10 Personal Finance Blog Posts You Should Read Right Now

10 Personal Finance Blog Posts You Should Read Right Now 10 Personal Finance Blog Posts You Should Read Right Now! 10 Personal Finance Blog Posts You Should Read Right Now!The internet can be an overwhelming source of information. It can be hard to know what to read and what to skip in favor of that cute cat video your aunt just posted.We did some digging and came up with 10 fantastic personal finance blog posts that you should pretty much read immediately.  (Don’t worry, that cat with the funny costume will still be there when you finish getting your financial future together.)1.       Penny Hoarder: 32 Legitimate Ways to Make Money at HomeNeed some extra cash? Who doesn’t! This blog post from The Penny Hoarder, one of the world’s largest personal finance websites is a one-stop shop for great ways to earn extra money on the sideâ€"most of which you can do without getting off your couch!Read the full post here.2.       Cash Cow Couple: How Do Student Loans Impact Your Credit Score?This post from Cash Cow Couple  has a great rundown of how credit scores are calculated and how your student lo an debt can affect them. (Spoiler alert: make your loan payments on time.) Once you’ve read this post, check out the rest of the blog, which is chock-full of great tips and advice to help you live your best, most financially responsible life.Read the full post here.3.       DoughRoller: 23 Powerful Tips and Tools to Eliminate DebtIn this post, Dough Roller founder Rob Berger, lays out the process of tackling your debt head-on. He breaks everything down into a series of simple, easy-to-follow steps. Check out this post and start slashing your debt today!Read the full post here.4.       Mr. Money Moustache: A Millionaire is Made Ten Bucks at a TimeThink 10 bucks isn’t a lot of money? Well, think again. Let Mr. Money Moustache  reorient your entire brain to think about $10 as what it actually is: the building block for your future financial success. Learning to save 10 dollars on the regularâ€"whether it’s on food, gas, utilities, whateverâ€"could help set you up for early retire ment.Read the full post here.5.       Financial Samurai:   Career Advice For Women: Blaze Your Own Path Instead!Rather than joining a company where an all-male management team will stifle them, the Financial Samurai  advises women to strike out on their own and become their own bosses. Even for folks who might be skeptical of that premise, this lengthy, well-thought-out post will certainly make your reconsider your own career decisions and work environment.Read the full post here.6.         Making Sense of Cents: Less is More: Guide To Becoming a MinimalistWant to start living with less but not sure where to begin? Let Making Sense of Cents blogger Michelle Schroeder  show you how to get started. This is another blog where you’ll want to check out the rest of Michelle’s posts once you’re done with this one, especially since she won Blog of the Year at the 2016 Plutus Awards!Read the full post here.7.       DailyWorth: The 10 Worst Credit Card Mistakes You Can MakePersonal fina nce expert extraordinaire Liz Weston, CFP  penned this post for DailyWorth  about the worst ways the credit card users can hurt their scores. If you read this post and think “Gosh, I do a lot of those” then we recommend that you make DailyWorth a regular part of your online media diet.Read the full post here.8.       Budgets Are Sexy: 9 Things I No Longer Do With My MoneyIn this post, Budgets Are Sexy blogger J. Money  celebrates his 9-year “blogiversary” by reflecting on how his attitudes and habits with money have changed and evolved over the years. It’s a great read, mostly in how it shows how good money habits will stick around, while a lot hard work with your money now can let be a little more relaxed later on.Read the full post here.9.         I Will Teach You To Be Rich: How to make money fast (without getting caught in a scam)Need cash and need it, like, yesterday? Rather than turning to a predatory payday loan, check out this post from New York Times best-selling Ramit Sethi  on ways that you can make some cash and make it quick without having to scam anyone or do anything illegal. He even goes over some of the most common “make money fast” schemes that you should 100 percent stay away from.Read the full post here.10.   Good Financial Cents: 65 Home Based Business Ideas That Are Easy to StartFor all you aspiring entrepreneurs out there, this list of businesses from blogger and Certified Financial Planner Jeff Rose that you can start from home might just be your holy grail. Click through and see which one is the best fit for youâ€"then get out there (or get online at least) and start earning!Read the full post here.If you want to keep up with all these great blogs, then you should give them a follow on the ol’ Twitter. And the same goes for us here at the OppLoans. Get our latest blog posts right in your feed by following us at @OppLoans.     Visit OppLoans on YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIN

Impact Of Entrepreneurs On The Industrial Revolution

