Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers.

Use specific reasons

and examples to support your answer.
1#
Parents play the most important role in the bringing up of their children. In my opinion, despite some very good characteristics
parents have, they cant be the best teachers of their children.
First of all, parents are able to have knowledge in some fields, but not all the fields. It is not true that parents know everything
in the world. Sometimes, they just have a passing acquaintance of some subjects. They shouldnt teach their children something
that they dont know thoroughly. For example, a very famous physicist cant teach his children chemistry though he is very good
at physics because his knowledge of chemistry isnt enough to teach his children. So thats why parents always search for good
teachers to teach their children what they need to learn properly.
Secondly, parents want to teach their children by their ways/EXAMOLE. They are right, and they are wrong sometimes. For
those who arent be educated how to be good teachers, it might be a very big problem. They can be good parents, but hardly
good teachers. For instance, its not simply to telling children what they should do and what they shouldnt. If the children dont
follow, their parents might get angry. In that case, they lose their temper, and they just want their children to obey them without
any decent explanation for their behavior. Parents should help their children be aware of right and wrong in order that they will
know why their parents want them to follow their advice.
Thirdly, parents can easily be wrong in educating their children in that they have a lot of emotion. In their eyes, their children
are obviously the best ones. They praise their children and encourage them to keep doing things though in other people's eyes,
the children should stop behaving like that. Consequently, parents should be strict and thoughtful in some situations. As children
dont recognize what is right and wrong, they do anything they like. Parents should always watch on their children and guide
them to do the right thing instead of letting them do whatever they want.
In brief, parents arent always good teachers though they might be good parents. To be good teachers, it is the way they
educate their children, which they should be concerned with rather than the way they love their children.
2#:
I definitely agree that parents are the perfect teachers. They have superiority over the others due to a few explicit reasons: the
connection between parents and children is exceptionally firm; parents teach children filled with desire and benevolence;
children spend more time with their own parents than other people. Occasionally, the generation gap impedes the conception of
the communication problem or some parents don't care about the bringing up of their own children.
Recently, there was a survey in our school. The matter was whether our parents spend a part of their spare time to develop our
general knowledge. The results were positive - most of us are satisfied with their concern. Similar surveys were held in other
schools and the returns were according to the expectations. One week ago I had a conversation with a friend of mine. Now he is
learning in a math School. He told me that he had taken the exam with excellence due to his father, who had been interested in
math when a boy. His father explained to him plainly and understandably all mathematical problems. My friend was also obliged
to solve definite numbers of problems every day to gain an insight into math gradually. After the exam's results he was very
grateful to his father for helping him constantly.
Unfortunately, some children haven't got responsible parents. The latter leave their children bring up alone because they are
too busy with work or have no will to communicate each other. A social poll was held in my city few days ago. The query was
"Why the connection between parents and children is fading away today?" and most of the parents answered that they hadn't got
time to pay attention to them despite their will to. Therefore, they must hire a domestic or a tutor to bring up or educate them.
These latter people won't live forever with the children in comparison with parents in spite of that they can be experienced
teachers. Yesterday my best friend told me that he couldn't comprehend why his parents compel him to tide up his room every
day or why whenever he goes out he should be in formal clothes without caring a rucksack. I told him that it is normal there to
be a distinction between the generations, but parents are one of our closest friends and what they do they do for us.
In spite of these few shortcomings parents always direct their children to the true way and they build the foundation of
children's future life by teaching them. I believe that they have the ability to teach them in the most adequate way.

Prison is not a cure for crime. To reduce crime in the long-term, courts should significantly reduce prison
sentences and focus on education and community work to help criminals not to re-offend.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the opinion?

Note: The general subject of the question is the best way to reduce crime. It has been given that long prison sentences should
be maintained or to reduce it and emphasis on education and community work. Comment on both views. This is a short example.
You should write at least 350 words. 4 body paragraphs.

There are many different opinions on the best way to reduce crime. The traditional solution is to be hard on
criminals and put them in prison for a very long time. An opposing point of view is expressed by people with more modern
ideas. They think that education and community work are the long -term solutions to cutting crime. So, who is right - the
traditionalist or the modernist?
People in favour of reducing prison sentences often argue that prisons should not simply be places of
punishment. In traditional prisons, people learn a lot about crime, so when they leave prison, they will commit more crimes.
Education, however, gives people the skills to get a job when they leave prison, which means that they will probably not reoffend. Part-time work experience in the community is also very helpful as it is a step back into everyday life in society. People
can be in prison, but they can also feel they are doing useful work.
On the other hand, some people argue that long prison sentences are right because the punishment should fit
the crime. If, for example, someone commits a serious crime such as bank robbery, they should go to prison for a long time.
They also believe that reducing prison sentences significantly reduces people's fear of prison and consequently, people will
commit more crimes. People will not be frightened of going to a prison which is like a university with learning and work
experience opportunity.
In conclusion, it is agreeable that education and community work can have an important role in helping
reduce crime, but there should also be strict controls on the type of community work prisoners can do. It is important to
understand that some people are a real danger to society and need to stay in prison for a very long time.

