Acoustics and Sound Insulation Methods

Acoustics and Sound Insulation Methods Acoustics and Sound Insulation ABSTRACT Acoustics is the study of sound. The knowledge of this field is necessary as it helps in creating peaceful surroundings. The technical knowhow of sound insulation has been helpful in constructing functional theatres, hospitals, Auditoriums, jam pads, etc. Sound is created when a surface vibrates. When this vibration is periodic or rhythmic then the sound produced is pleasing to the ears eg. Musical Notes. On the contrary when the vibration is non-periodic and irregular then it is termed as noise. eg. Infants crying. INTRODUCTION Sound travels in the form of longitudinal waves. Each wave moves backward and forward passing on the vibration to the next. For us to be able to hear sound clearly it is very important for the waves to travel uninterrupted. It is proven that sound travels the fastest in solids, then in liquids and the least in air. This is because in solid the molecules are so tightly packed that the transmission is the easiest. In liquids too the molecules are fairly close to each other where as in air it becomes a little tough for sound to travel. Sound cannot travel in vacuum as it needs a medium to travel. The speed of sound in air depends upon the moisture or dryness in air. The more the moisture the faster sound will travel. CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUND Intensity and Loudness of sound: Loudness is the response of humans to the impact of sound. Whereas intensity is the amount of sound waves passing through per unit area per unit time. Frequency and Pitch Sounds can be of different types and wavelengths. Pitch is  What helps us distinguish between sounds of same loudness but of different frequencies. This is the  characteristic which helps us recognise a man’s voice and  women’s Voice. Quality The quality of sound is what enables us to differentiate between two musical tones played on different instruments. A study has shown that the notes produced by instruments are at times pure notes. They have some fundamental tones of frequency fo and additional tones of frequency 2fo, 4fo, etc. called over tones. The fundamental is heard very clearly because it has greater impact human ear. TABLE 1.1, ACCEPTABLE NOISE LEVEL TYPE OF BUILDING NOISE LEVEL RANGE ( decibels, db) 1. Radio and T.V. studio 25-30 2. Music Room 30-35 3. Hospitals and auditoriums 35-40 4. Apartments, hotels and homes 35-40 5. Conference rooms and libraries 35-40 6. Class rooms 40-45 7. Banks and stores 45-50 8. Restaurants 50-55 2# REFLECTION OF SOUND Sound waves from a plain surface reflect in the same way as that of light. The angel of incidence is equal to the angel of reflection. Following are the characteristics of reflection of sound: When sound waves reflect from a flat surface the wave fronts form a spherical shape and the centre of curvature is the source of sound When sound waves reflect from a convex surface they get magnified and therefore become thinner and weaker. Convex surfaces can be used in interior spaces to reduce the impact of sound. Sound waves that reflect from a concave surface are very dense and compressed therefore the sound is amplified. Concave surfaces should be avoided in interior spaces as the result is undesirable. Reflection on flat surface Reflection on convex surface Reflection on concave surface   3# ABSORPTION When sound waves strike a surface some of the sound is absorbed by friction. The materials that absorb are known as absorbants. Absorption in auditoriums or theatre the takes place in three ways – In Air – This absorption happens due to friction between two molecules though this is very small By Audience Cloth is an absorbant. So in theatres and auditoriums the sound is absorbed by the clothes o f the audience. The  more the audience the more the absorption takes place. By furniture and furnishing – Materials such as curtains, carpets absorb sound. The following materials are commonly used for absorption of sound – Acoustic Plaster – This contains shredded insulation material with cement Perforated and Unperforated compressed cane or wood fibre board. Wood Particle board Compressed wood wool Mineral/ glass wool mats Mineral/ glass wool tiles Composite units of perforated hard board backed with perforated fibreboard Requirements of a good acoustic material- Should have high absorption power It should be able to absorb a wide range of frequencies Should be cheap and easily available Should look attractive after fixing it It should be fire resistant Should have adequate structural strength Should be non- hygroscopic. It should be insects and termites free 4# SOUND INSULATION Sound insulation/sound proofing is a method used to subdue the level of sound passing through the insulating building component. People generally confuse sound absorption and sound insulation to be the same. The two are very different from each other. Sound absorbents which are mostly pours materials absorb thus reduce the sound which is reflected from surfaces. On the contrary sound insulating construction reduces sound passing through it. Sound absorbers, are poor sound insulators. While hard material used for sound insulation areinferior sound absorbers. TABLE 4.1. SOUND INSULATION BETWEEN ROOMS SITUATION OVERALL INSULATION IN db 1. Between living room in one house and the living room in another 50 2. Elsewhere between houses or flat 40 3. Between two rooms in the same house. 