CURIOSITY and WHY OUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT

              

Throughout history, curiosity has been the main factor leading to exploration and discovery. Curiosity is all about noticing and being drawn to things which are interesting. When individuals are curious about something, they want to explore it and while exploring, they discover things. Besides the other two psychological qualities, which are EQ and IQ, another psychological quality is CQ. CQ is the acronym for curiosity quotient and is related to having an inquiring mind. Individuals with higher CQ are more inquisitive and open to new experiences; they even want to cope with novel things more than the familiar. This kind of a person is also generally more tolerant of conflict. Curiosity affects and enhances the quality of life.

                                                                               

     Higher levels of curiosity are associated with a decreased likelihood of developing hypertension and diabetes. Declining curiosity is a sign of neurological illness and declining health.  Enhancing curiosity reduces the risk of disease and may even reverse some of the natural degeneration that occurs in older adults. Researchers found that people who are more curious was are more likely to be alive, even after taking age into account, whether they smoked or faced the presence of cancer or cardiovascular disease, and so on.

     Researchers predicted that high novelty-seeking toddlers would have higher IQ's than toddlers with lower levels of curiosity. Those with high novelty-seeking would also have superior  scholastic and reading skills. Other studies have shown that high levels of curiosity in adults lead to greater analytical ability, problem solving skills. In brief, cultivating more curiosity in our daily life is likely to make us smarter.

     Curious people report more satisfying relationships and marriages. One of the top reasons why couples seek counseling or therapy is that they become bored with each other. Happy couples describe their partners as interested and responsive. Curious people ask questions and take an interest in learning about partners. This approach supports the development of good relationships. Developing good relationships with other people is an essential component of a happy life. 

    “I have no special talents,” said Albert Einstein. “I am only passionately curious.”Curiosity is as important as intelligence and is the ultimate tool to produce simple solutions for complex problems. 

THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE

                                 

The Bermuda Triangle is located off the South Eastern coast of the U.S and in the Atlantic Ocean. The corners of this triangle consist of Miami, San Juan,and Bermuda.Inthe early years, this area was called the Miami Triangle,and then the Puerto Rico Triangle but the name was later changed to Bermuda Triangle.This area is strange because many ships and planes such as PBM Martin Marines and Flight 19 have disappeared without any trace when they passed over it. A lot of research and explorations have tried to explain why these strange accidents occur;the three most important theories are mooted by researchers.

The first research looked into methane gas. Many researchers have approved of this theory.According to this theory, it is known that there is a large amount of methane gas in the ocean. If such gas finds any way to exit and starts rising through the water, it may  not only reduce the density of water but also saturate the atmosphere with methane gas. Therefore, these acts may lead to devastating accidents.

        According to Canadian scientist John Hutchson, there are important electromagnetic fields which are called electronic fog in that area. Electronic fog is never seen and when ships and planes enter into this field, all their electronic systems as well as instruments begin to malfunction.As a result, such systems may not work at all because electromagnetic signals may be harmful to the working mechanism of instruments in planes and ships.Nevertheless, all such incidents of electronic fog have been evaluated as supernatural  phenomena,so some researchers feel it  may not be a solution to uncovering the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle.

The third and last theory is strange weather and hurricanes. At times, severe hurricanes usually originate from/ in the South Atlantic and pass through the Bermuda Triangle area and head towards the South Eastern coast of The U.S. In the past such hurricanes have caused loss of many lives and enourmous damage.Therefore, theyhave enough power to destroy any ship or plane, too.

To sum up,the BermudaTriangle is a mysterious field in the Atlantic Ocean. In this region, many ships and planes vanished dramatically. To uncover the mystery, many researchers have asserted that methane gas, electronicfog and hurricanes have caused many ships and planes to vanish. However, they may still not have enough proof to uncover the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle.

SAVING OR SPENDING

Money is an indispensable part of life. It can be used for several purposes. Some prefer saving it to reach big goals, however, some enjoy spending it instantly. Both of these preferences are a personal choice and have some good aspects, but, I think, saving money for long-term goals is a wiser way of using it.

Some people tend to use money for short-term pleasures because they believe that life is short and thus we can't know what will happen in the future. They are partly right in that life is not indefinite, but this thought doesn't mean that we should live without thinking of tomorrow. They are also right in that tomorrow is unknown but, again, that doesn't change the possibility of facing illnesses, accidents, or unemployment in the future. We should always save money for these negative situations because when we face them, our savings help us to cope with them. To exemplify, when a person needs to go to hospital for medical issues, which can happen at any moment, knowing that he is able to afford the best possible treatment for his health is a great source of relief.

On the other hand, a wise person doesn't save money for only negative situations but also positive ones. Every big goal in life such as travelling or buying one’s own house, etc. requires huge sums of money. To have this amount of money, people should save their money over the long term. Thus, in short, wise people save money, reach goals, and then feel a great sense of accomplishment thanks to their self-control mechanism.

In conclusion, although saving money is a wiser way of using it than spending it for temporary pleasures because the future is unknown, the choice of what to do with it is a personal preference. So, save it or spend it, but do that for good purposes.

WHY WE NEED MUSIC IN OUR LIFE (This essay would get a 70)

Music starts when we are in our mother’s womb with her heartbeats and continues throughout life. We use it when we want to escape our anxieties or problems, sometimes music act like a friend or it may be a doctor or a form of therapy. Actually, music affects us more than we can imagine. It has effects on individuals / the individual and society in terms of being a language and being a power for change.

Undoubtedly music impresses us. It creates a balance between the mind and the body. When we listen to music, our brain interprets what we heard and we respond differently from others. It can make us happy, energetic, relaxed or melancholic. Thanks to the good effects of music on the human brain, it can be used in education, and the creativity of students can be increased. Our emotions and our life styles can be shaped by music.

