about

Hey everyone! My name is Kristen, I'm 20 and I'm a college junior studying pharmacy. I've been blessed with a really good life, and part of the reason for that is because I've learned to see GOOD in everything that happens to me.

I love giving advice, and I've been told that I do a good job at it, but I'll let you decide! Feel free to ask me anything... don't be shy, that's why I'm here. I've been through a lot... moving from one country to another, leaving and finding new friends, break ups, boys, middle school, high school, college, self esteem issues... pretty much most things that people need help with.

I usually spend a good amount of time answering your questions, so I would really appreciate it if you leave me an honest rating along with some feedback (good or bad!) It really does help me improve my advice... and in the end, that's good for YOU! Talk to ya soon! :)

advice

hey...well ive always been...skinney i guess you could say. but now im growing up and getting more and more scared everyday i will wake up chubby. i tryed thrwoing junk away... but all the other girls at my school eat snack paks and other crap. and all they sell at school for lunch is junk. i feel weird cause in the morning i pack healthy..then regret it cause all the other kids have fatty foods.
how can i stop w\ the junk
and make for a brigter future?
-Scared

Hi! Well, it seems like you are ok with eating healthy food, but you are only second guessing your choices because of what other kids at school do! Why do you regret packing healthy?? That is such a good decision, and you should be proud of yourself! You ma regret it now, but when you are healthy and look better than all the other kids eating junk food, trust me, they will be the ones regretting what they ate! So keep up with what you are doing, and if you really feel like you want to have some "junk food" then buy "good" junk food! Try baked chips, instead of fried ones, whole grain crackers... stuff like that! But pack lots of fruit and drink lots of water... it tastes so good, and it's great for you! As long as you eat healthy, and are somewhat active, you will not "wake up chubby!!" haha :) hope that helps, and keep up the good work!

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my name is Rachel and my stepdad is always accusing me of talking to people I don't know on the internet and yesterday he told me to get off the computer becouse I was talking to one of my friends from school,but he thought I was talking to somebody in california what can I do to get him to trust me?

Well, first of all, what made him think that you are talking to someone in California? Have you talked to strangers over the internet before? If that is the case, then he is just worried that you are still doing it. But if you haven't, then he is worried that you might be, or that you might start. Basically, he cares for you and doesn't want you to get hurt. He doesn't think that you are mature and responsible enough to protect yourself, so you have to show him that you are. Next time you are on the internet, and he comes in and kicks you off, tell him something like "i know you think i am talking to strangers, but i am not, and i don't want to. i have heard a lot of stories about kids getting hurt, and it is not something that i want to have to deal with ." Basically, you have to somehow let him know that you are aware of the dangers that come along with talking to strangers! Once he sees that, then he will trust you and will know that you are making good decisions! :) good luck!

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Anyway, whenever I drive with my parents in the car there always yelling at me, speed up, watch out, your gonna crash. They need to realize that I'm already nervous. All there doing is fueling the flame. They've gotten so nervous they haven't even let me drive for about a month now. Thing is i've never crashed and I know I'm not that bad of a driver. They say they expect me to get my liscence next year. I'll be 16. What do I do?

Hi! Ok I have to say that every family goes through this! I just turned 20 years old, and when my parents are in the car, they STILL tell me how to drive! It drives me crazy so I know where you are coming from! From what you are saying, it sounds like you are their first child to reach this age and get a license! They are very scared and nervous, and are unsure of exactly how to teach you to drive, so they will yell and criticize every mistake you make. The only thing you can do is sit down, and talk to them, when all of you are calm. Before you go out for a drive, tell them something like "I appreciate the fact that you are willing to put up with me and help me learn how to drive, but can you try and teach me without yelling and criticizing me too much, because that only makes me more nervous, and makes me pay more attention to you that to the road." Hopefully they will see that you are being nice and mature, and they will go easier on you! But they will still yell every now and then! But the best thing you can do is just block them out, focus on the road, and don't yell back at them while you are driving because that can be dangerous! Don't worry, eventually things will get better!! hope that helps! :) good luck!

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Well theres this guy....

I'm sure most of you are tired of seeing that, my apologies.

Anyway, I've known him for almost two years now and hes one of those guys who teases me all the time, in a friendly way and I'm starting to fall for him.

It's just that when I'm not around him I want him more but when I'm actually near him I dont want anything to do with him.

Does anyone have an explanation as to why I feel this way? I don't even know if I like him or not.

