Anatomy and Physiology Case Study

Anatomy and Physiology Case Study Case #1: A 60 year old man with long-standing type II diabetes that has been untreated with insulin is admitted to the hospital after reporting noticeably bloody urine. Bilaterally, he has no feeling in the bottoms of his feet and decreased sensitivity mid-shin, while sensation at the knees is normal. Upon examination the clinician notices that the patient’s lenses are cloudy, and the patient is having a difficult time reading his admissions paperwork. The patient’s blood pressure is also elevated. Why might this patient have blood in his urine? The patient may be suffering from a bladder or kidney infection. What other abnormalities would typically be found in such a patient’s urinalysis? Urinalysis may show High Blood Sugar. What is causing the bilateral desensitization of the lower limbs? It is possible that the patients diabetes is not controlled causing damage to the nerves and hardening of the arteries which can cause decreased sensation and poor blood circulation in the feet. Why are this patient’s lenses cloudy? The patient may be suffering from glaucoma, or cataracts. Why might this patient have difficulty reading his admissions papers? The patient may be suffering from Presbyopia, in which the lens of the eye loses its ability to focus, making it difficult to see up close. How is the elevated blood pressure related to the other symptoms? H causes all these symptoms so there is a chance that the high blood level may be the problem of why there was urine in the blood, numbness, and vision impairment. Case #2: Julie Turner, a 27 year old non-pregnant female, has grown increasingly anxious about changes in both her behavior and body recently. She consults her physician and complains of insomnia, gastrointestinal instability, feeling excited, and weight loss. She also reports that even though she has lost weight, her â€Å"double chin† has not gone away. Upon examination, the physician notes that, while not pronounced, Julie’s eyes seem larger, and her reflexes are excitable. The physician decides to send Julie to an endocrinologist for a consultation. What does an endocrinologist specialize in? Diagnose and treat diseases related to hormones. Define hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism or â€Å"Overactive Thyroid†, is a condition in which the thyroid gland makes too much thyroid hormone. Which of Julie’s signs an symptoms are compatible with hyperthyroidism? Weight loss Does Julie show signs and symptoms specific to Grave’s disease? Yes, Grave’s disease actually causes most hyperthyroidism. Why might Julie be mistakenly thinking she has a â€Å"double chin†? Julie may be mistaken by the fact that her â€Å"double chin† is actually her swollen thyroid. What is the doctor concerned with when they notices that Julie has â€Å"large eyes†? Julie may be tired and not getting enough rest. If Grave’s disease is confirmed, what is the most likely treatment? First beta blockers will be prescribed and once all the results are confirmed they will either give Julie Radioactive iodine or Anti-thyroid medicine. Case #3: George is a 50 year old man that had a severe motorcycle accident 12 years ago. As a result of the accident, George had one kidney and part of his small intestine removed because they were hemorrhaging. Immediately following recovery, George had some weight loss that he was told to expect because of malabsorption caused by having his intestine removed. George has never returned to work due to his injuries, and mostly sits inside and watches TV and reads. Recently, however, George broke his wrist trying to catch himself from falling. When he was examined, he was told that his bones had become weak. Define osteopenia and osteoporosis. Which does George seem to have? Osteopenia refers to bone mineral density (BMD) that is lower than normal peak BMD but not low enough to be classified as osteoporosis.Osteoporosis is a progressive disease that causes bones to become thin and brittle, making them more likely to break. George seems to have Osteoporosis. What is the most common type of fracture of the wrist in a person of George’s age? Explain how Vitamin D, calcidiol, and calcitriol are synthesized? Calcidiol, or 25-hydroxyvitamin D, is the main storage form of vitamin D, Low calcidiol levels in the blood indicate a vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to weak bones. Your kidneys convert calcidiol into calcitriol, or 1, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the active form of vitamin D that promotes calcium absorption. How could George’s missing kidney be related to his decreased bone strength? The lack of vitamin D and calcium absorption which having a vitamin D deficiency will cause bone weakness. How could George’s partial small intestine be related to his decreased bone strength? It could decrease the calcium you eat from being absorbed into your blood causing your blood calcium to become and stay low. If George has a decreasing density of