How to Prepare for an Oral Report

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

An editor has suggested that this article be merged with: "How to Do an Oral Speech on Time" Per the merge policy, if these topics are determined to be similar but distinct, then the articles will remain separate. Please comment on the discussion page. Notice added on 2008-04-30.

Spending long hours working on an oral report can be tedious. We have to research for accuracy, plan the layout, memorize what we are going to say. This might be worth it, but then when it does not turn out as good as you expected, is very disappointing.

Steps

1. Research your topic. If your topic is quite boring, search for some interesting facts about it that will wow your classmates.
   
2. Take notes. Don't be afraid to jot down details. Be sure to use better words than "nice" or "big." Rather opt for words such as "gigantic" or "fantastic."
   
3. Add a little something to it. Why not add pictures or make a life size model from the topic. Drawing a time line, especially if it's a history report, can also work.
   
4. Look over your written report, Add details where needed and exchanging words with those that would fit the report better.
   
5. Practice! Practice! Practice! Look at yourself in the mirror and talk as if you're in front of people. Make sure that you're not leaning or fumbling around when you talk. With a bit more practice, you will be able to ace that report and look good at the same time.

Tips

• Try not to act too enthusiastic about the topic. This makes you look cheesy.
  
• Ask your crowd if they have any questions, and always be prepared to answer them!
  
• Make sure that what you brought in as a demonstration, is colorful and eye-catching.

Warnings

• When you take notes, be 100% sure that you aren't plagiarizing, copying word for word as written.
  
• Make the speech short and to the point. Long drawn out reports are marked as boring and are similar to listening to lectures. Keep it short and simple.

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Prepare for an Oral Report. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Get up from Your Bed Instantly

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Tired of getting late to work? Do you usually wake up and think "why can't I stay just 5 more minutes in bed?" and 5 minutes later you think the same thing, and this repeats itself over and over until lunchtime and you realized that you have missed your work?Do you feel like your legs don't obey to your orders?Do you see yourself as a lazy every morning?So where is the answer for your prayers, the ending of your daily suffering and morning fears?

Steps

1. Shut down your mind. Your mind is your worse enemy, block all your thoughts. Any single thought will origin another one. i.e. "I need to get up because I need to go to work" but then you will think "but I’m so tired...resting more 5 minutes will not cause the end of the world". So don't think anything! If you're having difficulties doing this, try thinking of emptiness. (If your idea of emptiness is a "dark screen" don't think it, think white instead or think in transparency. It may seem hard or even stupid, but visualize a transparent glass in front of your eyes like a layer between your eyes and the rest of the environment you are in.) Also imagine that your cutting off your mind power source. But be careful, these techniques might make you fall asleep. Anyway...try to "Shut up" your mind.
2. Practice. The human mind works by learning and learning requires practice, and practice is based on repeating an action over and over. Keep getting out of bed.
3. Simulate. Turn off the light, shutdown your computer or TV or whatever (or turn it on...in case you usually sleep with your computer turned on) Put everything like the way it is when you're going to sleep, dress yourself like you do when you're going to sleep, wear your pajama or put yourself in underwear...you should be exactly dressed the way you dress to sleep. If you do a regular task before going to sleep (like brushing your teeth or something else) do it now. If you watch your favourite show before sleeping, record it...and watch it now.
4. Set your alarm clock for a few minutes later. Close your eyes like if you're going to sleep and try to fall asleep...it may be difficult. So don't try too hard, you don't need really to sleep, that's optional. When your alarm clock goes on, get up from the bed, It will be easy because you aren't tired. Try not to get up to fast but not too slow. Start moving yourself right away and don’t stop, you can take some seconds until you get up, but don't stop moving. You might prefer to sit on your bed instead of getting up right away. Now turn the alarm clock off.
5. Stretch yourself. Stretch like you do when you get up on your normal "getting up routine" or don't if you do not usually stretch. Just do what you usually do right away after getting up. (no, you don't need to go to the bathroom, do the breakfast etc! don't even leave your room). P.S - To do not stretch yourself while you’re still in bed, if you do that on your daily "getting up routine" stop doing it. Stretch after and not during.
6. Return to bed and to it again. Do this a few times at the different hours of the day, do 2-3 sets at each session. And do 2-4 sessions a day. Feel free to raise the number of sets per session and the number of sessions per day with the time (like if you doing a exercise. Like you do at the gym or at home or even if you don't exercise I'm sure you know what I'm talking about)

Tips

• Do some sessions of silence meditation to help you shutdown your mind.
• Raise the number of "getting up" sessions per day, or the number of sets of do progressively.
• think of something to look forward to that day. it might get you up.

