Smoking Cessation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Smoking Cessation - Research Paper Example Some different things that the creator did was mentioning objective facts in the field, which included giving close consideration to the discussion between the patients and the medical attendants, mentioning objective fact of the signs that were set inside the dividers of the wards that were in connection with the tobacco limitations just as taking of notes of assets that tended to suspension. A portion of the records that were gathered during this examination included; tolerant consideration structures, confirmation structures, referral structures, and patient’s referral materials. Territories like assigned smoking zones were additionally watched and further captured. Eventually, unstructured polls were introduced to the medical caretakers, which went on for between 10 to 30 minutes. The ethnographic investigation utilized a procedure known as non-straight inductive. This included arranging, coding, hypothesizing just as reflection upon scientific procedure. The informational index in this investigation included archives, hand recorded discussion, field notes just as the photos that were caught assigned smoking zones. From the start, a few informational indexes were looked into. From that point forward, the information was coded with the assistance of key ideas that encouraged recovery also s examination between two destinations. Other more audits were directed, which was then used to conceptualize the entire idea. The utilization of discussion in perception presents some predisposition. This is on the grounds that the people engaged with the procedure may accept various jobs when they understand that they are being contemplated. This is one of the difficulties that the ethnographer confronted while gathering information. Taking of photographs introduced a decent open door for the ethnographer to discover the data they required in their common setting. Utilization of unstructured poll was a decent ascribe to guarantee that the subjective examination was convincingly done. The ethnographer noticed that while the medical caretakers were discussing tobacco in emergency clinic condition, battle was made to make

Why Marijuana Use in Teens Is Harmful

Why Marijuana Use in Teens Is Harmful Addiction Drug Use Marijuana Print Why Marijuana Use in Teens Is Harmful By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on April 23, 2017 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on November 18, 2019 krisanapong detraphiphat / Getty Images More in Addiction Drug Use Marijuana Cocaine Heroin Meth Ecstasy/MDMA Hallucinogens Opioids Prescription Medications Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery The stigma of marijuana use has declined since the early 2000s, with some states legalizing it  for medical and even recreational uses. But research by the National Institute on Drug Abuse indicates that childhood marijuana use can affect learning ability, attention, memory, coordination, balance, judgment, and decision-making. While it may not be as problematic for adult use as once believed, there are still plenty of good reasons to discourage pot smoking in teenagers (other than the fact that in most states, its still illegal). Why Do Kids Start Smoking Pot?   It would be nice if there was one clear reason that children and young teenagers begin using marijuana, but there are actually many reasons teens choose to begin smoking weed. But teens report that they began using marijuana for a wide variety of reasons. If you want to keep your children from smoking weed at an early age, you will have to be diligent in several areas of influence in their lives. If they have family members who smoke or express approval of marijuana, research suggests that children are much more likely to begin using marijuana than those with no family involvement with the drug. If they live in a neighborhood where they see drug activity going on, teens are less likely to express disapproval of drug use and become more likely to try drugs themselves. So be clear with your teen about marijuana use, and what problems it can cause. Peer pressure to smoke pot remains a strong influence as well.?? If they have friends who are using marijuana, they are more likely to try it themselves. Theres a tendency to adopt the attitude that everyone is doing it and its part of the normal teenage experience. But research shows that the majority of teens make it all the way through high school without ever using marijuana.?? Drug and alcohol use is often promoted in the magazines that teens read, the music they download, and the songs they listen to on the radio. Those influences can be significant for young children. Self-Medicating and Escape Many teens turn to marijuana in an effort to self-medicate, to make themselves feel better. They use marijuana to try to cope with depression, anxiety, and anger. Teens will also begin using weed as an escape. Boredom is one of the main reasons some teens report that they use marijuana. Children who have been physically or sexually abused are at greater risk than other teens for using marijuana and other drugs. They turn to drugs to escape the fear and pain of abuse. Misinformation About the Risks of Weed Some kids begin using marijuana because they have not to be informed of the harm it can do to them while their brains and minds are still not fully developed. Or more often, they make a decision to begin using based on misinformation. The marijuana legalization movement has played a role in sending a mixed message to young people. Teens today might believe if its medicine, it must be safe or if its legal, it must be OK. But, nowhere that marijuana has been made legal for medical or recreational use has it been made legal for anyone under that age of 21. Not even the most adamant legalization advocates propose making it legal for children to use. If you are a parent who wants to protect your children from the dangers associated with early marijuana use, educate them with the facts so that they can make an informed decision about the risks. Teenage Marijuana Use by the Numbers