30 4. Between two class rooms in a school 40 5. Between two rooms in an office 30 6. Between two wards in a hospital 45 Impact Insulation- is a rating of how well a building floor reduces the impact of sounds, such as footsteps. Sound Insulating Materials – Non porous rigid partitions- The sound insulation of non-porous rigid constructions such as plastered solid brick masonry walls varies. It depends upon the weight per unit area. There is a point when it requires major increase in thickness to provide small increase in sound insulation. Porous Rigid Materials Porous concrete masonry and cinder concrete are some examples of porous rigid materials. They provide 10 percent higher insulation as compared to non-porous rigid partitions due to their sound absorptive quality. To enhance the results of insulation it is recommended that porous partitions should be plastered on at least one side and if possible then on both sides. Flexible Porous Material These materials provide low insulation. Even lower than rigid materials. Flexible porous materials consists of mineral wool, quilt etc. To increase insulation rigid materials and porous absorbers can be combined together and then applied. This will produce better insulation per unit area. 4.1 WALL INSULATION Walls are a vertical barrier of sound. Proper construction of walls can increase the level of sound insulation. Construction of walls for sound insulation can be of four types Rigid Homogeneous Walls- Stone, brick or concrete masonry constructions come under this section. The sound insulation in these walls depends upon their weight per unit area. Sound insulation in these increases if the thickness of wall increases. Due to this these walls become uneconomical and bulky after a certain limit. Partition Walls of porous materials- These can be rigid or non-rigid. Rigid porous materials such as porous concrete masonry, cinder concrete etc. increase insulation about 10.%. While partition walls of non rigid porous materials provide very low sound insulation. However they can be used if combined with rigid materials. Double wall partition A double wall partition comprises of Plaster boards Or fibre boards or plaster on laths on both sides. With sound absorbing cushion in between. Rough wooden blocks are provided to support the cushion. Double wall partition is a wall of rigid as well as nonrigid porous materials. Cavity Wall Construction- This is said to be the most adequate wall construction from the sound proofing point of view. In this two walls are made with a gap of minimum 5cm between them. This gab can be left air filled as we know sound travels the slowest in air or can be filled with some flexible material, like quilt etc. On the surface of the wall celotex or other insulating board may be fixed. 4.2 FLOOR AND CEILING INSULATION Like walls are vertical sound barriers similarly floor and ceiling are horizontal sound barriers. The materials used for the construction of floors and ceiling i.e. R.C.C, stone etc. provide great insulation again air borne noise but do not function well for structure and impact borne noise. The target of sound proofed floors is to provide insulation against impact and structure borne noise. This can be achieved by the following ways- APPLING RESILIANT SURFACE MATERIALS ON FLOOR In this a thin concrete layer is provided as R.C.C floor slab. On top of this then a soft floor finish or covering is applied. This finish or covering can be of linoleum, insulation board, cork, carpet, etc. this helps in reducing impact noises. CONCRETE FLOOR FLOATING CONSTRUCTION This is similar to Cavity wall construction as discussed earlier. In this method we construct an isolated floor from the existing concrete floor. Then a resilient or porous material like glass wool is laid on the R.C.C flooring. On top of this a water proof sheet is put and then a 5cm thick layer of concrete is given. This kind of construction provides complete insulation against impact sounds. TIMBER FLOOR FLOATING CONSTRUCTION – In case of wooden flooring the problem of sound insulation is even more. This process is similar to concrete floor floating construction. The only difference is that mineral or glass wool quilts are used for isolation purpose. At times sand or ashes are also used for isolation. CONCLUSION Sound is mechanical wave which travels through a medium. Sound can be pleasing as well as disturbing. It’s necessary to emit disturbing sounds to have the perfect required atmosphere. To make an area sound proof its walls/partitions, floor and ceilings need to be treated and insulated. The methods of insulation as discussed above are some ways through which sound proofing can be done. Sound proofing or insulation is the method by which transmission of sound waves can be bard from passing from one area to another. References: Building Constructions by B.C Punamia.: Sound Insulation http://www.meritnation.com/ask-answer/question/how-many-characteristics-a-sound-wave-have. www.scribd.com/doc/102689279/acoustics-ppt