Thank you very much. =)

well, it kind of sounds like you enjoy getting attention from him! you like it when he teases you, because it makes you feel good that someone is paying that much attention to you! as a result, when he is not around, you miss the attention he gives you! but when he is around, you don't want anything to do with him because it's not him that you like, it's just the attention. ok what I just said is a bit confusing, but it makes sense to me, so I hope you know what I mean! i've been unsure of my feelings for a guy before too! all you can do is give it time... if you start enjoying his company and beeing around him, in addition to thinking of him when he is not around, then you have started to like him and can go ahead and try and persue a relationship! :) hope that helps!

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I really don't know if I did the right thing breaking up with my boyfriend. Every one I talked to has said I've done the right thing. Well anyway, my ex had "friends" who called me names all the time right in front of him and he never did anything about. Another occurance was when one of his friends threw dry glue at right in front of him. Well he just watched it happen. I have no problem with standing up for myself. It's just, well I don't know that's why I'm asking the question.

Hey! You absolutely did the right thing! You need a man who will stand up for you, not an immature boy with immature friends who would let them disrespect you like that! If you recently broke up with him, you WILL have doubts about it, and you will go to bed plenty of times thinking that you made a mistake, but you didn't! Just keep remind yourself of that! It's hard to break up with someone, but they say that 60 days of not talking to the person at all is what you need to get over the person 100%! so hang in there and don't question your decision! :)

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Alright I am a really big fan of music i listen to ANYTHING except Country and Gospel and i really am looking for some good new music to listen to. Hear are just some of the people i listen to :Chamillionaire, Hinder, Panic At the Disco, 50 Cent Eminem, DKM, Nickelback,Bone Thugs, Trillville, Metallica, Papa Poach basicaly anything rap rock pop punk i just need some good new songs to download or good old songs that you can never forget you know what i mean? just answer with a few of you fav titles thanks all i'll rate you well if you gimme some good songs old or new.

"every time we touch" by cascada

"hips don't lie" by shakira

"somebody" by bonnie mckee

"what hurts the most" by rascall flatts

any song by james blunt... i absolutely love his CD!!


those are just some of the things i've been listening to lately! sounds like we have a similar taste in music, so i hope u like these!

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Alright, I am a sophomore in high school but I have been researching information on various colleges. There a quite a lot of terms & other stuff of that sort that don't exactly make sense to me. Therefore, I'm hoping maybe some people who are in college or who know this information could help me, I'd really appreciate it.
Ok, this is about financial aid...
*What is the difference between: Federal Grants, State Grants, Institutional Grants, & Loans?
*Generally how do most people do college? For example do most people start off taking basic REQUIRED classes & THEN take majors of their choice?

-->Just any personal information or advice on college & searching for the right college in general would be so helpful!
Thanks for your time!!!

Hey! I'm almost done with my sophmore year in college right now, so I can probably help you out with this! Ok, here we go:

1) Anything that is a GRANT is something given to you that you do NOT have to pay back! Federal are given to you by the federal government, state grants are given to you by your state, and institutional grants are given to you by your college! The difference between them doesn't really matter... all you need to know is that it's free money that you don't have to pay back! A LOAN on the other hand is an amount of money that you DO NEED TO PAY BACK (usually you have to start paying them back 6 months after you graduate/drop out of college)! Once you fill out the FAFSA (you have to fill it out before every one of your college years), the government and your college will determine how much money to give you... grants and loans! You will pick what you want and don't want after they make you an offer! Of course you will take all the grants, but you may or may not need all the loans they offer you!

2) Usually the first 2 years of college, you take "core classes," which are classes that your university requires you to take no matter what your major is in order to graduate! They will give you a list of all the courses you need to take, and you will be able to pick when you want to take them, with what proffessors, and so on! If you know what you want to major in, you may take a few classes for your major, usually starting during the second year. If you don't know what you want to major in, usually the university lets you take "core classes" the first 2 years, after which you have to decide what your major will be.

3) Ok now for some general advice... first thing you have to decide is whether you want to stay close to home or go far away! A lot of people think they want to move far, but they later decide to stay close! From my own experience, and from what I've seen happen to other people, it's best to stay close... 4 hours away at most! Also, keep in mind that most colleges are cheaper if you live in the state in which they are located! So if you're from California, it will be cheaper for you to go to a college in California!

Also, decide on the size of school you want! Some schools have 2,000 people... others have 40,000! I go to one with 10,000 and I really like that, because it is big, but not too big! You also have to decide whether you want a school that is secluded... in the middle of nowhere, or if you want to be in the middle of a city!

Last, but not least, if you know what you want to major in, or if you have a general idea, you need to make sure that the school you choose has a good reputation for that major/field, and also make sure that they offer it!