The Inhumanity of Death Penalty - 892 Words

â€Å"Since the economic crisis started in 1997, an increasing number of people in Indonesia are thrown into the harsh reality of joblessness. More than 40 million people are without a reliable income from employment in Indonesia today. Rates of criminality have increased, not least as a consequence of weakened state and police power since the fall of Soehartosauthoritarian regime in 1998.† (Kristiansen, 2003) According to Kristiansen in her article Violent youth groups in Indonesia: the cases of Yogyakarta and Nusa Tenggara Barat, it shows that the number of criminality in Indonesia has been increasing. All kinds of criminality either serious crime or not have a law to punish those criminal. A very serious crime is considered to get the†¦show more content†¦The better way to punish someone is by a life sentence. Knowing them selves will rot in penitentiary will torture their mentality in a different way. They will feel that they do not have a life but they still live in a cage, alone with no one who cares about them. And it is allbecause of what they have done. It is absolutely the better way than the death penalty. Moreover, opponents of the executioncome to the statement that banning the death penalty as aShow MoreRelatedSummary : On Crimes And Punishments1139 Words   |  5 Pagesof a regular citizen would be treated completely different compared to that of a noble, due to his status in society. Not only that, but he also wanted to bring attention to the inhumanity that were the punishments that came along with all convictions that went through the Old Regime, such as torture and the death penalty. Overall, Beccaria believed that as an enlightenment thinker, he had the responsibility to expose the Old Regime for the good of society as a whole, and his critiques not only hadRead MoreConstitutional Conflict of the Dealth Penalty Essay584 Words   |  3 Pagesthe Dealth Penalty The courts positions of the death penalty has changed over the years. For centuries societies have used death as the ultimate penalty for crime. In the 1960s, the court ruled against the death penalty as a cruel and unusual punishment, which was forbidden by the eighth amendment of the Constitution. By the 1990s the death penalty was again in wide use supported by the court and Congress, which continually expanded by legislation the crimes for which death would beRead MoreCapital Punishment And The Death Penalty1031 Words   |  5 Pagescenturies. The death penalty has been the most controversial aspect. The death penalty is legal in 33 states but the rest of the 19 states abolished it. There are over half of Americans that support the death penalty while the rest of them believe that it is unacceptable. People who support the death penalty believe that capital punishment lowers future crime rates, but people who are against it believe that it is a cruel and think innoce nt people could be mistakenly put to death for something theyRead MoreThe Death Penalty And Punishment928 Words   |  4 PagesPunishment by death dates back in multiple cultures and societies for as long as records have been kept. According to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), 4th century’s Roman Law of the Twelve Tablets through 18th century Babylon, where around 25 crimes preempted punishment by death, included some documented forms of the death penalty. Common methods in these times included crucifixion, beatings, and burning while alive. European influence brought capital punishment to the Americas whereRead MoreShould There be a Capital Punishment in Kazakhstan?862 Words   |  3 Pages Capital punishment or execution is the legal process of putting a person to death as a punishment for committed crime. The death penalty is legal in many countries as Iran, USA, China, India and Sudan. However, other countries, including Kazakhstan, find it cruel and viol ent. This essay indicates are there more benefits or drawbacks in using capital punishment in Kazakhstan. This research will begin by evaluating the social factors of capital punishment then it will proceed to investigate theRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty1135 Words   |  5 PagesThe Death Penalty In Kellow Chesneys book The Victorian Underworld illustrates that the Victorians tried to use the death penalty as a means of controlling criminal elements in forms of hangings, lethal injection,Electrocution, and firing squads in order to prevent crime( the victorian underworld). in Victorian times, the death penalty was used as a means of controlling. There