The entrepreneurs had a great effect on the Industrial Revolution because they were working with inventors who had ideas to make things better and work more efficiently. They would pay inventors to keep working on ideas and that would therefore make them more money Entrepreneurs were contributing ideas to the industrialization in the areas of transportation, agriculture, and the population increase demands. Enclosures were made to increase crops. Farmers and landowners were able to try new agricultural methods. The seed drill was developed by Jethro Tull which led to better crop yields from betters planting methods. Crop rotation was developed by scientific farmers so farmers switched what they planted each year so they then had†¦show more content†¦I agree with this statement because the steam engine was an essential machine they needed at the time. The steam engine was the first development. They were needing a convenient source of cheap power. In 705, coal miner had actually used steam powered pumps to remove water from deep mine shafts. When the first steam engine was invented it was very expensive because of all the fuel it had to burn. But, a man named James Walt figured out a way to solve those problems. He was able to make the steam engine work faster and more efficiently along with burning less fuel. Watt was a mathematical instrument maker at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Watt later worked for Matthew Boulton who was an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is someone who financially backs a product and works to manage and make it better. Boulton paid Watt to try to build engines even better and make more efficient. Agriculture, transportation, increased population, and entrepreneurs all contributed to the Industrial Revolution. The invention of the steam impacted all of these areas. Steam could move boats. Robert Fulton, an American inventor, made the Clermont, a steamboat that carried people along the Hudson River in New York. Canals and waterways in England were created which improved water transportation. Within 150 years, 4,250 miles of channels cut the cost of moving materials and goods greatly. Both road and water transportationShow MoreRelatedIndustrial Revolution1160 Words   |  5 Pagesfundamental structure of the economy. That change was industrialization. During this time period, the United States of America changed from a large, agricultural country, to an urban industrial society. The process of industrialization began to take place in America, and eventually took over the economy during this period. Entrepreneurs and inventors put together various machines and businesses to help better the country function on a day-to-day basis. The advantages that industrialization did for America speakRead MoreIndustrial Revolution : Impact On Society1092 Words   |  5 PagesIndustrial Revolution: Impact on Society Chernyka Love HIST112 Professor Adam Howard American Military University 15 March 2015 The Industrial Revolution is a term used to describe a period characterized by a transition from old to new processes of manufacturing. This period occurred during the 18th and 19th century. The transition was seen to include movement from primitive hand production to the same type of production using faster more efficient means by use of machines. The era also featuredRead MoreThe Impact of The British Revolution on Society Essay example546 Words   |  3 PagesThe British revolution had a great impact on the society. Various complicated machines tools were used in the production and rural-agricultural and commercial society to a progressive rural- industrial society, this period of time old ideas mere modified, not swept away and gradually new ideas took place. This thing helped Britain changing their city life, social class structure, the power of the British nation amongst rest of the world, the production of machinery, and the strength of the economyRead MoreEssay about The Industrial Revolution in America1118 Words   |  5 Pagesgrowing since its birth out of Great Britain. The Industrial Revolution has been an influence in the American life since it first began in the 1700s. Many of the effects resulting from the revolution still affect America to this day. The entrepreneurs of this time and their industry still are around, although they have molded and shaped themselves into better products their still known from the originality of it all. Although the Industrial Revolution began hundreds of years ago it has affected everythingRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution During The 20th Century1106 Words   |  5 PagesThe industrial revolution was one of the biggest innovations from the 18th to 19th centuries. The Industrial Revolution changed the way the world was looking at altogether; new things were possible, things that no one ever could’ve dreamed of. In addition, creating new methods of producti on, manufacturing times were greatly lowered, meaning the product could be given to the public faster and in larger quantities. The Industrial Revolution was when the world finally began to move into the futureRead MoreIndustrial Revolution Essay1643 Words   |  7 Pagesthat some social changes that were felt during this period of time included changes to class structure, the working class, family dynamics, women’s role, and even the lower to middle class. On the topic of social changes, he says that, â€Å"the industrial revolution had far reaching social