Warnings

• Do not stretch yourself while you’re still in bed, if you do that on your daily "getting up routine" stop doing it. Stretch AFTER and not WHILE.
• Avoid thoughts like "I will sleep just 5 more minutes", "Go legs! move!! come on!!", "It's so cold outside and so hot and comfortable in here" Better...don't even think!

Things You'll Need

• An alarm clock
• A bed
• Some time to practice.
• Willpower
• Patience

Related wikiHows

• How to Wake Someone Up
• How to Find Places to Sleep in the Cold
• How to Control when You Fall Asleep
• How to Sleep for Better Health

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Get up from Your Bed Instantly. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Use the Experiential Learning Model

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

The Experiential Learning Model, used extensively in 4-H and other groups, is a way to turn ordinary games into learning experiences, primarily with the use of questions. This educational model is a great way to subtly make the most out of a situation.

Steps

1. Do the activity with your group. Before you can use the Experiential Learning Model, you must have something to use it on. After you learn the rest of the steps to the Experiential Learning Model, you will know how to look for good activities to use the model on.
   
2. Reflect on the activity.
   
   • What? What happened in the activity? What were the results? Everyone in the group should share their observations on what was going on. Listen to all observations. Everyone deserves a chance to talk. What did each person do? What was the most difficult thing about this activity?
     
   • Gut. Ask the group what their gut reaction was. If someone was left out, how did they feel being left out? How did it feel to lead? You can link the experience to your target subject matter (if you have one) and the life skills being learned. What problems or issues seemed to occur over and over? How did you feel when a particular thing happened?
     
3. Apply the activity to other experiences.
   
• So what? So what happened? How do we apply this to the situation at hand? Generalize the event to connect it to real-world examples. What did you learn about yourself through this activity? What did you learn about making decisions? How does this activity relate to real life outside of the activity? How did you go about deciding what to do?
  
• Now what? How can you apply what you've learned to a similar or different experience? What is another situation in which this skill can be used? How will the issues raised by this activity be useful in the future? How will you act differently in the future as a result of this activity?

Tips

• Remember what, gut, so what, and now what. This sticks well in the mind of youth and covers the basic steps after the activity is done.
  
• You may want to have everyone sit for all steps after Do. This will help them focus. Sitting in a circle is also a good way to help the group share openly, and ensures everyone can hear and make eye contact.
  
• Think of questions ahead of time, but leave room for questions that may arise from unexpected things that happen.
  
• You can apply the Experiential Learning Model to things other than games.
  
• Modify as necessary.

Warnings

• Choose activities appropriate for your group's age and size, and choose an area accordingly.

Things You'll Need

• Group of people, any age
  
• Suitable activity
  
• Desire to learn

Related wikiHows

• How to Encourage Your Child to Love Learning
  
• How to Love Learning About Things!
  
• How to Be Self Learning
  
• How to Make the Most of Your Learning Style

Sources and Citations

• Wikipedia article on Experiential Learning
  
• Cyfernet article on The Experiential Learning Model
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Use the Experiential Learning Model. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Draw a Flower in Microsoft Paint

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Ever wondered how to draw a flower in Microsoft Paint? This handy How-To guide will teach you the basics and get you on track to make some impressive foliage.

