Having a Crush?

Your heart fluttered when you heard his voice, it seems you can't talk when he asks a question or you feel like melting when he passes by.
You go to the gym so as to get that kind of body most girls like just for her, you try to appear like the strong guy, the big and rich dude..

Awwww, does it seem like I know what you feel, well having a crush ain't a bad thing at all.
Its just one sign that your emotions are alive and that's what makes you human.
Being a teen Is most probably the most tasking stage of life, because it seems you are quite confused about a whole lot of things especially emotionally, you are trying to stay in touch with yourself and emotions rise up threatening to destroy all that hardwork. It could just be that new guy in class or the girl that just moved in next to you.

So let's explore a few tips
1) it is normal to have a crush, it isn't bad, you are growing and you know it. You can feel good about it or even shy

2) Just know that your crush is human and as such can't be perfect, he isn't going to be the perfect guy or girl.

3) You can talk to an older friend about how you feel, it helps you sort out your feelings and helps you handle your situation from their experiences.

4)You don't have to lose focus on yourself, be you, don't change because you want to impress, you may not be having that crush forever.

5) Don't be ashamed about it, just know that it is one phase of being a teenager that comes and passes, so make it a duty to enjoy each stage.

Ciao

Knowing Yourself

WHO ARE YOU.

Hi guys, this is my first post here and its like a welcome post for me and you, so I'll start by saying happy new year.

Well I titled this post, "who are you" because as young people , that's one question we don't know how to answer or better still what to answer, it a quite a vague question.
Am asking because who you are isn't about your name or where you are from.
It is about the person beyond the appearance, beyond the facade of being a teenager, the person who is yet to find out how much he can be and how much he can accomplish.
But all this doesn't come about by staying up all night chatting with your crush.
Well you need to find out who you truly are, what works for you and what you will work for.
So let me give you a few tips:

* It is not hard, just take out some time to meditate, think about yourself, likes, dislikes and all the rest

* Write them down, it gives you clarity and a sense of purpose.

* Ask questions if you can, others may know more about you than you think, so ask honest friends.

* Finally don't forget to Pray, everything works if you pray about it.

Its simple, it works, and it makes your life worthwhile.

Enjoy the year as it unfolds.

WHILE WAITING FOR THAT UNIVERSITY ADMISSION.

Written by: Samuel Anthony

Are you a teenager still waiting for admission into the university? How do you make use of your time while waiting? Do you just while away time surfing the internet, browsing all the junks that are posted on there? Or are you using your time wisely investing it in profitable ventures that will mold you into the responsible man or woman you wish to be?
After my secondary education, I spent four years at home before I secured admission into the university. I remember wasting so much time playing computer games, chatting with friends and just aimlessly moving about. While in the university I saw so many opportunities and began to wish I had learnt a skill before I secured admission.
The four years I spent would have been enough to learn a skill and be self-reliant while in the university. Frankly speaking there are many opportunities to make money as a university student. However, only people who have prepared beforehand will take hold of these opportunities.
In this article I have compiled a list of skills you could learn while waiting for that university admission:

Barbing and hair salon.
This is one of the most lucrative businesses around university campuses. I use to have friend at the university who single handedly sponsored himself through the university, and guess what; he did that by barbing hair on campus. Students are undoubtedly the most fashionable in any society, learning how to barb hair before you get admission into the university could be your ticket to financial fortune once you eventually get admitted.
For the ladies instead of wasting time gossiping with friends why not learn how to plait different styles of hair and fix hair extensions? This skill could be learnt in less than six month with little or no cost. Most university girls change hair style once in every two weeks. These could be a source of income for you while in school.

Computer training.
It is no more news that we live in a computer age. Everything is now computerized. Therefore those who possess adequate computer skill will always have an edge over those who don’t. While waiting for that university admission, enroll in a computer training course and learn the basics of computer. Most universities now write computer based test (e-test) at the entry level, thus learning the basics of computer would help you pass these tests. Furthermore, a sound knowledge in computer operation will help you secure a job after graduating from the university.


