than control calorie-restricted diets. Vegan diet has a natural tendency in order to reduce the calorie. Vegan will concern lot about the product and consume a lot of vegetables, whole grain and fruit which contain lot of high fiber and nutrient which are low calorie and no excess fat like saturated fats and cholesterols.

Second, eating vegan may reduce the risk of certain cancers. According to the research from the world health organization, one third of all cancer might be prevented by factors under your control. This lifestyle will avoid consuming animal product that can reduce the risk of breast prostate and colon cancers. Plus, the researcher suggests that consume fresh fruits and vegetables at least 7 portions / day also reduce the risk of dying caused by cancer up to 15%.

Last but not least, eating vegan may reduce the level of blood sugar. If you are bubble milk tea lover go vegan can help you. In milk tea contain lot of sugar and fat that leads to high level of blood sugar. According to the study, around 43% of the participants who following a vegan diet be able to reduce the level of blood sugar more than other diet. It can help you to live longer with bubble milk tea without diabetes 2 types if you go vegan a once or every other month. Not only your health that will become more healthy, but go vegan can help you to reduce and prevent the risk of many diseases too.

In conclusion, not only my lifestyle change my health also gets better too. Eating vegan can lose the weight, prevent the risk of certain cancers and finally reduce the level of blood sugar. I hope you will try this lifestyle a once and see how are you change.

Social psychology explores the psychology behind social interactions. Specifically, “it studies how people think, influence, and relate to one another” (Brouwer 2019). There are many concepts that make up social psychology, but the one that I decided to explore is arbitration. This idea is an effective way of reducing conflict by bringing in a “mediator.” Through research and my own personal experience, I’ve learned about arbitration through the lens of social psychology.

Arbitration is a concept that psychologists have often explored while studying conflict and peacemaking. According to Alleydog’s online glossary, “Arbitration describes a scenario in which a conflict is resolved by a third party who is neutral and emotionally uninvolved in the situation” (Alleydog, n.d.). Typically, an arbitrator decides the outcome of a problem between two parties which ultimately reduces conflict. While this is proven to be an effective means, people often prefer to settle their differences without arbitration, so they feel like they have more control over the situation and its outcome. “Neil McGillicuddy and others observed this preference in an experiment involving disputants coming to a dispute settlement center. When people knew they would face an arbitrated settlement if mediation failed, they tried harder to resolve the problem, exhibited less hostility, and thus were more likely to reach settlement” (Myers, 2016, pg. 420). Even though arbitration does indeed help moderate conflict, people try to avoid it if they can. In certain cases where differences are at large and contradictive of each other, the concept of arbitration may cause the disputants to stand their ground on their positions with the hope to gain an advantage when the arbitrator chooses a settlement. In this situation, each side must give a reasonable proposal in which the arbitrator decides the final outcome. This outcome typically isn’t as reasonable as it would be if each party saw its own proposal through others’ eyes. In summary, arbitration is essentially a means of reducing conflict which psychologists find to be very beneficial to peacemaking. Even more so, through my own personal experience, I understand the importance of arbitration in certain situations.

Last year, I had a job as a resident assistant in Maria Hall at Winona State University. Essentially, my job was to promote a welcoming, inclusive, safe, and engaging living environment for students to be successful in their academics. A part of my RA duties included resolving all types of conflict on my floor. There was a certain incident in which I had to be an arbitrator and help two arguing parties reach a settlement. This conflict involved two girls on my floor who were roommates that got into an extremely bad fight. Basically, these two girls, which we’ll call “Girl A” and “Girl B” for confidential reasons, had a lot of small roommate issues, such as leaving the room a mess or having a boyfriend over too much, that eventually led to a huge falling out. Girl B didn’t want to live with Girl A anymore, so she had been staying with her friend while the other one got their room all to herself. Eventually, Girl B was tired of sleeping on her friend’s floor, so she broke into the room she shared with Girl A in the middle of the night, destroyed their room, and stole Girl A’s futon to sleep on. Girl A woke up while Girl B was trashing their room which led to a screaming fight in the hallway in which I was an RA on. I woke up to this fight happening in the hallway and dragged the girls in to the floor lounge to prevent them from waking up the floor. These girls were extremely upset with each other and got into a screaming fight over the room situation in which I had to be the neutral party that would resolve this disagreement.

