Nucor Corporation Case Analysis Essays

Nucor Corporation Case Analysis Essays Nucor Corporation Case Analysis Paper Nucor Corporation Case Analysis Paper To: Dan DiMicco From: McKensie Booth Subject: Strategic Management Date: 11/9/2010 Nucor Corporation Memo Response: Per your request I have analyzed Nucor Corporation and the steel industry. After performing both strategic and financial analysis I offer my recommendations. Executive Summary: Nucor Corporation was the most profitable steel producer in North America in both 2005 and 2006. It is regarded as a low-cost steel producer in the United States, and one of the most efficient and technologically innovative steel producers in the world. Nucor is known for its aggressive pursuit of innovation and technical excellence, rigorous quality systems, strong emphasis on employee relations and workforce productivity, cost conscious corporate culture, and ability to achieve low costs per ton produced (C-194). Offering a streamlined organizational structure, Nucor uses its ability to achieve incentive-based compensation systems that rewards goal-orientated individuals for their performance. Over the years Nucor has expanded progressively into the manufacturer of a wider and wider range of steel products, which has gotten it to be able to offer steel users one of the broadest product lineups in the industry. In this industry steel products are considered commodities, and most steel plants turn out products with comparable quality to other companies. This makes one producer’s reinforcing bar essentially the same as another producer’s reinforcing bar, which in turn makes a particular grade of sheet steel made at one plant almost identical to the same grade of sheet steel made from another plant (C-195). Because of this, steel producers are forced to be price-competitive with the market price of each individual steel product being driven by demand-supply conditions for that product. After considering all of these aspects of Nucor, and the steel industry I will be discussing the strength of the competitive forces, the key success factors for this industry, and the pros and cons of Nucor’s competitive strategy. A SWOT analysis will further help me analyze the situation so then I can look at how attractive Nucor’s value chain is compared to the value chains of the other integrated steel mills. I’ll conclude with strategic issues I believe that Nucor’s management needs to address, and recommend the actions I think will be necessary to enhance Nucor’s position and future performance to compete effectively against low-cost foreign steel imports into the U. S. Competitive Analysis: 5 Forces Model Intensity of Rivalry among Competitors: Fierce Global competition in the steel industry faces Nucor and the wide range of competitors that make up the industry. Just in the domestic market alone there are more than twenty competitors that range on a larger to smaller scale. This intense competition amongst the competitors causes a recurring effect within the industry. Each competitor is trying to out bid the others for a contract, which allows for price wars among the market. This goes to prove that the industry is not based on differentiated products, but rather price competition. In the end, the company with the lowest fixed costs will survive and be the most profitable. Nucor’s use of both base pay and incentive pay makes it more guaranteed that output is relative to pay, which therefore decreases the fixed costs. The use of different business models is also a good indicator of the competition. Nucor uses a decentralized structure with control at the local factory level. This allows for focused decision making, and a more efficient use of profits. Threat of new entrants: Weak The entry into any industry depends directly on the associated costs. Because of globalization growing at a rapid pace, the merging of many competitors to form larger companies have made the barriers to entry increase. Economies of scale and capital requirements seem to be the greatest barriers in the steel industry. Larger quantity orders of raw materials are usually discounted. Higher production volumes directly discount the associated costs. Product differentiation is also a major barrier to entry. Steel is not sold on its overall difference, but more commonly on price. Many manufacturers utilize the same technologies and processes. Price wars are seen to minimize fixed costs, which mean there are few switching costs from one manufacturer to another. There is very little brand loyalty in this industry, especially when it does not appeal to consumer loyalty or brand image. Entrants must find ways to compete based on lower costs. Access to raw materials can also be a barrier. A lot of the time materials must be bought in large quantities. There is no cost advantage associated with small material purchases, and that can directly increase the overall manufacturing costs. This can make competition challenging in a market where margins are already very small. Government policy is not a huge threat of entry on the domestic level, but at the international level the barriers become much larger. Well established relationships by larger steel manufacturers with government allows for easy establishment of contracts in a foreign territory. Since most steel manufacturers must be globally competitive to maintain profits government policy is a threatening entry barrier. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Strong The supply of raw materials can have a positive or negative effect on a cost strategy. Most of the steel used in domestic manufacturing in the United States is imported. On a larger scale there are relatively few suppliers who can meet the constant demands from a steel company. Because of this it is really common for joint ventures to be established between suppliers and manufacturers. This can help decrease the costs of supplies. The biggest threat is when large suppliers try and enter the market through the elimination of a third party manufacturer. Bargaining Power of Buyers: Strong Buyers seem to be the greatest threat. Price competition arises from buyers have low switching costs and low product differentiation. Due to these factors, buyers have the power to negotiate the deal down as far as they want. Many buyers purchase in large quantities which creates economies of scale. Ultimately, the goal for a buyer is to get the best product at the most efficient cost. The goal of a seller is to gain the most financial return for the least cost. Since the market is filled with many suppliers, and if you take into account the different goals of a buyer and a seller you would conclude that the steel industry is a buyers market. Threat of product substitutes: Weak There are few substitutes for the use of steel. The largest alternative to steel would be the use of another material. Alternatives increase market presence at times of economic downturn and times of increase in steel material cost. The goal is to maintain low costs and market share during times of economic fluctuation. Plastics or Wood could be two substitutes, but neither have the same durability that steel has. Assessment: Although it may not seem like the steel industry is an attractive market due to its maturity, and even though that may be true on a small scale, I think advances in globalization for the steel industry has made it become very attractive for those that are willing to compete on a much larger scale. Key Success Factors: Ability to achieve scale economies (important to achieving low production costs) High labor productivity/low-cost product design and engineering Breadth of product line and product selection National and global distribution capabilities Overall low costs (not just in manufacturing) Assessment: It’s vital for companies in the steel industry to achieve economies of scale so that they can have low production costs. The steel itself needs to be low cost, and the labor must be productive to produce at an efficient level. The breadth of your product line can put you above the other companies and help you stand out. The ability to compete at a global level is also very important when measuring success in this industry when it may be hard to differentiate your product from others. Nucor’s Competitive Strategy: Pros and Cons Starting in 2000, Nucor started on a four-part growth strategy that involved: new acquisitions, new plant construction, continued plant upgrades and cost reduction efforts, and joint ventures. Strategic Acquisitions: Pros: strengthen customer base, geographic coverage, and lineup of product offerings. Cons: economic downturns did not make the market conditions favorable. New Plant Construction: Pros: continue to be a technology leader allowing it to be first-to-market with new steelmaking technologies, and the process of Castrip which is one of Nucor’s recent success stories. Cons: Castrip was hard to make ready for commercialization taking many years for testing and processing refinement. Low-Cost Production: Pros: capital investments to improve plant efficiencies and keep production costs low. Cons: I don’t see any cons with this strategy. Global Growth via Joint Ventures: Pros: bigger growth globally that allowed it to counteract the global warming happening. Cons: does not currently have any plans to build and operate its own steel mills outside of the United States, other than its plant in Trinidad. Competitive Analysis: SWOT Strengths: Strong market position Increased production capacity Strong technological focus Positive Company Morale Low Cost Production Weaknesses: Geographical concentration Mature industry Opportunities: Joint ventures Acquisitions Threats: Repetitive nature of the industry Consolidation in the global steel industry Increasing raw material costs Assessment: I believe that Nucor Corporation has many different competencies that allow it to a hold a strong position in the steel industry. Globalization is going to be a major threat and there will soon be a strong push towards technological integration and advances. The United States steel industry is very mature so Nucor will have to look internationally for profits and more growth. A joint venture will be a good opportunity for Nucor to consider so that it can accomplish this international