Category: Advices

You are studying and you have to budget carefully. How will this affect your diet? Many of the most nourishing foods are inexpensive. What are they and how do you prepare a tasty meal?

Diet is the main contributor to your health and well-being. Your clarity of mind and energy levels are affected by what you eat. This does not mean your diet has to be complicated or expensive. Simple meals made with the right ingredients can provide you with all you need nutritionally. The clue to a good diet is to remember the body’s basic needs and to think whole meal.

Carbohydrates

This is what our bodies need most and the various foods that contain carbohydrates need to form the basis of a good diet. However, the provision of energy to the body through carbohydrates happens differently according to the qualities of the food. Fruits, whole grains, and vegetables are good carbohydrate providers. Carbohydrates are broken down in the body into sugar molecules that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Fiber is not digested; it simply passes through the body and aids elimination. The speed at which the conversion takes place is what must be considered when writing a shopping list. All processed carbohydrates such as white bread, pastries, white sugar etc. are converted at a faster rate than carbohydrates which are unprocessed and contain fiber. It is the fiber that slows down the conversion rate and helps to provide you with an ongoing energy supply rather than a quick burst. Always make sure you have a good supply of fiber. If you prefer to eat white rice then make sure you eat whole meal bread as a balance, or whole grain cereals for breakfast. A packet of oats to prepare your own muesli mix is not expensive. Soak in fruit juice overnight and add grated apple and yogurt in the morning and you have a cheap and healthy breakfast that contains plenty of fiber and healthy carbohydrates. Another healthy and cheap addition to your breakfast, rich in good carbohydrates and fiber, is whole meal toasted bread. Although whole meal bread may be more expensive to buy than a loaf of sliced white bread, the whole meal option will last longer, provide more nutrition and energy and therefore see you less likely to be snacking during the day because your energy is flagging.

Protein

Most of our body is built on protein. The basic building blocks of protein are amino acids which are found in a variety of foods. Meat, fish, and dairy products provide the most complete combination of amino acids for the body. Vegetables, pulses and nuts are also good sources but if you are vegetarian you must ensure you eat a good variety of plant sources to provide all the amino acids needed by the body. The whole range of Soya products are good, from Soya milk, yogurt and tofu, many delicious meals can be prepared which have the added bonus of being low in fat. Whether vegetarian or not, on a low budget you may well be eating less meat and the addition of pulses such as lentils and beans is both healthy and cheap. The red Egyptian lentils are the easiest to use as they do not require overnight soaking. Hummus, which is made from garbanzos, can be spread on your whole meal bread and together with a salad provide a cheap, fast, and nourishing meal. When eating meat on a low budget first consider eating less. If you buy cuts for stewing and casseroles you do not need a lot as here you can also add beans and plenty of vegetables. Minced meat is also cheap and very diverse in its uses. One of my favorite meals, especially during the winter, is a lentil and root vegetable soup with the addition of small pieces of tofu, dipped first in Soya sauce and then fried. This is cheap and very nourishing with plenty of good carbohydrates, protein, and fiber.

Fats and Oils

It is not about how much fat you consume that constitutes a healthy diet but the quality. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats. Margarine is definitely out. Butter is better but you can try dribbles of olive oil, or if you are spreading peanut butter, hummus, or jam on your toast you do not really need butter as well. Olive oil, peanut oil, nuts, and avocados are all examples of good oils that will not adversely affect your health, quite the opposite. Remember to buy unrefined oil when you can. It is not the cheapest and is therefore to be used with moderation on a cheap budget but you will have enough cheap ingredients in your diet to allow spending a little more on food that is essential for your health. One solution to paying less is to club together with a group of friends and to buy larger quantities, which always comes cheaper. This can be done with other foods as well such as lentils, oats, spices, and all the pulses.

Fruit and vegetables

The list of benefits from eating more than five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is long. Some fruit and vegetables are more expensive than others. Find what is cheapest in your area and buy some staples such as carrots, apples, and cabbage, then add a few others for variety. The local market is probably a cheaper place to buy than a supermarket.

Drinks

Avoid sugary, fizzy drinks. Water and herbal teas are cheap and healthy. Hot milk and honey is a good warmer in winter and home-made lemonade is a great refresher in the summer. One of my favorite drinks which is also a good protein provider is Soya milk mixed with fruit juice.

Snacks

We all like snacks between meals and this is probably when the greatest temptation to eat junk food arises and rapidly depletes your budget. Make your own mixes with nuts and raisins, they are filling and healthy.