Another effect of music can be seen on society. Throughout history, music has been used to create perception or motivate millions to work for the same purpose. For instance, people have used music to call to prayers or to preach peace like John Lennon does with his song Imagine. In addition, societies have used music to preserve their culture. Music is a language not only between different cultures, it is also a bridge between the past and the present. For instance national anthems  enable the national emotions to be kept alive even hundreds of years later.

To conclude, as we know, music has various effects in our lives. It increases creativity, it leads to good feelings, it is a way of self expression and escape from the hassles of daily life. When the words are inadequate, music is a language and it can change the people and the future.

MUSIC (This essay would get a 60)

                                                                             

            A world without music cannot be imagined today. Everyday, we listen to music in school, at home and also on the street, and many people say that they cannot live without it. In addition to this, people intentionally spend their time and money on music. Therefore, we can ask why music is very important and irrevocable in these people’s lives so that we can find the answers by looking at the reasons for the significance of music in human life.

To start with, music helps people express themselves. Sometimes people may not be able to state their feelings by talking. However, thanks to music they listen to or play, they can tell us their emotions and thoughts. Besides that,they can find people thinking or feeling like them through music.

            People cannot be in a good mood all the time because crying and feeling bad owing to some undesireable situations are also a part of human life. On the other hand, although music cannot eradicate these situations, it helps people feel better and forget them for a moment. What’s more, by listening to music, people may have courage and hope to overcome their problems.

            The last reason is that music is universal. There is no language or countryfor music. Apart from this, there is no classification or cast system for poor or rich people since music is for all of us. Therefore, people feel free and comfortable when they listen to music becausemusic is not about who they are or what they have.

            In conclusion, for many people, life without music is pointless, and there are some reasons regarding why they think like this. These causes arethat The reasons are that music helps people express themselves, it makes people feel better and it has no the classification. Thus people listen to music and it is a need for them because it makes them feel like who they are.

           

MONEY AND HAPPINESS

Achieving happiness has always been the ultimate aim of everyone. People try to find their vocations to enjoy a satisfying and rewarding professional life; they try and find their soul mates to enjoy marital bliss. In short, all human activities are directed towards achieving that elusive state: happiness. What most people would like to believe is that this effort is in no way connected to wealth or money and that it is a purely spiritual experience. Yet nothing can be further from the truth: the host in the famous film Cabaret had it right when he said “Money makes the world go round”. The truth is that happiness is impossible without money.

There are rare individuals like Buddhist monks who experience bliss on a purely intellectual level but they are a minority. Most people would be miserable with one outfit and a begging bowl. For modern man, not knowing where the next meal is coming from would create enough stress to destroy any glimmer of happiness. Young lovers who feel that nothing else matters and that they can be happy in a hovel soon change their minds come day two when there is nothing to eat, they can’t charge their mobiles and there is no internet connection. We are living in a consumer society where acquisitiveness is drummed into us and has become a part of our DNA. No modern child of capitalism will ever be convinced that it is possible to be happy without all that money can buy.

It is all very well to claim that happiness is a spiritual state and has nothing to do with money but financial difficulties are the biggest reasons for divorce. The sympathy and compassion accompanying redundancy will quickly grow sour as weeks pass and bills keep piling up. The empathy will melt away and the depressed partner will be blamed for the family’s predicament. The social roles dictated by society are too ingrained to be overlooked and those who can’t shape up are expected to ship out; hence, divorce. An accustomed lifestyle is very hard to shake off and will always supersede plain old love.

In short, money has become the end all and be all of life however much we may like to pretend it hasn’t.  Success, joy and happiness have become linked to commodities and opportunities provided by greater wealth. It is true that money didn’t use to be able to buy happiness but modern capitalism has turned this view on its head. Today, for better or for worse, money and happiness are closely entwined.

IS THE TEACHER REALLY NECESSARY?

Learning is an activity that begins in childhood and continues for a lifetime. The most important period of learning is the years spent at school. Until quite recently, schools were the places where schooling took place and teachers were the specialists who delivered the information. However, with the advent of technology and especially the internet, that is beginning to change: although teachers are the best guides, students can do a lot more on their own, especially if they are older.

In primary school, children are right at the start of the journey and have nothing to fall back on. The whole school experience is completely new so they need plenty of guidance from the teacher who will instruct them in basic reading and writing skills and the like; yet, even at this stage, technology is introduced and flipped learning is practiced: smart boards have replaced black boards and students do a lot preparation on their own with the computer before class, thus sharpening their computer skills in preparation for the years to come. Independence comes with age and proficiency: the older a learner is and the more mature he is, the more he can do on his own. Claiming that children should learn on their own, in a state of nature, is misguided and downright dangerous.

In secondary school, the students are older, more adept at using the computer, familiar with the opportunities presented on the internet and ready to strike out on their own. In the modern classroom the teacher should be more like a facilitator and let students take control. Projects requiring targeted research involving the capabilities of the internet can raise intellectual curiosity and promote active learning. There are many apps and web sites available today and excluding students from all that would be egoistical of the teacher. In a world where some of the best known experts, the best lecturers and celebrities post their material on ted.com for example, it is foolish to insist that the teacher knows best.

At university level, the tables are being turned at a more radical level: there are completely online universities like udacity.com; the best universities offer courses online free of charge on courser or edX. This egalitarian, humanistic and democratic venture is making tertiary education possible for the masses no matter where they live. This doesn’t mean the university in the classic sense is dead; it is not as evidenced by all the good universities catering to millions of students but it does mean that the classic system now has a rival competing with it.

In short, there are far more opportunities in terms of education in the modern world, and denying this is impossible. The old fashioned classroom is changing and technology is creeping in bringing with it all the opportunities provided by the World Wide Web. Students are also changing and sharing the role of the teacher who in turn is learning to stand back and share the teaching experience. The world of the future will make education even more exciting.