The Absence Of Sporting Spirit And Its Consequences

The world from the dawn of civilization has been enjoying sports. One of the pastimes of the rulers was to
arrange for periodical sports. It may be hunting, chariot race , horse riding, wrestling and boxing. Organized sports
were popular in Greece, especially Olympia from which modem Olympic games have derived their names. Sports
were for fun and frolics . In the middle ages sports were very popular in European countries. Sports are supposed to
develop many good qualities. There may be healthy competition and rivalry and never enmity or bitterness. It is and
should be for the sports' sake and not for winning the laurels . This is the real sporting spirit. There are rules and
regulations in play and games. The sporting spirit implies the following of rules whether one wins or loses. The
outcome or the result is not the important thing but how the game is played.
A real sportsman takes things easy. Take for instance, an angler sitting by the river side from morning till
evening, casting his line into the water. He may not always be lucky to have a catch. Still he whistles back home
happy in the evening when the night sets in. It is not the catch that is the point but the angler's attitude. He cannot
grow angry and break the fishing rod. Then he has lost the fun. So too in any game the winner or the loser, much
more so the latter must be able to take things easy. A real sportsman does not lose his head when he wins nor is he
bowled over when he loses.
The crux of the problem is whether a sportsman plays the game; in other words if he strictly follows the rules of
the game and never adopts foul means to get a win. But unfortunately this point is missing. In certain modem sports,
games like horse racing, they dope the horses. The Olympic games where one expects the ideas to prevail seems to
be no exception. There are instances of doping and impersonation and hence vigorous tests are given and the
competitors are checked seriously.
When the sporting spirit is absent or missing, naturally very unpleasant consequences can ensue. Very ugly
scenes are more often the rule in football matches. Referees are manhandled and the crowd become partisan
Cricket was a king of games where such behavior was unheard of. But of late, even in cricket unpleasant things do
happen; when a player is signaled out by the umpire , he loses his temper and grimaces at the umpire and so on and
makes a show of his unpleasantness. Bowlers are being very often warned. All these result from lack of sporting
spirit.
A good sportsman knows his game rather than the rules of the game and follows them willingly. In whatever
position he is placed he plays his part. He cooperates with all the members of the team and works always for the
good of the team of which he forms a part. He develops espirit de corps morale) and in and outside the field he
shows this sporting spirit. He never plays foul though there are few who turn mercenary and wreck the fortune of
their team for the sake of money or other considerations
This sportsman's spirit may be developed in ordinary life. In whatever walk of life one finds himself he must be
able to do his duty. Material gains apart, he must be able to deliver the goods. He must be reliable and a good
companion() to his comrades. He is faithful and obedient to his superiors . He goes about his duty without
gossiping and scandal mongering . Then people call him a good sportsman. Such people are scarce but they are
assets wherever they are found.
If people do know the value of the sporting spirit why then the rarity or the absence of it ? Simply it is because of
selfishness. For personal glory or ownership or name, one grows selfish. The selfishness gets started in early
childhood. Jealousy and rivalry and sometimes even lack of security lead to selfishness. Very often children do not
want to part with their play things or share them with, others. When this selfishness grows into life, there will be
absence of sporting spirit. Such people keep themselves in isolation and they never mix freely with others.
Temperamentally they are non-companionable and they are never happy nor add to the happiness of others. So we
see that this sporting spirit must be developed even when they are children. Here comes the Cubs, Girl Guides and
Boy Scouts movement which develop in their incumbents all the good qualities of a sportsman.

Are undergraduates ready for the real world?