Sorry, this is soo long but I couldn't answer this well with 2 sentences! You have plenty of time, so keep looking, decide what you want and don't want, and use all your resources! Talk to your guidance councelor and get help from her/him, and visit the schools of your choice to make sure you like them! It seems like a long process, but it's not that bad at all! Don't worry and don't be scared, you will love college! :)

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i was wondering if anyone knew of any good over-the-counter skin cleansers that work really well? i have lots of blackheads on my nose (blahblah, gross, i know) and i get a lot of break outs on my nose. nose the skin right where my nose attaches is dry and itchy, but the rest is greasy and gross. suggestions?

thanks.

and by the way, i wasn't sure which category to put this in... and i know it's the wrong one. but i was thinking that if somebody was lookign for people asking questions based on people's skin because of their eating habits they might stumble across this one? i'm sorry though.

Hi! Well, when I was younger, I had a problem with my skin (pimples, oily/dry... same problems as you), and I tried many products, but nothing seemed to work really well. Then I realized that it's not about what products you use, but it's about cleaning your skin the RIGHT way.

First of all, every morning and night I use "L'Oreal Visibly Clean" cleanser. It is the one in a yellow-ish tube, and it has little grains in it for exfoliating. That should help get rid of the blackheads, and also makes your skin really soft, and gets rid of dry/dead skin on your face. If the blackheads don't go away, then in addition, use pore strips every now and then!

The second thing you need to do (and a lot of people skip this step) is to MOISTURIZE right after you wash your face! This is soo important! It will get rid of the dry patches on your skin, and it will make the oily parts of your face less oily! This might not make sense, but think about it... the only reason your skin gets oily to begin with is because it is dry, and as a result, your body makes it's own moisturizer... OIL! But we all know it clogs pores and leads to breakouts! So moisturize every morning and night with a good facial moisturizer, and you will deffinitely see results!

Lastly, remember that you will get a pimple every now and then... it's not something that can be completely avoided. When you get one, or when you feel one coming on (a blemish), put some "Clean and Clear Maximum Strenght Invisible Blemish Treatment" on it... that stuff works like magic! It will get rid of it withing a day or two! Just remember to only put it on the pimple, and not all around it, because it does dry out skin!

If you do this every morning and night, you will deffinitely see an improvement in your skin!! It's not so much about what products you use... it's all about whether you are doing the right thing for your skin!! Hope that helps! :)

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im now over my old boyfriend zach, (thanks for the help!!) but now im going out with another guy that i love, but now i feel weird hanging around him, like if i do one thing wrong, we wouldnt go out anymore.... i need help to see what not to do to mess up our relationship!


-sorry if it doesnt make sense!!!

hey!! well there are no exact things I can tell you to do or not to do, because I don't know what your bf likes and doesn't like! However, I can tell you that he DOES like you, because he is going out with you!! He wants to be with you for who you are... the good and the bad. It is very important for you to be yourself, because you can't pretend to be something that you are not just to please him! Eventually you will get tired of acting and pretending to be someone you are not, and then things can get bad! So just be yourself and do what you've been doing so far! There will be hard times... every relationship has problems, but you can make it through them if you care about each other!! :) So stop worrying, you are doing fine!!

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Every night i eat dinner but I always get hungry later at night and i eat way too much..what should I do?

hey! i get hungry at night all the time, because I don't even go to bed until around 2 on a normal night, and i eat dinner at around 6... so that's a long time to go without food. they say that you shouldn't eat about 3 hours before you go to bed. basically, what i do is drink a lot of water (i carry a bottle everywhere) after dinner, because a lot of times people mistake thirst for hunger! if that doesn't suppress your apetite, then eat... but make it healthy! late at night i snack on baby carrots, apples, oranges... basically fruits and veggies! it works for me, so i hope i helped! :)

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alright well i just got an ipod but i dont like it. it doesnt work with my computer at all like it will come up and then go away in like a second. so yesterday i went to return it but i lost the receit and they said if i return it i can get 10% off and then a gift card for the store. but that place is so expencive that there is nothing cheaper there. so i still have the stupid thing and idk what to do. i really want my money back. but i dont see why they cant return it still because they have everything on file from whenever i bought it. it doesnt make since. like every other store if you dont have a receit just takes like 10% off and gives you your money back. but i really really need that money because i want to get my nose pierced with it and now im broke and that was like a waste of $160.. is there any way to get my money back or fix it or anything. please help. ill rate high!

hey! best thing to do is probably sell it on ebay... a lot of ipods are sold there every day! most of them are used and people still pay a lot for them! if you don't have an account and don't want to make one, find someone who does have one and just put it up for auction there! explain that it is brand new... say you got it as a gift that you don't want so you don't have to explain the whole situation to the buyers. You will probably get very close to getting all your money back! good luck! :)