should be abolishment of this because of the countless innocent men and women being put to death for the stated purposeRead MoreShould The Death Penalty Be Justified?989 Words   |  4 PagesShould the Death Penalty be a widely accepted practice by the judicial system in each state? The ability to control the population of those who violate the laws of the country is a valuable asset we as a society have evolved into making a permanent aspect of our judicial system. Capital Punishment is described as the legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime (capital punishment). Despite Capital Punishment being in use for hundreds of years, there is still tension behindRead MoreCosts Of The Death Penalty1237 Words   |  5 PagesCosts of the Death Penalty. Death Penalty Information Center. Death Penalty Information Center, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. This article evaluates studies done in states all over the U.S to show much money is spent on capital punishment. For each state, the author provides a small summary, including statistics, and then provides the link to the original article where the information derived from. Thus, giving this article authority, by citing all sources, and also accuracy because of the studiedRead MoreSocietyS Impact Pertaining To Juveniles And Death Penalty.1448 Words   |  6 PagesSociety s Impact Pertaining to Juveniles and Death Penalty The juvenile death penalty and in turn the death penalty are a much-debated topic. Society has conflicting views on the two topics, and these views have impacted the laws concerning the death penalty and juvenile death penalty. Eventually, societal views have made changes to both issues over time. The Death Penalty The death penalty is â€Å"death as a punishment given by court of law for very serious crimes. It is also referred to as capitalRead MoreA Brief Note On Death Penalty And Capital Punishment1472 Words   |  6 PagesUnaccomplished by Death Penalty There are certain crimes which are often categorized as the unforgivable ones; murder, rape and treason. These crimes that result in death penalties are known as capital crimes or capital offences (Capital punishment). Some governments believe that those who are guilty with these capital crimes do not deserve to live another day and should be punished by death and that this adds to their justice system. In fact, although some may support death penalties, governments

How to Set Up Distillation Apparatus

The Affirmative Action Plan Free Essays

The following Affirmative Action Plan is a response by Company XYZ to a growing concern for providing equal opportunity to all prospective and current employees. XYZ is a industry leader and therefore has the express responsibility to set an example for affirmative action. In addition to a commitment to complying with all state and federal laws, XYZ is also firmly committed to a diverse workplace environment, and a workplace free of any manifestation of discrimination. We will write a custom essay sample on The Affirmative Action Plan or any similar topic only for you Order Now XYZ is therefore dedicated to making appropriate changes to our policies and procedures wherever necessary, in order to comply with the law and to comply with our company mission. This Affirmative Action Plan is an expression of such willingness to make changes. The proposals contained herein pertain specifically to the following changes. First, we propose equal opportunities for men and women concerning maternity and paternity leaves of absence. We also want to reassure all employees that their jobs remain secure during their leaves of absence. Second, we have been increasingly aware of a lack of diversity at the upper management levels of our corporation. XYZ proposes to increase workplace diversity at this crucial level of the company by ensuring equal opportunities for promotions by women, minorities, and people with disabilities. Third, XYZ remains firmly committed to equalizing salaries, compensation rates, and benefits for all employees and XYZ will not tolerate discrepancies between the salaries of workers in the same position. This Affirmative Action Plan will not only defend our commitment to equal opportunity but will also outline the steps we propose to remedy the current situation and to increase diversity at XYZ. With regards to maternity and paternity leave, we assure all female employees that maternity leave will consist of a paid leave of absence for the duration of between twenty and thirty weeks. The leave of absence does not have to be taken in consecutive days and may be broken up into segments. Due to widespread concern, XYZ is expanding company policy to include male workers for eligibility for paternity leave. It is our belief that fathers should participate fully in every stage of their child’s development and therefore XYZ wishes to facilitate this process. Any male employee who seeks paternity leave will be granted a leave of absence equal in length and equal in compensation with their female counterparts. The lack of diversity evident at upper management levels of XYZ is a growing concern among all employees. XYZ has managed to retain a diverse workforce at every other level of our operation except for upper-level management and therefore we realize the necessity for change as well as the possibility to implement