Steps

1. Open up Microsoft Paint from the Accessories folder in your Start Menu.
2. Using the wavy line tool, draw a curved, dark green line of medium-thick thickness in a position like in the picture. In order to curve the line, draw a straight line and then click and drag where you want to curve it. You can curve each line twice.
3. Click the Dark Yellow and right-click the Bright Yellow. Then choose the circle tool and make an appropriately sized oval in the top left corner. Be sure to select the middle option on the sidebar under the main tools, as it will give you a circle with a dark yellow outline and a bright yellow fill.
4. Hit Ctrl-v to paste in another petal.
5. Drag the petal down to the end of the stem.
6. Reselect the other petal using the box tool.
7. Drag the petal down to the left side of the stem. Make sure that the second option is selected on the sidebar under the main tools as it will make sure not to overlap any of your previous work.
8. Hit Ctrl-v to create another petal.
9. Hit Ctrl-r to rotate the selection. Click rotate and choose 90 degrees and hit OK.
10. Hit Ctrl-c to copy the new petal.
11. Move the petal down onto the flower.
12. Hit Ctrl-v to paste the vertical petal.
13. Move the final petal onto the flower, making sure that the second option under the sidebar is selected.
14. Left click the dark yellow color to select it and use the circle tool to create a center. Select the third option under the sidebar so as to create a full, dark yellow circle. Hold Shift while creating the circle to make it perfectly round. # Use the curved line tool to create four curved lines between the petals like so.
15. Click on the bright yellow color to select it and use the paint tool to fill in the petals.
16. Left click the dark green and right click the bright green. Select the polygon tool and click on the second option under the sidebar. Starting at the base of the stem, draw a leaf.
17. Draw another leaf on the other side of the stem.
18. Use the straight line tool to add in some veins and make the leaves look more realistic.
19. Hit Ctrl-s to choose a destination and save your flower.

Tips

• If you make a mistake, press Ctrl-z to undo it.

Related wikiHows

• How to Create Custom Paintbrushes in MS Paint
• How to Color Your Name in MS Paint
• How to Draw a Perfect Circle on Microsoft Paint
• How to Make Stamps in MS Paint

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Draw a Flower in Microsoft Paint. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Manage Your Time

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Here's a technique for dealing with the distraction of a horrendous to-do list. This is also suitable for project managers.

Steps

1. Write down all the tasks you have to get done, if you haven't done so already.
   
2. Set priorities for each task.
   • P1: Red: Today/Tomorrow (Day)
   • P2: Orange: 3-7 Days (Week)
   • P3: Yellow: 2-3 weeks (Month)
   • P4: Pink: Later this year…(Wish List)
   Be realistic when assigning priorities to your tasks.
   
3. Start work on any red tasks first — however awful, boring or frightening they are. The trick to keeping calm and balanced is simple: forget about all the complex planning. Work out what truly needs to be done next and do it. When it's done, repeat the procedure.
   
4. Start on the orange tasks next. Don't even think about any yellow ones until all the reds and oranges are done. If any new tasks arrive, give them a color and put them on the list. Next morning, make a new list and reallocate the tasks into the colors.
   
5. Keep track of your progress.
   • After one week, take 15 minutes to go through the yellow (month) items.
   • Cross all those that have solved themselves off the list. Do the same for those that you can now see were never important anyway. You'll be amazed how many there are.
   • Underline those you can remove by: delegating them, using technology rather than your time and attention, or creating a routine for handling them so you can delegate or pass them to someone else. Make a red item to deal with them right away by whatever means is appropriate.
   
   

Tips

• Start your list again and revisit the yellow items in another week. Do the same weeding, only this time also remove or move to pink any yellow items that have been on the list for more than a month. If you haven't either done them or moved them into orange or red in that time, forget about them. They aren't going to get done next month either...
  
• If you stick to this set of actions, you'll get an amazing amount of work done; you'll always be focused on what's genuinely important and your to-do list will be a real one, not a resting place for failed intentions.
  
• Manage your time in increments. Figure out how long you can focus your attention on one task: fifteen minutes, half an hour, an hour, etc. Make that time period your offical time limit. Be determined to accomplish part or all of a task within that time limit.
  
• After every time increment, take a short break. Decide beforehand whether you will take 5, 10, or 15 minutes, and stick to that decision. Taking breaks in between work allows your mind to rest and refocus. When you return from your break, your mind should be clearer. These breaks provide incentive for working hard and give you something to look forward to.
  

Warnings

• You have to take this exercise seriously, which means setting aside the "everything has to be done yesterday" BS and creating real priorities.
  
• Don't procrastinate. Setting aside high-priority items just because you don't like doing them, or are boring, etc will obviously make keeping a to-do list useless. Grind through your to-do list and finish all red items first and foremost no matter how boring they are. After completing these daunting tasks, you can feel relieved. They won't hang over your head and cause you stress later.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Go Home in Time
  
• How to Save Time in the Morning
  
• How to Do Nothing
  
• How to Achieve Your Goals
  
• How to Be Organized
  
• How to Accomplish More With Your Master List
  

Sources and Citations

• How to manage time? - A practical guide!
  