Innocence of Children in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Scarl

Innocence of Children in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne does an admirable job of expressing the true nature of his characters. Nowhere in his story is this more obvious than in his portrayal of the children. Children, in their innocence will say or do anything, for unlike adults, they are not constrained by societal expectations. They are oblivious to most manners and politics and therefore, are less reserved than the adults when it comes to questioning things or speaking their mind. Pearl, the leading child in the novel, is an excellent example of childish innocence combined with almost preternatural perception. Her willpower and imagination make her a blessing and a curse to her mother, who has paid such a dear price for her child. "After testing both smiles and frowns, and proving that neither mode of treatment possessed any calculable influence, Hester was ultimately compelled to stand aside, and permit that the child be swayed to her own impulses" (Hawthorne 82). Pearl could not be controlled by anyone, nor did she easily establish relationships with others. The other children in town would often tease her and gang up on her, berating Pearl and her mother. Pearl's anger, however, was released in fits of fury as she screamed and flung things at her opponents. These heathenish qualities and unintelligible screams made many of the townsfolk believe her to be a witch (Hawthorne 85-86). In one of the final chapters, Mistress Hibbins, a confirmed witch, proclaims Pearl to be the daughter of the Prince of the Air, another term for Satan (Hawthorne 222). Pearl is never, in the entire book afraid to speak her mind. Her mother, embarrassed by many of these outbursts, tries in vain to... ...t of humanity. Maturity and responsibility come with time, but so do the restraints that humans put on their actions, tongues, and hearts. Children, however, are very perceptive, and Hawthorne makes this very clear. Their eyes and ears are always open, yet no one notices a child. Pearl's wisdom and innocence are infuriating and lovable aspects of her personality, and in many ways, she voices what Hester only thinks. Adults in The Scarlet Letter, especially Mr. Dimmsdale, keep their thoughts, feelings, and emotions to themselves, sometimes with disastrous results. In truth, only children can be trusted to tell the complete and utter truth, for they do not understand the tact of white lies, the manners with which we must conduct ourselves, or the politics of society. Work Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. 1850. New York: The Modern Library, 2000.

Art Experiences Essay

I have been doing art for as long as I can remember. From the time I was in Kindergarden to my senior year in high school I’ve been doing arts and crafts. I’ve had art teachers, vacation bible school leaders, and my parents teaching me how to create things my whole life. I usually only recieve art instruction when I sign up for art courses. I’ve completed all sorts of art projects including paintings, clay, abstract, landscapes and all other types of activities. I had two very good art instructors in high school and they were very critical and rewarding and that probably is why I enjoy art as much as I do. I’ve had a very broad range of activities from drawing with charcoal and pencils to painting and sculptings. For the most part most of my art activities weren’t holiday centered they were more of your own imagination and idea’s. All of my art projects were graded on pretty specific grading rubrics. It measured how much you worked on it and made sure that you followed all of the necessary guidelines. I have had a great experience with art in my past and I’m excited to learn more about it. My strengths in art I would say would be that I really enjoy drawing and shading pictures of things and my weakness is that I don’t really know that much about the history of art and where it all came from. Art relates to society very much so. Advertising is used everywhere you go and you wouldn’t have that without art skills. I am very excited to learn more about the history of art and sharpen up my old art skills.