change. This Affirmative Action Plan in part proposes that promotions be made with conscientious attention paid to recruiting management staff who are as of now underrepresented. Under-representation will be defined according to the workforce population as a whole, and secondarily, according to the demographics of our community. We believe that equal representation at upper management levels is of the utmost importance because of the significance of the decisions made at that level. Finally, XYZ ensures all employees that equal pay for equal work remains a top priority. While XYZ does comply with state and federal regulations regarding equal pay for equal work, we feel that far more can be done to balance out the discrepancies between compensation and benefit rates for male and female employees. Gender in particular remains a major factor determining pay rates. Again, upper-level management is the sector most affected by unequal compensation rates. This Affirmative Action Plan sets forth a guideline for easing XYZ into a salary-equity program that will result in a steady increase of pay for underpaid employees without discrimination against employees who are already earning the target salaries. How to cite The Affirmative Action Plan, Essay examples

Mental Health Nursing Translational Psychological Treatment

Questions: 1. Describe the key communication skills you will use in order to engage with her in the interview. 2. There are a number of clinical signs and symptoms in the scenario so far. Identify three significant signs or symptoms and support your clinical opinion with evidence from the scenario. 3. Discuss the education you will need to provide to Sarah about her medication. 4. Her response may suggest that she did not fully grasp the information you were providing. Discuss your clinical plan to address compliance issues that might arise for Sarah. Answers: 1. The young woman gives her name as Sarah. In response to asking why she has attended, she gives a clearly articulated story about a school teacher using radiation to control her thoughts. She describes difficulty getting onto the train to attend school as she feels other passengers can find out what she is thinking. When you ask her how she feels about her situation she says it is very confusing and frightening. In response to the doctor asking if he can help, she says she wants him to make it all stop. Then she was asked what is bothering her. In the reply, she told that one of the teachers is applying radiation on her to control her thoughts. She was asked about her difficulties. She told that she found difficulties in her daily life, like, socialisation, recreation, personal hygiene, family responsibilities, work etc (Kilicaslan et al. 2016). During interview, the author as a nurse has to be very patient. She has to emphasize on the feelings of Sarahs speech, rather than the wor ds. When she will feel that she is listened completely, then she will feel comfortable and open herself. This will help in further assessment. She will be asked when she first experienced this incident. How often she experiences this incident. She was asked what she would do after this incident. Then she will be asked about her family history, her hobbies, her job, her past medical history and her school atmosphere. She will be asked about the teacher, who is doing this type of magic. She will be asked that did she believe in supernatural power or not. The author can also ask about her childhood memories or certain incidents where she felt happy. She will be asked about her daily routine. She will be asked about the teaching profesion.The author can also ask about her idea regarding delusions. 2. Following a basic physical and presenting history the doctor acknowledged the confusion and distress, explaining she is experiencing psychotic symptoms. He seeks Sarahs permission to ring her mother. He also makes an appointment for the next day to see her again. Before leaving, she is provided with a script for 5mgolanzapinenocte. Sarah is feeling very scared when she travelled the train. She feels very isolated when she get scared. These are the symptoms of Delusions. She is not able to function properly in her daily life. She feels hallucinated. She is scared in each situation. It gives the identification that she is undergoing some mental problems (Hu et al. 2015). She found difficulties in her daily life, like, socialisation, recreation, personal hygiene, family responsibilities, work etc. It states het mental status. She is in depression and anxiety because of delusion. During travelling, she is thinking that people are getting to know her thinking. She is losing trust on th e people. This is also a symptom of hallucination. Overall, her health is not proper. She is not getting proper sleep. So she feels drowsy. Her life is being hampered. She is losing confidence. Due to this instability, she is not able to concentrate to her school (Kumar et al. 2013). That is the reason; her job life is also being hampered. It will affect her career. 