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Hey, what's up? My name is Annie.


I work in a neurobiology lab and I love my job. I will do my best to help you! Also don't be afraid to ask me a question or a clarification to any advice I give you. I get email updates so they WILL get answered.


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I've just gone to the 8th grade and I really want to improve my grades in school.My grades for the last 2 years were very bad. Please give me some tips on how I can get better grades and organize my workload properly (my teachers are very strict and give alot of homework and check our copies every week).

I believe that being organized will do wonders on your grades. If you're able to keep track of assignments and test dates, that will be the first step in doing well. For example, you don't want to miss points on an assignment that could have taken you 15 minutes to complete. It might help having a folder for unfinished work (ex. your teacher gives you a packet to complete) and one for completed assignments. This way you will always have a place to check for your completed homework when you turn it in. It will minimize loss. Next, I would try talking to your teacher or perhaps other students in the class to ask how they manage. Be warned though, often students will say they don't study at all, but spend hours reading up on materials. If you let a teacher know you want to do well in his or her class and are struggling, they might be able to help. Good teachers will respect your effort in asking for help and really will give you valuable advice. Third, I would give yourself ample time to prepare for exams. Sadly, most classes are graded on exam scores and nothing else. My general rule of thumb is 2 weeks prep for an exam. If you are able to split the material you need to study over 2 weeks it becomes much less overwhelming. Some tests may take less time or more time, but I feel like 2 weeks is a nice estimate. And lastly, I would stress the importance of practice. Whatever skill you're learning, practice it as much as possible. This especially becomes relevant in classes such as math. Try to do as many practice problems as you can in preparation for exams. Do your best. Don't stress out and have fun once in a while!

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I love my family very much, but for some readon, I am unable to stay away from my grandmother. Nothing bad is going on at home, it's just that I can't stay away from her. Is there something wrong with me?

Forgive me, but I guess I'm not seeing the problem exactly. I feel like it is perfectly normal if you want to spend lots of time with your grandmother. My best friend would spend time with his grandmother every single day and when she passed away it comforted him knowing that he got to spend as much time with her as he did. If the time you share with your grandmother makes you both happy, then why is it bad? I envy that you get to spend so much time with your grandmother. I keep in touch with mine, however she lives too far for me to visit like many people can. I would honestly cherish the time you share with those you love and not worry about if something is wrong with you :)

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Sorry, this might get kinda long...

I'm fifteen and a sophomore. When I graduate high school, I will be seventeen.

I've been thinking of my future and I just don't know... I understand I'm young, but my parents aren't paying for my college, and when I'm 18 I need to be in college and paying rent, or move out.

So I'd like to get my future at least vaguely figured out.

Now, I like psychology. I've been looking into it, and I'm interested in being a counselor(therapist maybe?) for children and teens who were abused, have disorders or are depressed.
I want to help them overcome it, I know a few people who attempted suicide or were suicidal, most of them were very close to me. I also have a niece and nephew who where abused the first three years of their lives. And now my niece lives with us and I see what that did to her mentally everyday.

My problem is that, most people say I'd need a Ph.D, and that's expensive.

And I'm not the best at learning and retaining information, I'm also dyslexic and possibly have more learning disabilities, so I'm worried about all of the schooling...

On the other hand, my family say I'm a good singer. And I love music too, and I'm very interested in that. But I could never see myself on stage singing for people. I was nervous when I had to sing with a group of people in front of my small church...

Last week, one of my closest friends, who is also dyslexic and not the best at school, told me of a college in the next state over from us, that has a course for, in short, training horses(forgot the actual name). It would be a year long course and they would give you your own horse to take care of, it doesn't involve math or anything like that and is only around 8,000$. I live a small town in the country so I am very familiar with horses and love farms and animals.
So not only would I go to college with my friend, considering I'm really shy, but I'd also do something I enjoy.

I was thinking maybe doing the one year course, then saving my money training horses and such, before going back to school and either pick a degree, or double majoring in psychology and music.

My mom also says I could go to a text school and get my generals out of the way since it's cheaper, then go to a college where the credits from the text school will transfer there. But I don't know...


I am well aware that in the end it is my decision.

I just would like other peoples opinions on the matter...