Read books.
One of the surest ways to increase your exposure and intellectual capacity is by reading books. Yes, Read! Read! Read! The importance of reading cannot be overemphasized. Reading broadens your horizon and exposes you to the life and experiences of other.
However, not all write-ups are worth reading. Focus on write-ups that build you and challenge you to aim higher. Educative and informative books are a must read for any teenager. You never can tell when a knowledge you acquire from a book will come handy in future.
There are so many other training and activities you can engage in: music training, graphic design, catering, tailoring, shoe making, baking etc. the list is inexhaustible. While waiting for that long anticipated admission into the university you could learn one of these skills. Take a stand to learn a skill while you wait and I assure you, you’ll be glad you did. Good luck.

Towards a successful first year in school

Are you preparing for UTME or A-levels examinations, have you just gotten admission or are you already in your first year? I have something for you today to help you through the new experience of tertiary education in Nigeria.

-Take your lessons seriously

I am assuming you are in school to perform well in your studies, so, I shouldn’t have to stress this point enough. There will always time for everything as you go on in school except your studies. It is especially important to start well as it may set the tone for the remainder of your stay. It is always easier to maintain good grades than trying to repair bad ones. You don’t want to look back one day and regret not having focused in your first year. So, let your studies be your first priority, get in the groove and you will be thankful for it later.

-Focus on and in class

Following from the first tip, going to class is not the same thing as focusing in class. So, pay attention to your lecturers, give them full concentration and you will find out that reading after classes will be much more fun. Some of the courses you will be taking are hinged on a single concept. If you miss or do not understand the concept as a result of inadequate concentration, you may find it hard to understand the remaining parts of the course. Learn to jot while your lecturer is explaining, not everything will be in your notes. Make it a habit never to miss classes and practicals and always be early. I once fell into the habit of reading Harry Potter novels during class; the end result was the worst result I ever obtained in school.

-Prepare and devote yourself to assignments and tests

So, here is a secret; your tests and assignments are the secrets to higher grades. They are much easier to pass with high grades. You have days to research and submit an excellent assignment and during tests, there is usually enough time to read as different lecturers give tests at different times. In most institutions in Nigeria, they take 35-45 percent of the total marks in all courses. So, picture a situation where you already have 30percent before examinations. You can now approach your exams under no tension and when you are at ease, it becomes much easier to pass them in flying colours.

-Read smart and find a suitable reading system

In my previous post, I explained how to read smart. So, I won’t dwell on it too much here. Learn to read smart, start reading well in advance of tests and examinations, avoid piling up a lot of materials before reading, always read soon after each lecture and find a reading system that suits you. Don’t get intimated by the way or manner some people around may be reading. Just get your own pattern that you feel comfortable with.

-Join group discussions and be proactive in seeking for answers

Discussion groups are very good to further help with your studies. It doesn’t even matter if your already understand the topics to be discussed. In fact, while trying to teach others, you are also further increasing your own understanding. If you do not understand a particular topic, do not be shy, ask for help from those around you, your lecturers, the internet and those in front of you. You will be surprised at how many people are willing to help if you approach them with humility.

-Move with like-minded people

There is no denying the fact that you are worth as much as the friends you surround yourself with. A huge number of people have been inspired by the company they kept while an equally sizable number have been limited by theirs. So, if you have a clear goal that you want to achieve, look for people with a similar philosophy and be wary of people whose attitudes are at loggerheads with yours. Being at an impressionable age, there is no such thing as being immune to the habits of your friends, you will gradually imbibe them.

-Learn to be social

This is just as important as your studies. There is no point passing through an institution without allowing it to pass through you. Join a sport, debate or quiz groups, departmental associations, religious associations and other voluntary groups. The experience you will get from them is invaluable. This will prepare you for leadership positions later on in life. However, take care to ensure they don’t overlap or defeat your purpose in school; academic progress.