consequences, which varied across class and regions. Between the late 18th and early 20th centuries, new family and class structures emerged to adjust to the new wage economy and production shifted out of the house toRead MoreThe Far-Reaching Effects of The Industrial Revolution Essay1118 Words   |  5 PagesDuring the period from the early 18th century to the mid 19th century people experienced many changes that had an impact on their lives such as technical advance, development of transport, trade, better organization of output or new financia l structures. All these achievements happened spontaneously and were not planned. Economy was in process of rapid change and it gave many opportunities for people to gain wealth as well as social advancement. Almost every aspect of people’s lives was influencedRead MoreIndustrial Revolution Essay1051 Words   |  5 PagesAs the Industrial Revolution took place, many drastic changes†¦ technological, social, economic, and cultural also occurred. The Industrial Age brought about a new order that gave rise to the world of skyscrapers, factories of mass-production, and electronic devices that we are accustomed to today. The everyday lives of ordinary people underwent a dramatic change for the better. Before the Industrial Age, people lived very simple and hardworking lives. Any food or clothing they had was produced byRead MoreUrbanization, Industrialization, Popullation1376 Words   |  6 Pageswitnessing their pros and cons in spectacular aspects. First of all, industrialization is the transformation from an agricultural an industrial society, in which the new technology as well as mechanization of industry is dominant. It first took place in Britain from the middle of the 18th to the early 19th century and presented a prototype for industrial revolution spreading throughout Western Europe and North America afterwards. The greatest significance of this process is that it replaced manualRead MoreThe Function Of Entrepreneurs By Joseph Schumpeter1299 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction . . . the function of entrepreneurs is to reform or revolutionize the pattern of production by exploiting an invention or, more generally, an untried technological possibility for producing a new commodity or producing an old one in a new way, by opening up a new source of supply of materials or a new outlet for products, by reorganizing an industry and so on.† (Schumpeter ([1], p. 132). Joseph Schumpeter has highlighted the capacity of entrepreneurs to change the dynamics of business

The Hardwood Killer Tree Diseases

There are several tree diseases that attack hardwoods trees which can ultimately cause death or devalue a tree in the urban landscape and rural forests, to the point where they need to be cut down. Five of the most malignant diseases have been suggested by foresters and landowners. These diseases are ranked according to their ability to cause aesthetic and commercial damage.   Armillaria Root, the Worst Tree Disease This disease attacks hardwoods and softwoods and kills shrubs, vines, and forbs in every state. It is pervasive in North America, commercially destructive, a major cause of oak decline, and is arguably the worst tree disease. The Armillaria sp. can kill trees that are already weakened by competition, other pests, or climatic factors. The fungi also infect healthy trees, either killing them outright or predisposing them to attacks by other fungi or insects. Oak Wilt Oak wilt, Ceratocystis fagacearum, is a disease that affects oaks (especially red oaks, white oaks, and live oaks). It is one of the most severe tree diseases in the eastern United States, killing thousands of oaks each year in forests and landscapes. The fungus takes advantage of wounded trees, and the wounds promote infection. The fungus can move from tree to tree through roots or by an insect transfer. Once the tree is infected, there is no known cure. Anthracnose, Dangerous Hardwood Diseases Anthracnose diseases of hardwood trees are widespread throughout the Eastern United States. The most common symptom of this group of diseases is dead areas or blotches on the leaves. The diseases are particularly severe on American sycamore, the white oak group, black walnut, and dogwood. The greatest impact of anthracnose is in the urban environment. Reduction of property values results from the decline or death of shade trees. Dutch Elm Disease Dutch elm disease primarily affects American and European species of elm. DED is a major disease problem throughout the range of elm in the United States. The economic loss resulting from the death of high-value urban trees is considered by many to be devastating. Fungus infection results in clogging of vascular tissues, preventing water movement to the crown and causing visual symptoms as the tree wilts and dies. American elm is highly susceptible. American Chestnut Blight The chestnut blight fungus has virtually eliminated the American chestnut as a commercial species from eastern hardwood forests. You only now see the chestnut as a sprout, as the fungus eventually kills every tree within the natural range. There is no effective control for chestnut blight even after decades of massive research. The loss of American Chestnut to this blight is one of forestrys saddest stories.