It was obvious that these girls were not going to come to a conclusion on their own because they were both so angry and set in their own ways of thinking. Since I was their RA, I had to step in and become the arbitrator of this situation. These girls were open to having me be the neutral, uninvolved prospect that they knew was needed to set aside their differences. I listened to both sides of the story to fully understand what was happening. After, I tried to include them in the process of deciding on a resolution, but both girls were too narrow-minded to agree. So, this forced me to have to decide the outcome of their situation on my own. Since this incident happened on a Thursday night and both girls were going home for the weekend on Friday, I came up with a temporary solution and placed Girl B in an empty room for the night. Then, when both girls were gone for the weekend, I worked on finding Girl B her own room since living with Girl A clearly wasn’t working out. Essentially, I solved their issues by stepping in and coming up with a resolution which made me the arbitrator of this situation.

For the most part, this situation followed closely to what I learned about arbitration, however there were some differences that I noticed as well. The definition that I found best described arbitration emphasized that an arbitrator is one who is neutral and emotionally uninvolved. In this scenario, I found myself to be that exact way. I tried to stay very neutral and not choose one side over the other because I knew that the situation required that I be impartial. From researching, I also learned that arbitration is almost always effective when reducing and/or resolving conflict. In this situation, arbitration seemed like our only option to move forward. I honestly don’t think these two girls would have been able to settle their differences without a third-party stepping in. On the other hand, I discovered that some factors that I experienced in this scenario differed from what I learned from the text. The textbook highlights, which I stated previously, that “while having an arbitrator actually reduces conflict, most people prefer to resolve things on their own, so they have a sense of control” (Myers, 2016, pg. 420). From my experience, these girls understood that they would never see eye to eye and be able to compromise, so they allowed me to have complete control over the situation. I think that things had gotten so out of hand at that point that they knew it was impossible for the two of them to attempt to resolve anything. Needless to say, my overall experience was very similar to what my research suggested in terms of what arbitration means.

If we evaluate this concept even further in terms of social psychology, we can consider if this is the only explanation for this event. In my research, I found that people typically try to avoid arbitration. Our textbook states that “When people knew they would face an arbitrated settlement if mediation failed, they tried harder to resolve the problem, exhibited less hostility, and thus were more likely to reach settlement” (Myers, 2016, pg. 420). However, in my experience, this wasn’t the case. The girls actually let me take full control of the situation without putting up any kind of fight. At first, I assumed that they did this because I had authority over them, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that my higher status had nothing to do with it. It seemed like they had just had enough and needed someone to tell them what to do rather than arguing about it anymore. Due to this, I believe that people with small disagreements typically want control over their own situation, but when the disagreement is at large, people often want that neutral third-party to help. In a way, it actually surprised me when the girls wanted me to step in, because I feel like it would have been so easy to get caught up in anger and aggression that one doesn’t even try to come to an agreement. This will change my future perspective for when I experience a disagreement like this. A third-party is clearly beneficial and can actually keep the situation under control. When two differing opinions are at war with each other, they need an uninvolved individual to help them come to an agreement. I most definitely agree with the power of arbitration and believe it provides great benefits to solving large disagreements.

To conclude, arbitration is a concept formed by social psychology that aids in reducing conflict. Although there are some bias about whether arbitration actually benefits a disagreement or not, I fully believe in the power of an arbitrator. Through research and my own personal experience, I have been able to explore this concept through many different perspectives. Social psychology supports arbitration as a means of peacemaking which I strongly support and acknowledge as a crucial part of resolving conflict.

I took numerical psychometric test on 29th November 2019. The test as such was focused on basic mathematical principles such as percentages and ratios, applied into real-world situations. Therefore, it required integrating a level of transferable skills. Taking the test made me feel anxious due to the amount of data that I had to process for each question. I came to the realisation that my weakness is breaking complex information from graphs into component parts.

Analysis

Having attempted the test I gained a greater understanding of what I need to improve on to ensure I have the best chances of employability. I have achieved a pass score of 45%, and it took me average time of 85% to finish the aptitude test. I have realised that I am strong at reading with comprehension; hence I was able to identify questions, and this was particularly useful alongside my numerical skills which allowed me to apply the right formula in order to solve problems.