Cultural Competency of Nursing Essay

As nurses, we not only need to understand cultural competence, but we also have to be sure not to generalize groups of people. Each client is an individual, and it is important to form a therapeutic relationship so we can care for each specific client. Each client has his/her own needs; just because two people are of the same culture, it doesn’t mean that he/she believes in the same thing. In turn, nurses need to understand their own culture and beliefs before caring for a person of a different culture or beliefs. In our research, we chose four peer-reviewed, scholarly journal articles found though the Lambton College data base (CINAHL). We began with a search of cultural competency and then narrowed the search down through specific cultures which are within the Sarnia Lambton area. Understanding Cultures There are many different cultures throughout Canada; nurses need to be aware of the different practices and beliefs of various cultures. The dominant cultures we find in Sarnia-Lambton are Native American, East Indian and Chinese. Native American Traditional Native Americans place great value on family and spiritual beliefs. They believe that a state of health is an existence, and it is in existence when they are in complete balance with nature. They view illness as a disparity between the ill person and nature or the unearthly. â€Å"Death is a journey to another world, and the spirit never dies† (Plain, 2014). When mourning the dead it is the custom not to speak about them. â€Å"Communication is seen as stopping the dead from travelling to the next world† (Groot – Alberts, 2012, p. 160). East Indian The Muslim culture has a strong spiritual belief: Both life and death are under the control of God. When an ill Muslim patient sees a physician, he/she only want to know the diagnosis; he/she does not want to know any time frames, since life is an act of. In death, Muslim culture is based on reducing the patient’s pain and suffering. Nurses need to allow time for families to pray when working with Muslim patients as they have strong beliefs in religion and a nurse must never try to push their own beliefs on a patient (Saccomano & Abbatiello, 2014, p. 31). Chinese Traditional Chinese culture is unlike Canadian culture: Talking about death or illness is considered a taboo. They do not talk to their healthcare provider about death, because talking about death or illness insinuates that it is going to happen. Instead, they keep silent about it to relieve stress and give hope to the person. Generally, it is the male family member that makes decisions on behalf of the person (Saccomano & Abbatiello, 2014, p.31). Understanding the Client Nurses cannot generalize groups of people; every client is an individual and has the right to be treated as one. It is important to form a good communication to build a relationship between the patient and the nurse. This enables the patient to contribute to their care and the allows the nurse to provide the best care possible. â€Å"It is extremely important to educate, involve the patient, incorporate the family and utilize traditions and beliefs, using effective communication and culture safety mechanisms† (McCracken, 2014, p. 28). â€Å"A nurse must communicate with patients about how he/she would like care performed on him/her and the nurse’s goal is to ensure the patient feels empowered and unique† (McCracken, 2014, p. 28). The patient indicates what is suitable and important for them. At times print materials or non-verbal communication may be more constructive. Conclusion Canada is a diverse, multi-cultural country and the provision of culturally competent care by nurses is important aspect of their practice. Every culture regards health differently depending on their practices and beliefs.  Nurses must examine their own beliefs and prejudices as well as respect and have an awareness of other cultures. â€Å"In delivering nursing care we must allow effective interactions and the development of appropriate responses to persons from diverse cultures, races, and ethnic backgrounds† (Masteral, 2014). Today’s nurses must have cultural awareness in themselves and cultural knowledge of others. References Groot-Alberts, L. (2012). The lament of a broken heart: mourning and grieving in different cultures. Progress in Palliative Care, 20(3), 158-162. Retrieved from www.ebscohost.com McCracken, D. (2014). Nursing in a bicultural society. Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand, 20(1), 28-29. Retrieved from www.ebscohost.com Mcgee, P., & Johnson, M. (2014). Developing cultural competence in palliative care. British Journal of Community Nursing, 19(2), 91-93. Retrieved from www.ebscohost.com Saccomano, S., & Abbatiello, G. (2014). Cultural considerations at the end of life. The Nurse Practitioner. 39(2), 24-31. doi: 10.1097/01.NPR.0000441908.16901.2e Zager, S., & Yancy, M. (2011). A call to improve practice concerning cultural sensitivity in advance directives: A review of the literature. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing. doi: 10.111/j.1741-6787.2011.00222.x Masteral, L., (2013) Multicultural Health Care Setting. Retrieved from http://www.studymode.com.html