UNIVERSAL EDUCATION

Education is something we take for granted and it cannot be hindered whatever the reason. Ataturk organized a conference which was about how to improve standards of education in Turkey at the time when the Turkish government was at war. Education is crucial because it enables us to learn new information which can be transferred to social life, help improve standard of living, and explore new beneficial things. However, many developing countries do not pay adequate attention to this factor, even though they look for ways to tackle some problems and improve quality of life. I personally believe that education is the best and quickest way to get ahead in life, and human rights associations and governments should enable every person in the world to get a chance with regard to education.

First of all, developing countries, especially African nations, don’t supply a good quality education. They claim that there are many other things that take precedencesuch as military expenditures or other political expenses. Nevertheless, if they aim to get rid of the stranglehold of other governments and become completely independent, they should devote considerable attention to education. Focus on education will help both the individual and the country. It is a statistical fact that if a person who lives in an African country gets an adequate education and is not restricted in any way such as working in agriculture or lack of schools/ teachers, the person will very likely help others to get the same chance and raise awareness about the importance of education. In brief, investing in education is necessary for the country to develop.

It sounds logical but what’s important is whether the government can work efficiently. There are various practical methods that improve the situation,the first of which is allocating enough money to education. To illustrate, Luxemburg and the US are the two countries which allocate the most funds per capita to education however they do not give enough importance to teachers and methodology. Finland, however, is a country which has succeeded in every respect. Finland achieved success by boosting the prestige of teaching. The status of the teaching profession in Finland is higher than that of doctors, lawyers, and other occupations. Thus, the government doesn’t allocate hundreds of millions and what is more, they just pay slightly higher salaries to teachers, which is a cost saving measure. Furthermore, the selection process to become a teacher is stringent and highly competitive.Thus, keeping the standards high means excelling and maintaining a high level of education.

Likewise, developing countries should seek out viable solutions which could produce the most effective return. The main problem for third World Nations is the deficiency of entrepreneurship and healthcare services. They have to become available to cope with medical problems. They must have enough people who will give students an adequate and efficient education in lots of fields. And then, they have to diminish the number of students who drop out before finishing school. If they encourage families to persuade their children to complete school, lots of people who are experts in medicine or economy can be raised.

All in all, education is the key topic to make the world a habitable and equal place. Everyone deserves the right to get an education. Thus, the government and some institutions have to produce some solutions to eradicate this problem. When necessary developments take place, education problems can be minimized.

E REGISTRATION

Every year thousands of people must take exams in order to have a better life. The university admission test is an important example. After the preparation process and the exam, students select a college and then they register. Students needed to come to university so as to register in the past. However, this is no longer the case. Students can register for university via the e-state system. Some people claim that this process is beneficial, while some people think it is controversial in terms of security and orientation.

First of all, the e-registration system is practical because students don’t have to come to the university for registration. This not only saves money but also saves time. Almost all students enter universities which are far away from their hometowns. Before e-registration, students and even parents had to go to the city where the university was located. Consequently, parents and students spent money for the journey and accommodation. In this case, the family budget and even the country’s economy could suffer. Moreover, it was necessary to allocate enough time to accomplish the registration. However, registration via the internet can put a stop to all this. Briefly, the e-registration system is more beneficial than the usual registration system.

On the other hand, some people claim that registration via the internet is controversial in terms of security and orientation. They are also concerned about the fact that their personal information could be stolen and misused. However, the registration through e-state has measures against cyber-attacks; therefore, the system is reliable. Furthermore, students registering via the internet will probably not arrive at school until the beginning of the fall term. Therefore, some people assert that students cannot adjust to university life. Even though this argument is logical, because universities plan the orientation program before classes, it could be easily refuted.

All in all, the e-registration system is more useful in terms of saving time and money even though some people are concerned about its security. The electronic system should be maintained and expanded to more areas.

DEMENTIA VILLAGE

                                   

As the average lifespan increases, so does the number of age-related illnesses including dementia. Worldwide, 35 million people have dementia and according to WHO, 77 million new cases are being diagnosed every year. At that rate, the number of people with dementia is expected to double by 2030 and triple by 2050. Fortunately, a new solution has been found for dementia in the Netherlands: Hogewey, i.e. Dementia Village. Hogewey is a place where residents who are people with dementia can live a seemingly normal life, but in reality are being watched all the time by caretaker staff at the restaurant, grocery store, hair salon and theater. Some people think dementia village is a wonderful idea with the simple goal which is providing the most normal life possible for people with dementia, however, according to others this idea can only be a new take on the Truman Show.

Opponents of the idea of Dementia Village point out that the creation of an illusionary village is immoral. In truth, the immoral thing is not  Dementia Village but the fact that in many parts of the world, people with dementia are ignored and they are living anonymously in buildings or nursing homes with non-stop television. The majority of people are not in  good enough circumstances to provide their close relatives 24 hours of professional attention due to their work, children, chores, and other duties. On the other hand, in Hogewey, everything is structured as a normal village considering  its special residents' circumstances. Hogewey provides accommodation for about 150 residents for a reasonable cost which is the same with any other nursing home and every 2 residents have 1 caregiver. Moreover, the best aspect of Hogewey, contrary to nursing homes, is that people with dementia are not treated as patients or anonymously but as residents. They are able to do many activities; they can experience life as they once had, making their own choices, performing everyday tasks such as gardening, shopping, going to the cafe, hairdresser, but  most importantly, socializing with people who share similar interests. Social connections are important for those people because they give people the feeling that they are still alive by stimulating the brain, instead of waiting to die in their beds while watching TV. Studies also found that loneliness is linked to dementia; it is a kind of trigger for dementia but in Hogewey, there are 25 clubs from baking to singing to keep residents socially active and prevent the feeling of loneliness. This being the case, there is no sense in describing this idea which provides a better life for its residents by giving them what they need as  immoral.