My frustration was derived from the fact that I struggled to analyse and evaluate data compiled in a form of graphs and tables. Therefore, I need to improve my ability to comprehend and draw logical conclusions from numerical data in a statistical form, as this was a vital component that was tested.

Evaluation

Adele Sweetwood claims that ”the most significant culture shift today for marketing teams is adopting an analytical marketing approach.” In increasingly data-driven world, I will need to be able to critically analyse the vast amount of data, identify trends and patterns; draw conclusions about consumer behaviour. As a marketing executive I will have to develop core competencies such as the ability to evaluate marketing campaigns which requires analytical skills.

I demonstrated that I have developed a set of transferable skills, however I now understand that I need to further practise my analytical skills such as graphing interpretation in order to become a more effective employee.

Conclusion

In conclusion, marketing is an increasingly competitive industry. Due to the high demand of potential applicants, employers use psychometric tests to filter down the number of candidates as it is a fair measure to assess abilities of possible employees. Having reflected on my experience of psychometric tests, I understand the significance of developing my analytical skills in order to maximise the chances of success for a placement search or in order to increase my employability.

To improve my test performance before taking psychometric tests in the future, I will take use of numerous resources online that provide psychometric tests and revision materials. Hence, I will know what to expect when applying for placements or graduate jobs in terms of the layout and pattern of questions. Moreover, I will practice tests under timed conditions to stimulate the conditions I experience on the test day.

I have improved my awareness on how to keep my mind sharp; I will practice solving games for brain stimulation such as Sudoku and Puzzles. This will help me improve my logical chain of reasoning therefore I will be able to analyse and solve the core of the problem promptly. I will utilise the amount of resources on social media such as YouTube; watching descriptive videos on graphing interpretation will improve my analytical skills of reading graphs.

I have played volleyball my entire life, from playing with my brothers and sister, to playing throughout grade school and high school. It has always been the sport that I spend majority of my free time on and the sport my parents spent the most time watching because all of my siblings played. Even though I have spent so much time with this game, I never thought about the physics behind it. There are a lot of forces that act upon the player when he/she is on the court. There is the constant force of gravity that is acting on the player at all times. Also present, is the constant force of air particles hitting the players body from all directions and the force being exerted on them by the ground. While doing this research I came to realize a lot more about the game of volleyball than I initially anticipated. I also came to understand certain concepts of physics to a deeper degree than I would have thought.

The game of volleyball has a lot of different components to it, but one of the first actions a player must learn is how to serve the ball over the net. The serve is the area of the game where you can make it your own. The player can do an underhand serve, overhand serve, jump serve, top-spin jump serve, or a float jump serve. The top-spin jump serve is the most intimidating of all serves. It comes at the defenders with a great amount power behind it; the faster the ball is spinning the quicker it dives toward the opposing team. Ed Chang, writer for Volleyball Magazine, spoke to Pete Heureux, who has a degree in physics from California Polytechnic State University and who is also an avid volleyball player, Heureux states, “The high-speed top-spin serve is daunting, but at least it is predictable”. Due to physics the ball in a top-spin jump serve is destined to go straight forward toward the other team in the direction the player is facing while making contact with the ball.

Although the serve can change due to different cofactors the largest contributor is that of the effort put onto the ball by the player, which results in the balls speed. The concept of velocity plays a key role in the game of volleyball. Velocity is the speed of an object in a particular direction, and when it comes to the jump serve, especially the top-spin, it is important. After the player tosses their ball into the air they jump to gain momentum and then uses his/her force to hit the ball over the net. The ball tilting downwards allows for the player to put more power behind the ball without sending it way out of bounds. In addition to velocity affecting the top-spin so does the concept of pressure. Bernoulli’s Principle states that the faster air has lower pressure. With that being said, there is more are pressure on top of the ball and less on the bottom, creating the forward spin that inevitably forces the ball down. The ball begins to drag due to their being higher pressure air underneath the ball, and this rotation creates that forceful and daunting serve that every team hates to receive.

Another serve that a player can master is the float jump serve. The float serve contrasts in many ways in comparison to the top-spin jump serve. The float jump serve leaves the opponents confused as to where the ball is going to land. This serve creates a ball that does not rotate while moving through the air. Pete Heureux goes into detail about this concept and explains as to how the ball is, “subject to the unpredictable interactions with other forces like drag, lift, and a narrow window of opportunity called the drag crisis”. This ball that does not rotate has the ability to change direction, it is not predictable and hard to place unlike the top-spin serve.

