Thursday, March 19, 2020

14 Last Minute ACT Tips You Should Use

14 Last Minute ACT Tips You Should Use SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Wondering what you can do to boost your performance on the ACT with only a couple days to prepare? Here are some last minute ACT tips that will help raise your scores and keep you at your best during the test. General Last Minute Studying Tips Ideally, you'll want to start studying for the ACT long before your exam date in order to be fully prepared for the test. However, last minute studying can also be helpful for learning some final pieces of information and being fully prepared for exam day. If you're studying right before the ACT, you should spend your remaining time wisely. Follow these tips to ensure that the extra effort pays off! Tip 1: Focus on Correcting Your Mistakes It’s easy to take a bunch of practice tests and not bother withanalyzing your incorrect answers, but you won't improve much that way.Now is the time to focus in on topic areas that are particularly problematic for you. You might choose to target just one section of the test and drill down into the reasons you have difficulty with certain types of questions.For each question, make sure you understand why your answer was incorrect and the route you should have taken to arrive at the correct choice. Tip 2: Check Your Timing You don’t need to go through a whole practice test, but you should have a general sense of how you've been pacing yourself so the real test doesn’t take you by surprise.How long do 30 seconds and a minute feel to you?This will help you be a better judge of when you need to move on in the real test environment. Since there's so much time pressure on the ACT, this can make a big difference in your scores. Day of the Test Follow these tips the morning of your ACT to ensure you start the test prepared and on the right foot. Tip 3: Sleep Well, Wake Up Early Go to bed early the night before the test to control for any trouble you might have falling asleep because of nerves.Plan to get seven to nine hours of sleep, and wake up at least an hour before you have to leave for the test. This way your brain will be firing on all cylinders by the time you get there! Tip 4: Eat Breakfast Eat something protein-filled that will give you sustained energy but not make you sluggish. If you normally don’t like eating breakfast,try a granola bar or a handful of nuts. Drink coffee if you usually drink it to stay awake - now probably isn’t the time to kick a caffeine addiction.Don’t drink coffee if you’re not used to it because it could actually make you anxious and less focused on the test. Tip 5: Dress for Success This means the opposite of what it usually means because you should dress as comfortably as possible.Bring layers so you don’t get distracted by being too hot or too cold. Also, pack up everything you need for the test the night before so you don’t forget anything (especially if you're not a morning person!). There are no crayons allowed on the ACT. You may now weep for your childhood. During the Test This is the real deal. Keep these tips in mind while you're taking the ACT to help you out during the exam. Tip 6: Keep Calm and Test On Take it one question at a time, and don’t get discouraged when you can’t figure out an answer.Just skip the question and move forward. Getting worked up will only take away from your focus and hurt your scores. Tip 7: Skip Difficult Questions If you find yourself floundering on a question, skip it and come back to it at the end of the section. There'sa lot of time pressureon the ACT.If you find you’ve spent more than a minute on a question in the Math, Reading, or Science section, move on and come back to it later.In the English section, don’t spend more than 30 seconds trying to figure out any one question before you move on. Don't risk running out of time before you get to every question - you could miss easier points down the road. Tip 8: Check Your Answers If you have time at the end of a section, don’t waste it.Go back and check over your answers to make sure you’re not missing any easily fixable goofs that could happen if you rush through questions. Also make sure all the bubbles on your answer sheet are filled in.Remember, there's no penalty for incorrect answers on the ACT, so you have nothing to lose by guessing. Tip 9: Take Breaks You get two breaks on the ACT assuming you’re taking it with the writing section.The first is between Math and Reading, and the second is between Science and the essay. Take advantage of the breaks to clear your mind, use the bathroom, or eat a snack. You’ll feel better prepared for the rest of the test. Tip 10: If You Take the ACT With Writing, Make Your Essay Clear and Concise Your essay should be pretty formulaic: introduction, three paragraphs, conclusion.Give concrete examples for each of the points in your argument, and make sure your thesis is clearly spelled out in the introduction. Try and make your essay around two pages long (or at least more than a page) because there’s a positive correlation between essay length and score. Tip : Go Guerrilla Warfare on This Test Think of it this way: The ACT is a well organized, regimented army and you’re a ragtag band of misfits using whatever tactics you can to outsmart it. Here’s some relevant info about each section that will help you: English When in doubt, go for the more concise answer.Follow grammar rules, and don’t overthink things. Math Use your calculator as a resource, and make use of the diagrams. If you are trying to figure out an angle or the area of a shape and you’re stumped, choose the answer that seems most logical based on the image. If you find yourself doing complex math, check yourself before continuing.The concepts being tested are fairly simple and should not require elaborate calculations.Look through these formulas, and make sure you know how to use them before the test! This is an example of what you won't be doing on ACT Math. Reading Skim first, then read the questions. You can read more in depth later when the questions point to specific parts of the passage. Try not to overanalyze things: if the evidence for the answer isn't right there in the passage, it’s not the correct answer. Don’t be fooled by answers that are â€Å"almost† correct. Science ACT Science is essentially about logical reasoning, not knowledge of scientific facts (though some basic science knowledge is helpful).Don’t get overwhelmed by a bunch of numbers and terms you don’t understand. This is designed to distract you from getting down to the relatively simple concepts at the core of the sample experiments. Remember, it’s much easier than it looks at first! After the Test Even after you've finished the exam there are still some tips to keep in mind to ensure you send your best ACT scores to schools. Tip 12: Be Aware: You Can Cancel Your Scores If you're really worried about your scores because you know something went horribly wrong on the test, you are allowed to cancel them. For advice on whether you should cancel your scores and how to go about doing so, read this article. Tip 13: Taking the Test Again? Consider the Test Information Release If you know you're going to take the ACT again, you should think about ordering Test Information Release, a service the ACT offers for you to review your scores in more detail. This can be a very useful studying toolbecause it will show you your weak spots in a real test environment. For more information on TIR, read this article. Tip 14: Chill Out It's important to give yourself time to decompress and relax after the test! Don't stress out too much about what may have gone wrong. It’s out of your hands now, and your time and energy are much better spent doing other things that you enjoy for the rest of the weekend. What's Next? Are you trying to decide whether to take the ACT again? This guide will help you make a choice. Then you can figure out which upcoming test date is right for you. If you want to get a head start on studying, check out these study plans for sophomores and juniors, rising seniors, and our complete plan for all students. You should also figure out your target score so you know how far to plan ahead. Also check out our guides for how to get a greatscoreon each section of the ACT for more specific tips! Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Richard Nixons Native American Federal Policy