• How to Use Technology to Save Time
  
• How to Find Free Time
  
• How to Manage Your Time in College
  
• Adapted from an article by Peter Axt
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Manage Your Time. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Expand Your Knowledge Using the Internet

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

The internet has brought a great deal of information, available to you with some typing here and a click there. If you're interested in learning something or trying something new, to expand your knowledge or your awareness, the internet is a pretty good place to start. But maybe you don't know how to go about it. Or you don't have the money to pay for all this "enlightenment". This article is here to help.

Steps

1. Read. Perhaps you want to become a bit more well read. Look here for separate lists, two on the 100 best novels and one on the 100 books that changed history.
   
2. Find your book. Once you find a book that seems interesting, you can either buy it, or try places like Project Gutenberg which has over 20,000 books for free online. You can also go their affiliates to look for another 100,000 free books. You can also search for other free databases like this that specialize in certain genres, authors, etc.
   
3. Listen to audio books. If you don't like to read, or do not like the ebook format, you may enjoy audio books. LibriVox has a great deal of audio book recordings, many of good quality, for free. Again, search for specialized audio book sites, such as PodioBooks which has a nice selection of science fiction.
   
4. Check out old radio shows. There's also some sites which cater to dramatizations and "old time radio". The Mercury Theatre stores quite a few of their radio dramatizations, some featuring Orson Welles, for free download.
   
5. Listen to music. To expand your horizons, try lots of different genres, not just your usual fare. The ModPopPunk Archives holds a large collection of mod influenced pop-punk mp3s. Classic Cat has plenty of links to mp3 downloads of famous composers and works from all over the web. All About Jazz and Jazz Promo tend to have good free jazz tracks available for download. Download.com is also a good source for free mp3s covering a wide range of artists and genres. Search the internet for free mp3s from artist's websites, fansites, and music blogs. You'll discover quite a few good bands and musicians this way.
   
6. Take classes online. Lately, there's been an expansion of universities and schools allowing their resources up on the internet for free download via podcasts or online notes or lecture materials. See here for a list of university podcasts. It's a very extensive list, with over 75 entries. Here is a list containing links to foreign language podcasts. And yet another list focusing on podcasts on "ideas and culture." Again, search the internet for something that interests you.
   
7. Seek out educational films. If you would like some images to go with your lessons, videos could be of interest to you. Universities are now making many of their lectures available in video for free download. You can also search Google Videos, YouTube, and other websites which specialize in videos for short documentaries, educational films, historical clips, new music, and more. If you want short or independent films, go to the Internet Film Community or Atom Films, which generally have good selections.
   
8. Try films in other languages. If some of those indie films also happen to be foreign films, you can learn a foreign language. That website has a multitude of links to language communities, language resources, and more. Most of the links are to free to use websites. And if you are interested in the ancient languages, such as Greek or Latin, Text Kit is a very good website to use.
   
9. Explore new subjects. If you really want to "expand" yourself, try philosophy, religion, or metaphysics. Wanna learn about Buddhism? Go here. How about runes? There's also plenty of sites that teach Hinduism, Islam, or the life and teachings of Jesus.
   
10. Try email correspondence courses. You can also get plenty of courses sent through e-mail, such as About U. which covers subjects over religion, health, and history. Learn how to bake delicious treats and goodies in this course. All you have to do is open up your inbox.
    
11. Request free materials by mail. If in the end, you find that working on computers just doesn't do it for you, than maybe you just need to get some free materials sent to you. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences has a couple of seriously well made books offered for free. So does the National Institute of Mental Health. More medical related materials can be found at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Maybe you want a free human genome poster? Or perhaps you are more of a physics person? Search for even more free publications.
    

Tips

• Search for new things. You may never know what you can find.
  
• Go on online sites, like Wikipedia, and click on a random article. Read it, and follow links from that article to other articles. See what you can learn.
  
• Try to make a schedule, so you can keep the eye for school or work.
  

Warnings

• When downloading, be careful to make sure you are not downloading copyrighted material. Especially from P2P networks, as they contain a full load of viruses, malware, et cetera.
  