Despiteall of its benefits, some critics continue to oppose the idea of creating a "fantasy" world which is in some ways similar to the manufactured reality depicted in the movie The Truman Show where a man discovers his entire life is actually a TV program and everything he regards as real is in fact a mirage that is created by television producers. People who consider Dementia Village as a fantasy world claim that people in Hogewey may feel fooled. Yes, they may feel fooled, if a member of staff just tells them a story which is not true but in fact, there is no such  thing; there is a real society.For example, the supermarket is not a show, it is real with some differences. For instance, there is no price tag on anything and there is no money demanded by staff, who are trained specifically to handle people with dementia, because these people are the residents, who can't even speak or forget what  money is, not customers. Furthermore, there are no directions for residents about what they have to do as if they were in the TV show, they are free as a bird to choose where, how, and with whom they want to live. There are even 7 different lifestyle themes for them such as crafts, culture, religious, and urban. None of these qualities  make them feel fooled but, instead, they feel that they are welcomed in this world with their circumstances. In short, life in Hogewey is pretty close to normal not to the reality show.

All in all, Hogewey, with all these high grade life standards which make it an ideal place for people with dementia, not only helps  its residents but also their family members; it takes an enormous amount of stress off the shoulders of family members who don't have ample time or proper training to care for their loved ones. So, the appropriate approach to this ideamust be opening the door to more demetia-friendly places like that all over the world.

COHABITATION FIRST

The family has always been the basic social unit in society and has therefore been upheld by religions and the government. The family is considered to be a source of great joy and happiness but forming one is a tough decision because two strangers promise to spend the rest of their lives together and raise children. The amount of responsibility and the risks involved lead people to consider a period of familiarization during which the couple gets to know each other named cohabitation. Advocates of marriage in the traditional sense are strongly against this new trend, yet, it cannot be denied that any move that prevents future misery and divorce for the spouses and the children is a step in the right direction.

First of all, cohabitation is an individual choice and as such, nobody has the right to interfere. In a democratic society, everyone should be free to live as they like. Bob Dylan was right when he said the times were changing and when he told parents and teachers not to stand in the doorways and block up the halls. In the past, parents decided who the young person was to marry; the couple then married and never considered divorce whether they were happy or not. In the modern world, people choose their own partners and if they wish to make sure they have got the right person, it is not anybody else’s concern. In short, everybody should mind their own business.

Second of all, cohabitation involves complete freedom and a mutual promise to be true to each other. This is after all what marriage is: a promise stated publically in front of witnesses. Yet, is a public promise more binding than a private one? A promise is a promise however you make it. True, marriage involves legal protection which means inheritance, child support and support are all guaranteed in the case of divorce. Yet, if people love each other and if they are moral upright citizens, they shouldn’t need laws for this. Plus, of course, cohabitation is only meant to be the step before marriage; it isn’t meant to go on forever in which case any discussion of legal guarantee becomes meaningless.

In conclusion, it is nobody’s business whether two people choose to live together before getting married or not. Times are changing and so are life styles; people need to adapt and keep up. Insisting on the values of the previous generation is futile in the long run. In short, people need to keep up or get left behind.

CAN WOMEN BE THE EQUALS OF MEN IN THE BUSINESS WORLD?

Every adult in society needs to be able to make a living to maintain a certain standard of living and enjoy a certain quality of life. In the past, it was the duty of men to work outside the home and put food on the table; women were expected to tend the house and take care of the children. Things are changing in the modern world, however, and more and more women are entering the business world at all levels and this trend will continue. The times are changing and so are people; in the modern world, women can certainly be the equals of men in the business world.

Women started entering the work force in large numbers after they were allowed to receive a university education, and during the Second World War. The former allowed women to gain the qualifications necessary to become lawyers, doctors and the like. The latter made it absolutely essential for women to man the factories and make sure that industry didn’t suffer. These women proved that the social role of caregiver and homemaker that had been assigned to them by society didn’t mean they were incapable of doing anything else. The UK economy would have collapsed if it hadn’t been for women. All women need is for men to give them a chance and give up on the macho culture that claims women’s place is in the home.

The idea that it is women’s duty to do housework and take care of the children is completely unfounded. Nowadays, there are machines to do everything in the house and children go to kindergarten; what is the woman to do all day? Women have the same mental abilities and cognitive skills as men, they are well educated and often better students and they wish to and can become useful members of society and give something back. The only thing standing in their way is men’s feelings of insecurity and their threatened egos. In the modern world, it should be aptitude that determines who gets ahead in the business world not gender. The latter is an outdated view that dates back to the middle ages when women were considered to be mentally incapable of doing the kind of work men do.

In short, men should open their eyes and see the changes that are taking place; they should stand aside and let women join them in the boardrooms where they can work shoulder to shoulder for the good of the country. Doing so will not make them lesser human beings.

BILINGUAL EDUCATION

With globalization, having a second language has become important since being able to express yourself in another language enables people to communicate with each other and triggers a connection among different cultures. For this reason, despite opposing ideas, bilingual education is an outstanding need in today’s world.

In almost  all countries, foreign language education starts  early since it provides some advantages in future life such as better job opportunities. In primary schools and even kindergardens, children learn other languages as second or third languages, and this continues in secondary school. When they graduate from universities or high schools and search for a job, employers ask them which languages they know. If they can speak a second or third language, they can have a job more easily, and their position at work may be far better than others in some ways such as salary and working hours. Thus, knowing another language has a vital importance in working life.

            Furthermore, bilingual education promotes the development of cognitive and literary skills. According to some recent research, learning a new language helps the development of intelligence. Since bilingual education enables  students to see other perceptions and notions in different cultures, it helps them to understand the universe as a whole.  Being able to speak to people from other nations or societies also teaches students to listen and understand each other. In this way, they may be able to have  problem solving skills.

            On the other hand, some people are opponents of a bilingual education. They claim that its efficacy has not been proven. In other words, according to them, it may not be so important in education and working life as research hasn’t finished yet. What’s more, bilingual education creates unequal educational and occupational opportunities, in their opinions. Because all people cannot have the same quality of education, they may not have a bilingual education either. Thus, the fact that this case affects students in their education or working life is undeniable. However, their claims are nonsense. Firstly, seeing the whole picture is much more sensible than waiting for  the results of the research, . Secondly, if opponents think bilingual education sets in motion unequal means, they ought to search for a remedy, instead of arguing.