You take the blue pill -- the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill
-- you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes." Morpheus
Although fictional, the Matrix world as in the blockbuster movie The Matrix by the Wachowski Brothers is very relevant in the
context of our society today. Undergraduates, especially the ones from local universities are akin to those stuck in the Matrix.
Fed with the belief that they will make it in life, armed only with a scroll, they succumb to complacency. Their minds start to rot,
intellectual growth is suppressed, and the end result; they hit rock bottom in the real world. Groping in the dark, they try to find
a way out, but to no avail. Thereafter, enlightenment ensues, a harsh realization, that the scroll in their hands is merely that, a
scroll.
Since pre-school, our parents and teachers have constantly imparted upon us, that success in life can only be achieved through
education. This is true to a certain extent, but apparently, as we grew older, something got lost in translation along the way.
Education is no longer interpreted in the normal sense of the word, but solely equated with academic achievement. Our
undergraduates are products of a system that hails the number of As and a CGPA of 4.0 as the only testament of success,
indicating a bright future ahead. Rote learning seems to be the order of the day, while the holistic approach is now almost
obsolete.
Such values to life in university defeats the whole purpose of a tertiary education. Undergraduates strive to get CGPAs of 4.0,
and are further exhorted to do so, especially when an ex-Minister proclaimed that it is their duty to get 4.0 in university. As
preposterous as this may sound, it is very real. A right-minded person would shun such statements, but for some, its almost like
a matter of filial piety. Time spent mugging and memorizing might get you good results, but it does not prepare you for the real
world, where problem solving skills and the ability to think outside the box is valued instead of the text book stuff.
Students spend so much time studying, they forget about everything else, except where to find that particular book in the library.
Ask them if they know anything at all on current issues, and they respond with a blank look, expecting you to fill them in. The
other problem with our undergraduates is that, they seem to idolize pop culture a tad too much. Try organizing a public lecture
by Warren Buffet and a concert by some Akademi Fantasia singers on the same day. It is not that hard to predict which event will
have a bigger crowd, unfortunately.
Then, there is the other group of students, i.e. those who believe that life in university is a bed of roses. There is, of course,
nothing wrong with that. Problem is, some tend to stretch it a little too much, so much so that they dont even know what they
are doing. They believe that just as in the university, everything will be taken care of when they are out there in the real world,
i.e. that their precious scrolls will take them places. No effort whatsoever is made to improve themselves and participating in
ridiculous activities is deemed to be the ultimate indicator of what is to expect in the real world. For instance, a senior while
ordering around a junior to do this or that project will justify it by saying This is to prepare you for working life, especially
when facing employers. And the poor subordinate believing it, bids the seniors wishes. We should never send across such
wrong messages. Kow tow is not fun, and will never be. Period. Furthermore, why should we continue the negative and
perpetuate such myth? Whatever happened to entrepreneurship?
Another issue which bugs a portion of undergraduates today is the inability to converse and write in English. Needless to say, in
the era of globalization, the importance of English cannot be over emphasized. One might have plenty of mind boggling ideas,
but without the ability to articulate them, such ideas cannot be conveyed to others. While such facts are known to every student,
they prefer to converse in their mother tongues. Getting out of the comfort zone is often the toughest nut to crack.
On the other hand, the introduction of a compulsory soft skills course serves only to magnify the deficiencies of our education
system. Students have forgotten how to interact, how to communicate, and how to ace that interview, to the extent that such
drastic measure has to be taken. While this solves the problem on the surface, it effectively sweeps the bigger chunk of it under
the carpet. Undergraduates cannot be expected to learn the art of eloquence and to gain self confidence overnight. It takes more
than a course to create the wholesome undergraduate.
More importantly, undergraduates must be provided with room and space for holistic growth. Intellectual discussions, debates
and forums on any topic at all should be encouraged and the underlying fear that students will rebel, retaliate or even form
extremist groups, I would like to state, is unfounded. As adults, they should be respected as such, which means also to be
given inter alia, the right to freedom of expression. What is right or wrong is not the point. The focal point is, undergraduates
must be allowed to think, to express themselves, and to dissent if they want to. Keep pushing them around, and what do you get?
A bunch of pushovers in society.
The bottom line is this. Whether or not an undergraduate will ever be ready to face the real world is essentially a matter of
choice. Choose to maintain your status quo, you continue in your temporary bubble in Neverland, waiting for the real world to
come crashing through. Choose to free your mind from the fetters of tradition for traditions sake, and to move out of your
comfort zone, you embark on a journey with nothing guaranteed, except unfamiliarity. The latter sounds like a better deal, at
least to me.

A university education is better than a college educaton. Give your opinion.

After the SPM examination, many students have to decide their future on which education to pursue. Some of my
friends chose to enrol in college. I decided to study in matriculation college as a Pre-U qualification to enter
university. My reason is university education is better than college education.
This is because university has a better education system, more dedicated lecturers and better facilities.
First, university education provides a better education system than college does. A SPM certificate is enough for you
to enrol in a college but to enter a university you need a Pre-U qualification such as STPM or A-level. This simply
shows that it is harder to study in university as you need some qualifications in which the college does not demand.
Besides, the grading system in university is stricter than that of college. So, students have to work harder to get a
good result. On the other hand, most college change their grading system, according to the overall result of their
students. Moreover, the syllabus in university is well designed. Besides giving knowledge, it helps to develop the
social skills of students. For example, Students have to do survey on public about topics related to their study. This
ensures that the graduates can have critical thinking skill and communication skill.
Universities usually hire more experienced lecturers with better knowledge. According to a research, these lectures
possess a Master or PhD degree and some even graduated overseas. Thus, they have higher level of knowledge
which benefits the students. Besides, most of them have years of teaching experience and so they know how to guide
their students, developing their skills and exploring their potential. For instance, a Physics lecturer does not only talk
on theories. Instead, he teaches the students to analyse a problem logically. They are also more caring and
responsible to their students. These qualities are hard to seen in college lecturers, who are mostly bachelor degree
holder and work just for money. (very serious generalisation here!)
Last but not least, university usually has better facilities, for example, the state-of-art computers. Unlike those
college such as Inti College which are run by private companies, university has a better management. Thus every
single thing in the university, including the infrastructure is planned and developed well. This is beneficial to
students. For instance, university with advanced laboratories is beneficial to students as they can learn science better
by being explored to the real situation while conducting experiments. Besides, university with better sports facilities
can help the students to relax their mind. In other words, better facilities means a more conducive environment for
university students.
In a nutshell, university education is better than college education for its better education system, lecturers and
facilities. Despite the growing number of college in our country, I advice fellow friends to choose university
education so that when you graduate, you are competitive enough to survive in this ever developing world.