• When embarking on a new learning experience from websites, et cetera, make sure that other people agree with the information they are teaching you. You could be learning gibberish instead of Hebrew.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Be Knowledgeable
  
• How to Be Intelligent
  

Sources and Citations

• Hoagies' Free High School Courses
  
• Self Made Scholar
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Expand Your Knowledge Using the Internet. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Create a Zen Garden

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Making a beautiful Zen garden can be just as peaceful and fulfilling as having one. Such a refuge can be placed in nearly any space, ranging from large, sweeping gardens that encompass acres to tiny, desktop gardens that take up no more room than a notebook. Here's how to create a constantly changing work of art that is visually pleasing with clean, flowing lines and carefully placed objects.

Steps

1. Decide how large you want to make your Zen garden. Assess your available space. Are you going to make a garden that fills up part of your backyard, or are you going to start with a Zen garden to place on your desk? The steps are the same, the scale will just be different.
   
2. Create a mold to contain the sand and/or gravel. Sand or gravel generally form the matrix of a Zen garden, and to keep it looking sharp, you need the matrix to be contained. If you are making a large garden, consider using 2" x 4" pieces of lumber, old railroad ties, or any other type of wood. If you are making a desktop Zen garden, simply gather and cut enough wood to make a small container.
   
3. Nail, screw, or glue together your form. After you have completed your form, you can decorate the wood by painting, staining, or varnishing it.
   
4. Place a weed retainer, such as black plastic, down prior to setting your Zen garden mold. Zen gardens receive much of their appeal from their cleanliness. Keeping out weeds is a must for outdoor gardens.
   
5. Fill the form to the top with sand or gravel. Spread the sand or gravel evenly and as level as possible. For a small desktop garden, you might be able to buy sand in small bags at a local pet shop or aquarium supply store. For larger gardens, call the local rock shop, quarry, or landscaping supply company.
   
6. Put selected features in your Zen garden to set a visually stimulating theme. Consider using old, mossy logs, rocks with interesting colors, shapes or textures, or other items. Place them off-center and partially submerged for the best effect. Zen gardens generally include natural items made of wood, rock and vegetation, but don’t be afraid to add statues or other additions. Just don’t clutter your Zen garden. Remember, you want it to be peaceful and simple. Make sure that the feng shui is in check with your karm an darma before enjoying your zen garden! If it is not balanced properly, there could be some major problems and could possibly send your karma into a yin yang whirlwind (which is NOT good!) * see feng shui and karma for details.
   
7. Rake the sand or gravel in long, curving strokes to represent water ripples. You can use a number of patterns to accentuate your garden, and the nice thing is that you can change it as many times as you like!
   
8. Sit back and enjoy your Zen garden, and look forward to working in it to relax.
   
9. Another quick & easy way is to fill up a flower pot of any size with sand and assorted items that you want in your Zen garden. The pot would be decorative and on top would be the zen garden, great for patios and balconies at apartments.
   

Tips

• Have enough sand to completely fill your form to a depth of at least 2". If the sand is too shallow, it will look unsightly after raking.
  
• Try your best to keep your Zen garden free of clutter, vegetative material and debris. A clean garden will accentuate the flowing lines and carefully placed objects.
  
• Consider adding selectively placed lighting, either by flame or by electricity. Colored bulbs will add another dimension to your Zen garden, especially at night!
  
• Don’t be afraid to try new raking patterns or to add and remove items. Your Zen garden can be as adaptable and ever-changing as your desires!
  
• Take a field trip to a Zen garden to get ideas for yours.
  
• Go to a local rock shop to find unique items to add to your Zen garden
  
• Remember, Zen gardens do not have to be square or symmetrical, and your additions do not have to follow any official placement requirements. Make a Zen garden that is visually stimulating and mentally pleasing to you.
  

Warnings

• Most pets and Zen gardens do not mix; the same can be said for many children. Remember, your Zen garden is supposed to be a place of peace, not stress, so locate your garden appropriately
  
• Weeds can ruin a Zen garden in no time. Take the precautionary measures to avoid nasty weed problems.
  

