Five Things Nobody Told Me about College

As I type this, I am in my university dorm room. A year ago, when I was waiting to hear the results of my college applications, I often went to websites for some type of insider look on what college would be like. However, there’s only so much that prep books, websites, and older friends can teach. Here are the top 5 things nobody told me about college:

　(1)　

Nobody entering a university knows exactly what they want to study. If they tell you otherwise, they’re lying and will probably change what they want to pursue within the first quarter of attendance. During my first quarter at University of California, Riverside (UCR), I thought that I wanted to study Political Science with its focus on International Affairs, so that’s what I applied for. However, once I worked with statewide and local government, I realized that a better fit for me would be Public Policy, and now I am in the process of changing my area.

　(2)　

In college, there are so many good chances for you to meet your expectations. However, there is a very important difference between wanting to do something and applying for something. In order for you to take full advantage of the conferences, research, internships(实习),and fellowships that your university offers, apply! Step into your academic advisor’s office, introduce yourself, and begin making the valuable connections that are necessary to help during the rest of your college career. Great things happen when you step out of your comfort zone, and you would be surprised on how many chances exist if you just ask.

　(3)　

College is where you meet your bridesmaids, groomsmen, neighbors, and potential bosses. The relationships you develop now will probably be linked to the ones you value later, so be wise about the people who you invest yourself in. You are only one person, and you do not have time to waste on people who would rather cause drama or mess up with your purpose. Surround yourself with uplifting individuals who challenge you to be better while loving you for who you are, and be patient to the people who are the complete opposite of that description.

　(4)　

As a first-year, I was afraid to make any noise towards campus issues that I noticed. It was not until I became involved in student government that I gained the confidence to handle projects that I created with the help of ASUCR Office of the President. During my first quarter, I spoke directly to the Chancellor(校长),asking him for support towards my initiatives(提议),met with the Vice Chancellors, and cooperated with my teaching assistants to begin my undergraduate research project. Nothing good will happen when you are silent.

　(5)　

At my high school, there were about only four active clubs and organizations that students could be a part of. Imagine my surprise when I stepped foot onto UCR’s campus, where over 400 organizations exist, ranging from political organizations to karate club. You are not paying all of your tuition(学费)to merely go to class, study, pass tests and graduate. Make something worthy out of your experience. Create stories that you will want to tell your grandchildren one day. It all begins here, by signing up to join an organization.

Ways to Save Time

We all wish we had just a bit more time. Just think what you could do with an extra hour or two each day: you could finally stick to an exercise routine, or spring-clean the house, or write your novel, or learn the guitar and so on.

　  (1)  　But I can help you find more hours in your day for the things that really matter.

1  Get Out of Bed Earlier

If you normally get up at 7:30 a. m. , try getting up at 7:00 a. m. That half-hour might not sound like much, but it could be time that you use to exercise, to read that book you've been meaning to finish. 　  (2)  

2  Do the Important Tasks First

Once you get to work, get the important ones done first (not the easy ones, or even the urgent ones). You can afford to spend at least an hour working on big, important tasks rather than on all those little urgent ones.

　  (3)  　The urgent tasks will still get done, and you won’t miss the important ones.

3 Reduce Interruptions

If colleagues have a habit of hanging around your desk to chat, or if the phone is constantly ringing, you might find that it takes you half the day to finish a simple task like writing a letter. Constant interruptions don’t just eat up time; they also break your concentration.

When you've got a big task to focus on, let your calls go to voicemail. 　  (4)  　Wearing headphones makes it less likely that people will try to strike up a conversation.

4  　  (5)  

A few minutes chatting, browsing the web, and so on, can easily turn into hours of wasted time over the course of a day.

When you’re working, work. If your concentration is slipping, take a proper break: go and get a glass of water, or stretch your legs a bit. And if you’re facing a difficult task, try breaking it into small steps or stages so that it’s easier to deal with.