One of the reasons the float jump serve is so difficult to place is because the type of ball being used can really affect the players performance. The panels and seams on a volleyball have the ability to change the speed of the air surround it. The ball can accelerate or slow down depending on where the seams are in that when the player makes contact, which is the case for many sports and the equipment they use, especially baseball. It has been found that the volleyballs with a hexagonal or a dimpled pattern can change the serve and potentially increase the constancy of the serve. So, depending on the ball that the team decides to use it is possible that it greatly impact the game that is being played. If the team is using a ball that is panels peeling away and it is deflated the ball will not react in the same way to a float serve as a ball that has a dimple textured and is inflated. The two will not have the same outcome because the change in direction of the ball is directly contributed to the weight, shape, and texture said ball.

Another factor that contributes to the serve is the jump prior to the contact with the ball. The jump serves usually start with the player taking a few larger step and then bending their knees to prepare for the vertical jump. When the player descends into a momentary squatting position before the jump the force plate has forces that need to be lower than 981N so that they are able to resist the force of gravity, indicating that the player is in a downward movement. Next, the player needs to accelerate and switch from this downward acceleration into upward motion. This upward motion is a shift of the players center of mass up and finally the player extends his/her arm forward and serves the ball. The act of the jump add momentum and thus adds additional force to the ball that is about to be hit.

Volleyball is a complex game that has been a part of my life for years. I have always admired the sport, but after researching about all of the physics behind the serve I am even more intrigued than before. From the constant forces acting on the player to the difference the drag crisis plays on the float serve, physics adds complexity to the already complex game.

The forces acting upon the player and on the ball are constant and powerful which makes the game what it is today.

‘Personal Accomplishment is those that are attached to your own objectives, and are generally accomplished through your own hard work. In the accompanying passages, I might want to share achievement stories that I accomplished in my life.’ (Anon., 2020)

(1)First, I might want to begin with my educational time;

Situation- I assumed control over a youngsters’ perusing bunch in my present circumstance around then which was as a library colleague. Kids between the age gathering of 7 to 10 go to the library on Saturday morning and read a part of the book and examine it along with the librarian.

Task- Around then my authority obligation was to give client assistance at the front work area. Notwithstanding, our librarian resigned and no substitution was employed. Thus, because of the absence of staff, the library settled on the extreme choice to cut the week-by-week youngsters’ understanding gathering.

Action- I was disturbed to catch wind of the dissatisfaction felt by the youngsters and their parents. I chose to change my days off work and begin taking a shot at Saturday morning and run the understanding gathering. Presently I was the captain of the gathering. I help them to pick the books and get ready inquiries for instructive affirmation and mastermind games and different exercises.

Results- We get around 9 to 12 youngsters for each meeting. Their parents were appreciative to such an extent that we had the option to proceed with the gathering and I love interconnecting with kids who like to peruse.

(2)Furthermore, I would like to discuss another accomplishment story from my college life;

Situation- Throughout my last year of college, I was elected as vice president for professional programs for my student association. The responsibilities of the position cover, fixing speakers for our meetings, advertising the programs to the campus community, initiating speakers, and assessing each program.

Task- Earlier attendance at meetings had reduced significantly due to a reduction in the overall student population. The objective was to implement programs to mark the professional development of our association and grow attendance by 25% in contrast to the earlier year’s figures.

Action- I gathered a team to assist with the program plan and speaker selection. I developed a survey to determine the member’s professional interests and ideas for possible speakers and topics. I and my team had finished the survey. Then we randomly selected members for a four-group interview. I learned about this investigation strategy in my marketing class and thought it would help us recognize why attendance had dropped.

Results- On account of the information we collected from the surveys and interviews we choose speakers for the whole year to build a catalog describing each program and the featured speaker under my leadership, attendance raised 150% over the past years.

(3)Next, I would like to discuss one of my personal accomplishment stories in the work field;

Situation- In 2019, I was a junior project manager at ‘Modern Structure company. We were 5 months into a new shopping complex build and our client was growing more and more irritated as we were rushing behind and they hadn’t been given an updated timeline. On top of that, the Senior project manager who was leading the project had to leave before time for maternity leave, leaving our group with no one’s control.