-Shun cultism and other vices

Sadly, social vices such as cultism, prostitution (in all its guiles), addiction to hard drugs and clubbing among others are gradually gaining ground among the youths of today. Nothing has the potential to derail your pursuit of excellence as quickly and dramatically as these evils. Steer clear of them; do not even try to eat with these devils nusing a long stop, refuse to eat with them at all. All social vices eventually come home to roost and their end results are never good to behold.

10 effective tips for improving your personality

The teenage period is a time of growth and development physically, emotionally and mentally. It is a time when the bedrock of your character is cemented beyond spurious changes. Do you want to build an irrepressible and confident personality? The following tips will help enhance your personality and boost the way people perceive you.

-Build your confidence and appreciate your worth

Well, the first step in improving your personality and profile is to for you to appreciate what you bring to the table. You need to have a solid grasp of your strengths and weaknesses. Knowing your strengths and weakness then brings about confidence as you are able to categorically demarcate and demand for the respect you are due. You need to come to terms with your weaknesses and while you work on eradicating them to the barest minimum, you need to avoid being weighed down by them. All great personalities are built on self-confidence. Without self-confidence, your journey to developing a better personality is over before it has even started. However, care should be taken as the line between self-confidence and arrogance is quite thin. 

-Learn public speaking

That everybody listens when a good orator speaks is no coincidence. The ability to communicate effectively to a large audience has always been tied to having a great personality. It has often been said that not everybody is equipped to speak in public but I beg to disagree. Every single human being can achieve at the very least, a functional ability to speak to large audiences. Build your public speaking ability by listening to motivational tapes and reading books on public speaking. Books by Dale Carneige are especially good to cure this most embarrassing of ills.

-Learn to listen

One of Abraham Lincoln’s greatest ability his the ability to genuinely listen and see reason with people. To achieve a greater personality, you need to develop a special ability to listen and sympathize with people. Luckily, it is not very hard to achieve if you put in the required effort. Learn to become genuinely interested in people and keep an open ear at all times.

-Learn to dress well

Dressing well means different things to a fashion diva, a pop artiste, a politician or a medical professional. However, dressing well is simply the art of making appearances that are well suited to the image you want people to see you representing. This explains the difference in its translation by different categories of people. Everybody has met somebody they refused to associate with based on the image they assumed they represented. You are first slated by the way you appear.

Dressing well does not necessarily involve getting designers and the latest trends in vogue or putting on expensive apparel. In fact, in certain circumstances, dressing expensively can send the wrong message. Dressing well has a contextual meaning; what you had on yesterday may not necessarily suit your purpose today. So, pay attention to your appearance to improve the way you are perceived.

-Improve personal interaction

As an adjunct to learning to listen, you need to also learn to interact positively in such a way to leave an indelible impression on people who associate with you. People who have come across individuals with excellent personalities report having an euphoric feeling while with them. Learn to contribute positively to conversation, learn social grace and etiquette and be wary of sounding dull and uninterested to people.

Many people also suffer from an inability to communicate with the opposite sex effectively as a result of a plethora of reasons. Learn to bridge this gap by building your own self-confidence and self esteem to record an improvement in your personality.

-Increase your knowledge base

Read and absorb information from diverse walks of life. Spread your interests over a wide range of subjects. You will be surprised to find out how many fields you may discover you have interests in. Read books and surf the internet to acquire both current and historical facts. A great personality is one with sufficient knowledge to share.

-Maintain healthy relationships

A popular saying emphasizes that we are mirror images of the friends we keep. In actual fact, we are what our friends are. Evaluate your goals and that of your friends, find out if they are even similar and take action appropriately. You can’t have an optimistic personality when you move around with pensive and skeptical friends. Build new relationships with people who can help in your journey to self-perfection.

-Learn an extra skill

Develop a skill (professional or otherwise). Take an interest in a marketable skill. It helps promote your brand, build your confidence and uphold your self-esteem. Skills abound for you to learn; MCing, baking, writing, teaching, providing web services among others. Having a skill makes you come across to people as being extra focused and a determined individual.

