Converses may have been used for sport wear in the past, but that was back before the importance of properly shaped shoes was understood. You'll notice now that all basketball shoes have great arch support and foundation.

Feet are meant to wear arched shoes. If you don't have the proper support, your feet will get sore, because they'll be under a lot of pressure trying to maintain your natural shape.

It's okay to wear Converses if you don't have a really long distance to walk, but if you have any activity to do, wear something healthier for your feet!

I have an interesting story about a vegetarian I know...

She isn't 'big' at all. Pretty slim, you might say. She was having big problems this summer with being weak, and she was always frustrated because her body wasn't really toned at all... it was pretty flabby.

Turns out, she wasn't getting enough protein. If you don't get enough protein, you can't build up any muscle mass, so you end up looking really flabby as your body digests the muscle tissue you already have.

Long story short, find a protein powder, because you're going to need it!

You sound just like me a few years back...

It's really tough being a smart girl. As I went through high school I noticed more and more that the dumber a girl acted, the more desirable she was.

The logic (or lack thereof) behind this is that teenage guys are insecure. They're incredibly awkward, and they're intimidated by women who know what they're doing.

Funny thing is, that's exactly what my mom told me, and I didn't believe her at the time!

You just wait until you go to university. I know it sounds like a long time to wait, but trust me, high school boys are just a waste of time. You get better selection in university, and the guys (at least in engineering... my faculty) love a smart girl.

If you're lucky, you might find one in high school, but it's definitely a maturity thing.

My boyfriend proposed to me in September, and we did sort of a combination.

We talked about what I wanted, and what I expected, and then he picked it himself.

I think we made the right decision, because I really didn't want anything extravagant. He did a great job choosing, and me giving him guidelines made it a little easier!

It sounds a lot like when I have an eczema outbreak on my hands. I get these little bumps that look like water blisters, almost.

Do they kind of shrink and turn your skin really dry? If they do, you might want to see your doctor about getting a special steroid cream to keep your skin moisturized.

If that's not it, it sounds like it could be bug bites... do you have a pet? Fleas can do that to you. Or it could be bedbugs.

I know I've been slacking in my answering of questions because so many of them are the same...

"I like two boys, which one do I pick?"
"How do I lose weight?"
"Do my homework for me!"
"I'm a depressed teenager, help me!"
"What should I dress like for Halloween?"
"What should I get (boyfriend, girlfriend, relative) for (special occasion)?"

I'm getting a little bored with the constant repetition, personally. However, when I see a question that just screams out for answering (or a good dose of logic), I poke my head in.

I'm no doctor, but I had the same thing happen to me once. I was really worried, and I went to my doctor. He told me I might have appendicitis and have to have an operation...

Then a couple days later, I got my period.

My advice would be to wait a few days, and if it's still hurting and your period hasn't started yet, go and see a doctor.

It's really cute, but I'm questioning its age appropriateness.

Also, if you're going trick-or-treating, the parents handing out candy probably aren't going to like it... they're more in it for the little kids dressed up like dinosaurs.

I'd say that if you're going trick-or-treating, you should probably go for a really creative costume with a pretty low sex factor.

But that's just my opinion.

I would suggest that you straight out tell your doctor the truth. It's important that they have a legitimate record of your health problems and know about your sexual activity.

If you're not mature enough to obtain birth control, you're not mature enough to be having sex.

Your doctor can't tell your parents what you're on, as it would be a breach of patient-doctor confidentiality, so if that's what you're worried about, you're okay there.

Well, since blackrose's answer was somewhat less than helpful, maybe I can shed some light :P

If your body fat percentage is too low, then you won't menstruate because your body goes into survival mode.

My friend had to take the morning after pill,and it's not pleasant.

She actually had to take two days off of school, because she was cramping so hard that it made her vomit. Not good.

If you're not ready to buy condoms or go on birth control, then you're not ready to have sex.

I must say, I agree with your mom. Those 100 calorie packs are just a scam, playing on the weight loss craze. Per unit, they cost an awful lot, considering what they are.

They're nothing new and revolutionary, or even healthy; they're just small bagged portions of snacks. If you like the convenience of not monitoring the amount you're eating, try pre-packaging your own snacks... look at the calorie content of the stuff you have kicking around the house, and put it in little baggies with the right number of calories in them! You can do this with anything... cookies, chips, veggies, fruit, whatever you want.

If you're really into eating healthier, here are some of my favourite snacks:

Peach slices with 1% cottage cheese
Celery with peanut butter
Raisins
Orange slices
Raw broccoli with oil dressing (I eat it intead of chips!)
Homemade popsicles with Crystal Light (calorie free!)
Tortilla chips and salsa

Sorry, but I sort of had to tell you the answer in order to explain it fully...

When you're factoring, try to find something common in both polynomials. For instance, in your first example, you will find a and b, so you can take a factor of (ab) out. This will leave you with (ab)(2a-3b). You can easily reverse this and check your factoring by multiplying it back out, like this:

(ab)(2a-3b)
= (2a)(ab)-(3b)(ab)
=2a^2b - 3ab^2
(the ^2 is the most commonly used keyboard notation for something squared.)

In the second case, your constant in front is common as well as a and b, so you can take a factor of (5ab) out. This gives you (5ab)(a-b).