How to Write the Revised GRE Analytical Writing Essays

How to Write the Revised GRE Analytical Writing Essays When people study for the GRE exam, they often forget about the two Writing tasks, the Analyze an Issue Task and the Analyze an Argument Task,  facing them on test day. Thats a big mistake! No matter how great of a writer you are, its important to practice these essay prompts before taking the exam. The GRE Writing Section is a doozy, but heres a brief how-to for writing the essays. How to Write the GRE Issue Essay: Remember that the Issue task will present an issue statement or statements followed by specific task instructions that tell you how to respond to the issue. Heres an example from ETS:   To understand the most important characteristics of a society, one must study its major cities. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. First, choose an angle. The good news about the GRE Analytical Writing scoring is that you get to write about the issue from any angle. For example, you could do any of the following or choose an approach of your own:Agree with the issueDisagree with the issueAgree with parts of the issue and disagree with othersShow how the issue has inherent logical flawsDemonstrate the validity of the issue with comparisons to modern societyConcede a few points of the issue but refute the most important part of the claim Second, choose a plan. Since you only have 30 minutes, you need to make the best use of your writing time as is possible. It would be foolish to jump into the writing without scratching out a brief outline of the details and examples you want to include to make your strongest argument Third, write it. Keeping your audience in mind (faculty members and trained GRE graders), write your essay quickly and concisely. You can go back afterward to make changes, but for now, get the essa y written. You cant be scored on an empty sheet of paper. More Sample Issue Essays Write the GRE Argument Essay: The Argument task will present you with an argument for or against something and give you specific details about how you must respond. Heres a sample Argument task: The following appeared as part of an article in a business magazine. A recent study rating 300 male and female Mentian advertising executives according to the average number of hours they sleep per night showed an association between the amount of sleep the executives need and the success of their firms. Of the advertising firms studied, those whose executives reported needing no more than 6 hours of sleep per night had higher profit margins and faster growth. These results suggest that if a business wants to prosper, it should hire only people who need less than 6 hours of sleep per night. Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted. First, analyze the details. What facts are considered evidence? What is the offered proof? What are the underlying assumptions? What claims are made? Which details are misleading? Second, analyze the logic. Follow the line of reasoning from sentence to sentence. Does the author make illogical assumptions? Is the movement from point A to B logically rational? Is the writer drawing valid conclusions from the facts? What is the author missing? Third, outline. Map out the biggest problems with the prompts logic and your alternative rationale and counterexamples. Come up with as much evidence and support you can think of to support your own claims. Think outside the box here! Fourth, write it. Again, keep your audience in mind (which rationale would work best to convince a faculty member) write your response quickly. Think less about semantics, grammar, and spelling, and more about demonstrating your analytical skills to the best of your ability. Sample GRE Argument Essays The Analytical Writing Tasks in a Nutshell So, basically, the two writing tasks on the GRE are complementary in that you get to formulate your own argument in the issue task and critique anothers argument in the argument task. Please be mindful of your time in each task, however, and practice ahead of time to ensure your best score possible.

Free Essays on Individual Relationship In Regards To Organization

An individual’s relationship both within and with their organization must examine three different possible scenarios. The first is the Psychological Contract, which is a set of expectations any given individual feels that they may have to offer an organization. Next, the Person-Fit Job is the manner in which the contributions that are made by the individual will be able to match or meet the needs of the organization. Finally, the Nature of Individual Differences will demonstrate the different attributes that may vary from one individual within an organization to another. The Psychological Contract is a very important factor when determining if an individual will meet the needs of a company. The set of expectations that are held by the individual must also meet the needs of what the company needs contributed to their organization and what may be exchanged in return. Every company seeks to know exactly what their employees may be able to contribute, whether it is their time, loyalty to an organization, skills, abilities, and so forth. If an organization hires an employee for any particular contribution, then that skill is expected to be seen through his or her work. In return, the individual will be rewarded by their pay or possibly advancement in their career. Eventually, the organization and the individual will decide if their arrangement is worth continuing. Next, the Person-Job Fit is needed to examine the contributions that an individual will make to their organization and how it will then be compensated. If an employee is able to meet their needs, as well as those of the organization, then it is said to be a perfect-job fit. Though this is rare, it is possible for it to occur. However, even if an employee is not perfect for a given job, it is feasible to consider what additional resources and training can potentially lead the employee to have a higher output for their organization. While each person is different ... Free Essays on Individual Relationship In Regards To Organization Free Essays on Individual Relationship In Regards To Organization An individual’s relationship both within and with their organization must examine three different possible scenarios. The first is the Psychological Contract, which is a set of expectations any given individual feels that they may have to offer an organization. Next, the Person-Fit Job is the manner in which the contributions that are made by the individual will be able to match or meet the needs of the organization. Finally, the Nature of Individual Differences will demonstrate the different attributes that may vary from one individual within an organization to another. The Psychological Contract is a very important factor when determining if an individual will meet the needs of a company. The set of expectations that are held by the individual must also meet the needs of what the company needs contributed to their organization and what may be exchanged in return. Every company seeks to know exactly what their employees may be able to contribute, whether it is their time, loyalty to an organization, skills, abilities, and so forth. If an organization hires an employee for any particular contribution, then that skill is expected to be seen through his or her work. In return, the individual will be rewarded by their pay or possibly advancement in their career. Eventually, the organization and the individual will decide if their arrangement is worth continuing. Next, the Person-Job Fit is needed to examine the contributions that an individual will make to their organization and how it will then be compensated. If an employee is able to meet their needs, as well as those of the organization, then it is said to be a perfect-job fit. Though this is rare, it is possible for it to occur. However, even if an employee is not perfect for a given job, it is feasible to consider what additional resources and training can potentially lead the employee to have a higher output for their organization. While each person is different ...