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I know it sounds weird but I am extremely uncomfortable with my forehead. My hairline is pretty far back and my head is just big. I always try covering it with bangs but they get greasy a lot and end up looking bad. I have a smaller body too, and it's probably bigger than most guys and girls. Is there anything I can do? Sometimes I just get really depressed about it. :/
Thanks I'll rate.

hey! aww there is no reason to get depressed over something like that!! trust me, i am willing to bet you that you are the only one who notices it and thinks its not normal! i have a very small forehead... smaller than most I've seen! but there is not too much you can do other than not wearing your hair in a pony tail or pulling it back halfway! that will only make it look bigger! wear your hair down (even without bangs) and that will minimize its appearance! also, another thing you can do is emphasize another feature on your face so that people are drawn to it, and not your forehead. for example, if you like your eyes, wear eyeliner, shadow and mascara! or if you like your lips, then buy a nice lip color/gloss to draw attention to them!

the point is, we all look at our selves and over analyze every little detail that no one else seems to see! instead of getting depressed over what you don't like, focus on all your good qualities! let's face it, no one is ABSOLUTELY prefect from head to toe, so be glad that your "imperfection" is so small and meaningless compared to what you could have!!! :) hope that helped!

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I have a horrible problem. I have uncontrollable farts. Sorry, if that's too straight forward, but it's soooo embarassing, and like everytime it happens, everybody laughs and looks my way. I don't even expect it coming!! Is it something I'm eating? Or do I need medicine or something? Please-- be serious because I'm already humiliated enough by writing this.

hey! i think the stuff is called beano... it's some kind of a drug that cuts down on gas... like the commercial says, "take beano and there will BE NO gas" haha! so go ahead and check that out! hope that works out for you...

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Ok guys...well you see...I think I might be pregnant....I haven't had my period since like Feb. so I'm pretty sure I am..but my problem is..that I'm 15 and my boyfriend is 19, and I really actually want this baby, because ya know if I was able to lay down and have unprotected sex..then I am able to take care of my baby...but, I'm just afraid that my mom is going to freak out and call the cops on my boyfriend and he is going to get thrown in jail because of the age difference. I'm so confused and I don't want an abortion and my boyfriend (whom I love) to be in jail...so, if any one has any advice..it is GREATLY appreciated!!!!

hey! well the best thing you can do is first get tested and see if you are actually pregnant... because let's face it, at 15, periods can be irregular (especially if you started yours recently within a year or 2)! Get a home pregnancy test and see what it says... they are around 15 bucks or so, but you need to KNOW!! If you are not pregnant, then that's good. But if it turns out that you are, then you have to sit your mom down and talk to her! If you intend on having the baby, then she will obviously know about it... and I believe you can't get an abortion in most states without your parents' agreement until you are 18 (i am pretty sure about this). So basically, no matter what, if you are pregnant your mom will find out! That is why it's important to sit down with her and talk it over calmly... because if you hide it from her, and she has to find out suddenly, then she will flip out even more. Sit down with her one day when she is in a good mood and say something like "mom, i have to talk to you about something imporant, but i want you to promise me not to get mad and do anything in the spur of the moment, because things are already hard and i don't want them to get harder." Basically get her ready for the news, before you tell her. Chances are she will get mad and yell, but don't fight with her... just let her get it all out, and then you can continue to talk. If she threatens to get your bf in jail, explain to her that this was not all his fault, and you are just as guilty as he is, etc!

But make sure to get a test and only have this talk with your mom if you ARE pregnant. Otherwise, if you talk to her about it and it turns out that you are not pregnant, you might get her mad over nothing, and get your bf into trouble as well. And in the future, make sure to have protected sex!! condoms, birth control pills, shots, patches, etc... you get the point! there are too many effective methods, so why risk getting pregnant at such a young age!? hope that helps, and good luck!

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im breaking out on my cheeks and i need to get rid of them or atleast make them smaller and less read overnight so does anyone have any special remidies that they use? thanks in advance!

hey! i don't usually break out, but i do get the occasional pimple every now and then on my face!! i got "Clean and Clear Maximum strenght invisible blemish treatment" a couple of months ago, and that stuff is seriously like magic! it's a very small tube, costs like 6 or 7 dollars, but it lasts for a long time! i just dab a tiny bit on a pimple after washing my face before bed, and it is pretty much gone the next morning. even better, if you feel a pimple coming on (blemish), just put this stuff on it and the pimple will never even get a chance to form!! I hope it works as well for you as it does for me! :)

Oh, also... a lot of people don't moisturize after they wash their face, and that causes break outs! Moisturizing helps dry skin and makes oily skin less oily... basically it helps prevent pimples! so if you don't moisturize your face already, make sure to do it after you wash your face day and night!