Check it:

(5ab)(a-b)
= (5ab)(a)-(5ab)(b)
= 5a^2b - 5ab^2

If you need any more help with math questions, I'm a second year engineering student, so I'm pretty well equipped :)

Here's a calorie-free one...

Vodka and diet coke! It actually tastes pretty decent.

I'm about the same proportions (although I weight the same amount), and I'm 19.

Don't pay any attention to the BMI, because it's geared towards a certain body type. People like us girls have a bigger bone structure than others, and that's just fine!

As for above the knee skirts, I always steer clear of miniskirts, but if it comes to just above or just below the knee, it's really flattering. Look for something that is fitted at the hips, and flares out just above the bottom.

It's actually pretty normal. About half of the students at my university are international in some way, shape or form.

One day I was hanging out with a female friend of mine from China, and she couldn't stop staring at me, so I gave her a funny look and she explained herself... blue eyes or pale skin are very exotic to people who were raised in countries where it's not so common.

That might explain things!

You can get an STD just by coming into contact with his penis. If you think you may be infected, make an appointment for testing with your doctor as soon as you can; the sooner treatment is started, the better your chances of full recovery are!

It's an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections of the sinuses.

The information on the website says not to give it to children, as it may hinder bone development... not good!

That said, you should never self-medicate. You never know what a drug might do to you.

Personally, I think that abortion is ethical, but not in some cases.

I'm against third-trimester abortions. I think that once the fetus has developed to the point where it could survive in the world, it shouldn't be aborted unless it will cause serious harm to the mother.

I also don't think that abortion should be used as a form of birth control; too many women have unprotected sex, and use abortions to 'fix things'.

In cases of rape, incest, or just accidents that happened while using protection, I think that abortion is acceptable.

I entirely understand your situation. When I was in high school I was under a lot of pressure; two part-time jobs, volunteer work, heavy physical training... and I had to stay on the honour roll. If I got under 85 on anything, my parents would give me the "you're going to be flipping burgers for the rest of your life" speech.

I got into university (studying engineering), and... messed up big time. Once that pressure is gone, it's really hard to maintain your previous work patterns. Plus, university is a totally different learning environment. Instead of a class of 30, I had classes of up to 1000. The profs don't know who you are. You need to make an appointment to get extra help. Sometimes, your profs won't even really teach... you're mostly expected to teach yourself from your textbook. I couldn't cope with all of this, and I failed out of university after my first year.

I enrolled in a program at the college nearby (it's a very highly esteemed college). What I'm doing now is a lot like engineering, and it's still a university program. My college has combined forces with the university I used to go to, and they're offering a program that gives you both a degree and a diploma for four years of study. I went, in one year, from failing out to straight A's. I even got 100% in calculus! The difference was amazing. The teachers were amazing, and really into their job. I was on a first name basis with most of them. My class only had 36 people in it. I got individual time with my profs if I didn't understand something. And most importantly, I got a lot more lab time last year than I got in my first year of engineering at university.

I don't know if my story helped at all, but here's my take on your story:

You're aiming for something because you think that it's the only way to make a difference in the world. It's not. Everyone makes a difference if you think about it. Maybe you're not saving lives, but that doesn't mean it's useless! Engineers keep people safe when they design buildings, cars, everything. Teachers help kids reach their goals. Even plumbers make a difference; think about how the world would be if sewage systems didn't work!

You should aim for something you enjoy, are good at, and can make a living with. Me for example: I'm good at math, science, and the arts, but I only really enjoy studying math and science. Engineering is a good field for me to be in, because I enjoy the subjects I'm studying, and I am good at them. You have to fit your future to your abilities, not your abilities to your future.

As for stressing out about getting into university, try checking into programs like mine. I'm pretty sure that other colleges offer degree programs, which is a great thing to get into if you decide against medicine. I've been talking to my father about what educational facilities are the best to go to, and he has said that in this day and age, a college diploma will get you every bit as far as a degree in a lot of cases. Employers are looking for people with hands-on experience, which is the main focus of colleges. So, colleges aren't for stupid people... they just have a different focus (hands-on vs. theoretical).

Medicine is a great path to take, but it's not the only one. Open up your mind to other fields. Try talking to a guidance or career counsellor, if you have one at your school. Find out what suits you best!

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask me, because this happens to be something that I know a lot about. I was in your position once (I wanted to be a neurosurgeon in high school) and I know how draining it can be!

My Personal Forum

My name is Amanda and I'm 26 years old. I'm currently studying electrical engineering. Armed with a fairly odd sense of humour and a sunny outlook on life, I'll take on just about anything. I'm also cussedly stubborn, which has its ups and downs. Things get tough sometimes, and I've never been one to run from it.

In my last 8 years with Advicenators, I've gone from honours student to failing out of university (and getting back on top again!), from single to married, from tenant to homeowner.

Until lately, I have been struggling with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and OCD, which had basically ruined my life and taken just about everything from me. I'm thankful every day for every experience I've had because of this ordeal, because it's helped to make me who I am today. Things like that really make you appreciate what you do have. Now that I'm back in work and school and starting to become myself again, I couldn't be happier. I credit Advicenators with saving my life back when I was a teenager, which is a big part of why I'm still here.

I won't necessarily give you the answers you want to hear, but I'll always be honest and do my best to help.

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