his bones due to his previous injuries, what is the classification of his condition? George is suffering from Osteoporosis. Could George’s lack of time outside be a factor in his weak bones? It’s part of one of the factor’s the other is based on the fact of George laying around and not doing anything which is causing his bones to weaken. Case #4: Pete is a 250 lb man that played 15 years of professional football. Pete quit football at that age of 38 when his hips and knees became too painful to play. He has tried to manage the pain with OTC antiinflammatory drugs for the past 20 years. Now 58 years old, Pete has a severe limp on his right side and gone to the doctor in hopes to get stronger pain medication. His general doctor orders X-rays, which reveal bilateral narrowing of both hip and knee joints. The right acetabulum shows bony projections extending toward the femoral head. What does Pete suffer from? Pete is suffering from Osteoarthritis. What are Pete’s risk factors? Osteoarthritis causes the cartilage in a joint to become stiff and lose its elasticity, making it more susceptible to damage. As the cartilage deteriorates, tendons and ligaments stretch, causingpain. If the condition worsens, the bones could rub against each other. Explain whether or not the 20 years of OTC antiinflammatory medications has really helped anything? OTC may have helped with the swelling and mild pain but that’s as far as they help. What are the bony projections of the acetabulum called? The acetabulum is the socket of the ball-and-socket hip joint. The top of the thigh bone (femur) forms the ball, and the socket (acetabulum) is part of the pelvic bone. Does Pete need to see an orthopedic surgeon, or can the general doctor treat Pete’s condition? Pete would have to go see an Orthopedic Surgeon for his case. Is Pete a candidate for joint replacement surgery? One of the alternatives Pete may want to look into is Total hip Arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most successful surgical interventions that leads to improvement in quality of life and provides significant improvements in both pain and function. Case #5: A 67 year old African-American male presents to his family physician for a checkup. It has been more than 5 years since his last checkup. A thorough examination including a digital rectal examination and history is unremarkable for a man of his age. The physician orders several different blood tests, including a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. Why would a physician order several blood tests for a person with no apparent problems? PSA is detected through a man’s blood and also the patient has not been to a checkup for 5 years. Does this man have any risk factors for anything in particular? Yes, he is at risk of prostate cancer. What is a digital rectal exam used to test for? The Rectal exam helps to detect growths or enlargements of the prostate gland in men. Why is a PSA level an important test for this man? This exam measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen in the blood. What would an elevated PSA level indicate? Elevated levels would mean inflammation of the prostate gland or prostate cancer. If this man has elevated PSA, how would it be treated? Depending on the level that the test comes back a urine test may be provided to check for a UTI that may be causing the levels to be elevated if not a biopsy may be suggested to confirm if and where the cancer is. Case #6: A 26 year old women presents at the clinic with a complaint of infertility. She and her husband have tried unsuccessfully for over one year. She reports irregular menses since menarche at age 13. She has never been pregnant, and has always had Pap smears. She reports at least a dozen sexual partners and was treated for gonorrhea 6 years ago. He husband has had normal semen analysis results. What are the risk factors for female infertility? Irregular menstrual cycle, age, can be risk factors as well as sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea can cause fallopian tube damage. Which of these risk factors may be involved in this case? In this case Gonorrhea is the biggest risk factor. What hormone levels would be appropriate to ascertain? If the problem is a pituitary hormone imbalance, which hormone(s) might be involved? The hormone Hyposecretion would be involved. If the problem is an ovarian hormone imbalance, which hormone(s) might be involved? Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: PCOS is a disruption in communication between the brain, the pituitary gland and the ovaries. PCOS is characterized by irregular or lack of ovulation, irregular or lack of menstrual periods. Define pelvic inflammatory disease. Pelvic inflammatory disease is a general term for infection of the uterus lining, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. If a pelvic exam is performed and PID is involved, what might be noticed? Tenderness and possibly a lump next to the uterus may be noticed. How might laparoscopy be useful for a definitive diagnosis? It will give a clearer picture of the abdomen and pelvis. Case #7: A 21 year old female presents to the ER complaining of lethargy, a stiff neck, and a headache. Initial examination reveals a high grade fever, sensitivity to light, and withdrawal from neck flexion. A history uncovers that she is a daycare worker and many students have been absent recently. What do the symptoms suggest? The Symptoms suggest that the female has Meningitis. Is this patient at particular risk for the suggested illness? People of any age can get meningitis, but because it can be easily spread among those living in close quarters, teens, college students, and boarding-school students are at higher risk for infection. What test needs to be done? Laboratory tests and a possible spinal tap will be done. How is this test performed? Taking a needle and collecting a sample of spinal fluid from the lumbar. What are the two most likely microorganisms to be found with the test from question #3? This test will show any signs of inflammation and whether a virus or bacteria is causing the infection. Does the daycare need to be notified? Yes immediately and any children that may be exposed or feel like they are sick should seek professional care right away. Case #8: A 68 year old African-American male is transported to the ER with rapid onset left sided weakness. He was watering his lawn when he suddenly dropped the hose and fell to the ground. His speech was slurred when EMS personnel arrived. The man has a history of high blood pressure and hypercholesterolemia. His exam shows left facial areflexia and drooping. CT scan of the head shows no hemorrhage. What is the diagnosis? Ischemic Stroke What is the likely location of the pathology in this instance? Location would be in his brain. What are the risk factors for this condition? Hypercholesterolemia, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation diabetes, family history of stroke, age, and race might all be factors. What are the possible mechanisms of pathology in this case? Possible mechanisms of pathology are Thrombotic Stroke and Embolic Stroke. Which is the more likely mechanism of the pathology in this case? The Thrombotic Stroke is more likely. What is the underlying problem in this case? Hypercholesterolemia and Blood Pressure are the underlying problem. How did the underlying problem lead to this incident? High blood pressure and hypertension can lead to thickening of the arterial walls making the passage way narrow. Case #9: A 36 year old man is seeing his physician because he is becoming increasingly weak. He reports that the weakness progresses throughout the day. He has a desk job and can hardly keep his eyes open and head up by the end of the day. Other history is unremarkable. Cranial nerve examination shows weak facial muscles, inability to repeat movements, and bilateral ptosis. The patient’s shoulders droop with a very poor posture. What is the likely diagnosis? Ocular Myasthenia What is the pathogenesis of this disease? Ocular Myasthenia is a disease of the neuromuscular junction resulting in hallmark variability in muscle weakness and fatigability. What other deficits might present if untreated? If left untreated it may cause acute respiratory failure. Why do the symptoms seem to worsen later in the day? Symptoms seem worse later in the day due to physical activity throughout the day. Symptoms aren’t as bad once the person has rested. What other conditions should be ruled out? Early symptoms can be confused with Psychiatric disorders. What treatment should be sought? A blood test measuring antibodies to acetylcholine receptors; 80-90 percent of Myasthenic people show these antibodies in their blood. Case #10: Tim and Leanne are rushed to the hospital after a car accident. Tim was driving as the car was hit in the driver side door. He sustained a broken humerus from the direct impact. His arm was immobilized and he is resting in his room. Leanne, who was in the front passenger seat sustained a ruptured spleen and four adjacent broken ribs on the left side. Her wounds are from striking the middle console of the car. She is in the ICU with her chest wrapped. What are the factors that affect wound production? The wound-healing process consists of four highly integrated and overlapping phases: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and tissue remodeling or resolution Which factor is the main difference causing Tim and Leanne to have such different injuries? The main factor that causes the difference in injury here is the fact the driver side door was the one hit in the accident. What is the mechanism that caused the rupturing of Leanne’s spleen? Leanne struck the middle console of the car. What is the name of the condition in which several adjacent ribs is broken? Flail Chest Due to her broken ribs, what is Leanne at risk of developing? Rib Stress If Leanne’s lung is bruised, what other condition may develop? Leanne may develop a pulmonary contusion or bleeding of the lungs.