3. Sarah briefly acknowledges the education you provided to her. However, you noticethat her responses are monosyllabic with a flat tone, and she did not ask any questions. She will be provided with the knowledge that includes the importance of the prescribed therapies. The therapy plan will be clearly discussed to her. Therefore, that she will be not having any confusions. She will be also told about the impacts of the prescribed medicines. Not only, Sarah, but also her family members will be provided with the knowledge. For better understanding, small videos can be shown to her based on those treatments. She will also be provided with the benefits of these treatments (Peters et al. 2014). Many meetings and discussions will be planned for discussing this treatment. She will be provided with the comfort zone so that she can undergo the treatment easily. Communication section may be arranged for her with other patients. She can feel comfort and can share her problems. She will also ge t the knowledge from these types of sessions. She will be given special importance to her diet and medication. She will also be told about the drugs doses and their benefits. Her medical reports will be updated on a regular basis. So that she can keep a track of her health. Once the treatment will start, and when she will see the improvements in her, she will be very much motivated. Dietician will provide her special diet chart. The diets will be taken care of by her family members (Freeman et al. 2016). Above all, she should get motivated that there are no problems in her health. She should get the confidence that she can overcome this easily. 4. The treatment plan for delusional disorders consist of different therapies, like, psychotherapy, speech therapy, behavioral therapy, and drug therapy. It will help to correct mood disturbances and behavior. She also needs the treatment, which is associated with support system. The drugs are same like schizophrenic disorders (Emsley et al. 2016). The drugs for this disorder contain antipsychotic agents. Antipsychotics appear to function by blocking postsynaptic dopamine receptors. Certain psychotic symptoms, like, these drugs to relieve agitation and anxiety reduce delusions and hallucinations. Other psychiatric drugs, like, anxiolytics and antidepressants help to control these symptoms. Some examples of antipsychotics with high-potency are, trifluoperazine, thiothixene, haloperidol, fluphenazine etc. perphenazine, molindone and Loxapine are intermediate in potency and thioridazine and chlorpromazine are low potent agents. She cannot be hospitalized at any cost, as she is already v ery scared. If needed, then she will be treated in her own home. In behavioral therapy, the treatments will be planned through many sittings. The therapy will be conducted with doctors, nurses, and also in the presence of family members (Kohut, 2013). In psychotherapy, psychiatrist will take the session and different psychology assessments will be conducted. It is very important to build the trust between patient nd the experts. This therapy will be continued until she will lead her normal life. This therapy may be challenging. It takes much time. Clinicians have to be very direct and honest to her. The clinician has to be very careful that the confidentiality and privacy of her will not be disturbed. It will help to build up her confidence. Caregivers will also provide therapies to make her comfort. There are certain self-support groups. These groups will support Sarah to do her work. Her family members will also be told about these therapies (Hou Lai, 2014). This treatment plan w ill be given to her. The medications can be changed according to her progress. Her progress will also help to guide the therapies. If it is necessary then certain other therapies also will be included after consulting the doctors. References: Freeman, D., Bradley, J., Waite, F., Sheaves, B., DeWeever, N., Bourke, E., ... Garety, P. (2016). Targeting recovery in persistent persecutory delusions: a proof of principle study of a new translational psychological treatment.Behavioural and cognitive psychotherapy, 1. Freeman, D., Waite, F., Emsley, R., Kingdon, D., Davies, L., Fitzpatrick, R., Dunn, G. (2016). The efficacy of a new translational treatment for persecutory delusions: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial (The Feeling Safe Study).Trials,17(1), 1. Hou, Y. C., Lai, C. H. (2014). To the Editor: The standard treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) usually means antidepres-sants. A low dose of antipsychotic can be an option of augmentation. Hu, L. Y., Lee, Y. T., Lu, T., Hung, M. B., Hung, Y. Y. (2015). Using aripiprazole to treat new-onset hyperprolactinemia-related delusion of pregnancy.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 0004867415589796. Kilicaslan, E. E., Acar, G., Eksioglu, S., Kesebir, S., Tezcan, E. (2016). The Effect of Delusion and Hallucination Types on Treatment Response in Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder.Dusunen Adam,29(1), 29. Kohut, H. (2013).The analysis of the self: A systematic approach to the psychoanalytic treatment of narcissistic personality disorders. University of Chicago Press. Kumar, D., Rao, M. G., Raveendranathan, D., Venkatasubramanian, G., Varambally, S., Gangadhar, B. N. (2013). Metacognitive Training for Delusion in Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia: A Case Report.Clinical schizophrenia related psychoses,9(1), 40-43. So, S. H. W., Peters, E. R., Swendsen, J., Garety, P. A., Kapur, S. (2014). Changes in delusions in the early phase of antipsychotic treatmentAn experience sampling study.Psychiatry research,215(3), 568-573.