Food manufacturers and retailers(零售商) are letting shoppers down. This is the view of the CWS, which has just brought out a new report.

According to the report, shoppers believe food labels because they think there are strict regulations in place.　(1)　So the food industry can get away with all sorts of tricky strategies to make products look bigger and sound better than they are.

The report has identified the different ways in which shoppers are misled. 　(2)　 Descriptions on packaging are sometimes inaccurate in an attempt to oversell the product. One example given in the report is the phrase "haddock fillets"(黑线鳕鱼片), used for a product that is in fact cut from big blocks of fish rather than individual slices.

　    　(3)　These include "traditional", "wholesome", or "superior". The claim that a brand is "90% fat-free" hides the fact that it contains 10% fat, which is above recommended levels. Phrases like "free from preservatives(防腐剂)" make a virtue out of a normal attribute of food.

    Labels have a wide variety of text sizes on them. You sometimes need a magnifying glass(放大镜) to read the small print. 　(4)　

Another deliberate type of misinformation lies in the image. Many pictures on packets use small plates to make the product look bigger.　(5)　

Want to live in a perfectly clean environment and make it shine brightly?   (1)  Then you will not need to purchase expensive cleaning products.

Clean the toilet with Coke. It’s amazing how powerful Coke might be as a toilet cleaner.   (2)   You’ll save your health by not consuming chemicals that Coke contains and save money by not purchasing professional cleaners. Pour some cola over the stains and leave it all for a few hours. Then let water wash the toilet!

Remove water stains with orange peels. You’ve just eaten an orange.   (3)  Do not throw away those orange peels. You can use the skins to clean stainless steel. Your appliances will shine again after you rub(擦) them with the skins. The peels can easily make those stubborn stains disappear in a second.

Use banana peels to polish leather furniture. Experts claim that banana peels are great for polishing leather sofas and armchairs. Banana skins are rich in oils and have the right texture to do the task.  (4)  Afterwards, remove the leftover with a cloth. This trick is simple and cheap. Use it if you want your leather furniture to look brand new again.

  (5)  Why would you want to buy one when you can make your own product that is cheap and non-toxic(无毒的)? Just pour 2 liters of slightly warm water into a deep bowl. Then add 50ml white vinegar and half a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. Shake the bowl and then fill up a plastic spray with the mixture. Use it to clean windows and mirrors. Make your glass surfaces clean and shiny.

After entering high school，you must wonder how to study well．Here are some good skills for you．

Go to class．

If you want to do well at school，going to class is the first step in studying well．If you miss（错过）classes，you will miss what the teacher thinks is important； as a result，you'll miss what is the most likely to end up on the test．  (1)  

Take good notes．

Try not to write down everything．  (2)   Write down unfamiliar terms．After class，review（复习）your notes as soon as possible．You can fill in details that you missed and review the material while it is still fresh on your mind．

  (3)  

If you are struggling in class，talk to your teacher．He or she may be able to give you more help or tutor（指导） you before or after class．Most teachers have little sympathy（同情） for students who just become worried about failing during the last few weeks of the grading period．

Take part in class discussions．

In order to learn more in class，it is helpful to take part in class discussions．Asking questions and having eye contact（交流）with your teachers and classmates can increase your participation（参与） and your focus during the class discussion．  (4)  This helps you make your point clear in class．

Form study groups．

  (5)  Make sure that everyone is familiar with the material because you do not want to spend time re﹣teaching material to people who do not understand it．Be careful! Sometimes group sessions can become chatting sessions．

Traveling to all corners of the world gets easier and easier．We live in a global village ,but this doesnˈt mean that we all behave in the same way．How should we behave when you meet someone for the first time?  (1)  __. In many parts of Asia, there is no physical contact(接触)at all．In Japan, you should bow, and the more respect you want to show, The deeper you should bow．In Thailand, people greet each other by pressing both hands together at the chest.   (2)  _.