Diet plays an important role in your levels of energy and the functioning of your brain. What you eat and how you eat, are important.

When eating during a busy day it is too easy to worry only about satisfying hunger. If this becomes a habit with little consideration for what is actually being put into the body then at some point soon performance will be affected. Mind and body are not separate entities but here I will look at the specific needs of the brain. After all, it is the vehicle of your intellect and this is your primary tool for studying.

Omega-3

Much has been said about Omega-3 in recent years but what is it actually? It is one of two essential fatty acids that the body cannot produce itself. Therefore it needs to be part of a healthy diet. For a very thorough description of Omega-3, and research done at a British school, see the link at the bottom of this article.

Omega-3 has been shown to be beneficial for a variety of ailments but the effect on brain cells has received less attention. As a lay person interested in healthy foods I prefer to make sure I get what my body and brain needs by eating healthily. Supplements are available but please be cautious about taking too many. Too much Omega-6, the other essential fatty acid, can even hinder the effects of Omega-3.

Sources of Omega-3

Omega-3 is found in oily fish such as sardines, tuna, salmon, and mackerel. Pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and walnuts also contain Omega-3 and these are all easy to use regularly by scattering a spoonful over your cereal or muesli at breakfast time, although flax seeds are better for the digestive system when ground beforehand. A few walnuts and pumpkin seeds taste good mixed in with a salad or simply combined with raisins as a snack. This is an easy and natural way to nourish your brain.

As a side note here, I was fascinated and delighted when I heard that walnuts are good for the brain because of their Omega-3 content. I remembered a so-called old wives tale which said that walnuts were brain food because their shape is similar to that of a brain. Ancient wisdom or simple observation?

General Considerations for a Healthy Diet

If you eat well so that your whole body is more energized and clear then you will also be more alert. Beware of trans-fatty acids that are found in margarine and as an ingredient in many processed foods. Make sure you eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and do not always rely on meat for your protein. Soya and tofu are good alternatives and also contain some Omega-3. The B-vitamin complex is essential for the nerves and again, I prefer to get it naturally rather than in supplements. Unless you are lacking seriously in any vitamins or minerals it is sufficient to make sure you are eating good, organic, whole food as far as possible. Whole meal bread and additional wheat germ are good sources of vitamin B.

Enjoy Your Food

Eating as a pleasurable occasion relaxed and with friends, contributes as much to your wellbeing as the food you are eating so don’t feel you have to be over strict about your diet. Be sensible, care, and enjoy. A few small changes in diet can have a great effect on the way you feel.

Being a full-time student is time consuming. You spend most of your daylight hours in class and most of your evening hours studying. Add in an internship or a part-time job and you may find yourself thinking of sleep as a thing of the past. You certainly are not alone in feeling this way. Numerous studies suggest that college students experience the highest level of sleep deprivation of any demographic of people. Far from being just annoyance, sleep deprivation has serious consequences, from impaired performance at school to serious health problems. Although you can’t change how busy you are and how much time you have to sleep, there are things you can do to make your sleep more productive.

1. Watch Your Caffeine Intake: As students, coffee and energy drinks are far from beverages of choice; for many they are a necessity. Most students consume at least two cups of coffee a day, with some even drinking upwards of three pots. While caffeine isn’t all that great for you, it can be beneficial if used at the correct times. A cup of coffee in the morning gets most of us going. It is a problem, however, if you consume caffeine too close to when you go to bed. Even though many people don’t have a problem falling asleep after a cup of coffee, the sleep you experience while caffeine is in your system tends to be interrupted and restless. Basically, the rule of thumb is this: try to stop drinking coffee two to three hours before you go to bed. Your sleep will be much more restful.
2. Take Power Naps: A power nap is a nap of between 15 and 30 minutes usually taken in the middle of the day. Studies suggest that power naps allow your body to rest enough to feel rejuvenated and energized for the remainder of the day. Be sure to stick to the time limit, though, as sleeping longer can have the opposite effect of making you groggy for the remainder of the day.
3. Keep a Consistent Schedule: Granted, not many students have the luxury of doing the same things at the same time every day, but try to go to bed and wake up around the same times, even on days when you don’t have much to do. This conditions your body and makes it sleep better when you rest than if you binge sleep (sleep 14 hours one day out of seven).
4. Get Plenty of Exercise: This doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym every day. Rather, try to make sure you get about ten to fifteen minutes of brisk walking in at some point during the day. For most students this isn’t a problem, as they must commute between classes. Regular exercise will help ready your body for productive sleep.