MONEY
It is truly undeniable that in this science and technology millennium, we can hardly live
without money. Even buying something small such as sweet will cost you some money.
However, this does not mean that money can buy happiness, unlike the misconception of
most people in the world. In fact, wealth is a far cry from happiness. If you disagree with me,
let's look at the reasons for my stand.
Firstly, one of the main gates to happiness is to stay healthy. Maybe some people think that
when one is rich, he can be healthy or it does not matter even if they have diseases because
these rich men have lots of money to pay their medication. This is totally wrong. Good health
is acquired from a healthy lifestyle progressively and not in a day. With lots of money we are
tend to temp ourselves to exotic, luxurious food. If this food is taken excessively, it will lead
to obesity, heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension and other serious illness. Moreover, rich
people are probably lack of exercise as they hardly walk outdoor due to 24 hours-service
debar fetching them about causing them to be at a higher risk of getting these unnecessarily
health problems. How a person can enjoys his life and feels happy when he is confined to a
wheelchair or bed-ridden. He would not even be glad spending his money and time curing his
sickness. Therefore, wealth cannot bring happiness.
Professionals like doctor, nurse, lawyer, engineer, food technologist and accountant earn a
lot of money per month. They are considered the high class citizens who can afford large,
expensive house with huge beautiful gardens. But do they really enjoy the pleasures of life?
Most probably not because they are simply too busy with their work. They frequently burnt
the midnight oil in their work place. It is even more miserable if they have to turn their home
into a working place. Most specialists have to stand-by 24 hours in case of emergency calls
from the hospitals. Hence, they can hardly spend any relax, restful night at their home even
if they posse a huge two and a half storey bungalow with a beautiful garden and artificial
waterfall. Successful businessmen may always have a chance of flying to all parts of the
world when they go out station to make business. However, very few of them can really take
it as a holiday as a treat for themselves for their schedules are always full and they are so
stressful with their works. Even fewer businessmen can ignore urgent, pursuing calls from
their clients or office when they are going for holidays or resting. In other words, one can
make lots of money but he may not enjoy even the beauty of nature around them or the
branded, expensive things with them. So what is the use of money when we do not even
enjoy a meal properly and discontented with lives. One with a moderate income can feels
happier if he leads a simple life and be grateful with what he has.
Finally, a children or a teenage brought in moderate family is better than in a rich family. As
the sons or daughters of billionaires, their parents will give them whatever that they want in
material. These children or teenagers get a lot of pocket money from their parents and can
afford to buy many expensive things like branded, latest handset, expensive clothes and
branded sport shoes. But the question is, are they happy if their parents are always working
with only an Indonesian maid to accompany them. If they are asked to choose between
wealth and love from their parents, I believe that they were undoubtedly choose love. A
healthy family is not created for the children. These children mentally are not as healthy as
those being cared and loved by their parents. Children need parents who can listen to their
problems and give them words of wisdom, teaching then day by day. Parents who are not
rich may not be able to buy branded things to satisfy their children but with more
communication and understanding, these teenagers will understand the difficulty of their
parents in earning money, learning to be thrifty. In short, money does not promise a happy,
caring family.
Money may be able to buy a lot of things but not love, friendship, health and others. These
are the main ingredients for a happy life. Thus, it is a controversy if money can bring
happiness. Even, if we can afford many things we desired with lots of money, we may not be
happy and enjoy our lives if we are always dissatisfied with what we had, yearning for more.
Thus, I stand firm that money cannot bring happiness.

Does School Prepare Us for Life?

The school days are crammed with facts and figures, encompassing various subjects ranging from
English to Mathematics. All of these require students to learn, memorise, understand and to be tested.
Besides grades and examinations, the school also encompasses a wider curriculum including
character moulding, citizenship building and personality development. Indeed, I think the school does
prepare us for life.
Firstly, the school teaches us self-discipline. We learn to keep to a schedule and to adhere to the
timetable. We also learn to appreciate time and to be punctual. Moreover, we are trained to plan and
manage time wisely. We also abide by and respect rules and regulations. The disciplined students will
grow up to be disciplined adults and they will do well in their future undertakings.
The school also helps to fortify our determination and perseverance. We learn to fulfil the demands of
the school. We also learn to meet deadlines and hand in the homework on time. Moreover, we learn to
face stress and pressure. In school, students learn to overcome challenges. Students with strength of
character will be well-prepared to face the challenges of work and life in the future.
Co-curricular activities are part and parcel of a students life. They help to mould students character
and personality so that students learn to be confident. They help to hone the leadership qualities in
the students themselves. Students learn to work together and co-operate with others. They also learn
to appreciate good values like esprit de corps. Students learn to contribute positively and to put their
best foot forward besides to take success and failure in their stride. We as the students learn to
honour values of sportsmanship and fair play. Through co-curricular activities, students also learn
loyalty, commitment and responsibility. When they grow up, they will work well as a team with others
and committed in serious work.
The school is a micro-society. The everyday social interaction is an excellent preparation for life in the
society outside. In school, students have the opportunities to interact with other students from varied
background, creed and race. Indirectly, they learn tolerance, acceptance and understanding. The
students also have the opportunity to work and to mingle together. This can help to foster an open
mind and promote unity.
Just mention the word school and images of grades and examinations come to our mind. Indeed
students spend a lot of time and energy preparing and sitting for examinations. Along with that they
gather a string of qualifications as well as knowledge and skills. They are crucial since they are the
stepping stones and the foundation for the future. They can help students to secure a good job and
successful career.
In short, school does prepare us for life. It helps to nurture and to build strong character in ourselves.
School also prepares students with the necessary tool so that students can fit into society and
contribute positively to the nation and people in future.
People commit crimes for selfish reasons. Do you agree? Discuss.