Christopher Columbus And The Middle Of A Population Revival

In the mid 15th century, Europe was in the middle of a population revival as well as a boost in economic activity after the Black Death. Some Iberian explorers began setting out on voyages, as the revival created a demand of luxuries, such as spices, in the East. This expansion also was also caused by religious fervor. The Christian reconquista encouraged the Portuguese and Spanish to continue the Christian crusade. Portugal sent Vasco da Gama and Spain sent Christopher Columbus to find a trading route to Asia (History, 432). Both da Gama and Columbus were sailors on a mission to Asia, but the nature of their expedition and the consequences set them apart. Christopher Columbus was a Genoese map maker. Knowledgeable about the ocean, he had experience with Portuguese navigational developments and using a compass as a nautical tool. Columbus was also a religious man, and saw Christianity as a missionary religion. In fact, he planned to spread Christianity to the people in Asia. Columbus was not just inspired by his Christian faith, but also by the work done by geographers and travelers before him. In his first voyage, â€Å"The Enterprise of the Indies†, he set out to find a direct trading route to Asia. In 1486, he was rejected by the Portuguese for any funding, but in 1492, the king and queen of Spain funded his journey. Columbus is known to be a controversial figure. There are some who glorify him as a great explorer, but others see him as an invader, takingShow MoreRelatedAl Islam : A Major Economic And Cultural Center1220 Words   |  5 Pages EUROPE-Crisis and Rebirth-War and Renaissance During the 14th century in Europe started a conflict between England and France which resulted with the Hundred Years War. A war between France and England that lasted from the middle of the fourteenth century to the middle of the fifteenth..It lasted from 1337-1453 o it might more accurately be called the 116 Years War. The war starts off with several stunning successes on Britain s part, and the English forces dominate France for decadesRead MoreThe Triangle Trade Provided The New World1471 Words   |  6 Pagestechnology, ideas, and culture between The Old World, New World and Africa that started in 1492 when Christopher Columbus set foot in the New World, thinking he’d hit India. The triangle trade provided the New World (America) with food, animals, and diseases from The Old World. Africa gave the New World slaves, and the New World gave the Old World gold, silver, and raw materials. 1518- mid 1900s: Middle Passage African slaves were shipped to the West Indies and America as part of the Triangular TradeRead MoreReligion in America, 1492-17902224 Words   |  9 Pages1610: Be not dismayed at all For scandall cannot doe us wrong, God will not let us fall. Let England knowe our willingnesse, For that our work is good; Wee hope to plant a nation Where none before hath stood. (Morison, pg. 89) Originally, when Christopher Columbus landed on the shores of America en route to Asia, he was not interested in discovering new lands. Most Europeans at the time were looking for a way to get at the oldest part of the Old World, the East Indies. An ocean route was sought to theRead MoreNative American Tribes From Western North America1861 Words   |  8 Pagesand defeat due to these illnesses, the Europeans also suffered from venereal diseases such as syphilis due to their sexual interactions with Native Americans, taking a serious toll on Europe back home as well. 2. The Emergence of Racially Mixed Populations: When Europeans such as the Spanish entered the New World, the paucity of European women resulted in marrying Native Americans out of desperation. The Conquistadors mixed with the New World peoples resulted in a whole new race, mestizos, who wouldRead MoreThe Great Ice Age Of A Giant Body Of Water1937 Words   |  8 Pagesthe waters to freeze and the sea levels to drop and an isthmus or â€Å"bridge† was there for them to use. The people used the isthmus to populate the lands across from them. If the bridge wasn’t there, they would have had to populate the Americas when Columbus got there in 1492. 