You don’t have to live with the bad effects of sleep deprivation if you pay attention to your body. Don’t let exhaustion hinder your academic career! Following the above tips should help you feel more rested, even on limited time.

Some people consider high school to be the best four years of their lives, while others choose to block out that timeframe from their memory altogether. Four years is a relatively big chunk of time so it is crucial that fear of not fitting in disappears within the first semester of freshman year. Probably the biggest piece of advice to be given to high school students is that there is no such thing as popularity, really. There is no such thing as social status in a world where everyone learns the same material, has the same homework to turn in, walks the same hallways, and is subject to the same consequences. Materialistic possessions and brand names are by no means the definition of happiness. Some people just come to that realization four years too late. Don’t be one of those people.

The key to “fitting in” is to build relationships, great ones. Not necessarily romantic relationships, just relationships with people that go deeper than a shared interest in the latest gossip. Taking part in clubs and sports is a sure way of meeting potential friends, fitting in (with them), and having a happy, healthy, high school life.

A foot massage is a very simple act and therein lies its beauty. Elegant and luxurious, definitely a good tool in stress management and the release of tension, and yet we pay so little attention to our feet that do so much good work for us.

Anatomy of the feet and ankles

The feet and ankles are very complex structures with twenty-four bones, that is a quarter of the bones in our body, thirty-three joints, and one hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Then of course you have the network of nerves and blood vessels. Our feet do a fantastic job of carrying our weight and transporting us around all day. They deserve a rest and they have earned a regular massage. A foot massage, although focusing on the feet, does have an effect on the whole body and there are massage techniques which use correspondences between areas of the foot and other body parts.

Massage techniques

Reflexology is a well know method that uses a correspondence map. In this method various areas of the feet correspond to zones of the body. Reflexology is not just about a pleasant foot massage, which it also is, but about using the feet as instrument of addressing problems in any part of the body. For a reflexology massage you need to visit a trained professional.

Shiatsu, which is normally a full body treatment, is based on the energy meridians of traditional Chinese medicine that also form the basis of acupuncture. It can also be done as a simple foot massage which would begin with massaging the soles and heel, stretching the toes and then paying attention to the meridian points. These are points along the twelve energy meridians by which the energy of that specific meridian is accessed. Several of these meridians begin or end in the foot. As each meridian expresses an energy particular to various body systems, Shiatsu on the feet can also have a full body effect. Again you would also need a professional practitioner for this kind of massage. However, a short introductory course, a familiarity with the meridians and points, and the aid of one of many of the do-it-yourself books on Shiatsu points and remedies will enable you to perform a simple massage on family and friends.

As a student you are on a budget and regular visits to a professional practitioner may not be realistic so here are some tips for giving a simple foot massage and sharing with friends. The first imperative is to always be sensitive. Feel the foot intuitively and do not massage too firmly or too lightly. You can practice on your own feet to get the right touch. Never press straight down on a bony or tense part of the foot and remember to respond to the receiver’s feedback. Make sure both giver and receiver are sitting comfortably, hold the foot in the palm of one hand and with the other bend the toes gently back and then forward to give them a stretch. Do the same with the whole foot to stretch the Achilles tendon. Now gently massage down between the metatarsals (long bones) of the forefoot that lead to the toes. A lot of tension can gather here so go carefully as it may be a sensitive spot. Then massage in semi-circular movements along the instep from heel to big toe. Usually it is possible to be firmer here as we are on a fleshier part of the foot. Next massage the sole of the foot with circular movements. Please try to be as intuitive as possible. Imagine you are the foot and how you would like to be held. Sudden, hard pressure straight down is not good. Move slowly and increase the pressure gradually. Finally hold the ankles and using fingers and thumb simply move around the ankle bone. Finish by stroking the whole foot downwards from ankle to toes. You can use the same technique to give yourself a foot massage.

The soul of the foot

No, that is not spelled incorrectly. I mean the soul and I mean in it in the sense that our feet are a part of ourselves that contain feeling and character. Our soles connect us to the ground beneath us, they feel the terrain and it is wonderful to walk barefoot along a beach or over soft grass. As a meditation exercise try to be aware of the energy of the earth through the soles of your feet. Or raise your arms high and imagine energy running from the sky down your arms and body, through the soles of your feet and into the ground.

Enjoy giving and receiving foot massage and reflect on the soul in your soles.

Phlebotomy is a medical branch amongst many medical careers that a person learns blood extraction from the veins for medical purposes. The course takes quite some time to learn it though it all depends on the environment and method of acquiring the skills. There are various ways one can use to acquire this course. A person can either go to a campus full time or just decide to learn the course online. In either of the ways one chooses has its own pros and cons.