growth. Overall, I also think that price is everything in the steel industry, especially in a time of mass globalization. Value Chain Analysis: Primary Activities: Supply Chain Management: Nucor has established a raw materials strategy so that it can control directly and indirectly through joint ventures with various partners. This helps maintain minimum levels of raw materials in inventory, but also ensures that those raw materials are present in the supplier’s inventory, allowing for inventory costs to be associated with the supplier’s balance sheet as opposed to Nucor’s balance sheet. Operations: Nucor has 49 facilities in 17 states, and was the largest recycler of scrap steel in North America. This involves less production steps, far less capital investment, and considerably less labor time. Nucor is decentralized with control at the factory level over operational decisions and processes. Because globalization and international growth are huge factors for success, this strategy should be replaced by a corporate centered approach. Distribution: On time delivery is crucial for both Nucor and the steel industry. In 2005-06, freight costs for deliveries were less than 10% of revenues, and by Nucor developing its plant sites with the expectation of having several customer companies located nearby saved them shipping costs as well. Sales and Marketing: Nucor’s status as a low-cost provider resulted in numerous customers’ entering 6-12 month contracts to purchase steel mill products. The steel industry doesn’t need to advertise, but by Nucor maintaining a good reputation it has been able to attract customers who provide the company with loyalty. Service: Quality is built into service in the steel industry. Quality control is very important to maintain the durability and exact specifications of the manufactured product. Nucor has employees both internally and externally to manage their quality control which will keep their service high, and customer’s loyalty. Support Activities: Product RD, Technology, and Systems Development: Nucor is known for developing new product technologies. They have had many advances in the steel manufacturing process, and increasing efficiency of production. A strong technological orientation enables the company to reduce its operating costs to compete effectively in this market. Human Resources Management: Management is obligated to manage Nucor in such a way that employees will have opportunity to earn according to their productivity. Employees should be able to feel confident that if they do their jobs properly, they will still have their job tomorrow. Nucor stands for their employees to be treated fairly, and gives their employees opportunities to appeal if they do not feel as though they are not being treated the way they should. General Administration: Nucor has a simple, streamlined organizational structure to allow employees to innovate and make quick decisions. There are group managers, department managers, supervisors, and the hourly employees. Group managers and plant managers report to one of the four executive vice presidents at corporate headquarters. The staff is pretty small with only 66 people in 2006, but the philosophy is that the corporate headquarters should consist of a small group of executives who will guide the decentralized operation where liberal authority was the managers in the field responsibility. Assessment: I believe that Nucor’s value chain is very attractive in comparison to its competitors in the steel industry. Nucor’s value chain involves fewer production steps, and less capital investment, with considerably less labor than the value chains of companies with integrated steel mills with give it a competitive advantage. Internally the way Nucor operates is attractive for employees knowing that they will get treated fairly, and paid appropriately. Strategic Issues/Recommendations: Areas of Concern: Lack of Global Growth Joint Ventures/Acquisitions hindering company culture Unfavorable conditions in International Growth Lack of corporate involvement Recommendations: Steel manufacturing is an old business, but is currently facing changes associated with new technologies and the rise of globalization. I recommend that Nucor takes part in this new trend of global growth in the near future. Part of its strategic plan was to do this via joint ventures, but does not have any plans so far to build and operate its own steel mills outside of the United States. I think it would be very crucial for Nucor to do this so that it can compete at a higher level than its competitors. Nucor is doing a good job of keeping up with the latest technologies, and being first-to-market with some of its own technological advances that will help the company keep its competitive advantage and remain one of the most profitable steel producers in North America. Another recommendation I’d like to make is for Nucor to incorporate more involvement from its corporate headquarters. If Nucor does start taking actions to have a more global presence, then it will need to make sure that all of its operations stay on the same page, therefore needing a bigger corporate presence.