2. The first people (Indians) to fill the lands were the Asians. The Asian people migrated across an isthmus called the Bering Isthmus. They moved all throughout America. They created tribes like the Mayans, Aztecs, and the IncasRead MoreThe Development of Europe and Western Culture Essay2711 Words   |  11 PagesAges. The Dark Ages is the name traditionally given to the period in European history from the fall of the Roman Empire in the west to the coronation of Charlemagne, or sometimes to the 10th century. The term has also been used to denote the entire Middle Ages down to the Renaissance. Modern historians avoid using the term because of its value#64979;laden implications of barbarism and intellectual darkness. The role of the church during this time period was as a leader. The church took the leadershipRead MorePre-Columbian Period9302 Words   |  38 PagesUnited States The Mayflower, which transported Pilgrims to the New WorldAfter a period of exploration by people from various European countries, Spanish, Dutch, English, French, Swedish, and Portuguese settlements were established.[11] Christopher Columbus was the first European to set foot on what would one day become U.S. territory when he came to Puerto Rico on November 19, 1493, during his second voyage. In the 15th century, Europeans brought horses, cattle, and hogs to the Americas and,Read MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesprevious epoch of history was war so vilified and peace so consciously pursued through the establishment of international organizations and diplomatic exchanges. Despite these endeavors, the levels of domestic and international violence within human populations and the ravages visited upon animals and the natural world by humans vastly exceeded that of any previous era in history. In a century where human communities globally and individuals locally had the potential to be much more intensely connectedRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 PagesMethodist) or by squatting on marginal and government lands. On these lands, the former slaves developed into the Jamaican peasantry in the decades following emancipation. The late nineteenth century saw a revival of the plantation system through the infusion of British and American capital. The revival of agri-business led to the concentration of land in the hands of a few, as government-owned lands were reclaimed from squatters and sold to business interests. Lands formerly considered marginal forRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 Pagesprocesses were to continue unchecked . . . within about 100 years every one of us would be a scientist, the entire national output would be absorbed in research, and we should be spending most of our lives airborne at 40 000 feet. â€Å" . . . world population, and also the available labour force in industrial countries, is doubl- This can be contrasted with a rather more serious comment made by Professor William H. Pickering of Harvard in a speech made during June 1908, in which his lack of imagination

Implications of Human Resource Management †Free Sample

Question - The influence that customers have on business activity has increased in recent years. What HRM implications does this have for workers and managers? Answer - Customers are source of income for most of the many firms. In order to succeed in the complex market, the organization majorly focuses on the customers so that they can survive in the global market. Therefore, in order to develop sustainable success, companies try to satisfy them through their products or services and builds long term benefits in order to maintain their profit level (Victorino and Bolinger, 2012). On the other hand, many companies employ customer relationship management, collects information regarding consumers by data driven marketing process so that better marketing strategy can be build and more effort can be extracted from the sales force (Hyeong Yu Jang, 2012). The business activity of an organization can be largely impacted if the customers are not satisfied with their service or product. As a result, company may suffer loss or they might lose their market shares. Apart from that, many firms therefore, try to build continuous rapport for the customers so that t he customers can be loyal to their product or brand. The growing competition and entries of many small firms can make difficult for the company to hold the customer for longer period of time and serve them (Poddar and Madupalli, 2012). On the other hand, the customer has great influence on the business activity of the firms. Therefore, it makes the company to have a better organizational system so that they can provide better and quality service to consumers. The firms strategize all their activities by making the customers center point. The company can provide training to their employees so that the knowledge and servicing skills can be enhanced (Lynch, 2012). The workers are provided on and off the field training so that consumers behavior can be understood and their requirement can be made accordingly. Apart from that, the managers of the company can have huge pressure to recruit the people that can be capable to deliver