GRE Essay – Argument Topic 1
Jul1
Time: 30 mins
The following appeared in a memo from the president of Viva-Tech, a manufacturer of high-tech medical equipment. “In order to reduce costs, we should close some of our existing small assembly plants and build a large central plant. Grandview would be an ideal location for this new plant. First, of the locations that we have considered, Grandview has the largest adult population, so that we
will be able to staff our plant quickly and easily. Second, since the average wage earned by workers in Grandview is less than that in the other locations, we should be able to keep production costs low. Last, as an inducement for us to build there, Grandview’s town council has offered to allow us to operate for the first three years without paying city taxes.”
premise – in order to reduce cost.
conclusion – we should close some of our existing ….and build large central.
assumption -
largest adult population equals effective and efficient workforce, this is not necessary true.
the payrate is not scale with the abilities of the workers
exempt from city taxes is the only fee to operate the plant
The issue of reducing cost by shutting down existing small assembly plants and building a large central plant is a controversial one. Large adult population of Grandview may allow quick and easy deployment of the plant’s staff. Also the competitive pay rate may reduce the cost of production. Finally, the offer of tax exempt from the city may contribute significantly to the overal company’s saving. However, in my final analysis, I think that by building a large central plant in Grandview is not the answer to the company’s plan of reducing cost. I will demonstrate my belief in the following paragraphs.
First, the company fails to create a logical connection between the largest adult population with the ease of deploying the plant’s staff. Adult population can be divided into many category from young adult from college students, college grad, middle age workers, and even retired residents. Young college students may not want to pursue a career at the plants due to constrain in their classes’ schedule. College graduate may or may not want to work at the plan because they think they can make more money working at corporate offices. Middle age workers may possess sufficient knowledge and expertise so that they can run their own company. Retired residents may not want to work at all.
Second, the company assumes that the workers’ pay rate is Grand View is scale with the workers’ efficiency and effectiveness. This is an extravagant mistake that may cost the company more resources rather than reducing production cost. Low paying workers may not have the required skills and knowledge to work in the assembly line immediately. Thus these workers may need to be trained and even further more need to be certified, and tested. The cost to educate these workers may turn out to cost the company more money; Because at the same time these workers are being trained, the company is missing the workforce that is needed to produce goods for sale.
Third, the company fails to assess the total cost to run the plant at Grandview. The city taxes is only a small part of a larger picture of the company’s grand operation cost. How about the cost to build the plant, the cost to transfer all the existing equipments to the new plant, and the cost to build the new plant.
In my conclusion, I think the company’s strategy of abandoning their existing plants and building a new larger central plant in Grandview is not the answer to reduce product cost. The first reason is that the company fails to create a logical connection between the largest adult population with the ease of deploying the plant’s staff. Second, the company assumes that the lower the workers’ pay rate in Grandview, the highest the cost of saving. Third, the company fails to assess the total cost to oeprate the plant at the new location.
And I didn’t have to travel to Florida
Jul0
to go to the beach. They have an artificial beach at Fort Yargo, filled with sand and fresh water from the lake. The view of the lake was spectacular with trees here and trees there, and probably because this was the only second lake I’ve been to. The atmosphere was comforting stirred with laughter from kids, families, and neighbors around the park.
The water was yellowish but see through for about 2 feet. I wouldn’t know if this comes from the urine of human, animals, or any of those peeing-capable species, but what If I do anyway, I wouldn’t care because I was too busy trying to swim across the lake. It wasn’t the cause that eludes me into swimming across the lake but rather the consequences of doing it. Drowning was in my mind but even more absurd was the thought of being eaten alive by gargantuan crocodiles (the one from Lake Placid movie). I didn’t swim across the lake however because I didn’t have my goggles with me.
Nafeesa said we would do this again this Sunday and so I am so looking forward to this weekend, as I always do. I will bring my mom to the beach this time. It’s self-torturing seeing her unhappy if you know what I mean.
You can change your job, not people
Jul0
And the ironic assumption is that psychologist can fix people, yea right when my idiot co-workers change. Dilbert already said this but now I’ve been working at so many places, this theory becomes more and more valid everyday. I tell you why you can’t change people
1) To change is to modify, and since you can’t modify a person physically, it’s impossible.
2) To change is not to be a human being because human is flawed in every way. The sooner the idiots surround you find your flaws, the sooner they start rejecting your advice.
3) To change a person is to know about that person, and if I don’t even know my mother anymore, how can I change her. We’re talking about idiots at your work place here, it’s beyond your imaginations.
Let me give you some recommendations when your thought of changing your co-workers to be intelligent and smarter workers:
1) Ignore him. The more confrontation you have at work, the closer you are to the top of the “List of people I want to fired” list.
2) Don’t let him get to you. If you let people get to you, they will make a fool of you. Look at Tom Cruise, he’s a nut case now, and still sexy as hell.
3) Don’t tell your boss about this. It’s a sign of team work problem that you have the sooner you complain about anything to your boss.
4) Keep notes of all communications you have between you and your idiot co-workers. These very notes may be your last defense should SH** happen to you because your co-workers reboot the domain controller by accident.
5) Never let other people know that your co-workers are stupid. This is the same as telling people you are an idiot and that you should be fired.
If you want something, go make it happen
Jul0
I started swimming back when I was in college 3 years ago. I swam pretty hard, practically 5-7 days a week. Before then, I swam for 10 laps and passed out. So my female coach had to kick me to wake me up. It was embarrassing but that was the least I cared for since I was begging for mercy lying on the side of pool, hoping I didn’t go with the light.
I started running when I was in college too, about the same time as swimming. My legs hurt badly after every running practice. I love running so much not because of the fact that it is but because of the fact that it gives. Release from anxiety is one thing, another thing is being in the wood, and on the track. I would give anything to be outside in this hot, and humid weather of Atlanta on any given day.
Now 3 years after I received my Bachelor of Science from Southern Polytechnic State University, I’m a fat ass again. As a matter of fact, I’m a fattier fat ass. My abs is so fat, it has its own abs. So I started running and swimming again. Back then my abs was so thin, most of my clothes did not fit, now it’s the opposite. I lost my fat back then and I can do it again.
Besides running and swimming, I am biking now, practically everyday. My legs don’t hurt anymore since I’ve gained strength and flexibility from biking. Biking increases my lung capacity to process oxygen. Running benefits greatly from biking, and of course this is the most oxygen demanding sport I’ve played. Swimming requires both flexibility, strength, and endurance from both running and biking.
Today I just went to Fort Yargo for an “advanced” biking practice, or at least I think it was advanced. They name the difficult trail as “monster miles” and easy trail as “beginner miles.” Well it turned out that the “monster miles” are hell miles. I biked 20% of the time, the other time I was either walking, crawling through bushes, or lying on the ground. My lungs were calling out for help as if they were exploding due to being over used. After getting lost in the wood for 2 hours, I managed to return to my car and drive home. I both regret and proud of myself for taking the advanced trail. If I didn’t take the advanced trail, I would wonder constantly on the way home what would the advanced trail is like. And since I did take the trail, I think my next biking achievement is to conquer this trail with biking 100% the length of the route.
I hate writing conclusion so I will make it short. So I run, swim, and bike. I started running because when I was in college, I told myself I wanted to run and so I started running the next day. The same method I applied to swimming. Biking is also the same way, I went to Target during my lunch and bought the bike. The next day I was in the wood trying to figure out how to adjust the gear on my bike. My butt was in excruciating pain along with scratches on my legs, drool on my mouth, and sweat all over my body. I am glad I chose to execute what I have in my head and so can you.