Service Sector Growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Service Sector Growth - Essay Example Other services include those that assist firms in conduct of operations within the regulatory regime, such as auditing and legal services. (Innovation : 2006). Thus these diverse services most of them knowledge based are supplementing traditional services as banking, tourism and leisure. This broad expanse now falling within the ambit of services has placed greater emphasis on the use of science and technology and innovation in this field. The internationalization of technology and its impact on national competitiveness also has a significant influence on the services sector. While traditionally services such as banking, retailing, business processing have not been considered amenable to research and development and innovation as compared to other emerging services such as software development and genetic engineering, this appears far from the truth. Thus innovation can also be employed for creation of growth in the services sector. (SETI : 2004). There is a growing trend which shows that a substantial amount of research and development is occurring in the services sector. While new products and processes were not unknown in the services sector but innovation in services more often related to changes in how, where and when a service is delivered. For instance, electronic banking is an innovative way to provide traditional banking services at home at any time. The growth of knowledge based work along with technological change and competition has also highlighted the need for innovation. Knowledge based work implies non routine, cognitive skills as abstract reasoning, problem solving, communication and collaboration which contribute to the services sector. However, services innovation need not be linked to changes in technology. Fast-food chains, like McDonalds, have applied innovative changes in delivery to obtain fast track growth in diverse geographic areas. To ensure that growth is constant and non linear, it is essential that the services sector is supported by suitable science, technology and innovations policies. Where policies are prevalent there is a need to review them to enable their rationalizing with the markets. (Future of Work: 2004). Innovation policy frameworks also need to focus on non technological facets of the services sector. This will come about once problems in traditional research and development activities have been recognized and importance is given to interactive people oriented actions. (SETI : 2004). The developed World is well aware of this need. Thus the OECD Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy at Ministerial Level has emphasized the importance of the policies for knowledge creation and innovation for sustainable economic growth and social well being. (Science : 2004). The need to involve the research enterprise and involve civil society and business in governance of public research has also bee n identified. The policy design is said to include an interface between innovation and science systems to harness benefits from investments in research. This will also facilitate effective industry science linkages. Policy Initiatives Fostering Growth Patents and copyrights are an essential part of the services industry particularly those related to information technology, knowledge creation

Employment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Employment - Coursework Example Other professionals will find themselves locked into an arms race with their competitors, and companies will have to provide their teams with the best equipment or face serious defeat. The advancements in medicine will reduce the population of potential employers lost through disease, and increased child care cost will force most employees to find ways of bettering their wages, either through job hoping, or making themselves marketable. Workers will telecommute; enabling them to use time spent commuting into productive work. The choices available for reemployment will be endless due to new, upcoming jobs including computer programmer, day care provider, environmental engineer, and elder specialist. People will be working during the weekends, in the evenings and on holidays (Roger Backhouse).   Inflation Inflation is expected to increase in the next five years, because the rising prices of commodities is not lasting a short time. Prospects of currency shifts and high commodity price s will cause the inflation to increase. In my view, the current market imbalances will continue keeping commodity prices rising in the next five years, with the inflationary pressures hitting emerging markets more, since a bigger share of their consumption is commodities. New emerging markets have in the past been a source of disinflation for most of the developed economies, because cheap imports from countries like China decreased inflation in the US and Europe, but that dynamic will be changed with higher commodity prices. The developed world policy makers will also try making their economies competitive through a cheaper currency, which in my view; will cause higher inflation for net importers like United States. In addition, emerging economies will let their currencies appreciate with a bid to combat inflation causing exportation of inflation to countries that buy their goods (Roger Backhouse). Interest rates Suppressing interests now will lead to disproportionate rise after fiv e years. In addition, the proposed low rate encourages depositors, who can relocate their money elsewhere, leading to more pressure for a rise. In my opinion, the monetary system is in a complete mess characterized by cons and quick solutions to serious economic problems. Currently no single borrower or saver can be immune. There is a lot of fake currency with no fixed value, and the trend seems to be escalating with time. Although there are few exceptions including gold silver coins and liberty dollars. With the currency and legal system plus savings and pension, most people are enslaved. There is no longer money, and people are just dealing with negative and positive numbers, which are illusions of debt and credit, of which we have no control. Probably, we can introduce some feel in the monetary system by nailing the currency to stabilize the unstable financial environment. The question, therefore, is how one can plan and be successful with their finances. This, therefore, makes i nterest rate speculation meaningless (Roger Backhouse). Level of taxation The middle class has been the category of tax payers who have mostly felt the weight of the tax mans demands. With increasing government spending, and demand for more infrastructures, the level of taxation is expected to go up, because the government will have to meet its high budget, while at the same time provide necessary social facilities for its citizens. The expected rise in inflation would also mean the governments would be faced with the challenge of getting the