superior service to consumers and also increasing the quality of production and product (Finn, 2011). Therefore, it is big task for the companies to design their business activity according to the customer desire and requirements. For instance, the growing concern of the customers towards health y food in recent years has made ALDI to remove the goods that are heavily saturated in terms of fat and containing high percentage of sugar. Therefore, ALDI has ordered their workers to decrease the amount of fat from the production and allowed managers to guide the workers and design the strategies in order to attract the customers (Centre, 2015). In other example relating to Yorkshire Electricity shows in order to provide quality and timely service to their customers adopted different strategy. The company provided training to their workers and build new working practices for educating and training the workers so that Total Quality Performance environment can be formed. On the other hand, the manager of the company formed a research team in order to know the customers perception towards the company so that better customer service can be provided (Summitskills.org.uk, 2015). Therefore, it can be said that today companies gives first preference to the customers in order to survive i n the competitive market. Reference List Centre, I. (2015). Aldi: The German Wal-Mart?| Strategy Case Study - Competitive Strategy Case Study. Ibscdc.org. Finn, A. (2011). Customer Delight: Distinct Construct or Zone of Nonlinear Response to Customer Satisfaction?. Journal Of Service Research, 15(1), 99-110. doi:10.1177/1094670511425698 Hyeong Yu Jang,. (2012). The Effects of Service Qualities on Customer Satisfaction and the Moderating Effects of Customer Involvement and Customer Delight in Sports Center. Jounalofkoreaservicemanagementsociety, 13(1), 107-132. doi:10.15706/jksms.2012.13.1.005 Lynch, W. (2012). Enhance Customer Service With Technology and Collaboration. OPF, 38(11), 20-21. doi:10.5991/opf.2012.38.0070 Poddar, A., and Madupalli, R. (2012). Problematic customers and turnover intentions of customer service employees. Journal Of Services Marketing, 26(7), 551-559. doi:10.1108/08876041211266512 Summitskills.org.uk,. (2015). North East Yorkshire Humber Case Studies. Victorino, L., and Bolinger, A. (2012). Scripting Employees: An Exploratory Analysis of Customer Perceptions. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 53(3), 196-206. doi:10.1177/1938965512443347

Illicit Trade free essay sample

I was aware of the ongoing war between the government and the drug cartel. I know the new ways their trafficking drugs, animals, weapons, or even people whether it be from drug mules and border crossings all the way to submarines and puppies. I know thousands of people die every year due to the constant war on illicit trade. I understand that many people ignore the Canadian US border in terms of smuggling. I know the precautions they’re taking in terms of searching (x-ray machines, drug dogs) I know that were spending billions upon billions of dollars on the US Mexico border. I always felt that there was information I didn’t know and wanted to know. So I came up with a question â€Å"How does illegal trade effect social and government standings in the world.† How does it impact me, how it impacts you and how it impacts all of us? It doesn’t take a masters degree to realize that a lot of 3rd world countries are corrupt by drugs and illicit trade. We will write a custom essay sample on Illicit Trade or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page You have a bigger impact on illicit trade then you’d expect which I plan on talking about in the next few paragraphs. I looked through the book Illicit – Moises naim which talks about how smugglers and traffickers are changing the world around you there’s a chapter in the book called changing the world where he goes on to talk about how it actually can improve or â€Å"boost† a government but most of the time it will hurt or even destroy a government to the point where they can’t tell the difference between smuggled money and official economy. Governments to attempt to stop this have began enforcing stricter laws, increased technology, and increased appropriations. But so far have had little to no effect of setting in a durable permanent plan on stopping the trades. It’s to be expected that they can’t stop the black market or any illicit trade for that matter. They have insane amount of connections they’re able to go to a government official and basically say â€Å"let us stay here or else.