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ok so prom's coming up and im a sophomore and my boyfreind (whos a junior) is taking me. I just dont know what kind of dress to get....short or long or what?

cuz like i know long is for homecoming and short for winterfest/sadies...whatever...but i havent been to prom yet soo any help?

At the high school that I went to, and all the high schools around it, prom is just as formal as homecoming, if not more! So deffinitely go for a long dress, get your hair done... all that stuff! Have fun!

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My boyfriend has been having a really rough time lately, and I just want to do something special for him to cheer him up and show him how much I care and will always be there for him. But I'm a little lost on ideas...if you have any, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks

When my bf (well, now my ex)was going through a hard time, I did something that he really liked a lot. I wrote 30 phrases/things that I like about him on 30 small pieces of paper. Then I got 30 hershey kisses. Once you write something on one piece of paper, fold it a couple of times until it's small, then set a hershey kiss (wrapped) on top of it, and wrap the whole thing with cute tissue paper and tie the top. I put them all in a heart shaped box, and gave it to him with a note explaining that he's not allowed to open more than one each day. He looked forward to unwrapping each one every day, for a whole month! You can do that with other food, or other things depending on what he likes! And make sure to make each little note personal, and about your relationship and HIM... general things like "you are the best bf" don't really mean all that much. Something like "no one has ever made me as happy as you make me everyday" will mean more!

Other than that, now that the weather is getting nicer, take him to an amusement park or something that you haven't done in a while because of the winter. Or buy him something "just because." Basically do something special that you don't do every single day! Good luck!

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Are there any foods or anything that i can do to make my teeth whiter? ((i already brush and use listerine))

and are there any foods and/or exercises i can do to make my breasts larger? thanks!

not sure what you can eat to make your teeth whiter, but you should avoid coffee, tea, and cigarettes because those stain your teeth!

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hey since my school has a half day on friday of this week, and the movies is right down a couple of blocks, my mom is letting me go with my friends. im 15. she wanted to know who was going and i told her all of my friends (they are girls) and i didnt tell her i invited my bf and hes coming too. she said she doesnt want me going on a date alone w/ him because she thinks im too young to date and she doesnt trust him. how do i tell her that my boyfriend is coming too with out her saying something like "oh well he cant go"?
Thanks.
I rate 5s

i think you should be honest (even if it means that she won't let you go)! think about it... she doesn't want you going on dates alone because she thinks you are too young and irresponsible! if you lie to her and she finds out, you will be proving her point, and she will begin to treat you even more like a little kid. by telling her the truth you will be showing her that you can be responsible and honest, and that will help build her trust over time. anyway, just tell her that a couple of girls are going (maybe even give her names) and then tell her that your bf is coming and he MIGHT bring one friend. this makes it sound more like a couple of people getting together to hang out, and not a date. plus, maybe she will feel better if your bf DOES bring a friend, because that way she will know that all his focus won't be just on you, but it will be shared between you and his friend! hope that helps!

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i really like this one kid. we started talking online and he asked me to hang out once. he's a little bit older and has a girlfriend. he used to walk by me and smile and he always wanted me to say hi to him. but lately he just passes by with out looking at me and we dont talk online anymore.i dont want to stop talking to him cause he's really cool and we get along. but when i want to talk to him i dont know what to talk about. we have already talked about music, school, friends, favorite things..any suggestions on what i can talk to him about that way we dont stop talking for any longer.


k thanks =)

hey! well this might not exactly answer your question but i'm going to throw it out there anyway. i had a little fling with this guy over the summer, and we got along extremely well!! the problem was that he had a girlfriend, just like the guy in your case! eventually he had to make a decision and he ended up choosing to stay with her since he had already been with her for almost 2 years! we still talk and hang out, but not NEARLY as much as we used to. I just want to let you know that if he doesn't attempt to talk to you anymore, he has probably chosen to stay with his girlfriend, and trying to get with him is kind of pointless! so i would leave him alone and go find a single guy who you like, and who can give you the same in return! there is no use in wasting your time and energy on someone who is not interested in you in that way! i know that's not what you wanted to hear... but i just wanted to warn you, so that you don't end up getting hurt in the end. (i know it was hard for me at first when the guy i liked decided to stay with his gf, but over time, and as we started talking and seeing each other less, i got completely over him and now we are great friends!) :) good luck!

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