            To sum up, bilingual education is significant, and it plays an important role in education and working life. It fuels better job opportunities, development of cognitive skills and a novel perception in solving problems.

REAL DEMOCRACY

After World War I,nearly all of the regimes all around the World changed.Most of the countries in Europe preferred democracy. One of those which preferred democracy was Turkey, which was a monarchy.Democracy allows people to vote in elections so they have a right to choose candidates who will administer the republic instead of ordinary people.Yet,this situation caused some discussions in society.Some people believe that real democracy is only possible in countries where there are educated voters.However,it is a completely wrong idea because real democracy is constituted by different ideas from diverse classes.Therefore,to form a real democracy, we have to pay attention to different kinds of classes.

To begin with, as mentioned in history books, the Republic which was based on democracy was declared in 1923 and this situation gave the public  a chance to choose candidates. According to the definition of democracy, everyone has a right to vote because if an undesirable circumstance occurs it will affect all of the people in society.For example,in the middle ages,certain people  who were educated had a right to choose the administrators and it was an unfair situation because the rest of the public didn’t have a right to vote but mostly  they were affected

To continue,we cannot assume uneducated people are ignorant because ignorance cannot be dealt with through education. There are many people who are uneducated in society and they behave according to the law in contrast to some educated people. Therefore, education cannot determine ignorance. For instance, Bill Gates is an uneducated person so can we assume he is ignorant? And can we say that he doesn’t have the right to vote?

Finally,some people think that uneducated voters assess a candidate according to outward appearance,not according to ideas but it is a completely wrong idea because we cannot deem uneducated people ignorant. Uneducated and ignorant people are completely different from each other in terms of definition.Thus,we don’t have a right to say that uneducated people should not be allowed to vote because it is necessary for real democracy.

In conclusion,after  World War I all of the regimes were destroyed and governments chose a new regime which wouldbe appropriate for their countries.After this situation democracy became the most common regime all around the World but to form a real democracy, we have to pay attention to not only educated people but also uneducated people.

BEING A MEMBER OF A GROUP

People have some basic needs. One of these needs can be being a member of a group. It is true that people want to have friends. People want to share some information and go to concerts with their friends. While spending quality time together, people become a group of friends. There are several advantages of being a member of a group; however, there are several disadvantages, too.

First of all, there are several advantages of being a member of a group. One of the specific advantages is that being a member of a group provides more chance of socialization. For instance, people join some activities with friends such as theatres, festivals. These friends can be close friends or new friends. People find it easy to socialize by being a member of a group.  Another advantage is that people learn to work as a team. This learning is an important necessity for people's lives. For example, teenagers should learn to work and discuss issues with their friends. They can share  their ideas, suggestions and so on. Therefore, people learn to behave in a respectful manner. Being a member of a group facilitates thinking and deciding with group members. As a result, people might improve their skills by being a member of a specific group. 

Secondly, there are numerous disadvantages of being a member of a group but the most important disadvantages are loss of individuality and loss of identity. If a person is a member of a group, the person usually goes anywhere and does everything with the members of the group. For example, members of street gangs in America follow a strict code of behavior, and even dress similarly. In time, people lose their individuality. It is an indisputable fact that individuality has a major role to play in success in people's lives, because every man is out for himself. For instance, somebody who has grown up as a member of a street gang considers the group and its code of behavior to be paramount. Another disadvantage is loss of identity. As a matter of fact, the loss of identity and the loss of individuality are interrelated. For instance, members should respect other members in groups, but the opinions of the majority are acceptable in general and  the individual’s opinion may be lost within the majority’s opinion. Because of the fact that people act in concert with their friends, they lose their identities.

In conclusion, taking everything into consideration, group membership can’t be avoided; it is a fact of life. However, people have a choice concerning some groups: they can’t choose their family or their classmates, but they can decide whether or not to become a member of a gang. People are influenced by other members of the group. This effect can vary. To sum up, it is clear that being a member of a group has not only advantages but also disadvantages.

A HIGH EQ

Intelligence quotient, briefly IQ, has always been a widespread subject scientists, particularly neuroscientists, have focused on. Most people must have tried to solve IQ tests which are so popular on the Internet, to measure and learn their capacity and skills. By the 20th century, it was known as the most important factor which enabled people to be successful and innovative. However, the latest studies show that the overall effects of IQ are less than 10% throughout  life and there is a much more vital criterion than IQ, which is emotional intelligence. EQ is defined as the capacity to recognize, understand, and manage one’s emotions. This term was put forward in 1990s by Johnnie and his colleagues and is now accepted as the main determinant of how capable a person is. EQ  contrary to/in contrast to IQ, can be developed on its own throughout life by experiencing various moments and scrutinizing any topic. However, having high emotional skills is not useful the whole time because it can be exploited by malicious people. Thus, there are both pros and cons of possessing high EQ and let us consider and examine these two aspects.

As for the advantageous side, high emotional intelligence enables people to recognize themselves, realize the facts, set feasible goals and work hard on reaching their dreams. People with high emotional skills can control their eagerness and momentary pleasure, and may delay gratification to another time, for instance until after reaching their targets. They know how to regulate and read emotions. These people are more probably aware of what they want from life and what they should do to realize their dreams. Thus, the vast majority of people who are now successful in the business world or academia have high EQ and vice versa. In addition to this, it also enables them to read people. They can know how they feel and think from facial expression, body language or vocal tones by analyzing their gestures and images. Thus, these people can be more successful in identifying people and can help others by giving advice. A counselor, for example, detects people’s emotions from any clue and knows how to  react. Not only a counselor, but also a salesperson, leader and doctor should know how to treat a customer or patient. Thus, in some countries it is taught widely in business and medicine.