-Be health conscious

Having a great personality is no victory if you have poor health. Despite our health not being totally under our control, we can still play a huge part in ensuring we always operate as close to full health to possible. Excellent personal hygiene, regular checkups, eating well and exercising have been shown to have a direct uplifiting effect on health. Practise and engage in them to further boost your chances of good health.

-Pray

Learn to develop a relationship with God. Having the perception that God is on your side imbues great confidence and self-assurance, which are both vital in improving personality.

10 Effective reading tips

So, this is my first post on this blog and I have decided to start on an educative note. A lot of teenagers in Nigeria right now have one examination or the other in front of them, be it UTME or for those already in tertiary institutions, semester exams. So, have you been reading hard or reading smart? I will be showing you certain tips to upgrade your reading and catapult you into the stratosphere of success. Follow me.

-Understand Yourself and Develop Your Own Pattern

Well, this is the biggest tip of them all. Many people underutilize their potential by either not discovering their best reading pattern or adopting the wrong system. Understanding yourself entails knowing such things as your reading speed and speed of assimilation among others. Some people can read faster than others; as such, they can start and finish reading what they need to cover within a short span. However, a slow reading speed does not necessarily translate to a lower level of intelligence. Some of the most brilliant people I know are slow readers who only need to read a book once to understand it forever.

Also, some people only read in total silence while others understand better with soft music playing in the background, I read certain calculations better while listening to fast rap. Some people (even some fast readers) like reading well ahead of examinations while others only thrive under pressure. Quite a number of people don’t like reading in libraries and I know a classmate who has to find space under a tree before he can read. Just experiment with different styles and combinations and find out what you are most comfortable with.

-Read a little at a time

A lot of people leave a lot of their work to be read until the last possible moment and end up needing to read a lot at once to catch up. Other people set a particular time or day(s) to read and then go about reading all they can lay their hands on. This works for some people, however, the human body needs rest and does not function well under stress or fatigue. Chances are when you read hard for 8 hours at a stretch, you will understand much less than if you read for 8 hours in total with breaks (of maybe half an hour) in between. The brain will have a chance to get refreshed, relaxed and will be ready to take and process information at a much faster rate.

-Avoid panic-reading

Are you in a situation where you have an exam or test and you still have a lot to cover? Well, everybody has been in that situation before. A lot of people tend to go off their handles and panic but let me tell you; worrying or panicking has never solved a problem before. Calm down, pick out the most important aspects, read them thoroughly. If after reading them, you still have time, go through the remaining materials. Keep cool, don’t lose your head and you will be fine.

-Consult wide

This tip is very important. It is the main difference between average and A-students. This works well when you start reading early for an examination. Go outside the basics given to you, read as many textbooks as you can find, surf helpful websites, consult people ahead of you and your teachers or lecturers and go through past questions. This gives you an edge over those that have read only the basics; you will have a much larger knowledge base to draw upon to prove your points or tackle a tough or applied question.  Wikipedia is especially useful for more in-depth explanations.

-Check pictures and pictorial representations

Learn to check diagrams or other pictorial resources that explain a particularly knotty concept. Many a times while I was in medical school, I have been saved the embarrassment of not knowing how to explain my point by diagrams. Also, associating diagrams with explanations spares you the time you would otherwise have used to revise. Come revision time or shortly before entering the exam hall to take an examination, a simple glance at the diagram will refresh your mind and send you on the way to success.

-Encode information in Mnemonics

A mnemonic is a device or prompt assisting the memory (Microsoft Encarta 2009). If you have passed through secondary school within Nigeria, you surely know of MR NIGER D. MR NIGER D is a most famous mnemonic that holds the characteristics of living things. Think back to how easy it was to hold 8 characteristics with that simple code. I want you to know that you can hold almost every list in such a code. It makes work much easier and fun to recall and has no limit to the number of individual entities it can hold. I have held as much as thirty-five separate things in a mnemonic while schooling.  Try holding things in funny or memorable codes that can be easily remembered and take care to ensure you can recall what each part of the mnemonic means. It is a cardinal sin if you remember the mnemonic and not what it stands for.