People commit crime for selfish reasons. Discuss

It is normal for people to describe the world now as a dog eat dog world where we sometimes need to
literally hurt or harm another just for our own survival or good. Hence, it is not surprising for us to see
an increase in crime and lawlessness in our society as we see people harden themselves to commit
bad deeds against their fellow humans. Thus it is not wrong to say that most people commit crimes
for selfish reasons as most crimes are caused by selfish desires like greed, lust, anger or jealousy.
Many people commit crime for their desire for money. Everyday, we read reports of increase in the
number of cases of snatch theft, armed robbery and burglary, embezzlement of funds, and cheating.
These criminals selfishly think of their own needs and wants, and in order to get easy money without
working hard to earn their own money, they selfishly force or coerce and trick others to part with their
hard-earned money and possession. They dont care if other people or families are affected or do not
have enough, they just focus on themselves, what they want to do with the money they have taken by
force. Sometimes, because of their love of money, they might just kill their uncooperative victims.
In addition, many people commit heinous crimes out of lust. They just want to satisfy their sexual
desires and as a result they might force another unwilling party to engage in sexual acts. It hurts our
heart when we read of rape cases that happen, especially when they involve young children or even
mentally handicapped victims. These victims whole lives are destroyed, and they are traumatized for
a long time, but these rapists have no regard for all that. They were too selfish to think about other
people except themselves.
Lastly people also commit many other crimes for selfish reasons like anger or jealousy. We read
reports of how people commit murder during fights or commit road rage or kill someone just to silent
those who know their secret or have something that they covet for. Some even kill their lovers who
have a change of heart. These murderers are very selfish because they deny someone else the chance
to live just for their own interest, survival or anger. They dont think of the hurt and harm they cause
to those who might lose their loved ones because of their actions.
Thus, the main driving force behind crimes is indeed selfishness. Although we are imperfect and would
definitely seek our own interest, we must not deaden our conscience. If we are so self centered until
we are willing to sacrifice others for our own good, we will reap the consequences one day.

Friends
Friends are people whom we turn to when our spirits need a lift. They are always by our side through thick and thin. They stand
beside us even when our disposition is not perfectly right and will fight for us if we are oppressed. Therefore, it is clear that
friends play a vital role in shaping who we are today. But what qualities exactly do we need to look for in a friend?
A friend should always be caring towards you. He or she should take interest in your problems no matter how big or petty your
problem may be. A friend should be able to sit beside you and encourage you to keep your chin up even when everyone else is
against you. A friends empathy and lovingness will also replenish your worn-out soul and will make you realize how important
a friend really is.
Apart from that, a friend should be an honest person. An honest friend will dissipate any worries that he or she is lying towards
you. A friends honesty will enable you to trust his or shes opinion when it comes to telling you the truth about yourself. For
example, an honest friend will remand you on your declining grades and will ask you to work harder while a dishonest friend
will see it with a blind eye. Therefore, an overall improvement in yourself will be noticeable if you have an honest friend.
Moreover, a friend should be generous both emotionally and knowledge wise. A friend who is generous ought to be able to
connect with you and provide emotional support. He or she should also be generous when it comes to sharing knowledge. A true
friend must be ever-ready to help you when you are inept in certain subjects. A friend can easily guide you towards
understanding the subject matter better as he or she is often on the same page as you. The only difference is that you cant quite
grasp the content of the page per se.
Besides that, a friend must also be able to humour you. Humour plays a quintessential role in making your day more lively and
enjoyable. Friends who pull your leg and mess about will indefinitely make life seem so much better. As they say, laughter is the
best medicine and a little levity on rainy days is always welcomed.
In conclusion, friends are people we spend most of our time with. Thus, we have to be selective when it comes to choosing our
friends.