Thomas Bateman: A Derbyshire Antiquary :: Medieval Archaeology Essays

Thomas Bateman: A Derbyshire Antiquary Thomas Bateman was born in 1821 at Rowsley, in the Derbyshire Peak District. His archaeological career, though relatively brief, is noteworthy both for its abundance, and the fact that his barrow-openings in Derbyshire and Staffordshire provide virtually the only evidence for the early Medieval archaeology of the Peak District and the elusive Peak Dwellers. Thomas's father, William Bateman, was an amateur antiquarian and pursued his pastime in accomplishing the excavation of a number of barrows on the family estate at Middleton. When William Bateman died in 1835 aged only 38, Thomas's upbringing and education were taken in hand by his grandfather. Thomas was educated at the non-conformist academy at Bootle, and from 1837 assisted in running the family estate, while in his spare time exploring the peakland, hunting, shooting, collecting flints and examining the many local ancient monuments. Bateman became a keen student of archaeology and read and was greatly influenced by Sir Richard Colt Hoare's seminal work Ancient Wiltshire. In 1841, Thomas reached his majority and set up his own house in Bakewell. He pursued an illicit affair with Mary Ann Mason, the wife of a boatman on the Cromford Canal, and for a some years they lived together as husband and wife, though they never married. Bateman's archaeological career began by observing the demolition of Bakewell's Medieval church. In 1843, he joined the newly formed British Archaeological Association, set up as a reaction to the influence of the Society of Antiquaries. Bateman attended the Canterbury Archaeological Congress of 1844 with Mary Mason, passing her off as his wife. At about this time, Bateman built his own country house, Lomberdale, at Middleton, where he continued to live with Mary Mason. The house incorporated many of the architectural fragments rescued from Bakewell Church and Bateman set up a museum there to hold his growing archaeological and ethnographic collection. Barrow Digging 1845-1861 Bateman's career as a barrow digger began in the 1840's. While at the 1844 Canterbury Congress he, along with other delegates, excavated a number of barrows in the countryside around Canterbury. In 1845, Bateman excavated 38 barrows in Derbyshire and Staffordshire, and was dubbed the Barrow Knight in a poem by fellow antiquarian Stephen Isaacson. In 1845 and 1846 Bateman toured the north of England with Mary Mason, and carried out excavations in York, where construction of the new railway was levelling a part of the city walls.