Richard Nixons Native American Federal Policy Modern American politics among various demographics can be traced along predictable lines when it comes to a two-party system, especially those of ethnic minorities. Although the civil rights movement enjoyed bipartisan support early on, it became split along regional lines with Southerners of both parties opposing it, resulting in the conservative Dixiecrats migrating to the Republican party. Today African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Native Americans are typically associated with the liberal agenda of the Democrats. Historically, the conservative agenda of the Republican Party tended to be hostile to the needs of American Indians, especially during the mid-20th century, but ironically it was the Nixon administration that would bring much-needed change to Indian country. Crisis in the Wake of Termination Decades of federal policy toward American Indians overwhelmingly favored assimilation, even when the governments prior efforts toward forced assimilation were declared a failure as a result of the Merriam Report in 1924. Despite policies designed to reverse some of the damage by fostering greater self-government and a measure of tribal independence in the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, the concept of improvement of the lives of Indians was still framed in terms of progress as American citizens, i.e. their ability to assimilate into the mainstream and evolve out of their existence as Indians. By 1953 a Republican-controlled Congress would adopt House Concurrent Resolution 108 which stated that at the earliest possible time [Indians should be] freed from all federal supervision and control and from all disabilities and limitations specially applicable to Indians. Thus, the problem was framed in terms of Indians political relationship to the United States, rather than a history of a buse stemming from broken treaties, perpetuating a relationship of domination. Resolution 108 signaled the new policy of termination in which tribal governments and reservations were to be dismantled once and for all by giving greater jurisdiction over Indian affairs to some states (in direct contradiction of the Constitution) and the relocation program which sent Indians away from their home reservations to large cities for jobs. During the termination years, more Indian lands were lost to federal control and private ownership and many tribes lost their federal recognition, effectively eradicating the political existence and identities of thousands of individual Indians and over 100 tribes. Activism, Uprising, and the Nixon Administration The ethnic nationalist movements among Black and Chicano communities fueled the mobilization for American Indians own activism and by 1969 the Alcatraz Island occupation was underway, grabbing the nations attention and creating a highly visible platform upon which Indians could air their centuries-long grievances. On July 8, 1970, President Nixon formally repudiated the termination policy (which was established ironically during his tenure as vice president) with a special message to Congress advocating for American Indian Self-determination. . . without the threat of eventual termination, assuring that the Indian†¦[could] assume control over his own life without being separated involuntarily from the tribal group. The next five years would see some of the most bitter struggles in Indian country, testing the Presidents commitment to Indian rights. In the latter part of 1972, the American Indian Movement (AIM) in conjunction with other American Indian rights groups convened the Trail of Broken Treaties caravan across the country to deliver a twenty point list of demands to the federal government. The caravan of several hundred Indian activists culminated in the week-long takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs building in Washington DC. Just a few months later in early 1973, was the 71-day armed confrontation in Wounded Knee, South Dakota between American Indian activists and the FBI in response to an epidemic of uninvestigated murders and the terrorist tactics of a federally-supported tribal government on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The heightening tensions across Indian country could no longer be ignored, nor would the public stand for more armed interventions and Indian deaths at the hands of federal officials. Thanks to the momentum of the civil rights movement Indians had become popular, or at least a force to be reckoned with and the Nixon administration seemed to grasp the wisdom of taking a pro-Indian stance. Nixons Influence on Indian Affairs During Nixons presidency, a number of great strides were made in federal Indian policy, as documented by the Nixon-era Center Library at Mountain State University. Among some of the most significant of those achievements are: The return of the sacred Blue Lake to the people of Taos Pueblo in 1970.The Menominee Restoration Act, restoring the recognition of the previously terminated tribe in 1973.In the same year, the Bureau of Indian Affairs budget was increased by 214% to a total of $1.2 billion.The establishment of the first special office on Indian Water Rights - A bill authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to make direct and insured loans to Indian tribes through the Farmers Home Administration.The passage of the Indian Financing Act of 1974, which supported tribal commercial development.The filing of a landmark Supreme Court suit to protect Indian rights at Pyramid Lake.Pledged that all available BIA funds be arranged to fit priorities set by tribal governments themselves. In 1975 Congress passed the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, perhaps the most significant piece of legislation for Native American rights since the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. Although Nixon had resigned the presidency before being able to sign it, he had laid the groundwork for its passage. References Hoff, Joan. Re-evaluating Richard Nixon: His Domestic Achievements. nixonera.com/library/domestic.asp Wilkins, David E. American Indian Politics and the American Political System. New York: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2007.