The simple steps to happiness

There was someone who was seated on a particular side and edge. He pondered over his problems. His poor face brought out
emptiness and did not show any tranquility. Where had his happiness gone?
Happiness. It is a very simple word but has a profound meaning. Every day, people try to achieve happiness through their own
ways. They are willing to work hard to achieve it. What they do not realise is that there are many alternative and simpler ways to
get happiness. Let me share with you a handful of simple steps to happiness.
The simplest step to happiness is being loved. It does not mean you need to seek a boyfriend or a girlfriend. It is more than
enough to feel happy just with the love from your family members, as they are the ones who want the best for you. They are by
your side during both your happy and sad times. As the saying goes, 'shared joy is a double joy; and shared sorrow is half a
sorrow'. Thus, I believe that having love from our family members is equivalent to having happiness.
Other than that, socialising with one another is also one of the ways to achieve happiness. Except for recluses, most people are
reluctant to live far away from their communities. I believe that to live happily in a community, people should make friends.
According to an Oxford dictionary, friends are people who have the same interests and opinions as ourselves, and will help and
support us. That is indeed true. Friends are important as they are the complement to our lives. We can have fun and socialise with
our friends. We get to learn to respect and tolerate one another as well. You will feel like the luckiest person alive if you have
intimate friends who really understand you.
Health is one of the determining factors in achieving one's happiness. Do you think the diabetics feel happy when the doctor
gives them insulin injections? Do you think the kidney patients are delighted when they know that they need regular renal
dialysis to stay alive? It is extremely difficult for someone suffering from sicknesses to be happy. Hence, last but not least, one of
the simple steps to happiness is by having good health. With good health, we can savour our lives and have the freedom to carry
out any activities ranging from diving to hiking. We do not have to worry about contracting gout or having a heart attack. It is
obvious that we can live life to the fullest when we possess good health.
In conclusion, there are many ways to reach happiness. The question is, why do we usually choose the harder steps instead of the
simpler ones? Some people are willing to work hard to achieve happiness by acquiring wealth. Well, in my opinion, we may be
able to buy luxurious items and lead a life of luxury with wealth but we can never buy happiness with it. I pray for a growing
realisation of this fact. Real happiness is when we are being loved, have great buddies and need not make appointments with
specialists.

HAPPINESS
Everyday in one way or another we are trying to find happiness in a complete chaos,
that is what all we are struggling for. Actually, temporary happiness is everywhere if we want
to find it and search for it. Sometimes it is just as close as a cute kitten to us, sometimes
giving a hand to someone who is in need of us is enough. Even taking a breath may give
somebody the absolute happiness at times. But what if we leave temporary happiness alone
and decide to construct our lives on basic principles of permanent happiness? Certainly
these principles depend on ones characteristics and point of view. In my opinion, social
relations, acceptance and independence are the most important elements of permanent
happiness in life.
To begin with, social relations are very important for me to be happy in the general drift
of my life. I should have good relations with the people around me for peace of my mind. If I
have close and intimate friends with whom I can share my troubles, worries and also my joy,
then it means that I have beaten the life up to a very considerable point. In my opinion,
someone who has real friends has the most valuable treasure of life. In order to obtain this
treasure, I make my friends among the people whose principles resemble mine, whose
characteristics best suit me and who are sincere. Besides friends I try to have good relations
with the people I encounter somehow everyday, like neighbors, acquaintances, teachers,
relatives and the others.
The second element of continuous happiness for me is acceptance: to clarify,
acceptance of my characteristics, behaviors, choices and desires. At one point, it can be
defined as the acceptance of my existence as a real individual. As long as I am accepted and
taken as I am, I can make right decisions for myself. To accomplish this, I explain that I do not
want unnecessary criticisms from the people around me. Unless the things I do or think
affect anybody, the others should not poke their nose into them. It is none of their business
to interfere with me about the subjects that only interest me.
In the third place, learning to be independent is very important for me to reach real
happiness in life. I should be self-sufficient enough to continue my life without too much
assistance of the others. Sometimes we are left without our families, sometimes none of our
friends stand by us or at times we may get into a position where we have to do things just by
ourselves. We live our lives not as a team but as an individual, so we must learn to cope with
it as individually as possible. To be an independent person, I try to be self-confident and to be
a self-confident person I try to obtain different qualities in different fields. Furthermore, I
believe my power, love myself with all my faults and endeavor not to repeat them but to
learn from them.
To sum up, if I acquire success in social relations, independence and acceptance, then it
means that I have the golden key to make happiness an enduring element of my life.
Obtaining all these elements may not be very easy, they may be achieved only in the long
run but there is something we should always bear in mind, achieving the real and permanent
happiness in life is not that easy, either.

Causes and Effects of Uncontrolled Urbanization

If you are an urban dweller, you may know the real meaning of urbanization.
However, this does not always indicate your sufficient insight in the uncontrolled
urbanization topic too. To form a causal chain, it is right to say that more jobs, more
services in the urban side and absence of land in the countryside force people to migrate to
larger cities which brings about uncontrolled urbanization. As a result, some problems arise
such as unemployment, inadequacy of infrastructure/services and some environmentally
unwanted events as well as unpleasant demographic incidents.
To begin with, it is a good point to dig up the reasons for people to come to larger
cities. First of all, by all accounts, cities are perceived to offer a wide variety of job
opportunities on the grounds that there are very different branches of businesses in cities.
Inasmuch as unemployment level is hugely high in the rural areas and the work is only about
farming in contrast to countless business sectors in chief cities, more and more people
choose searching for their chances in the metropolis.
Secondly, comes another significant reason: There are better services in cities. As a
matter of fact, transportation is extremely developed so as to make use of time efficiently.
Medical services are supported with the latest technological improvements, there are
unbelievably modern hospitals. Besides, education is taken into account seriously. There are
very high-quality schools with excellent teachers, teaching with up-to-date techniques. None
of these can be found in the rural areas, at this stage.
Apart from these pull factors causing migration to big cities, there is a strong push
factor stemming from absence of enough land. It would be very hard and useless to cultivate
the land if it is too small to make an agricultural production. One important thing triggers this
incident increasingly during the last years; namely, division of land. To explain, in the rural
areas when someone dies, the inheritance would usually be the land. Yet, the land is divided
into many parts due to the fact that in the countryside it is common to have lots of children
and they all have rights to take one part of the inherited land. Therefore, what they get are
useless small lands rather than a gigantic land which is capable of making a great deal of
agricultural production itself. The inability to do the only thing, farming, again brings about
migration to big cities with the hopes of making money.
As mentioned earlier, all these facts and figures necessitate uncontrolled urbanization,
in the midst of the causal chain. So, what are the side effects and drawbacks of this growth?
The first main problem is unemployment rate in the cities, no doubt. Imagine that a
city with a population of 5 million people and everything is fine, everyone has work. Then,