Any responses are greatly appreciated.

It's great that you are thinking about your future. I also graduated high school at 17 and finished college a month after turning 21! So I understand how crazy it could be trying to figure so many big things at a young age. I also went from wanting to be in the medical field my whole life to changing to research a year and half before I graduated. First, I would like to say that you should get a job as soon as you can. The reason I say that is because if you start saving money now, it will make your transition at 18 easier! There are other benefits here as well. You can try working at places that fall within your interests. Perhaps call a few clinics and talk to counselors if you can for opportunities or even for questions. I started working in a research lab after I had the idea of switching fields and that played a huge part in my decision to switch over to research. Personally, I would keep music as a hobby or make sure you have backups. The music industry is unpredictable and you would want to make sure you are able to make money and be able to live comfortably first. There is nothing that says you can't major in both music and psychology for example. I believe research is key. Research all of your ideas and see how good it will be a year from now, 5 years from now, 10 years from now. Don't be afraid to explore by getting experience and talking to people. Feel free to ask me more questions in the future! I've been there :) Good luck!

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what if she will ignore me or then stop chatting with or avoid me? I mean telling her my feelings is I think it's risky and embarrassing. I don't want to humiliate myself but I want her to know about it. But I know also that she'll never be my gf coz we are world apart. And what if she'll laugh at me coz she might think I'm stupid or sth. Please I'm desperate. Muchas gracias

I think that there are ways you can ask without it being embarrassing. You could do many things such as hint it and see how she reacts. Tell her you enjoy talking to her or that you feel close to her enough to tell her secrets or that she is your best friend. You could even tell her you really like her and enjoy being able to talk to her. But, I gotta tell you. Nothing is without risks...I totally understand how you feel and how you don't want her to ignore you or stop talking to you. Perhaps a few days before you express your feelings you can let her know that you hope to stay friends with her for a long time and that you hope that you two will not drift apart. It is tough...the internet is so nice in bringing people together. I know people who have had success with this. Who met someone online and one moved to where the other lived. It works sometimes and other times it does not. It's important to be hopeful, but also realistic. I realize I'm not giving you a very straight answer with exactly what to say or do. That is because only you know her well enough to decide what could be best. I hoe it works out well for you :)

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God, I'm so stupid. I don't even know how to navigate this site. After I got an answer, I don't know what to click on to post another quetion. I just forwarded a question by accident to tech support. God, I'm SO STUPID. I SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO LIVE. (this was my next question): I know other people have problems and there are many injustices going on in the world, but I've tried everything. I'm 3 mos. behind in rent. My daughter was paying my rent but she cut me off without any notice and I just can't make it anymore. I'm on disability but only get $700 a month. I can barely live on that let alone get caught up. I've been diagnosed with agoraphobia, ptsd and bipolar 2. I have absolutely nobody in my life. I'm 48 and have no friends, no family, nothing to live for. I tried to kill myself about a mo ago. My son called the police and a bunch showed up at my door. They took me to a Crisis Clinic but I was there about an hour and no doctor or anybody came to talk to me so I left. I called a suicide hotline number and was put on hold everytime I called. I feel like God is telling me it's time to go. I've been literally pulling my hair out. My bathroom floor is covered in hair. I'm getting older and uglier. Nobody will ever want me.

In addition to the amazing advice given, I just want to say it's ok... You're not stupid. Everyone has really hard times and it's not easy. What you are going through is difficult, but it won't be forever. Take steps one at a time to do what you can. Don't let yourself ever think you're worthless. Your life is worth so much more than you believe it to be. You might think no one cares, but that's not true... Your life will get better, but it won't be without a fight. Try to do everything the previous advicenator gave you. Do your best! My grandma told me that after the night is the day and after the day is the night meaning that dark times befall us but they are followed by good times. It's up to you to get to those good times no matter what. All your efforts will pay off someday.

Good luck! You can do this. We believe in you...

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I'm a 13 year old girl and I call everyone darling, love, honey, etc. They've gotten use to it, but I'll call strangers that too on accident and I get funny looks sometimes. Or if the person doesn't know me well they'll think I'm flirting. Is it ok? Should I try to stop doing this? It feels like I'm being old fashioned or something.