† And of course the government caves whether it be the money or the thought of what they could do to them or worse, their family. They’re able to break down their market and bring it up within a couple months with new customers and new ideas. Terrorists are actually following in the footsteps of the black market in terms of routes to take who to buy from how to kill and when. The illicit traders have a greater effect then you’d think. You’d expect governments like Somalia, Asia or Mexico to be corrupted due to the lack of government but even power houses like Russia and China are affected by trafficking. A big part of illicit trade is counterfeiting and not just money. People have been for thousands of years counterfeiting medicine, software, car parts, animal bones, and pelts and that’s only to name a few. The thought of being given counterfeited medicine scares me honestly. You’d be surprised on how much you contribute to trafficking, illicit trade, and counterfeiting. If you’ve ever taken a copied disk from a friend that contributes to counterfeiting. Counterfeited car parts are to have an expect revenue of almost $12 billion If you have an Iphone many of the materials in an Iphone a re bought from 3rd world African countries where slave labor is used. The most obvious but we continue to ignore is sweatshops mostly in china where small children will make niceties for you and I for little to no pay. Overall this paper enlightened me on how creative, smart, and devious traders are. I learned that there is a bigger market in counterfeiting then I’d like to think. I learned that most governments don’t really know what to do when it comes to illicit trade. I wish I could have learned some names from some of the cartel I’m sure I could have easily had Googled it but I wouldn’t be able to tell how legitimate it is.

Essay on School Uniform

Essay on School Uniform Imagine being able to wake up every morning, roll out of bed, put on the same thing you wore the day before, and head off to school. Not only would you be able to do such a thing, but all of your friends were doing it, too! Sound too good to be true? Well, it’s becoming more common in our society as school uniforms have gone beyond private schools to public schools. Uniforms have a positive effect on students’ self-esteem, attendance, discipline, and test scores. They have also been proven to decrease the rate of crime and violence in public schools. Most students and even parents will argue that school uniforms stifle individualism. The teenage years are a time when adolescents try out different personas, often experimenting with different styles of clothing during this phase. Opponents argue that uniforms take away an individual’s freedom of expression. However, the clothes that people wear, or can afford to wear, often define the group by which they are accepted. As a result, many teens are outcast due to the fact that they cannot afford the top-of-the-line, name-brand clothing. This rejection can lead to several problems for the outcast teen: depression, inability to concentrate on schoolwork, or just a general feeling of inferiority. School uniforms put everyone on the same level because no outfit is more stylish or expensive than another. Linda Moore, principal at Will Rogers Middle School in Long Beach, California, states, Uniforms reduce the differences between the haves and have-nots† (Ritter, 1). Uniforms a llow students to interact with one another without experiencing the socioeconomic barrier that non-uniform schools create. More importantly, children are not judged on how much they spent on clothes or how stylish they look, but rather for their talents and personalities. School uniforms not only break down socioeconomic barriers, but they also increase the safety of the students. In 1996, President Bill Clinton encouraged the use of school uniforms as part of an education program that sought to improve safety and discipline (Hoffman, 1). If students are all wearing the same type of outfit, it becomes much easier to spot outsiders who may wander onto the campus. In addition, uniforms decrease the number of incidences of students being attacked or beaten for items of clothing such as shoes and jackets. Also, members of gangs frequently have a color or style of clothing used to identify themselves. Unsuspecting students who wear gang colors or gang-related attire might be threatened or intimidated by members of opposing gangs, students wearing expensive or fashionable clothes might become victims of theft, or certain fashion accessories or attire may be used as a means of concealing weapons, or even as weapons (Paliokas, 1). At a school in Long Beach, C alifornia, after only the first year that uniforms were implemented, overall school crime decreased 36 percent, fights