Literature Essay: One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest by K Kesey

It is suggested that Ken Kesey†s One Flew over the Cuckoo†s Nest contains examples of behaviour and attitudes displayed by characters within the clinical environment of the psychiatric ward which can be compared to behaviour found within contemporary American society. These include examples of leadership and hierarchy within a class or caste system, sexism and crime and punishment. In the text, the theme of leadership is very prominent and important to the story. Arguably it is more important theme of the book, than the issue of mental illness, which forms the setting and the core of the novel. The leader figure in the ward is Big Nurse, who has complete control over the ward. Any decisions that are made over a patient or with regards the running of the ward must go through Big Nurse first. She is seen by the Chief as being almost mechanical in her approach to her running of the ward: She†s got that bag full of a thousand parts she aims to use in her duties today-wheels and gears, cogs polished to a hard glitter†¦(10) The ward is run by her to a very strict daily routine, which is almost fanatically neurotic in it†s precision and dedication. Chief describes Big Nurse†s devotion to her daily routine: ‘The slightest thing messy or out of kilter in any way ties her into a little white knot of tight-smiled fury† (27) When McMurphy enters the ward, the delicate equilibrium which the nurse has created is upset. This is because, like the nurse, McMurphy is a natural leader-figure. He takes over the control of the ward by manipulating the patients; seemingly for their own good, but it may be argued that he gets a feeling a control from being a leader over a large group of people. This may be a feeling of control and power which has previously been absent in his life for some reason. We are told, early in the book, of McMurphy†s admission to the ward doctor about his conviction for raping a fifteen year old girl, and his unwillingness to acknowledge that he had committed a crime: ‘Said she was seventeen, Doc, and she was plenty willin†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ so willin†, in fact, I took to sowing my pants up† (40) This could also be argued for Big Nurse; What is her motive for her total dedication to the job? It is possible that she also relishes the feeling of control over the patients in her care which her job allows. She knows that she has absolute power over every patient in her ‘care†; The power to change any of her patient†s lives immediately wherever she might see fit. Such behaviour can also be seen in contemporary society in an environment such as a school; The school is a good example because it has a central leader in the position of the head teacher. The head teacher has full responsibility over every person within the school, and also sets the rules and regulations which everyone in that particular school must obey. If a member of the school breaks any of the rules, the head teacher will decide an appropriate punishment. While the head teacher is answerable to the Governing Board of the school, they still have the most ‘power† and authority over the school. It can also be shown within a large corporation with the position of a Managing Director. All other staff in the company are directly answerable to him. The Managing Director has the power to hire new staff, and also to make staff redundant. But, again, he is answerable to the owner of the company and perhaps the shareholders; so he can never have total power in his position This can be contrasted with Big Nurse; She is, in theory, answerable to the Management Board of the hospital, and even to the doctors who work on the ward. But she appears to have the most control over the daily running of the ward, as if she were senior to the doctors, even though, in fact, she is only a nurse. She seems to have total and complete authority over every person in the ward. The theme of leadership does not mirror the outside world very accurately, as in contemporary society a leader of a society or an organisation is almost always accountable to a person senior to him. This is not seen in the novel, as Big Nurse seems to be answerable to no one, in fact, it is arguable that everyone answers to her. A hierarchy or class system operates inside the ward which can be clearly seen throughout the course of the novel. Patients living within the ward are ‘classed† according to the state of their mental health or to the condition of which they suffer from. Chief describes the method of discriminating patients from one another: ‘Across the room from the Acutes are the Chronics†¦ Not in the hospital, these, to get fixed, but to keep them walking the streets†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (17) Patients are divided into two categories of Acutes & Chronics: Chronics are those patients who have a condition which is untreatable, â€Å"machines with flaws which cannot be repaired† (17) and can only be controlled with medical methods. They will spend the rest of their lives inside the ward of the hospital. Patients who are seen as being likely to recover from their illness, and will return to society. Acutes are those patients e.g. Harding, who are seen as being likely to recover from their illness, and will return to society. Chronics can either have full use of their bodies or can be again sub-categorised into Wheelers and Vegetables; Those