A mnemonic is not compulsorily a word, it can be a whole sentence or sometimes, a collection of words that are just about pronounceable and can be recalled. Let me refresh our minds with another famous information held in mnemonics all over the world; the names of planets in the universe. When I was much younger, I stored the names of the planets with “Mr Victor Emmanuel Must Just See Uncle Now, Please”. Look around you, practice with mnemonics before the D-day and watch how you waltz through any question that requires you to list.

-Jot down

This is yet another powerful but ignored reading tool. As a rule, always read with a jotting pad and a pen in your hand. Regularly jot down salient and important points as you read on. Allow your jottings to cover every section of the material you have just read. Jotting keeps what you have just read fresh. The simple act of writing down what you have just understood makes it very difficult for you to forget it. It is also a very powerful revision tool. Running low on time and you want to go through your materials once again? Just read your jottings; it takes less time and covers the most important sections of the exams.

-Group discussion

I discovered the power of group discussions in my second semester in school and I never let it slip through my hands again. Well, do you have some bulky material or handout to go through before the exam period? Get three to four like-minded and serious students like yourself. Divide the material into four or five parts as the case may be and ask everybody to read a portion thoroughly, then, fix a time where everyone explains his own part to the others while they jot down. Then, watch the magic when you come to read the entire material on your own. Believe me, nothing is more effective against bulky materials than group discussions. However, group discussions need extra effort and dedication to work. Every member must be equally determined and serious and it helps when you all pay extra focus. Get good students into your group discussion and watch as your grades take an upward trajectory.

-Steer clear of stimulants

Well, being humans, we love quick fixes and taking stimulatory substances to prepare for an exam is just one of those fixes that work almost all the time but is quite dangerous when they fail. People take different substances, most especially coffee (Nescafe is quite common) to get their bodies into a sleep-denying state to enable them cover as much ground as possible without feeling sleepy. This is another effect of unpreparedness or panic-reading.

While they may work in the short term, getting addicted to them can produce less-than-desirable short and long-term effects. Let me share a personal experience. It was my second year in school and I had this massive biochemistry examination the next day. Well, I had almost finished reading but I was scared I wouldn’t be able to finish revising. So, I succumbed to the pressures of my friends who urged me to take a sachet of Nescafe to stay awake. Well, I did stay awake but I achieved nothing as I wasn’t able to concentrate. I kept fidgeting until I had the good sense to lie down to bed around 2 a.m till the effects wore out. I then woke up around 6 a.m to rush my revision. Well, I didn’t get the grade I felt I should have gotten and that episode taught me a lesson not to indulge in stimulatory products to deprive my physical urges.

Nescafe and other such products mostly contain caffeine as a major constituent. Accumulation of caffeine in the blood stream as a result of habitual use can lead to an inability to sleep even when the products are not taken. This comes with attending physical and mental issues. So, we should be careful and shy away from overdependence on stimulatory substance.  

-Watch your diet and Exercise well

Eat well and eat right before reading and during exams. Food provides nourishment, satisfaction and energy to complete your reading task as reading is an energy-consuming process. Eating the correct food also involves not eating food that produce such effects as flatulence or persistent bowel movement and emptying. Eat a lot of vitamins, fruits and vegetables. They keep the body sharp, prevent infections and provide antioxidants that boost the immune system.

Exercise keeps the body fit, sharpens the brain and increases concentrating ability. Exercise often to upgrade your mental ability and keep your health at optimum level.

-Pray

Bonus tip; prayer is very important. Regardless of your religion, speaking to God before anything is a vital component that determines the success or failure of the enterprise. Prayer also puts you in a mentally and psychologically-buoyant mood as you are expectant and hopeful that your prayers have been answered. This adds a spring to your step and confidence that the control of the situation is in the hands of He whom you serve. Let me add this oft-repeated cliché; pray as if you haven’t read and read as if you haven’t prayed.

So, guys, remember to read smart. Some read hard but successful people don’t need to read hard, they just need to read well and read smart. Cheers.

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