Things You'll Need

• Forms for your Zen garden (whether they be big or small)
  
• Nails, Screws or wood glue to keep the forms together
  
• Saw (to cut and create your form)
  
• Sand or stones (depending on the scale, small = sand, larger = stone)
  
• Rocks and/or logs
  
• Polished pebbles and other amendments
  
• Rake
  
• Lighting (optional)
  
• Patience
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Meditate
  
• How to Do Nothing
  
• How to Sit Like a Zen Master
  
• How to Write a Haiku Poem
  
• How to Grow a TickleMe Plant
  
• How to Create a Bonsai Tree
  
• How to Change the Paper on Fusuma (Japanese Sliding Doors)
  
• How to Create Your Own Small Jurassic Type Park
  

Sources and Citations

• http://zen.thetao.info/do/zengarden.htm
  
• http://www.explorejapan.com/jgardens.htm
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Create a Zen Garden. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Be a Good Boy in School

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Do you want to be a better student? If so, please continue reading.

Steps

1. Greet all the teachers that come in your class.
   
2. Don't cause trouble, because that bothers the teacher.
   
   • Don't litter the school floor. Keep your trash to put in the wastebasket when it's time to clean up.
     
   • Always complete your work; teachers appreciate busy students who do complete work.
     
   
   
3. Give your notebook and book to the teacher for correction on time.
   
4. Never beat up a student when he is troubling you; the teacher usually catches you, instead of the one who started it.
   
   • When the teacher turns around to see what is happening, don't be hitting back.
     
   
   
5. Never say bad word's to anybody.
   

Tips

• Listen closely and keep quiet in the class. Follow the rules about raising your hand to ask or answer questions.
  
• Keep toys and games put away during class.
  

Warnings

• Never be mean or hit any student or teacher.
  
• Never bring harmful toy's to school.
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Be a Good Boy in School. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Deal With a Drug Addicted Family Member or Loved One

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

So your mother, father or sibling uses drugs heavily and it is messing up your home life. Here are some tools to help you deal with the crisis that your loved one is bringing into the home.

Steps

1. Love the person no matter what course of action you decide to ultimately take. They are still important to you.
   
2. Look into a program like Al-anon or Alateen. Consider seeking help from a school teacher, pastor or other family member.
   
3. Understand the disease that your loved one has and try to encourage them to get help.
   
4. Do not give up-you may be the key to helping them beat this.
   
5. Take your loved one to AA or NA meetings, if they want to go. Sometimes, talking to an alcoholic or addict that is in recovery can help you find a good course of action.
   
6. Educate yourself on the disease of alcoholism and drug addiction.
   
7. Consider doing an intervention with help from a professional interventionist.
   
8. Stay the course and pray.
   

Tips

• Sometimes the person you are trying to help will refuse help. Stay diligent.
  

Warnings

• If the behavior has gotten out of control, you need to leave the person alone or tell them to leave. This is called tough love. The drugs and alcohol can destroy all involved.
  
• And don't forget to abstain from drugs yourself or else you are no better than your family member. and you know they won't want you to do drugs, either.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Beat Drug Addiction
  
• How to Overcome an Addiction
  
• How to Deal With a Gambling Addiction
  
• How to Be Drug Free
  
• How to Get Rid of Drug Dealers in Your Neighborhood
  
• How to Make an Intervention
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Deal With a Drug Addicted Family Member or Loved One. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Study For Exams

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Exams are terrible stress causers, whether it be high-school or college. The key to doing well on an exam is to, obviously, study hard and well, but also to study in the proper manner so that your studying experience will show results.

Steps

1. Before your exams, create a calendar starting exactly one month before the exams are scheduled to start. For each day write down two subjects that you each plan to spend a half an hour studying. Take into account which classes are difficult for you; these subjects should show up on your study calendar more often. Stick to the calendar because an hour a day really isn't that much but it will really be useful. if you study for too long on something you find difficult, you will become stressed and most likely forget what you learned an hour ago so 1 hour is plenty
   
2. Make friends that strive for good exam grades, just as you do. With friends who care about school, you'll find that you will have someone to study with without getting distracted. If they truly care about their grades, they will want to discuss material with you as much as possible because they want to be prepared for the exams as well. It is not necessary to "make new friends and 'ditch' your old ones" because they don't get good grades, and it doesn't mean they won't be upset if they fail their exams, but don't have a study party with people who you tend to muck around with too much!!
   