Side note: I talk funny, too. I say words like therefore, no slang, and grammar that's so proper it sounds weird ( because people have become so used to using abbreviations and contractions, whereas I don't use any of that (I don't use it when I speak anyway.) It sounds even weirder because I'm so young.

I agree with the previous advice.Often times people reserve those words for someone they have a special connection with and it would be odd for them to hear it from a stranger. It's also used when an older person refers to a younger person in a sweet way (for example an older woman the same age your grandma could be says "excuse me, dear") and so it could be especially strange for people older than you to hear it. I would use those words with people you are familiar with and use more polite words to people you do not know (es sir, ma'am, miss).

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I'm from Chile. I have a crush just on Internet and we didn't even see each other in personal because she lives in Australia. We are world apart and we are both 17. I've known her for 7 months and we kept chatting and she even stays up late just to talk with me. I love her so much. She is really nice and sweet and known her family as she described. I can sense that she loves me too because few weeks, she told that she likes me. Idk if just for frnds only. We even had a fight then it led up to telling she doesn't like me coz i'm stupid and I told her that I don't like her too. But of course ik it's joke. I can she loves me. Should I do the first move and tell her how much she means to me?

You should go for it. If someone spends time waiting for something to happen, they often miss the opportunity and might not ever find out the outcome. So take a deep breath, tell her how you feel and see how she feels. It's the only way you'll know for sure! Good luck!

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Are hiroscopes real or is it just a state of mind if u believe in them or not

It is what you believe it to be. Personally, I don't believe in them. They are designed to be vague enough to apply to anyone. Nonetheless I think it's fun to read them. If you are really interested I would read up on the origins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_astrology) and see if it is something you find to be plausible or not.

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What is antenatal depression and what does it make you do? Will you get over the suffering?

Here is a link to the wikipedia article that has tons of information about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antenatal_depression

In short, antenatal depression affects some women during pregnancy. Often times it is caused by stress that pregnancy can bring such as: unplanned pregnancy, worrying about if you can afford the baby, stress your body is physically under, etc etc. It typically makes a women symptoms such as disinterest in sex, disconnection to the baby, sadness and even thoughts of suicide. The ways to get past this depression is trying to relax as much as possible, managing stress, talking about your anxieties and spending time with loved ones. Often people go to counseling. It seems to me that the key to coming out of this depression is the woman taking care of herself and making sure to relax as much as possible among other things such as antidepressants if it is serious enough.

Hope that helped!

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My first Rockfest, I am 55, need to know what to wear, and any details on behavior expected, and how to be careful.

Personally I have never been however I found some great advice from someone that has gone previously:

http://www.examiner.com/article/rockfest-2009-rules-and-tips

Also, I'm not sure if you know this, but the maind rockfest site has a really nice FAQ section and it's really informative: http://www.rockfestkc.com/home/faq/

Good luck!

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My dad died when I was 12 and a few months ago my cousins husband saw that I was ipset and I explained to him about my dad and he said I could claim him as my dad and I have even been calling him daddy here lately .we have gotten extremely close this n past year and even when I make mistakes like havingsex outside of marriage nothing I do could make him mad enough to keep me from being his daughter even though its only by verbal adoption and not by blood he says I am the best daughter he could ever have asked for and Fathers day is coming up this June and I know he dosnt expect anything from me but I want to suprise him because he did something for me he didn't have to do letting me be his daughter. Any advice on what I can give him would be greatly appreciated. I know he likes Georgia bulldogs duck dynasty and tapout and likes to watch movies and likes to read please remember I am on a $40.00 a week budget but I want it to be something special .

This question makes me happy. In addition to the previous advice, I would suggest giving him an experience rather than a material object. Sometimes the memories you create are worth more than say something you put on the shelf. You can take him out to dinner or take him out for a movie he's been wanting to see. Think about something he likes to do and go out and do it with him! I feel like that is better than a giftcard. An experience is so personal and it says that I care enough to share this with you.

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I have never had a job before and I've filled out many job applications, but no one has given me a call. I prefer to have a job thats close to where I live, but I think I'm not getting hired because I have no experience. I don't know what to put down for "work experience". Do I need a resume even though I don't have experience?

