ASA: Academic Study Associates 2008 Programs

This is an all-inclusive SAT preparation course. Each class provides thorough instruction in the math, critical reading, and writing skills tested by these exams, plus strategies for mastering the test-taking skills you will need to perform at your highest level on the SAT. In addition to small-group classroom instruction and individual consultation, students take four full-length SAT tests, designed to familiarize you with these exams and chart your progress throughout the course. Each test is computer scored and analyzed; you will receive a personalized score reports with the results and suggestions for further study and reinforcement. Class size is limited to 12 students per instructor and, whenever possible, students are grouped by shared strengths and weaknesses. (Supplemental Fee)

This practically-based course introduces you to the issues involved in starting up and running a successful business. We'll begin by looking into the macro- and micro-economic factors that face every business. Further topics considered include finance and accounting principles, marketing, and advertising. You will select an industry and specific product and develop a full-fledged business plan to market and sell your product. Visits to local businesses will help you gain a greater understanding of the complexities involved in starting up and running a successful business.

This course provides you with an introduction to and an overview of the field of psychology. The natural and social science sub-areas of psychology are introduced, including biological psychology, cognitive psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology. The course also relates psychological theories and research to contemporary issues and problems in every day life. (College Credit)

An introduction to pre-calculus, this course will provide a review of manipulative algebra and introduce functions, some topics in analytical geometry and that portion of trigonometry needed for calculus. (Additional Fee)

This entertaining course will look at how ethnicity, class, gender, age, and the family influence American popular culture, and, in turn, are influenced by it. Attention will be given to the following aspects of American popular culture: music, film, sit-coms, reality television, advertising, sports, and fashion. The class will address the following questions: How do some aspects of American popular culture successfully cross borders to appeal to a diverse, international audience? How accurately does pop culture reflect life in America today? What message does it send to global audiences?

Designed for non-native speakers of English who have completed at least three years of English study and who have achieved at least an intermediate level of competence. This course will concentrate on developing the writing skills that you will need to succeed in college classes. Through readings and class discussions you will also have the chance to improve your speaking, listening and reading skills. You will read a variety of prose and journalistic writings and will concentrate on writing, editing, and revising compositions based on these readings.

Explore your passion for photography in this course designed for beginners to advanced students. Master the basics of composition from lines and shapes to lighting to depth-of-field. Learn how to use features of your digital camera such as white balance options, exposure controls, and shutter speed to enhance the technical quality of your shots. Apply your own artistic touch in the digital darkroom. Your work will be discussed in a college critique environment. The end of the course will be dedicated to revision and perfection of your best work for display in the final ASA Art Show. You must supply your own digital camera. (Supplemental Fee)

This course is designed to introduce students to the world of commercial illustration. Projects will be based on 'real world' applications of illustration and the types of assignments a professional illustrator might receive. This will include work on book and magazine covers, advertisements, and posters; all visuals that, although produced by illustrators, effectively function as total design solutions. On projects such as these the ability to interpret text and other non-illustrative components in an illustrative context will be key to the total success of the work.

This course will focus on central controversies in the law today, such as privacy and civil rights, affirmative action, the right to live and the right to die, and the death penalty. We will consider in depth the arguments put forward by advocates on differing sides of the issues. Through readings and class discussions we will attempt to reach a consensus on how the rights of individuals and the state may best be preserved. This course will help students become informed and critical observers of our legal system.

An introduction to pre-calculus, this course will provide a review of manipulative algebra and introduce functions, some topics in analytical geometry and that portion of trigonometry needed for calculus. (Additional Fee)

This course provides you with an introduction to and an overview of the field of psychology. The natural and social science sub-areas of psychology are introduced, including biological psychology, cognitive psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology. The course also relates psychological theories and research to contemporary issues and problems in every day life. (College Credit)

This course is designed for students interested in getting a head start in chemistry. Topics included will cover the foundations of chemistry, including, but not limited to: matter and measurement; atomic structure; molecular structure; chemical reactions; stoichiometry; properties of liquids, gases and solids; solutions; acids and bases. The laboratory portion of the course will reinforce classroom discussion and will include handling of reagents, carrying out reactions, finding formulas, and titration.

This course focuses on the concepts and theories of psychology that have been so revolutionary in our understanding of ourselves and others. You will examine the roots of personality and behavior as seen through the theories of Freud, Skinner, Maslow, Erikson and Piaget. You will be asked to evaluate the validity of these theories in light of your own experiences. These theories will also set the stage for our investigation into the major areas of human experience, including physical maturation, intellectual and moral development, sensuality and sexuality, family and peer relationships, and coping with stress and problems in everyday life.

This course is designed to complement and expand upon the mathematical content and concepts of Algebra I and Geometry. You will master critical skills that will open the door to higher math. Emphasis will be placed on Algebra II, but if time and the pace of the class allows, work will also be done in Trigonometry. Topics will include, but are not limited to: absolute value; linear equations and inequalities; factoring polynomials; complex numbers; quadratic equations; quadratic functions; simple logarithms; graphing equations; combinations, permutations and the binomial theorem. Pre-requisites: Algebra I, Geometry

Designed for students who have completed Algebra I, II, and Geometry and are preparing to enter a pre-calculus course in the fall, this course provides an excellent foundation, as well as a limited introduction to basic calculus. Topics covered will include: linear and quadratic functions, polynomial functions, inequalities, exponents and logarithms, analytic geometry, trigonometric functions, triangle trigonometry, polar and complex numbers, sequences and series, limits and graphs of rational functions. Pre-requisites: Algebra I, II, and Geometry

Effective writing is perhaps the most important skill for success in high school and college. This course, designed to help students with competent writing skills reach a higher level of achievement, focuses on the elements common to all successful college writing: defining an audience, developing and supporting a substantive thesis statement, polishing style, drafting, and revision. We’ll begin with the personal voice, and then proceed to the persuasive, argumentative, and analytical essay. Structured writing exercises, brainstorming sessions, and reading assignments are augmented by peer workshops and teacher-student conferences as students work to complete several polished essays worthy of inclusion in a writing portfolio. Class size is kept small to ensure success.