With respect to the drawbacks of a high EQ, it can be abused as a tool to make a powerful and pervasive impression on people. People may exploit it to attract and draw people into their view in a hidden way. Adolf Hitler, as one of the simplest examples, was conscious of how appealing non-verbal language and tones of voices are. He used his capacity to influence and deceive people. Furthermore, people can disguise their true feelings. To illustrate, a beggar may assert wrong claims and deceive people about who he really is. Crying constantly, the person requests money from people as if s/he has a illness or doesn’t have money. What is more, having high EQ is not always good for people. A scientist, for instance, may not pay attention to his work due to high EQ, which may result in failure.

All in all, there are two major classifications: people who benefit from high EQ to make the world a better place and others who abuse it for self-serving motives and personal gains. I personally believe that the benefits of EQ outweigh the harms. Thanks to technology and its benefits, people are now aware of the facts and traps. Further, parents must be careful about how they raise their children because of the powerful effects of growth patterns on EQ. Besides this, the countries which want to raise EQ should also teach people how to use it for the good of humanity. There is no doubt that the reality of another Hitler will be just a catastrophe.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD

  For a couple decades,genetic science has been advancing.  These developments in genetic science offer us many things that vary from treating cancer to producing GMO foods.  GMO is an abbreviation of genetically modified organisms. It is a term which represents the human intervention into the genetic structure of the organisms by using advanced technology and specialized molecules. This intervention enables humanity to reduce pesticide usage, to grow nutrition rich products and more resistant plants. Besides these benefits, GMO has a dark side, too. Changing the genetic structure of plants negatively affects the non-targeted bugs and it also increases the resistance of weeds. For these reasons, GMO has both advantages and disadvantages.

  Firstly, GMO has numerous advantages. Some bacteria in nature make insects sick. The combination of different parts of the DNA from these bacteria which are called plasmids, is transplanted to the plant’s DNA. Harmful bugs get poisoned by new genes such as Bt. Thus, pesticide usage is being reduced day by day thanks to thetransplantation of genes. Moreover, GMO can increase both the nutrition level of foods and the amount  of food. Many people suffer from starvation due to numerous factors. Unfortunately, starvation causes many sicknesses owing to lack of vitamins, minerals, and proteins.More nutritious food is definitely a good thing.Therefore, science can help to figure out a couple of problems that are written above.

    Secondly, regrettably, GMO has some disadvantages that scientists are trying to solve. By transplanting bacterial DNA to plants, we sometimes kill the non-targeted bugs such as bees and butterflies. Killing non-targeted bugs negatively affects the food chain. This slaughtering of bugs may also harm plants because some bees and butterflies carry pollen. GMO might increase the resistance of weeds. Resistance is a consequence of evolution. The mechanism of evolution is based on natural selection. Natural selection means, when weak ones die, the strong ones which carry the resistant gene can live and reproduce.For this reason, off-spring of the new generation become more resistant.

  To conclude, GMO has both some advantages and disadvantages as many other things do. It can help us produce nutritionally rich food and decrease the level of pesticide usage. It can also result in more resistant plants and kill non-targeted bugs like bees. Despite all the negative perspectives, science can, surely, deal with these drawbacks and produce perfect food for every single person in the future.

GETTING A SUMMER JOB

                                                   

              Working life has tough if you are in a private company. Most of the students at university aim to have a successful career in the future. They struggle to graduate from their schools in order to earn a great deal of money. Some of them find a job in the summer before graduation to gain experience. There are some positive and negative aspects of geting a summer job.

             Getting a summer job has a lot of advantages. To begin with, students may learn about the hardship of earning money and this will be early experience in work life. When a student finds a job, she/he will adapt to the new environment faster. Moreover, workers take on a lot of tasks during their summer job. Therefore, they learn the real meaning of responsibility. Lastly, these types of jobs are a big opportunity to improve foreign language skills. For instance, if a university student works in a hotel, she/he meets new tourists. Practising is an important factor in learning a foreign language and when she/he communicates with tourists, his/her daily English will improve  fast.

             On the other hand, there are some bad sides of summer jobs. First of all, students study at an  intensive pace all the year round. Finding a job causes them to have a tiring summer instead of a relaxed summer and this situation may negatively impact the student in the second term; in other words, the effects of the summer job may be felt during the fall term. Furthermore, a three month period is  adequate time for a holiday, but, when taking a job, you miss the opportunity of a long vacation with friends. Finally, working individuals don’t have enough time. That’s why they cannot spare time for leisure activities such as reading books and doing sport.

                To sum up, getting a summer job has both pros and drawbacks. It helps gain experience for work life the future and provides a sense of responsibility to students. On the otherhand, students  cannot create free time for their personal hobbies or a vacation. Should they not rest enough, this situation can negatively affect their school life.

THE PROS AND CONS OF COALITION GOVERNMENTS

The simple version

Representative democracy is the most common form of government in the world. In democratic countries there are regular elections. The purpose / aim of the elections is to choose members of parliament. Elections also determine the winning party and this party forms the government. Sometimes no party wins. In this case, team work is necessary. Parties have to work together and form the government. These governments are called coalition governments. There are various advantages and disadvantages of having coalition governments.

It can be said that coalition governments have various advantages.  First of all, coalition governments are more democratic because they represent more political views in parliament. Parties with different opinions have to negotiate: they have to listen to each other, they have to talk to each other and they have to find a solution. The left wing and right wing parties can agree on increasing the minimum wage for instance. The left wing parties want a big increase and the right wing parties want a small increase but they can come to an agreement. If each side is ready to negotiate with each other, coalitions can be successful.

On the other hand, there are also many roadblocks which prevent coalitions from working. First of all, the work of the state should carry on without delay. However, if political parties cannot compromise, they cannot take a decision and everything stops. For example, the nationalist party in Turkey supports the idea of military action against Kurdish minorities whereas left wing parties support negotiations. These views will never change; no agreement will be reached and no solution will be found. As a result, everybody will lose. Another example is long discussions. No negotiations mean everything stops. This means the country suffers economically. For example; employees of Arçelik are protesting because the government has not reached an agreement yet. In short, disagreements can cause serious problems for coalitions.