The Elements of Persuasion Essay Example for Free

The Elements of Persuasion Essay Persuasion cannot be complete without the three main forms of rhetoric (the ethos, logos, and pathos), the basic purpose of the writer or speaker, the approach to the audience, as well as the style of delivery. The word ‘rhetoric’ pertains to â€Å"the art of speaking or writing effectively† (Carl D. Perkins Foundation 2005), and this is fixed in Barack Obama’s 2004 Democratic National Convention Address that was delivered at the Fleet Center of Boston, Massachusetts. With a context centered on Americans hearing the true political mission of the 2004 Democratic Party, the speech’s basic purpose was set mainly on three things: (1) delivering the basic mission and principle of the Democratic Party; (2) persuading voters toward the line of the Democratic Party; and (3) expanding the positive side of Obama and his party for political purposes. He magnificently used the elements of persuasion and influenced millions of American voters by operating the schemes of successful persuasion. Main Body With the speech entitled as ‘The Audacity of Hope’, Obama talks about big dreams and diversity in America through his family background, then about the greatness of America, the beliefs and values of John Kerry, what should be done, the unity of the country, and, lastly, the audacity of hope. In the overall, Obama’s speech can be divided into the following: (1) the greatness of his family line; (2) the greatness of the Americans; (3) the greatness of John Kerry; and (4) unity and hope. He starts with his self, then connects to his family, then to the other Americans, then points to John Kerry for hope and unity. It was organized that way because it points to the literal meaning of ‘unity’ and ‘connection’ that are among his basic themes. It is centered on the argument that, despite war, despair, shattered dreams, and social and economic hardships, there is still the existence of hope, care, and unity, which are what â€Å"makes this country work. It is what allows us to pursue our individual dreams and yet still come together as one American family† (Obama 4). His argument is actually very significant because 21st century has unfolded with national catastrophe, such as wars, economic problems, deficiency of the government’s capacity in truly supporting the needs of the American people†¦ to name only a few. Pertaining to incidents that connect to present occurrences relate to audiences and energize them that, amidst the negativity, there are still much more left that can be the source of American hope and dignity. This talk centered on hope is what Obama could have perceived to be the basic thing Americans would want to hear about. They want to hear why they should trust the Democratic Party, why they should honor the Democratic Party, why they should vote for the Democratic Party. The National Convention Address reflects an audience that need to hear what they most aspire for in their lives. For this reason, Obama used ‘ethos’ that would emotionally touch the hearts of the audience. He established it by, first, trying to convince people that he is no different from the lowly ones and the colored ones (i. e. , his character, sentiments); and, second, by trying to convince people that what he dreams of is no different from what other Americans dream of (i. . , hope, unity, success). This makes the audience feel emotionally attached to the speaker, since what he conveys are things that are personally felt and experienced by the common people in America. As an effect, they are able to relate well to the message that Obama has had for them. As for his logical appeals, Obama made some key points, such as the following: Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our Nation—not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise†¦ that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. (Obama 2) This logic appeals to diversity and equality of all men (most precisely the Americans). It points to the right to achieve a sustainable life, as well as happiness and liberty. Another logic is centered on the following lines: â€Å"It is that fundamental belief: I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper that makes this country work. It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams and yet still come together as one American family† (Obama 4). This logic conversely appeals to the significance of unity, brotherhood, and how they relate to success and achievement. The two statements appeal to the audience basically because it reminds them that the nation is merely one, and that the greatness of America sprouts from the fact that each one asserts to his brother’s dignity, protection, and custody. Conclusion Rhetorical persuasion refers to delivering a message effectively in order to persuade the audience into acting out a certain decree, deed, or pursuit that would primarily benefit the speaker or writer and, for most of the time, the audience, too, or the reader. Obama’s speech turned out to be really effective to his primary audience basically because the elements of persuasion are arranged in a manner that is apt to its context, its purpose, and its audience. The topics are clear and simple yet captivating, as it captures the heart and soul of those who hear it. Thus, it is evident that writing a persuasive rhetoric does not end up with what the speaker or writer would want to say; it also have something to do with what the audience or readers would want to hear given a specific state of environment. To connect to people, there has to be certain key points or ideas that mentally connect the speaker to the audience through the use of logic, emotion, style, and approach. Thus, the basic purposes are fantastically met.

The Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is set in Puritan New England during the 17th century. The scene in which the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale joins Hester and Pearl on the platform to showcase his sin is one which exemplifies Dimmesdale’s acceptance of his actions. Up until this point in the novel, Dimmesdale had hidden the fact that he had engaged in a sexual affair with Hester, a married woman. During the scene, Dimmesdale, distraught with guilt after seven years of living in secret shame, joins Hester in public to show his actions publicly. He then, being riddled with sickness, dies in contentment. Having finally accepted his actions, Dimmesdale can die without the torturous guilt of living a lie. Dimmesdale’s confession and ensuing downfall show that accepting the consequences of one’s own actions is the only way to truly achieve fulfillment and satisfaction in life, where as hiding one’s actions results in inner torture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In another instance, Dimmesdale joins Hester and Pearl on the platform during the night, and screams out in agony. Dimmesdale hides his sin in the cloak of night, as opposed to publicly accepting it. Hawthorne shows that when Dimmesdale accepts his actions, he is content, yet when he denies them, he is ravaged by guilt, which is shown when he cries out into the night. Dimmesdale can not achieve fulfillment without accepting the consequences of his previous actions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hester Prynne, who is the only main character to accept the consequences of her actions, is the only character to achieve happiness. Her ascension in the minds of the townspeople shows this. Although her scarlet â€Å"A† is supposed to stand for adultery, the townspeople eventually come to think of it as standing for â€Å"able† and eventually for â€Å"angel.† She has accepted her actions and resumed her life, living it as best she can, and she is, in a way, rewarded for her acceptance of her actions. Additionally, unlike Dimmesdale and Chillingworth, Hester leaves her life as a happy person, not someone who is secretly tortured. This is reflected in the representation of her â€Å"A†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chillingworth, Hester’s husband, vows revenge on the man who has allowed her to live in shame, while he escapes with no visible punishment. While visiting Hester in jail, Chillingworth agrees not to kill Dimmesdale if she will not reveal his identity, which lets him secretly torture Dimmesdale for the rest of her life.

Some People Think High School Students

Some people think high school students should take a year to work or travel before going at university. Some people believe that students should work or travel for a year before going at university,in my opinion I totally agree. Experiencing the world of work expands the mind. The experience will help us to see how the various aspects of college education relate to each other and to life outside of college. The richness of experience will powerfully inform your academic work.First I`ll talk about advantages and disadnvantages of one year working or travelling before going at university. There are a lot of advantages,but also there are some disadvantages. I think that we should work a certain period before going at university,because we`ll earn money to pay our education. Most of the student`s cant go at university because their parents are in bad financial situation. But If they work a certain period they`ll earn enough money for going at university also they`ll gain experience that will help them when they`ll decide to find a job.On the other hand they will learn how to live independently without assistance from parents, and how to face the challenges of life. Furthermore students could find out what they want in life, they could become single-minded, focused and motivated enough to achieve their aims. When they would start studying, they would be motivated to learn in order to attain the goals they have set, thus they will benefit from their travel experience.Another advantage of spending a year traveling between school and university is that students would be able to develop certain skills which will be very helpful for their further life. Students would learn to take responsibilities since they would be on their own in a foreign country where they would not be able to rely on others like they did at home. Whenever they would struggle with issues, they would have to solve the problems on their own; therefore the students would become more independent and awa re of the fact that dealing with issues and solving them is a process of becoming an adult.Thus, their traveling experience would have a positive impact on their personality since the teenagers would be able to develop further personal skills by experiencing a lot, dealing with problems that they would normally not have at home and becoming more aware of their own abilities. A year of traveling would not only benefit the students by helping them developing their personal skills but would also help them improving their language skills. Students that do not speak the anguage of the country they are traveling to so well, would practice it and expand