other citizens of the same country especially from the rural areas see the opportunity to
have a better life and migrate to this city. Another 1 million people may be OK, 2 million
might be accepted due to newly created sectors; nevertheless, if another 5 million people
come to this city, what will be the result? Excess unskilled labourers will certainly occupy
everywhere.
There will be a dramatic rise in the unemployment level owing to the limited capacity
of
workers. Looking from a different angle, since young adults come to cities before their
families, unemployment will reach a maximum point that is defined by the term unable
to cope with.
The next shortcoming is, of course, inadequacy of infrastructure and services. This
uncontrollably growing kind of urbanization results in so much pressure on the infrastructure
that no means of infrastructure can respond to any needs of urban life effectively. For
instance, when there is a sudden rain, there would be floods all over the city, but in fact,
there should not be by the help of regular working sewers and drainage. Garbage removal is
another bad aspect as well as destroyed roads and the inconsistencies of the power supplies.
Electricity and natural gases have innumerable problems as a consequence of this denial of
service. Services sectors are also in deep trouble. There do not seem to be any noticeable
investments in transportation; hence, it cannot meet the needs of city residents. For the
expensiveness of highly equipped private hospitals, urban crowds choose the state hospitals
mostly and this leads to very long queues indeed. As a result, people cannot get a good
examination in medical centers. Education is also badly hurt; because, children are made to
receive education in incredibly crowded classrooms such as 60-80 students in one
classroom.As you see, the teacher cannot show the same interest to every child and that
drops the
learning level sharply in this so-called educational system.
Within this type of urbanization, some unwanted events occur, specifically
environmental e.g. pollution and deforestation. Factories and motor vehicles pump large
quantities of carbon dioxide and other waste gases into the air. More vehicles mean more
pollution. For example,the poisonous gases coming from the vehicles result in acid rain that
damages trees, buildings and can kill fish in lakes and rivers. Rivers can also be polluted by
industrial waste from factories. Deforestation, on the other hand, is very widespread in
recent years; large areas have been destroyed, as the trees are cut down for wood or burned
to clear the land for building universities, shopping centers, skyscrapers and so forth. It is not
wrong to say that this unplanned urban growth influences accommodation in the form of
illegal buildings by ruining the nature and natural beauties.
The last impact is about unpleasant demographic results. At this point i.e. the last ring
of the overall causal chain, there is a mini chain relevant to demography. When the
uncontrolled urbanization occurs, the most noticeable effect is overpopulation in chief cities.
In the meantime, this flow causes depopulation in the rural areas. Subsequently, this
contributes to a decrease in agricultural production. Besides, there are a lot of crises in the
urban side, there is an economic one in the countryside too. It is appropriate to give this
incident as an example for lose-lose principle if two sides are considered opposites.
In conclusion, uncontrolled urbanization is a very deep subject existing in the middle
of a causal chain with causes; for example, more job opportunities and better services in
urban life in contrast to absence of land in the rural areas and effects; such as
unemployment, insufficiency of infrastructure, unwanted environmental events and
unpleasant demographic theories. In the right hands, urbanization can determine or at least
influence the destiny of a city and may be a turning point for its existence and optimistic
future, whereas in unstable and unplanned conditions, urbanization creates nothing but a
real mess. Therefore, migrants to an uncontrolled urban side may meet the worst
disappointments in their lives instead of hopes of making easy money; because, it is not
perpetually true that Roads are paved with gold., especially in todays world

Friends Have Greater Influence Than Family On Young Adults

In my view, young adults are influenced the most by their friends. Although families
have significant influence on their adolescent members, the effects that friends have on
teenagers are much stronger. This will be proven by analyzing the facts that adolescents
tend to spend a lot of time with their friends, be affected by peer pressure, and avoid their
parents.
First of all, young adults prefer spending their time with their friends and hanging out with
them. Take myself for instance. I am a teenager, and I usually have the feeling that staying
at home with my parents is somehow boring. In fact, I like to go to school where I can meet a
lot of my friends, and chat and play with them. Also, I love going to parties in which there are
a lot of teenagers so that I can make new friends. Hanging out with friends is one of the most
interesting things I can do while being a teenager. I believe that other young adults have the
same interest. That is the reason why they hold a lot of parties, trips and even volunteering
activities. Young adults want to be more sociable and outgoing. Because young adults spend
a lot of time with their friends, they are strongly influenced by them.
Secondly, young adults are significantly affected by peer pressure. When a teenager
joins a group, under peer pressure, he or she has to change in order to conform to the trends
in that group. The most obvious place where peer pressure of teenagers can be seen is in
school. In school there is a large group with subgroups inside. A member of a group must
adjust his attitude and action to fit in the group, which can be a positive or negative
adjustment. If a student is put in a group with other ambitious and hopeful members, he or
she will try not to be excluded. The reason why an adolescent is affected significantly by
peer pressure is that he or she does not have enough maturity to choose what is best for