All in all, in coalitions, two different views have to meet in the middle to find a solution for the common good of the country. Sometimes they can sit at the table and compromise whereas sometimes they cannot because of various reasons. However, they should leave their individual interests to maintain the coalition. Thus, the parliament becomes more democratic and the country benefits.

This essay was written by: BORA BAYRAK and DÜCANE DEMİRTAŞ

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF COALITION GOVERNMENTS

             A Coalition government consists of two or more parties who must compromise on principles and share a mandate. It mostly occurs due to a single party not being able to gain a majority of seats in parliament. Coalitions are generally formed through elections. However, they can also occur in times of national difficulty such as WWII. Coalition governments have some advantages and disadvantages in terms of their decision-making process and management styles.

            First of all, one of the major advantages of coalitions involve the scope of representation. Sharing a mandate, coalitions lead to broader representation, as the two parties have to compromise on their opposing ideologies in order to create policies that result in legislation.  Moreover a coalition government is more democratic because it represents a broader spectrum of public opinion than the government with one party alone. In almost all coalitions, a majority of citizens voted for the parties which form the government, so their views and interests are represented in political decision-making. If most members of parliament agree  that it is crucial to develop the country, the country gets a stronger government with a majority coalition than a party trying to rule with a minority. In brief, the most effective benefit of coalitions is  wide representation and more democracy.

            Finally, coalition governments have some drawbacks. They don’t provide one party with power to implement their ideas, so the end result is that very few ideas, if any, are implemented because an agreement cannot be reached between parties. This disagreement increases the period of decision-making. Furthermore, there is a great deal of instability within the coalition government. It is important  for coalition governments to set up procedures that can work through conflict and mitigate disputes in order for the coalition government to survive. One of the disadvantages is that  it  cannot take long-term view. Coalition governments may not be  long-term because stability is more difficult with coalitions. Briefly, coalitions are not appropriate for the long-term.

            All in all, coalition governments include not only advantages but also disadvantages. Their main advantage is democracy. Coalitions are formed by elections and are participant-driven. They also have certain drawbacks such as problems with decision-making and instability. 

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Living together in well established communities has also meant the incidence of crime, or the fact that the breaking of the rules established for communal living, has increased, which has, in turn, meant that punitive measures of various sorts have become the norm. The nature of these punitive measures have changed over the years becoming more humanitarian and less vengeful. One consequence of this trend has been consideration of the individual circumstances of each crime rather than a ‘ one prescription fits all’ approach. Undeniably, greater justice is achieved by considereing each case individually rather than lumping things together.

The personal experiences and background of the perpetrator of any crime are also a factor and determine the type of person an individual becomes and should therefore be studied before sentence is passed. For example, a freshman student at Eskişehir university first stabbed and then slowly drowned her pet cat and was sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment for mistreating an animal. Yet killing and torturing animals is the sign of  sociopathy. The background of this person was completely disregarded. We do not know if this was her first crime against animals; probably not as she is a university student. Mistreating animals is only the first step; this person will most probably move on to murder. The question is not whether she will or not; it is when she will. Similarly, genuine regret is often not distinguished sufficiently from play acting. A third consideration would be past suffering, abuse or mistreatment. A lifetime of physical and psychological abuse can do untold damage to an individual psyche and a violent crime committed by such an individual should not be considered on a par with that of the average cold blooded killer. In short, real justice is only possible when the full picture is considerted; just skimming the surface may satisfy some but it is not fair.

To sum up, a comprehensive picture of the circumstances of the crime as well as the perpetrator including the factors that made him the person he is should be taken into account if justice in the real sense is to be metted out.

CONSUMERISM

             

                Consumerism is a recent phenomenon which emerged after  World War II as a result of the booming economy. It can be considered  as  mass consumption, however, it is more than that: Consumerism is a life style in which consuming outweighs many things and it does not include logic in general, namely people buy something for no reason. The underlying reason for  this kind of consumption is that money and what one can afford have become one's identity and people try to show their status by means of their possessions. Yet, this situation brings about a host of detrimental effects on people and the world such as unhappy who feel they don’t have enough money and the excessive use of the world's resources to meet the consumers' demands.  Therefore, to prevent these problems, some measures should be taken.

                Firstly, the governments should pursue effective policies to minimize excessive consumption. A primary cause of consumerism is the easy access to money through instalments, credit cards and loans, thus, the government should restrict these opportunities to deter people from buying non-essential goods and services. In Turkey, for example, most people change their mobile phones each year for a higher model, but, if they did not have credit cards or the opportunity to pay in instalments,  more than half of them could not do it.  Raising awareness of consumers is also required to prevent this problem. The government may do this by means of public service ads, lessons in schools about consumption and ideal  role models.

                In the second place, some steps should be taken on  an individual basis. One of the most appealing ways the big companies use to sell their products is advertisement. Although most people argue that they are not influenced by ads, their impact is very high on people especially on childrenand teenagers. So, people who do not want to be attracted to buying  should avoid ads as much as they can . Likewise, learning useful shopping techniques is essential to repress the aspiration of buying. Consumers should be able to evaluate what is absolutely necessary for them and then, compare alternatives according to price and performance. They can learn the ways to do this easily by reading successful books and via the Internet.

                In conclusion, it is easy to say that consumerism has become a very serious problem, since it has innumerable adverse effects not only on society and but also on nature. However, there are several possible solutions to overcome this problem. Therefore, both governments and individuals should apply these solutions to ensure a better life.

CONFLICT IN THE WORKPLACE

          Conflict exists when one person has a need that is not being met. In today’s modern world, there is a strong need among people to achieve their best results. However, conflict in the workplace makes it impossible for people to work properly. As a result, they do not work as a team; there is no communication among colleagues etc. Studies revealed that in the U S employees spend 2.8 hours every week managing conflict in the workplace and it costs $ 359 billion annually for the U S economy. In order to maintain a healthy work environment, it is essential to address the causes of conflict in the workplace.