Is an elite liberal arts college worth the price tag

Is an elite liberal arts college worth the price tag Last week I visited with the head guidance counselor at a well-regarded private high school in Madison. Amongst our topics of conversation was the trend he has noticed away from private colleges. Students were being accepted to Ivy League and other top colleges, then choosing not to attend, in favor of larger state schools. As you might imagine, the main reason for their decision was financial. These families are already paying $10,000/year to send their child to high school. Their coffers are strained if not empty. Yet, perhaps there are hidden factors that, if revealed, would sway these parents and students to choose a private college. A March 2012 article by P. Maloney, â€Å"Does it Pay to Attend an Elite Liberal Arts College?† explored the benefits of an elite liberal arts education. In this article, Maloney asks an important question: Is it worth the $50,000 price tag to send your child to one of these elite schools? I have asked a similar question in two previous articles, Is it Worth it to Compete for an Ivy League Education? and Employers Favor State Schools for Hires – But Ivy League is Still the Best Pick; in both instances, I concluded rather unscientifically that it was worth the cost to attend an elite school. Maloney’s more rigorous study supports my conclusions. He evaluated many major studies (a.k.a. the â€Å"literature†) on the subject, performed his own multi-faceted statistical analysis, and concluded that although attending an elite liberal arts college might not lead to higher earnings directly out of college, a statistically significant difference arises by the middle of a person’s career. Maloney points out that this finding is similar to that of Brand and Halaby (2006), another major study which found that the effects of attending an elite college on a person’s wages increased over time. Maloney admits that his study is limited in that â€Å"the number of individuals in the [study group] that attended an elite liberal arts college is rather small compared to the number that attended other types of schools. This may limit the scope to which these results can be extended.† More research is clearly needed. However, the results are indicative of a trend toward higher career earnings that could influence families’ decisions about where to send their children to college. If your child were accepted to both an elite private liberal arts college and a state school, how would you make your decision? What factors would you consider? If you knew that your child’s earnings potential would ultimately be significantly higher from attending an elite liberal arts college, would you still choose a state school or other less expensive option? If you have faced this type of choice or think you might face it in the future, I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments! Want essay writing help for your student to get into an elite college? Contact The Essay Expert for a 15-minute consultation. We will make that essay shine! Category:College AdmissionsBy Brenda BernsteinSeptember 10, 2012 4 Comments Christopher Feyrer says: September 11, 2012 at 12:19 am I would not choose whether my child went to the liberal arts college. He or she would. Given that, from a social networking perspective, Im sure that Ivy League connections would lead to hire eventual wages simply because of the higher least common denominator among the attendees and alumni. The biggest barrier for a layman like myself would be pure economics and barrier to entry. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: September 11, 2012 at 12:35 am I believe that most parents would ideally like for their child to decide. With such large economic considerations, however, sometimes the parents do need to make an economic choice. And you have a lot of company in economics being the greatest barrier. Log in to Reply Christopher Feyrer says: September 11, 2012 at 12:20 am I meant higher eventual wages above. Thats what I get for dictating my post! Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: September 17, 2012 at 11:26 pm I received the following response to this article from one of my readers, who wished to remain anonymous. I think her comments add a great perspective: Thanks for another insightful article. Our daughter was accepted into the Honors program of our state school, but we are sending her to the University of Pennsylvania for several reasons: 1) We wanted her to interact with people from all over the world to expand her worldview and test her assumptions. She can do that better at Penn. In fact, we think that helped her conceptualize spending a semester abroad, which she is doing now. 2) We wanted to surround her with the brightest and most-motivated peers. Clearly, there are very bright and very motivated students at state schools, but many go for the price vs. the educational opportunity. 3) Sometimes, students cannot complete their education at state schools in four years because they cannot get into the classes they need. Not only does this diminish the price differential, but it presents an opportunity cost, since the student cannot enter the job market as soon. 4) How much money she makes after graduation should not be the sole criterion of success. I know from my own Ivy League education that I was forced to think analytically, write clearly, and test and retest my values. At a less intellectually rich institution, I might have had the impetus and support to hone my skills. Log in to Reply