them. Instead, he or she feels it is right to do the same thing as other members do. For that
reason, young adults are affected greatly by their friends.
Thirdly, young adults tend to avoid their parents. During one's childhood, it is obvious
that one is influenced the most by the family. However, the influence of family becomes
smaller as a person grows into a teenager. Apparently, there are a lot of things that an
adolescent cannot easily talk about to his or her parents, such as sexual problems. They
discuss such issues with their friends instead. Moreover, parents usually misunderstand their
children when they grow up, which may even lead to arguments. If this is a continuing
problem, teenagers will avoid their parents because they do not want to cause
disagreement. Therefore, an adolescent is less influenced by family than by friends.
To conclude, people have the tendency to be influenced by their friends more than by
their families when they grow into teenage age. The influence from friends can be positive or
negative, however, and is essential to the development of a person. When the person
matures, that kind of influence will decrease.

Do Friends Change a Teen's Attitude?

Social activity often increases during the teenage years, so parents might worry about
the possibility of friends changing a teens attitude, including important values related to
school, work and morals. In fact, peers do have the ability to affect a teens attitude. This can
have a positive, negative or neutral effect, according to clinical psychologist Neil Bernstein in
a NBC News article, Sex and Peer Pressure. Since parents cant directly supervise their
teen all day, explicitly talking about peer pressure and the influence of friends can help him
build resilience and the confidence to make the right decisions.
Teens are often with friends when making the decision to take risks, according to a
2011 Psychology Today article, How Peers Affect the Teenage Brain. Experts with the
Association for Psychological Science state that peers can influence risk-taking behaviors,
including dangerous driving, sexual experimentation or experimentation with substances. Its
possible that the wiring in a teenagers brain provides short-term rewards for risk-taking and
peer approval, downplaying the potential negative outcomes of a risky situation. Friends
could also change a teens attitude toward shoplifting, making the activity seem socially
acceptable or less risky compared to other crimes, according to child development experts at
the Kids Health website.

Teens might be positively influenced to have increased confidence levels, thanks to

friends, especially when it comes to social networking, according to Common Sense Media.
Many teens believe that interacting with friends online helps them develop social skills,
become less shy, feel popular and experience sympathy for others. They may be more openminded about meeting new people with similar interests or reconnecting with old friends.
Friends can positively influence teen attitudes toward new experiences, expanding
their worldview, according to the Scholastic website. For example, a teen might decide to
sign up for volunteer work if peers are helping out in the community. If your teens friends
value earning good grades, this might improve her attitude toward school. In this way,
friends might impact your teens decision to learn a new language, try a new sport or
experiment with art.
Friends often set and reinforce the parameters of cool versus uncool behavior,
according to Neil Bernstein. Although definitions might change depending on the school or
social circle, typical uncool behaviors include having an intense interest in schoolwork,
overly obeying parents or attempting to socialize with another student who is considered
socially undesirable. In general, socially acceptable behaviors might include wearing certain
clothing styles, being good at sports or using sarcasm with parents. Friends might influence
your teens attitude toward preferring or not preferring certain movies, athletic teams or
celebrities.

Educational Institutions Should Dissuade Students From Pursuing Fields Of Study

In Which They Are Unlikely To Succeed.
Students go to school to learn and prepare for their future careers. It is the Educational
institutions responsibility to teach, equip and prepare their students for their future by
providing them with the appropriate knowledge they will need. But is it the Institutions
responsibility or call to dissuade their students from pursuing the field of study which they
think they will unlikely succeed? The answer to this question is no. The Educational
institution is not in position to do it. Their main job and responsibility is to teach and prepare
their students for their future career or field of study. No one but the student himself knows if
he/she will succeed or can do it and it is only the student who has the right to decide for
himself.
No matter how hard or impossible it is to succeed in one field of study, it is only the
person who will take it knows or can tell if he/she will succeed or not since it is he who will do
it for himself not other people. A persons dedication, hard work and commitment can make
the impossible possible. Also a persons future should not be judged or be based on his/her
performance in class because we dont know exactly what causing the student to fail or why

the student is not doing good in class because there are a lot of factors to be considered like
lack of resources, not so good professors, environment etc Ones success or future success
should not be based only on school performance. A lot of my classmates in high school are
on the average side who made it big and succeed in their chosen fields compared to those
who are on the top of our class, which are expected to be successful in any filed of study
they will decide to pursue.
Educational institutions are there to guide, mold and teach their students to be
successful not to dissuade or prevent them in pursuing what they want to do or take in the
future. What ever the student wants to pursue, it is the Educational institutions
responsibility to help and support them achieve it.