I don't think that you should lie...

It is tough finding your first job. I would suggest going in and talking to say a manager at the store you want to work in. For example, you can go to the employment office at Macy's and ask them how you can get a job, what you'll need experience in, how you can get it, and how motivated you are to work hard and do you best! It really helps when they have a face to put to the application. It allows them to see you're a great person and makes them want to hire you if you make a good impression and show you're willing to work hard. In addition, I would suggest calling back after a week or two inquiring about your application. I've had a few friends who got interviews when they called to check. So maybe that will help you! Don't give up and good luck!

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I have an HTC sensation. I got it for Christmas so I don't think I can switch phones. Anyway, I dropped it outside on the cement and didn't realize that my camera lens shattered. The lens is shattered all around and there's a hole in the middle. My pictures come out super blurry is there a way I can get it fixed or buy the camera lens?

Your best bet would be taking it to your phone provider and asking them what you can do about it. It will give you an idea of the problem and how to fix it and how much they will charge. This way if say there is a phone repair shop nearby you can have them fix the problem for cheap (if they have a good reputation and it's cheaper). You might have a warranty on the phone because you got it so recently!

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If you wanted to work in a dentists office for a career, is there a special school for that? I don't mean as the doctor herself, I mean as a hygenist, assistant or something. How can you tell which is the best school? Advice?

Yes! I found a site with some good information about the requirements for a dental assistant/hygienist/lab tech along with other useful information. All in all it doesn't take a lot of time to get a certificate and start working. http://www.ada.org/358.aspx

Good luck!

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I mean, how do you tell when they are too little to talk?

Hey, I found a few sites that can answer your question better than I could:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_constipation_79.bc

http://www.parenting.com/article/constipation

In general I would ask the parents to let you know ahead of time if the kid is experiencing any problems so you are more aware and you won't freak out.

Hope that helps!

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I got my cartilage pierced about 2 months ago and today I took it out to clean it (after 2 months that is allowed) and it was bleeding. Not a whole lot, but it was. It's never done that before and I don't see a lot of swelling or even much of a bump formed at the back. Is bleeding possible without having an infected piercing?

I got my nose pierced and my friend got her cartilage pierced at the same time. Where we got it pierced they told her to wait 3-6 months before removing her piercing. and even then her's was sensitive in terms of taking it out. I had to wait 9 months for my nose piercing however it was still sensitive when I switched studs more than a year later. Both of us have been taking good care of our piercings. So I really think it isn't a problem at all because it's still healing. Just keep it clean and if you are worried you can call or go to the place you got your cartilage pierced and ask if it is normal. Honestly, I would keep it in and clean around if that's possible. The less you mess with it and move it around the faster it'll heal.

Good luck!

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Is there a reason that that every place I look only has straight weave hair choices? Does curly always look bad or something?

Actually I was under the impression that people styled their hair after getting a weave. You can curl it after and style it in the way you want. I've never gotten on, but when I watch shows like America's Next Top Model it looks as if they curl it after.

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I want to lose weight before summer. How do I do this easily?

I would suggest joining a gym and maybe trying to take a class there? That's what I'll be doing haha. Also, it's all about calorie consumption. Eat less and healthier. Here is a link to a question I answered previously which could help you: http://www.advicenators.com/qview.php?q=581114

Good luck!

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how do you go about getting guys? if you really like them and are not sure if they like you or are into you as much as you are into them?

I would say talk to people. Anyone. Really. Just go talk to someone. You never know who will end up being someone you find interest in. Even if they might not seem your type right away, there are many factors that go into falling for someone. Once you talk to them and get to know them a bit you can ask them to hang out with you and spend more time with you. Ask them out. Just keep trying and give it a shot!

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Are there any stores that carry ONLY clothing for cyclists? Sporting goods stores have a little but the selection is awful! I would like to buy cute bike clothes if I can, but so far no place I went has any. Help?

In addition, I'm going to put in a shameless ad. I know someone that sells these really amazing reflective safety designs that can be ironed on to almost any surface. So it might be the cute factor you're looking for to turn average bike clothes into something more personalized.

Check it out! http://brightcitydesigns.com/

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