One of the innovations in college creative writing courses is the workshop model; ASA has replicated this model in the creative writing classes it offers at its pre-college programs. Using the published work of well-known writers, we will explore various topics and problems that face anyone embarking on the creative writing process: development of a 'voice,' point of view, effective description, comedy, and dialog. You will be expected to complete one short story, a chapter from a novel, or a personal essay.

Will it sell? Yes, if the concept, packaging, pricing, advertising promotion, distribution, and customer service are right. Good marketing is an essential element of all business success. In this course we will analyze customer behavior and develop projects that will help us apply concepts to the complexities of decision-making in marketing. We'll also discuss advertising and the impact of visual images. The final project will involve developing a comprehensive strategy for marketing a product.

Develop an understanding of the stock exchange through this introduction to the theory, methods, and concerns of financial markets. Topics will include the time value of money, uncertainty and the trade-off between risk and return, financial market efficiency, and portfolio analysis. Some attention will also be given to corporate finance topics, such as capital investment decisions and mergers & acquisitions.

If you could become invisible, do anything you wanted, and no one would know or suspect or punish you, how would you behave? How should you behave? What reasons are there for being good? This discussion-based course will explore the central questions and theories within ethical philosophy. Class debates will be prompted by key texts such as the Faust legend and works by Plato, Machiavelli, Kant, and Nietzsche.

Whether you are speaking in a high school class or college seminar, in an office meeting or as CEO to your Board, leadership is often exhibited through your performance as a polished public speaker. This course offers students a practical approach to the art of public speaking. You will develop skills in various speech types: exposition, entertainment, argumentation, and persuasion. Public speaking skills will be sharpened with the aid of videotapes, texts of famous speeches, and participation in a final performance before the ASA community.

This course, designed to impart a love for film and an increased awareness of major cinematic devices, will give you a basic grounding in the theory, history, and criticism of film. Topics such as story structure, visual style, and stardom will be emphasized. Excerpts from a diverse range of films will be shown and once a week there will be a full screening to illustrate the themes of that week's discussion. (Supplemental Fee)

This course aims to provide students with the opportunity to explore and develop their own expressive visual vocabulary. Students will explore contrasting approaches ranging from the analytical to the imaginative to representing such subjects as the human figure, natural and manufactured forms, architectural detail, and street scenes. In these projects, students will use a variety of different media such as pencil, charcoal, ink, and 3D line sculpture. Regular sketchbook work will culminate in a final polished piece for exhibition in the ASA Art Show. (Supplemental Fee)

Have you ever wondered how to tell the difference between Underground Rap and Alternative Hip-Hop or pondered the subtle distinctions between Tech-House, Electro-House, Electro-Funk, and Funky House? By dividing music into categories that share a certain style or which have certain elements in common, historians, artists, and entrepreneurs have attempted to create systems by which people can discover and study music. The musical genre has become the fundamental tool by which we trace these threads through music history. This course will delve into the vast spectrum of musical genres, from Classical and Folk through Hip Hop and Electronica. Listening examples and readings, augmented by in-class performances by guest lecturers will demonstrate basic styles. We will analyze the genre form itself, and investigate its use in the modern music industry, and we will briefly cover some issues facing the music industry with the advent of digital music.

This course looks at international relations not as abstract theory but as it has affected the lives of ordinary people. We will examine current events relating to war and terrorism, diplomacy, refugee status, human rights, and aid for the developing world. The emphasis throughout will be on thinking critically about the arguments we make in international politics and formulating positions which balance both the moral concerns and the interests of all the parties involved. Readings and class discussions will be augmented by guest speakers who can share their personal perspectives on the subjects being studied.

This course will provide an introduction to and an overview of the major scientific approaches to conceptualizing abnormal behavior. We will examine the history and definitions of mental illness. We will discuss the causes and symptoms of various psychological disorders, including neuroses, psychoses, personality disorders, and crime.

One of the innovations in college creative writing courses is the workshop model; ASA has replicated this model in the creative writing classes it offers at its pre-college programs. Using the published work of well-known writers, we will explore various topics and problems that face anyone embarking on the creative writing process: development of a 'voice,' point of view, effective description, comedy, and dialog. You will be expected to complete one short story, a chapter from a novel, or a personal essay.

Effective writing is perhaps the most important skill for success in high school and college. This course, designed to help students with competent writing skills reach a higher level of achievement, focuses on the elements common to all successful college writing: defining an audience, developing and supporting a substantive thesis statement, polishing style, drafting, and revision. We’ll begin with the personal voice, and then proceed to the persuasive, argumentative, and analytical essay. Structured writing exercises, brainstorming sessions, and reading assignments are augmented by peer workshops and teacher-student conferences as students work to complete several polished essays worthy of inclusion in a writing portfolio. Class size is kept small to ensure success.

Feature and editorial writing are specialized fields within the journalistic profession, but essential skills to master for anyone seriously considering a career in journalism. In this course, students will read and analyze a variety of feature stories and editorials to determine what makes them compelling, and then produce their own journalistic pieces. Special attention will be placed on drafting and revising, and completed pieces will be included in a journalistic portfolio.