           First of all, poor communication is one of the main causes of conflict among  employees in the workplace. This can result from different communication styles or failure in communication. For instance, when a manager reassigns  an employee’s task to his co-worker but fails to communicate the reassignment to the employee, there is trouble. Consequently, the employee feels slighted and it leads to animosity between employees and the manager. In order to deal with this problem, we must ensure that our team is made up of better communicators, we should improve their communication skills through  training and workshops.

          Secondly, unhealthy workplace competition is another major cause of conflict among employees. When salary is linked with employee production, the workplace may experience a strong competition among employees. This is because people are inflexible and believe that their goal must be achieved. Due to this  fact, they work against each other, they blame others for their failure, and they do not communicate with each other. In this unhealthy competition, relationships are not considered as important as the outcome. As a result, productivity goes down and indeed business will suffer from their unhealthy competition.

          Finally, there is also constructive conflict, which means disagreement or not complete agreement  on an issue. In constructive conflict, individual opinions and choices are respected. The purpose of constructive conflict is to have everyone  put all their cards on the table. In addition to this, they have a common sense of vision, they are good listeners and they are more creative. As a result, this kind of conflict leads to a healthy competition among employees and the outcome of their work will be beneficial.

  Taking  everything into account, conflict among  employees as result of poor communication and unhealthy competition is a massive problem in the workplace. Hence, it is essential to deal with this problem by training employees and teaching them the importance of communication and positive competition in the workplace.

Bismellah Hamidy

CONDITIONS OF WORKERS

As is commonly known, conditions of workers such as miners or laborers are far below acceptable standards. A quick glance at the statistics reveals how enormous and devastating the effect of inadequate working conditions is on the lives of workers. The increasing occupational accidents, in this respect, raise a question as to whether working under bad conditions stems from inspectors’ lack of control or governments’ inability to invest wisely in technology or workers’ inability to unionize.

By and large, not taking the necessary measures for job security is the most common reason among the other possible causes. Our authorities are, unfortunately, incapable of springing to action when it comes to ensuring safe and sanitary conditions for workers. Noticeable examples are not scarce in Turkey of course. In 2014, due to the low safety level, a fire claimed the lives of more than three hundred coal miners. This deplorable condition, on the other hand, points to another significant reason: lack of legal control over corporations. Restraining those careless organizations’ self-control may sound reasonable. In fact, if authorities not only show sufficient will and intelligence but also err on the side of caution, there will be fewer deadly work place accidents.

The burden of responsibility lies in the hands of governments, again, because they are failing to invest in technology sufficiently. Numerous workers have to face up to difficult conditions owing to the technological gap in our country. Providing them with basic amenities may not be a big deal to eliminate this deprivation. In addition, lack of severe punishments for wrongdoers takes a toll on workers. Giving the private sector freedom or displaying indifference to confederates, at this point, costs the government more than money. Last but not  least, ineffective labor unions and an inability to achieve a consensus engender undesirable results. Instead of just accepting the consequences of such negligence, workers must assert their sacrosanct rights.

Looking at the broader picture, it would be true to argue that the grave negligence of authorities and workers’ inability to be united are the most convincing reasons for such hideous conditions. Let alone the underprivileged workers, governments should undertake an enterprise and more importantly, regard all work place accidents as a prime concern.

HAVVANUR ZAFER Program 2

HOW TO IMPROVE CONCENTRATION

            In modern society, issues with concentration are becoming more and more common since there are so many distractions. There are many people who suffer from lack of concentration which can be related to sleep disorders, intrusive thoughts and concerns, cognitive or psychological problems. Although lack of concentration is considered as a severe problem and it has many negative impacts on success, it is possible to deal with it.      

The first way to overcome concentration issues is creating a positive environment to study. First of all, a comfortable environment is essential to keep your focus on your tasks. Therefore, you should ensure that you have a comfortable chair and a desk which is large enough to spread your material out  in your working area. You ought to have adequate and good lighting and study at a proper temperature to keep yourself awake and focused . In addition, distractions  should not exist  in study areas. For example, you should avoid putting pictures of activities in which you want to be involved in your work area.  Landscapes or natural images will be more convenient in order not to influence your concentration. Consequently, the more comfortable your environment is, the easier it will likely be for you to stay there and focus.

            Secondly, nutrition and sleep also play a significant role in improving your concentration. According to the study in The Journal of Nutrition, dehydration can lead to inattention and make us feel tired, irritable, slow, or even sick. Studies indicate the fact that our brains cannot operate at peak level  if they do not have enough fluid. In other words, while you are at work, you should drink plenty of water throughout the day to improve your concentration. Starting the day with a healthy breakfast also helps you stay focused on your tasks. It is much harder to concentrate when you are hungry, so it will be sensible to eat a healthy meal before you start studying to make a good fist of your job ( A healthy meal is conducive to good concentration). In addition, studies also show that lack of sleep can lead to concentration issues. As a result,sleeping enough also helps you study better and remember more material.

            Finally, an alternative way to solve the concentration problem is to schedule your task. Especially in situations in which you have too much to do, scheduling will be beneficial as it will help you to work without losing concentration. Your schedule should not only involve what you have to accomplish but also your short  break times. If you stick to your plan, this will help you to maintain focus and complete the task more quickly  and easily. Moreover, you can also log what you have done during the study. Thus, you can look back and see what you have accomplished. This helps you to motivate yourself and keep up your concentration.

            To sum up, there are many ways to avoid lack of concentration. By creating a proper environment, organizing your nutrition and sleep in the right  way, and scheduling your assignments, you can protect yourself from losing focus and concentration. Although concentration problems seem to be a vexing  issue, you can cope with it and become successful if you follow these methods.