Learning phlebotomy from an accredited campus has many advantages since here; the student will learn directly from the lecturers who will be giving tutorials and if one fails to understand a point, the can ask immediately and get immediate feedback. Therefore, it will be easy for the learner to understand the concepts faster than a person learning through online since they will require to do research and in some cases, the data online may not be sufficient as required.

A person taking a course with the aim of becoming a certified phlebotomist Froman accredited campus always has added advantages since they will have a certificate to show they really did the course at a certain university. All potential employers always require documents to show the persons they wish to employ from which school they attained the knowledge to handle the specific clinical roles that they want to allocate. By taking the course from a well reputable campus adds an advantage to the person since the employers will associate the person with how reputable the campus one took the course from.

At a campus, students have a good learning environment and good knowledge is acquired since here, there are practical lessons to the students to familiarize them with the real thing that phlebotomy involves. By so doing, the students not only get the theoretical part of the course bur the practical part of it since they have laboratory to show they students how blood extraction is done. A person who just studies the course theoretically alone may find it hard working in the profession since most of the knowledge needed here in how to practice the art practically. Therefore, the students here get the advantage to show that they have the theoretical and practical knowledge as well.  Campuses also organize practical lessons to hospitals where they arrange with the medical facilities to demonstrate to the students how things are done. This also makes the students get the courage since the course involves a lot of needling.

Colleges offering phlebotomy certification training are required to ensure their students undergo an internship from a medical facility offering this scientific procedure. By so doing, students get to familiarize with the practical aspects involved in the phlebotomy medical procedures. This proves to be advantageous to the students since they will able to see what really happens from the theory they learnt in a classroom unlike where you just learn online without any real practical experimentation.

Upon completion of the course from a known college, students chance a benefit of getting competitive salary as compared to one who just took the course online since campuses offer more training than online study.

So, you want to know how to improve memory, but you are unsure as to how effective it will be in the area of your work as a student. The following tips will help you in creating a memory that helps you with an upcoming exam or test. Remember these when you begin to study material, and you will find that it works great if it comes into play with the type of lifestyle you practice.

How to improve memory is the aftermath of everything else within your life. If you can balance things out and find a happy medium with your peers, health, activity, education and hobbies, then you will find that it’s much easier to remember material. To improve your memory you have to sharpen the areas of your brain that aren’t being challenged. We tend to forget about different things in life that don’t pertain to us and our interests.

Small brain teasers and games will challenge our thought process in a way that is new and confusing. Knowing how to improve memory means that, as a student, you can challenge yourself in the types of books you read, movies you watch and vocabulary that you use. This will require you to stimulate new brain cells which will literally grow and introduce you to a new way of remembering information and functioning.

Personalization is the key when you are learning how things work for you and in favor of your education. We all learn and retain data in different ways, and it’s up to us if we want to know how to use it for a satisfactory outcome. Are you a visual learner, audio learner or active learner? This is important because it’s going to require you to study materials within a certain environment. It may cause you to study with other people aloud so that you can hear and reflect upon the vocabulary words or functions.

Drink a lot of water and eat foods or have beverages that contain ginseng. This will help you to concentrate while you are attempting to use your memorization. Taking care of your diet is going to affect the level of energy that you have and the mental clarity that is either going to make or break your study session.

One on one tutoring may be necessary for someone who doesn’t do well in the classroom or with a group of people. It may take an intent description of class material if you are working on how to improve memory. This sounds like a burden, but it isn’t, because you will then depict a better understanding of the detail, and you won’t forget the information that has been taught to you because it’s been on an intimate level.

Now that you know what it takes you can take the initiative in getting it done! Prioritizing your time and being responsible is all a part of growing up. Further yourself in all areas of life, as well as your mind to keep your memory working effectively. You never know what you’ll be faced with in which you are required to use your short-term or long-term memory.

When it comes to choosing an online school to go to, there are many factors that come to mind. You may be worried about the cost of your school, or you may be worried about the length of the online degree program you want to go through. Whatever the case may be, it might be wise to look over an online college biography before you determine which school you want to go to. The more information you can learn about the history of your school, the better you will be able to decide if it is the school for you. Here are a few pieces of information you may be able to pull out of reading a bio.

An online college biography can give you an idea of why a school was founded, which will give you a better understanding of what the overall goals of the school may be. In some cases, the school may have been founded on a certain religious belief or for a certain degree program. You should then develop an understanding of what the core focus of the school will be and whether it will work for you.