their treasury of words since they would spend a lot of time there and they would have to communicate in order to handle the necessities of every day life like for example shopping. Therefore they would improve their language skills and this could be very expedient for their further studies. Spending a year abroad brings along a good opport unity to meet other people and make new friends.Students would get to know people from different cultures, hence they would learn many interesting things about the culture of the country they have traveled to. If students traveled to a less developed country, they could be more aware of the differences between the respective country and their home country and would therefore appreciate what they have at home. Even though there are many positive aspects concerning spending a year in a foreign country after finishing school, there also are some negative points that I want to clarify.Some students might decide for such an experience but they could soon find out that the decision they have taken was not an appropriate one. They could figure out that they have done the wrong choice since they would not be able to deal with all the issues they encounter there, so they would not only waste money in vain, but also precious time. Some teenagers would not be able to cope with such issues as r esponsibility and independence because they would need help and could not do it on their own, therefore they could not bear a whole year abroad if they traveled to a foreign country.Another disadvantage of spending a year abroad is the possibility of losing contact with friends at home. Since the teenagers who decide to take a break from school and do not continue their studies are spending a year away from home and from their friends, they could easily neglect their friends by not calling or writing them often enough. When the students would return home, their friends might have moved on with their lives and could have found other friends since they would have already started their university life.A year abroad could also be dangerous if students chose to travel to a less developed country where crime is the order of the day. The teenagers could betake themselves in dangerous situations and could, if the worst comes to the worst, get hurt. Another negative aspect concerning spendin g a year in a foreign country before going to university is the fact that the students could forget a lot of academic subjects such as mathematics and natural sciences.This could be a disadvantage for the students who want to continue their studies in this direction. Furthermore students could come out of their learning rhythm and this would probably cause difficulties when they would go to university since they would have to do their best from the start and would have to compete with other students who did not take a break from school but continued studying.All in all, one can draw the conclusion that spending a year traveling after finishing school, may have its positive sides, since students can develop their personal skills and experience a lot of helpful things that can shape up as very useful for their future. Nevertheless the decision to spend a year abroad should be elaborated since it may not fit to everybody and it may turn out to be a wrong idea. Therefore I hold the opin ion that everyone who contemplates to make such an experience should really try to find out if it is the right thing for her/him to do.

The War between King Phillip and English Colonists Free Essay Example, 1000 words

During the conflict between colonists and King Philip, there occurred a mysterious murder the killing of John Sassamon. John Sassamon was a mediator between the colonists and the natives, and his murder led to the breakdown in the relationship between these two sides. Moreover, during 1675, the war raged by King Phillip further spread into northern and western provinces of North America, and this threatened many areas of New England. The warriors of King Phillip were brave and they attacked the Swansea territory of the West part of Plymouth colony. When the warriors of King Phillip witnessed victory in the abovementioned areas of Plymouth, they spread the battle to other towns of Plymouth. Due to this, many settlements in Connecticut River Valley were burned. King Philip s War in Plymouth between King Philip and colonists was considered as the worst war of the 17th century. Actually, the hostility between King Phillip and the colonists started because the Native American were forc ed to sell their land due to their high dependence on luxury goods produced by the colonists. At the outbreak of hostilities in 1675, there were about 50,000 English colonists living in the towns and villages of New England. We will write a custom essay sample on The War between King Phillip and English Colonists or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page King Phillip s War could be named a civil war between the two cultures which destroyed the cultural, ethical and social values of the two groups. Moreover, this war ended the interdependent relations between the two communities, which shared a unique culture in their own way. It is the sudden population explosion of the English colonists that led to the weakness of Native American tribes.