ACT Math Questions, and What to Do About It

How You'll Get Stuck in SAT/ACT Math Questions, and What to Do About It SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips So you’ve been staring at one math problem for what feels like forever, or maybe you’ve gone through your solve and none of the answer choices match what you found. Or maybe you just feel like somewhere along the way you made a huge mistake†¦. Well, never fear! Right now you might be stuck on a math problem, but we’ve all been there and there is always a way to recover. We’ll walk you through both how to recognize when you’re stuck (it’s not always obvious until too late) and what to do about it when it happens. Overall Test Structure The SAT math section and the ACT math section are designed and structured differently. Though many principles of how to solve a math problem (and how to get out of a math bind) will hold true for both tests, there are some unique pitfalls and benefits hidden in each test. So let’s look at a little background and structure for both the SAT and the ACT to give a better foundation for the kinds of ways you can get stuck on a math problem and how to get out of it. About the SAT Math Section The SAT math section requires that you put your mathematical knowledge to work in ways that may seem strange or unfamiliar to you. Most SAT math questions won't look like the kinds of questions you see on your math tests in school and this may be a challenge to deal with at first. But while the questions may be unusual, each and every math topic used on the test is one that you are likely familiar with and have studied for a number of years. If you’re not used to the structure of the SAT, there are two main ways you can find yourself trapped into the no-man’s-land of selecting wrong answers: by overestimating the difficulty of each question or by underestimating the difficulty of each question. (Yikes!) Some students get so turned around by the twisting and unusual presentation of the questions that they forget the fact that they will be familiar with most, if not every topic on the SAT math section. This kind of student tends to panic and either make wild guesses or leave many questions blank that she likely could have solved. Other students, however, go in the complete opposite direction and underestimate how tricky the questions on the SAT can be. Many questions (though not all) are set up in ways that will steer anyone who isn’t paying close attention off the right track. And all the answer choices on the multiple choice section are most often generated by common student errors, so it can be easy to fall for the many â€Å"bait† answer choices available. In the next section, we’ll show you how to tell when you’re falling into one of these traps and how to get out of it. About the ACT Math Section The ACT math section will occasionally give you a question that is set up in a strange or unfamiliar way, but for the most part, ACT math questions will be fairly â€Å"straightforward.† Do you know how to set up and solve for an average? Do you know what a rational number is? A significant portion of your ACT math questions will look just like the ones you've seen in school. Though many ACT math questions are far from easy, the presentation of the questions is not specifically designed to trick or trap you. ACT math questions are challenging mostly for two reasons: you will be on a much stricter time crunch than you would be on the SAT (see our article on the differences between ACT math and SAT math for more detail on this) and the topics in question may be more obscure to you. For instance, most students will be far less familiar with trigonometry or sequences than they are with single variable equations, but these are all topics that will be on the ACT. Because the ACT math section must be completed quickly, it's crucial that you realize when you’re going down the wrong mathematical path. So let’s take a look at how to spot it when it happens. Time is a precious resource on both tests, so it's important to change course quickly if something's going wrong. How to Tell When You’re Stuck (or Going Down the Wrong Path) Almost every math question on both the ACT and the SAT can be solved in 30 seconds or less. If you’re familiar with the material, you can absolutely solve almost every single math question with plenty of time to spare. In addition, each and every question on the test is designed in such a way that a student can solve it without a calculator. Though you should use a calculator on the test to boost your speed and accuracy, always keep in mind that you don’t technically need one. How does this knowledge help you? Well, if you find you’re going down the rabbit hole and need 30 steps to solve a problem, or if you start getting bizarre strings of decimals or weird root systems, then stop! If the problem is taking two or three minutes to solve or you think it would literally be impossible (or just really, really difficult) to solve without a calculator, then something went wrong and you should stop and go back to the beginning. Let’s look at a few examples of ACT and SAT problems and some common student errors to see this in action. Let’s say you got to this problem and were going so quickly through the test that you misread the word â€Å"area† and thought you were supposed to solve for the perimeter instead. This may seem like an obvious mistake right now, but never underestimate the