whose movement is impaired to such an extent, they can only move by being pushed around in wheelchairs. Vegetables are patients who, through excessive ECT ‘Shock Shop† (18) or through the overperscription of tranquillising medications: ‘Ellis is a chronic came in an Acute and got fouled up bad when they overloaded him in the Shock Shop†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (18) When McMurphy enters the ward, he assumes the role of a leader over all of his fellow patients in the ward. McMurphy has a strong, intelligent character and so he is able to manipulate others who are more vulnerable than he is. An example of his manipulation is when he shows some playing cards with pornographic photographs on them to Cheswick: ‘I brought along my own deck†¦Fifty-two positions†. Cheswick is pop-eyed already†¦those cards don†t help his condition. (16) Personality types which can be seen in contemporary society can also be seen very clearly with regard to the characters in the ward setting: McMurphy†s character is a rebel character who hates authority and authoritative figures. This is, perhaps, why he clashes so fiercely with Big Nurse. Chief is the veteran of the ward. He has been there the longest, since the start of World War II, with the exception of Big Nurse. He has the mutual respect of everyone in the ward. Billy Bibbit is insecure and has a stutter. His name is ironic in that it resembles a stutter when said. His problems have probably been caused by his overbearing mother, who was very protective and spoke for him whenever possible. In a large group of individuals, these personalities are often seen; A rebel character who goes against the system is almost always present in a class inside a school; A veteran who has gained the respect of everyone in that particular grouping; A person who is lacking in confidence, often reluctant to speak out. Today, in contemporary society, a class system is still very much a part of everyday life. People are classed on wealth, status and employment. Discrimination can also exist between classes; lower classes finding higher classes snobbish and elitist; higher classes perhaps seeing lower classes as ‘common† and uneducated. The book mirrors hierarchy in contemporary society very well, as it shows different personality types and differentiates between the different classes of people within it very clearly and accurately. However, it does not show discrimination between the different classes which exists today in contemporary society and is quite important to the structure of modern societies. The issues of Sexism and Sexuality are also raised within the book. Although they do not feature so prominently as the themes of Leadership and Hierarchy, they are nevertheless very important to the behaviour of the characters. Taking the theme of sexism in the text, women are placed into two distinct stereotypical types. They are portrayed as either whores, sluts or nymphomaniac wives; or the book goes to the other extreme where women are held as asexual ‘machines†. This view is very important when referring to Big Nurse. The prostitutes that appear during McMurphy†s fishing trip are a good example of the first way the book describes women. They are shown as amoral, trivialising sex so that it is seen only as a meaningless business transaction. It is also made clear of the loss of McMurphy†s at the age of nine: ‘The first girl ever drug me to bed wore that same dress. I was about ten†¦Taught me how to love, bless her sweet ass (201)† Ruckly†s wife is another example of this such view of women as adulteresses. Ruckly has had an unsuccessful lobotomy, making him rather mentally unstable. The text portrays him very sympathetically, so the reader empathises with his character from the outset: ‘They brought him back to the ward two weeks later†¦you can see by his eyes how they burned him up in there† (18) Ruckly had found out that his wife had been seeing other men; Every time she is mentioned he remembers what she did to him: ‘Memory whispers someplace in that jumbled machinery†¦He turns red and veins clog up†¦Fffffffuck da wife! Ffffffuck da wife!† (19) This is not the only unfavourable way women are portrayed in the novel. Big Nurse is shown as a hardened and rather sterile asexual character. ‘ ‘A mistake was made in manufacturing, putting those big, womanly breasts on her†¦and you can she how bitter she is for it† (11) Whenever she is described by Chief, her attributes are likened to a piece of machinery which is cold and unfeeling. It appears that she is so dedicated to the ward that she is ‘married† to the job and sexual relationships have no place in her ‘plan†. It is arguable that this is why she becomes so enraged when she discovers McMurphy†s relations with the prostitutes towards the end of the book. Today, in contemporary society, the view sometimes is still held that women inferior to men. They can be seen as incapable of carrying out work, and should stay at home to look after the children. Although the advent of feminism has almost vanquished these ‘male chauvinist† attitudes, women can still be stereotyped as above; as whores or nymphomaniacs or, like Big Nurse; ‘frigid†, asexual and cold. It can be seen, thus, the text of One Flew over the Cuckoo†s Nest shows sexism in contemporary society accurately. Finally, the issues of crime and punishment are raised throughout the book and are very important from the outset and ultimately to the ending of the