decreased 51 percent, sex offenses decreased 74 percent, weapons offenses decreased 50 percent, assault and battery offenses decreased 34 percent, and vandalism decreased 18 percent (Manual, 3). Schools with uniform-clad students are also proven to have fewer disciplinary problems and increased attendance than non-uniform schools. Dr. John German, principal of South Shore, located in Seattle, Washington, reports, This year the demeanor in the school has improved 98 percent, truancy and tardies are down, and we have not had one reported incident of theft (Manual,4). Ruffner Middle School, located in Norfolk, Virginia, reports a 47 percent decrease in students leaving class without permission (Manual,5). With the implementation of uniforms, students no longer spend hours deciding what they are going to wear to school. This fear of looking â€Å"uncool† will often cause kids to decide that they do not feel well enough to go to school because they can’t find anything to wear. Uniforms allow students to focus more on their academics, and less on what everyone else is wearing. According to Long Beach police chief William Ellis, â€Å"Students concentrate more on education, not on who’s wearing $100 shoes or gang attire† (Manual, 3). Elementary Guidance Counselor Sharon Carter of Memphis, Tennessee states, â€Å"The tone of the school is different. There’s not the  competitiveness†¦ about who’s wearing what† (Manual, 5). Many families worry about not having enough money to buy uniforms. Due to the fact that no child can be denied an education because of economic disadvantage, all schools requiring uniforms must include provisions to assist low-income families. For example, the Long Beach School District solved this problem by setting up a boutique shop, funded by private donors, where needy students can shop (Paliokas, 5). In addition, community and business leaders provide or contribute financial support for uniforms, and students who have graduated often donate their used uniforms to incoming students (Manual, 3). However, uniforms are considerably cheaper to buy than non-uniform clothes, and the students can wear them every day and it isn’t considered unusual. Parents can buy a few pairs of pants, shirts, or other variations of a uniform for under $100, while parents of non-uniform-wearing students can spend from several hundreds up to $1,000 a year on clothing. Parents find that buying two or three uniforms is ultimately cheaper than buying clothes to follow the fads, and it stops arguments at home in the mornings about what to wear (Oland, 1). Pop culture increasingly sends young girls the message that the smaller and tighter the clothes, the more readily they will be accepted. These outfits, which flaunt navels and bra straps, are not only distracting, but detract from teaching time as teachers argue with students about what is considered acceptable attire. With uniforms, there are only a few acceptable variations of the outfit, no questions asked. A less well-known theory concerning the pros of school uniforms is the â€Å"halo effect.† According to researcher Marc Posner, the â€Å"halo effect† refers to the idea that while uniforms may not change student behavior, the uniforms may change the way teachers and other adults perceive the students who wear them. In a study of the correlation of student clothing and teacher and student perceptions, Dorothy Behling of Bowling Green University found that students and teachers alike believe that uniform-clad students not only behave better, but also do better academically than those who dont wear uniforms. While this may be an illusion, these positive perceptions can help create a self-fulfilling prophecy that teachers and administrators raise their discipline and grading standards to reflect their more positive image of students, who, in turn, behave better. (School Discipline, 1). While research on the effectiveness of uniforms is still ongoing, they have been proven to raise test scores, boost self-esteem, reduce violence and crime, and create a sense of newfound pride in students. They help children to focus on learning and schoolwork, not on what everyone else is wearing or whether or not they fit in. Uniforms are not the solution to all of the problems that teens, teachers, and schools face today, but research and statistics suggest that they may be a step in the right direction. You can order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on School Uniform topics at our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with custom papers written by highly qualified academic writers. High quality and no plagiarism guarantee! Get professional essay writing help at an affordable cost.