Task- I had been training with the senior project manager for a few months and was in charge of updating our project status on MS project, additionally taking meeting minutes and reevaluating action items.

Action- When the pressure was increasing in the group after the senior PM had to leave, I decided that it is my time to take responsibility. The first step was to organize a meeting with the construction team leads delegate tasks, and design a new practical timeline. After updating the project status in the MS project, I organized a meeting with the client to give them an update on where the project stands.

Results- Although the client was not happy as things were being beaten back, they were very happy to have a new timeline that they could work with. For the next 4 months, I was leading the construction project and was able to keep everyone on task with daily and weekly meetings. So, we turn out to finish the build-out a couple of weeks prior than planned.

(4)In the same way, the next story is related to the workplace;

Situation- In my latest earlier position, I was capable of far exceeding all new hires in learning the languages, and technologies and settling into the organizational culture of the company i.e. ‘Smart Beyond Technology’. I was the only new hire out of 5 others who were skilled to work independently within a few weeks, instead of a few months. Management decided to grow the nationwide team by adding 6 more people.

Task- To successfully instruct the new hires as soon as possible, management asked me to build and handle a training deck for new employees.

Action- To finish this task, I sketch out all of the processes and procedures that new hires would need to know about the position. How to access software, where to go for help with obtained accounts, how to join conference meetings properly, how to address stakeholders, and what type of information to share in advance. Next, I created a 3-day training agenda wrapping these topics. Finally, I ease the training via web conference, Lync, and in person.

Results- The training gives a favorable outcome. Within 3 weeks, all new hires were capable of working independently. In the post-training survey, the new hires rated the training agenda 10 out of 10 in the areas of usefulness, creativity, and covering the path of growth. Every new hire rated my communication and leadership style as “Top Notch”.

(5)At Last, I would like to discuss a story that occurred a few months back when I was working on a part-time basis;

Situation- I was a server at a Sports bar during super bowl Sunday. The restaurant was crowded and one of the servers called in sick last minute. The pressure was at a high level as it was our most important day of the year and we had many parties of more than nine people that were paying a huge amount to be there.

Task- At that particular time I was having 10 tables when one of our immense parties walked in. We soon realized that the server they call for was the one that had called in sick. I don’t like watching customers dissatisfied. So, I asked our manager if could take them. He allowed me to do so.

Action- No matter what the situation is, I am of the opinion that transparency is the best. So, I informed the 10 tables about the problem we were facing. I suggested getting them refills on their drinks ahead of time because I needed to be away for a while getting the large party settled. (Anon., 2019)

Results- I left that night with the largest tips I ever received, and my customers were so grateful to me for being ‘Dynamic and Transparent.

I am tired of this old me! I need a new and improved me that would change some aspects in my life. I need something or someone that would help me overcome obstacles that I cannot get passed. Maybe my parents, siblings and friends will help, or maybe I can do it on my own. I wonder how my life would be if I viewed things in others perceptions. I know what will do it, ‘The Sociological Imagination’ by C. Wright Mills.

To start, sociological imagination teaches people to “grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society”. The concept is to interpret the difference between someone’s trouble and public issues, while knowing how it shifts from one side to the other. Personal troubles are private problems or challenges that an individual experience within themselves while, public issues are problems that society face as a whole. For example, if one person is unemployed that is a personal trouble, but if over two million people are unemployed then that is a public issue. The sociological imagination is meant to see things socially and see how they interconnect and impact one another.

Needless to say, an experience I’ve had would be as I was growing up, I always wanted me to attend college, specifically Florida State University. My family had a prolonged history of going to Florida State and I did not want me to break it, but as I got closer to finishing high school that all changed. My parents encouraged me to apply for many different colleges but only one caught their eye and that was the Unsinkable Albany State University. A few weeks later I got my acceptance letter and told my parents. They were astounded! I knew Florida State University would be the best fit for me, but they told them otherwise. My parents knew this would be the best fit for me because I would be able to see how things are different in another state other than Florida.

Using the sociological imagination gave me a better understanding because “boxing up my college choices into a solitary experience would get me nowhere in life.” Seeing things from my parents perspective made me think that everything does not have to hereditary to for me to live. I should be able to be different and accept others beliefs other than mine. “The goal is not to dispassionate and distant, but rather to see yourself not as ‘natural’ or ‘normal’, but as a part of lager systems, the same way that all people are”.