You can look over the bio to figure out what the overall goal of the school is. You’ll find this somewhere in the mission section of the school website. Most schools will make some kind of statement about what their goals are as a school and what kind of students they aim to help. If you think you sound like the perfect fit for the institution, you can make an effort to explore the degree programs offered there.

You can see the age of the school with an online college biography. That way you will know how long the school has been in operation so you can see just how experienced it is with students. Older schools usually have better programs because they have been around for a while, but that is not always the case. Sometimes new schools will be able to promote new learning options that older schools have not picked up on yet. You will have to take an overall look at the program to make a decision about that. Even if this takes a little time, it will do wonders for your future and your career.

If you look at an online college biography, you may be able to get an idea of how much the school has grown over the years. This will not tell you much about the programs per se, but it will show that people have trusted that school enough to keep it in business. Schools that do not teach well do not last long, especially on the internet. If the university has gotten enough funding for new programs and higher acceptance levels, that means they are doing a good job with the programs they have. Use this information to build your confidence in a program.

When you think about it, an online college biography is an overview of a college’s history, and it is a great window as to what can be expected for the future of the institute. Successful colleges have successful biographies. You will need to take more than a simple biography into consideration to get an idea of whether a school is right for you, but this should at least point you in the right direction. You can see great benefits from going to school on the internet, but you have to see that for yourself. Take a chance with an online program that seemingly suits your needs.

With the growing cut-throat competition in the professional world, it’s time to know your interest and aptitude and opt for alternative ways of not just getting a degree but a job too.

Plenty of courses available in private institutes meet the demands of industries like hospitality, fashion, travel and tourism, aviation among many others thus making it easy for you to aspire for a successful professional life.

Radio Jockey

A radio jockey is someone who gets paid for playing his favorite tunes. The opening up of the airwaves to the private sector saw the surge in radio programs and consequently the need for professional and well-trained Radio Jockeys (RJs).

This is one profession where you may not be known by your name or face but by your voice. Some of such voices have today become household names including those of Amin Sayani, Shamshir, Karan, Nitin, Dev, Rajeev Tyagi, Hardeep Chandpuri, to name a few. All these are popular RJs and their profession is called radio jockeying.

There is no age limit or qualification to enter this profession. Some private radio stations take 10+2 students. An RJ should have a good voice, diction, flare and fluency. Pronunciation must be accurate.

One should also have presence of mind, general awareness and be willing to learn and grasp rules of the entertainment industry.

Since the field is up coming, not many training institutions have come up in radio jockeying. Though there are a number of institutes that offer courses in communication and broadcasting varying from two-month certificate course to one-year postgraduate program.

Besides, there are a host of crash courses in voiceovers or mixing run by professionals in the field. AIR offers a two-month in-house training course to its RJs. Besides, AIR Chandigarh has been conducting a week-long ‘Vaani Certificate’ course to train its presenters.

Initially, an RJ can earn between RS 7,000 to RS 15,000 per month, which becomes better with few years of experience. Besides, one can do voiceovers, advertisement jingles for radio, television channels and corporate houses.

Developing relationships with university lecturers / tutors is straight forward as they behave in a professional, ethical and to a point, predictable manner.

It is important to remember that university lecturers invest a lot of time producing material for a degree course, and are therefore likely to steer it in a direction that is of some interest to them personally.

University Lecturers will respond positively to degree students who take a genuine interest in the module, and show some appreciation for the effort that has been put into it:

• Always turn up on time to university lectures
• Attend every university lecture
• Research the degree subject properly using the recommended texts and other resources

Doing these three things will show your university lecturer you are a serious degree student, it will also put you in a position to ask more advanced questions, again demonstrating your commitment and allowing you to glean additional knowledge from the lecturer.

Lecturers are busy people, if you are perceived as a serious student they are more likely to make time for you when you need it.

In my degree experience students with a poor attendance record approaching university lecturers in a panic close to deadlines are not viewed favorably. This coupled with time constraints means badly organized degree students do not get the same level of support as those who work ahead.

When asking university lecturers for advice on a topic, tell them that you are aiming for a first class degree. This will again demonstrate your commitment, and will lead them to give you the higher level information you are looking for. The advice I got from university lecturers after asking “what do I need to do to get a first class degree” was very different to that given to students asking what I need to do to pass my degree.

If you engage with university lecturers properly you can take your learning well beyond the scope of your degree, you have an opportunity to acquire knowledge you may never have otherwise learned, and have some enjoyable debates in the process.