effects of adrenaline and fatigue on your ability to think logically. It’s all too easy (and all too common) to make a mistake like this on the test and pay the price in lost time if you do. But if you read â€Å"area† as â€Å"perimeter,† then you would see that the â€Å"perimeter† of triangle DFH was 10, which would mean that each side was $10/3 = 3.33$. Hmm. This is already mighty suspicious. Remember- you should be able to solve any question without a calculator, so if you have decimal points, they will almost always be 0.5 or, more rarely, 0.25. To get a decimal of 0.33 is suspect. But if you kept going, you would find that each side of triangle DFH is made up of two sides of the smaller triangles. This would mean that the side of each smaller triangle was: $3.33/2 = 1.67$ Now a red alert should be sounding in your head! You’ve gotten two â€Å"weird† decimal values in a row and you still haven’t found your answer yet. It’s a good idea to pause and see if you’ve made a mistake somewhere before you waste time going any further. [Note: the way to actually solve the problem is to either find the area of each small triangle- $10/4 = 2.5$- and multiply by the total number of small triangles, or to set up a proportion of the area of DFH to AFK. Either way, your final answer will be E, 62.5] Now let’s take a look at another example, Last time, we said that perhaps you simply misread the problem. This time, maybe you thought you knew enough about the topic to solve the problem, but ended up stuck halfway through. For instance, let’s say you were familiar enough with quadratic equations to recognize that this was one, but didn’t know a whole lot else about them. Well it says that the value of $x$ is -3, so that must mean we replace $x$ with -3 and solve from there, right? $x^2 + mx + n = 0$ $-3^2 + 3m + n = 0$ $9 + 3m + n = 0$ Hmm. Well this doesn’t look promising. We could try to isolate $m$ to find it’s value, in which case we would say: $3m + n = -9$ $3m + -9 - n$ $m = -3 - {n/3}$ But we still don’t know the value of $n$, so that doesn’t help us much. We could try to factor it, but without knowing the value of $n$, we still can’t find $m$. We’re well and truly stuck. [Note: the way to solve the problem is by understanding how factoring quadratic equations works at its core. If -3 is the only value for $x$, then it must mean that our quadratic factors out to be a square. Our factors must therefore look like: (x + 3)(x + 3) for $x$ to equal -3 since $x + 3 = 0$ = $x = -3$. If we properly distribute $(x + 3)^2$, we will get $x^2 + 6x + 9 = 0$, which means the answer is C, $m = 6$.] Sometimes, you’ll be able to see pretty quickly (as with our first example) when you’re going wrong, and sometimes it will take a few steps before you hit a wall (as with our second example). But, as you get more practice solving SAT and ACT math questions, you’ll start to get instincts to feel when you’ve taken a left turn somewhere, and this is the point at which you must take a step back. But what do you do once you realize you’ve run into a problem? Let’s take a look. We can save this, not to worry. Well...probably. Pretty sure. (Gross) What to Do When You’re Stuck As you go through your test, answer your questions by following these steps: Step 1: Always Answer the Easiest Questions First As a general rule of thumb when taking the either the SAT or the ACT, always root out and answer the questions you can complete the fastest and with the most confidence. Remember- each and every question is worth one point, so it doesn’t matter if it was the easiest problem or the hardest. No one is judging how you complete your test, so don’t feel you have to ignore the simpler problems for the sake of the more difficult ones. Get your points where you can and keep moving forward. The ACT math section is arranged in ascending order of difficulty, so the earliest questions will also be the "easiest." The SAT is a little more complicated, since the math portion of the test is divided into three sections- two entirely multiple choice and one combination multiple choice and grid-in. SAT multiple choice questions are also arranged in order of ascending difficulty (so the early questions will also be "easiest"), but the difficulty level resets for the grid-in section. This means that the first question on the grid-in portion will be much easier than the last multiple choice question in that math section. Be especially careful in the combination multiple choice and grid-in SAT math section for this reason. If any question starts to give you trouble or seems to be taking a long time, mark it and come back to it only after you’ve completed all of your easy questions. Once you’ve identified these potential â€Å"problem questions,† approach them based on why they were problematic in the first place. Step 2: If You Can See Your Error, Redo the Problem Once you’ve identified that you’re going down the wrong track, stop working and read the question again. Did you try to find the wrong variable? For instance, did you solve for $a$ instead of $2a$, the perimeter instead of the area? Did you write down the wrong values for your givens? Or did you realize you simply don’t know enough about, for instance, functions to solve the problem? If you can spot your error and correct it in a few seconds, go ahead and start over and solve the problem again the right way. If you really think you can solve the problem this time, then it’s