3. Listen attentively in class before exams. Many teachers will playfully, or subtly hint things that might be on the exam, or they might focus on certain things more than others. Noticing your teachers lesson plans will help you realize the topics that are really important and that are likely to show up on the test. Take notes - have at least 4 blank pages ready before each class during the weeks leading up to exams, if you still don't understand something, ask someone, as there is no point trying to figure it out for yourself!! Don't worry about asking your teachers for help - that is what they are there for and most would probably prefer to spend an extra couple of hours going over work you find difficult than have you fail an exam!
   
4. Don't just go through your notes, rewrite them. Rewriting some of your lecture notes, especially the sloppy ones, will bring back some of the old class topics in your mind. You will be able to remember the lectures and discussions surprisingly well. Rewriting your notes is great if you're a kinesthetic learner. also, when you re-write something it is making you think about what you are writing, what its about, why you wrote it down and most importantly, it refreshes your brain. if you took notes a month ago and just found out that those notes will be relevant in your exam, re writing them will remind you
   
5. Don't study when you're really tired. It's better to study for two hours in one day than to try and cram in that daily hour at two in the morning. Besides, it will just make studying an even more unpleasurable task for you.
   
6. Don't stress, if you can figure out how you study best. in your PJ's or your favorite t-shirt?, with music or not?, in your room or outside? one thing is for sure though, you won't be able to study while ... 1. Your darling little brother or sister is running screaming around the house 2. You are going to end up watching 'Pirates of the Caribbean' because they are way too distracting.
   

Tips

• Don't study too hard during exam week. Exam week can be pretty fun if you're prepared. If you stick to the calendar, then you should be ready, so don't cram late at night every night, get a good nights sleep knowing that you spent a month studying hard.
  
• Eat breakfast. Midmorning hunger is an awful distraction.
  
• Don't overeat. Filling your body with huge amount of nutritious food will bring down brain work to digesting process.
  
• You get what you get. Don't stress if you didn't get straight As. You should be just as proud of a B or C if you know you've worked hard for it and that's the grade you wanted. A passing grade means you were prepared for the test and knew the material. Just because you didn't get straight As doesn't mean you didn't work hard or didn't do well. Everyone is different and what may be a disaster for one student is a triumph for another
  
• Try not to leave this until the last night before an exam. Begin studying at least a couple of days before the exam. You will feel more relaxed.
  
• Take breaks. After studying for a while, reward yourself by going on a walk to clear your mind, chatting with friends (but not if it will distract them from their work!) or watching a film you enjoy. Try not to feel guilty about this - you need some time to have fun and it is better to revise when you are feeling relaxed after a break than to exhaust yourself studying all day!
  
• Do practice papers and essays and ask your teachers to mark them so you can get an idea of the level you're working at and what you need to improve on. Don't panic if you get lower marks than you expected - ask what you need to work on and hopefully you'll improve in time for your exams. Also, bear in mind that some teachers will mark your work very harshly in order to motivate you into putting even more effort into your studies. If your teachers are like this, try not to take it to heard - they are doing it to make sure you achieve the highest grades possible, not because they want to upset you. Remember - disappointment in a lesson is much better than disappointment after an exam!
  
• Finding out who is setting the exam can be helpful. That way, you might be able to understand what sort of questions will be used (short answer, essays etc.)
  
• Asking teachers for help can make them think you are more committed, which can prove to be invaluable for future years.
  

Warnings

• Cheating won't solve anything
  
• Getting good grades will motivate you to study and achieve more.
  
• Although some people find it a "good" idea, drinking absurd amounts of coffee/tea/any other caffeine source is NOT a good move, especially on the day before the exam. You'll crash eventually and you'll feel groggy the day of the exam, guaranteeing you'll most likely flunk it.
  
• Some people like to have the TV on quietly in the background. This can cut both ways in that it can distract you from time to time but also can help you to continue studying. It's a risky strategy to have the TV on: nobody really knows how much it takes away from your attention and may be distracting you a lot more than you realise.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Create Good Study Habits for Exams
  
• How to Study for a Math Exam
  
• How to Calm Post Exam Nerves
  
• How to Cram for a Test or Exam
  
• How to Understand What Is Being Asked of You in an Essay or Exam
  
• How to Be Responsible
  

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