  (3)  . In Muslim countries, you shouldnˈt expose (显露) your body, especially women, who should wear long blouses and skirts．In Korea, you should take off your shoes when entering a house. Remember to place them neatly together where you come in．

In Spain, lunch is often the biggest meal of the day, and can last two or three hours．  (4)  _.  In Mexico, Lunch is the time to relax, and many people prefer not to discuss business as they eat. In Britain, itˈs not unusual to have a business meeting over breakfast．

In most countries, an exchange of business cards is necessary for all introductions. You should include your company name and your position．If you are going to a country where your language is not widely spoken, you can get the back side of your card printed in the local language.  (5)  _.

How to Become a Top Student

Successful students use different techniques to study，which brings them more success.   (1)   Here are the four techniques almost all top-performing students use.

They are regular.Almost all successful students study regularly，because they know “what you give is what you get”．If you put in regular hours of studying，then you will learn more and get better grades.   (2)   This will help you to study regularly.

They have clear goals. All top-performing students have definite, specific goals.  (3)  They motivate(激发)you and drive you to study more.But make sure that you do not get carried away.Set realistic goals which can challenge you，but do not seem impossible or too difficult to achieve.

They study without pressure．Successful students study a lot.But they study without putting strain on themselves.Most students make the mistake of studying too hard or studying continuously for a long time.   (4)  Studying should be done in a balanced manner.Take a break for a few minutes，after studying for 30 or 45 minutes.Relax，walk around your room or house，or drink some water and return to studying.Such short breaks will refresh your brain and you will learn more.

  (5)  Studying is not something you do just because your parents ask you to do it.Itˈs actually very important for you.Studying gives you knowledge and skills that will remain with you for the rest of your life.It gives you the ability to get a job and earn money.And successful students recognize the value of studying well.

 It is necessary to be reasonable and flexible enough to avoid conflicts as much as possible and live in peace with others. ____  (1)  ____ If you have done all your best to avoid conflicts and you are still arguing, then read these effective tips on how to avoid conflicts.

   Don't get in the center of the conflict.

   Sometimes people can get in the center of conflicts due to their enthusiasm for offering help. Frankly speaking, it is very unwise, because it can make you the main figure of the conflict. ____  (2)  ____ You should focus on your own life issues.

   Be kind.

   ____  (3)  ____ Life is full of conflicts and disagreements, that's why you should find more conservative ways of dealing with them. For example, kindness can lessen the conflict.

   Try to be a peacekeeper.

   Peacekeepers tend to cooperate with people without bad emotions which usually lead to arguments and even conflicts. "____  (4)  ____" This saying is the life motto of a natural-born peacekeeper. Don't worry if you are not a natural-born peacekeeper; you can gain this skill during life.

   Walk off.

   When the conflict is gathering pace and you can't manage to control yourself, you should choose to handle the situation in another way. By all means, try to keep yourself away from stress. ____  (5)  ____ You should get away from the situation for a while.

Do you still remember the haze (雾霾) in the winter? So many people got terribly ill during or after the haze.   (1)   Here is advice for you to protect yourself in hazy weather.

Spend less time outdoors. This is the most effective way for self-protection in such bad weather. With PM2.5 increasing 103mg per cubic meter, residents will risk a 2.29% increase of death, which experts found out in 2012. If you have to get out, avoid riding bicycles.   (2)   

Close your windows. Experts advise residents to avoid opening windows at home. If you have to, avoid the time when smog is at its densest (浓的).   (3)   Besides, you can keep plants with broad leaves at home to absorb dusk, and use air purifiers.

Smoke less.   (4)   In hazy weather, smoking would be even more harmful. Smokers are advised to keep their distance from cigarettes before the weather gets better.

  (5)   For example, wear special masks outside to avoid breathing in PM2.5. Then take off your coat after getting indoors and keep it away from your other clean clothes. Don’t forget to wash your face, rinse your mouth, and clean your nasal cavity (鼻腔) to clean the particulate matters (颗粒物) that fall on you. Last but not least, keep off stimulating foods.