story. The ward, like the society outside, is run on a system of sanctions and rewards which are allocated according to a patient†s behaviour. Punishments may be issued, by Big Nurse, for unwillingness to co-operate with the daily routine or with the staff. Punishments included ECT , the removal of privileges such as cigarettes or more serious, repeat offenders as a last resort, a lobotomy. A patient could also be sent to Disturbed, in effect a ‘hospital within a hospital† where a patient could be sent to recover from an outburst and they will return to the ward when Big Nurse sees fit. A lobotomy is a surgical procedure in which the pre-frontal lobes of the brain are either removed or destroyed. This was thought to pacify aggressive patients, but in practise, it transformed them into inactive individuals: â€Å"The installations they do these days are usually successful†¦a success they say†¦like Ruckly fumbling and drooling all over his picture† (18-19) Rewards were also issued to by the establishment of the ward; Patients were give a ‘ration† of cigarettes every week, but this was stopped when McMurphy arrived in the ward as he used to win the others† cigarettes from them in gambling card games. It is arguable that the security of the hospital could be seen as a reward. Patients, who through the result of their ‘mental illness † could not cope in the outside world and require the constant daily routine to feel secure and safe. Contemporary society has a system of rules, laws and legislations which must be followed to be a member of that society. Society also has the power, like the ward to issue sanctions for those who break the rules. Although many countries have abolished the use of corporal or capital punishment for serious crimes, North America is one such a country where, depending on the state, a person may face capital punishment by lethal injection, electric chair or gas chamber. The ward applies corporal punishment in the form of the ECT and it may be argued that a lobotomy is a form of capital punishment because the patient has little or no quality of life left after the procedure, so they might as well have been killed. Ken Kesey†s One Flew Over The Cuckoo†s Nest mirrors, in the behaviour of it†s characters, contemporary society very accurately and can still be relied on, as a contemporary text, an accurate display of the treatment of patients within a mental hospital today.

Easy Tips to Complete More Scholarship Applications

Most international students are always on the lookout for new and viable scholarship opportunities provided by various institutions. Since, a number of such opportunities surface every month or so, students, have to be both vigilant and efficient. Applying for and keeping tabs on various scholarships is no easy feat, but with a little discipline, you can be on your way to getting the most out of the available options. Following are some tips to help you complete more scholarship applications. 1.  Prioritize: Since many scholarship opportunities may knock on your door at the same time, it is important to rank them in order of importance and urgency. The three main parameters to judge a scholarship are; submission deadline, length of essay(s) required and amount awarded. Ideally, scholarships that have the shortest deadlines, longer essay length requirements and greater awards should be put above the rest. This does not mean that scholarships that offer a lower award should be neglected. Prioritizing this way just helps you pay more attention to the applications that will take more time to complete. 2.  Get Smart: Every scholarship application comes with specific requirements including letters of recommendation, activities lists, and essays. Most of these requirements will overlap across scholarships. Recognize these requirements and tackle them smartly. For example, almost all scholarships will require letters of recommendation. Ask your teachers or mentors to write the letters at the same time instead of going back for each one every time. Similarly you can write your essay in a way that you can tweak to serve different applications, hence, â€Å"What are your Future Goals?† can easily be modified into â€Å"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?† Save both time and energy by being smart about your applications. 3.  Set a Schedule: You’ll be able to get more done if you take some time out every day to tackle the applications. You cannot possibly get everything done on the same day so it pays to list down all the things you want done, make a schedule of when you’ll do them and stick to it. 4.  Don’t get distracted: In order to concentrate and get more work done, you have to get rid of all the things that may distract you from working. This means putting away your cell phone, turning off the television and putting off meeting your friends till your applications are ready to be mail out. 5.  Delegate: Each scholarship application requires some run of the mill activities like copying, addressing the applications, filling in contact information and so on that can be done by members of your family or close friends. Delegate this work so you can focus on the more important elements of the application. If you are able to break the application process down to a science, pretty soon you’ll be filling in scholarship applications like a pro. Remember, these applications will show universities or colleges how good of a candidate you are, so make yourself stand out on paper.