definitely worth your time to work through it again. If you can’t spot why or how you went wrong (just that you did), move on to the next step. Step 3: If You Can't See the Error, Find an Alternative Solving Method Sometimes you might know enough about the topic (or are just familiar enough with the test) to see that you don't know how to solve a particular problem in the traditional way. Now is a good time to turn to one of your alternate solving methods, namely plugging in answers or plugging in your own numbers. Let’s say that you went up against this question: Maybe you didn’t know where to begin, or maybe you attempted the problem and felt that you started getting trapped in the algebra. Well luckily, there is almost always another way to solve any ACT or SAT question! In this case, we have variables in both the problem and in the answer choices, which is a key feature for a PIN question. With that in mind, we can pick our own value for $x$ and find the answer choice that corresponds to this value. Let’s say that we said $x = 2$. (Why 2? Why not!) Now we find the value of our given function. ${x + 1}/{x^3 - x}$ ${2 + 1}/{2^3 - 2}$ $3/6$ $1/2$ Now we need to find which answer choice is equivalent to $1/2$, when we use the same value of $x$ ($x = 2$). Answer choice F gives us: $1/{x^2} - 1/{x^3}$ $1/4 - 1/8$ $1/8$ This does not match our found value of $1/2$, so we can eliminate answer choice F. Answer choice G gives us: $1/{x^3} - 1/x$ $1/8 - 1/2$ $-{3/8}$ This does not match our found value of $1/2$, so we can eliminate answer choice G. Answer choice H gives us: $1/{x^2 - 1}$ $1/{4 - 1}$ $1/3$ This does not match our found value of $1/2$, so we can eliminate answer choice H. Answer choice J gives us: $1/{x^2 - x}$ $1/{4 - 2}$ $1/2$ This does match our found answer of $1/2$, so we can keep answer J in the running. We should still test answer choice K, however, just to make sure we do not have any duplicate correct answers. Answer choice K gives us: $1/{x^3}$ $1/8$ This does not match our found answer of $1/2$. We can eliminate answer choice K. This leaves us with only one answer that matches what we found as our given when $x = 2$. This means that answer choice J (and only answer choice J) must be correct. Our final answer is J, $1/{x^2 - x}$ Step 4: If Your Alternate Solve Doesn't Work, Move On Sometimes taking a standardized test means learning to let go of a question. Your time is precious and limited, so if you can solve two questions in the time it takes you to solve one, it’s always best to solve the two. If you find yourself trapped on a question and can’t find any way to solve it, let it go (for now). If you’re taking the ACT, bubble in your best guess answer, but do so lightly enough that you can come back and change it later, time permitting. If you’re taking the SAT, simply skip the question for now (don’t bubble in a guess!) and come back later. If you have time after you’re done with the rest of your questions, come back to any that you had to skip or bubble a guess on. Sometimes all you need is fresh eyes, and then the method to solve the problem will become apparent. If you still can’t find the correct answer in any of the â€Å"traditional† ways, you can try to strategically eliminate answer choices until you’ve at least narrowed down your odds. For more information on how to do this, check out our guides for how to best guess on the SAT math section and how to best guess on the ACT math section. Otherwise, simply let it stay blank (if taking the SAT) or stick with your first guess answer (if taking the ACT). Learning to let go of a problem can be just as important as learning when to stick with a problem and try an alternate solving method. The more you practice, the better you'll get at balancing these techniques. The Take-Aways The more practice you have with taking standardized tests, the more skilled you’ll become at spotting your mistakes and heading them off at the pass. So don’t despair if it seems like an impossible task right now- you’ll get better at it. Be sure to practice on quality ACT and SAT study materials and stop if you feel any misgivings while solving any particular question. Remember- if it takes more than 30 seconds, or you think you would absolutely need a calculator, you’re probably on the wrong track. Take a breath, back up, and see where and how you can resolve the problem. And don’t be afraid to let a question go if you need to. One question won’t matter too much in the long run, but getting stuck for five minutes will absolutely take away time from other questions and have a detrimental impact on your final score. What’s Next? Worried about your math formulas? Learn which formulas you'll need to memorize for the ACT, which formulas you'll need to know for the SAT, and how to put your formulas to their greatest effect on both the ACT and the SAT. Running out of time on your math sections? Learn how to beat the clock on both the ACT and the SAT so you can reach your greatest potential in the time allowed. Trying not to procrastinate? Our guide will help you beat those procrastination urges and get you back on track. Want to get a perfect math score? Check out how to get a perfect 36 on the ACT math section or a perfect 800 on the SAT math section. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math strategy guide, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. 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