Being organized is an important skill for school and life．When you're well organized, you can stay focused，instead of spending time hunting things down．

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For schoolwork, it means having one notebook or place where you store all your assignment，so you know what you have to do and when. Keeping all your school work neat and in a specific place—these are the main parts of organization.

        For home stuff, being organized means having a place to put your things and putting them back as you go. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It means keeping your schoolbag，your shoes, and your clean underwear in the same places so you always know where to find them.

    Planning is part of being organized, too. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Calendars，lists，and schedules can help you plan. You can buy or draw a calendar and keep it near your workplace. Making a schedule or “to-do” list for yourself is a good idea. Looking at your list helps you keep track of what you need to do. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Check off things when you've done them. Use your list to help you decide which thing is the most important to work on first.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But once you're organized，it feels great．The less time you spend hunting around for things or panicking about homework，the more time you have for better things，like reading a good book or playing.

A. Planning means deciding what you will do and when you will do it.

B. First，you should get your schoolwork organized.

C. Add new things as you get assignments.

D. You will benefit a lot from a good habit.

E. What does it mean to be organized?

F. It takes some extra efforts to organize yourself and your stuff.

G. It means hanging your coat up instead of dropping it on the floor or throwing it on a chair.

Writing A Letter To Your Future Self

    Just imagine writing a letter to your future self 5 years from now, then opening it at that exact moment to see how much of it has come true.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    As you read the letter in the future, you can assess how many things agree with your expectations in the past.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Often times, the goals we set and our goal achievement process are affected by a lot of changes along the way. The letter lets you recognize how your current idea differs from the past.

    In addition to that, at the very moment you are writing the letter, your thoughts are stored right there in those words. When you open the letter in the future, you as your future self gets to compare how you used to be in the past with how you are now.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} It's very interesting to do so.

    Take out a pen and paper right now and start writing your letter to your future self. Set a time period to write to. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Then start writing. Think about the type of person you will be, your place in life, what you will have realized then, and so on.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Put it in a safe space where no one can find it. When you open this sometime in the near future, you might gain additional insights(了解) about yourself and your journey in the past few years.

A. And you can think about why that's the case.

B. It is a useful tool to be used in goal achievement.

C. Imagine how you will be like during that time period.

D. If you haven't, join me in writing a letter to yourself.

E. This lets you see how much things have changed since then.

F. At the end of the letter, write the date to open it on the cover.

G. It wasn't until we moved into our new house that I found it again.

Participating (参与) in Class

    Class participation is a valuable part of learning. Many students are unwilling to participate in class{#blank#}1{#/blank#}  Other students participate in class, but do so not correctly. Here is some advice that can help you become an effective class participant.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Do all tasks and readings and go over your notes from previous class periods. This will help to prevent you from making uninformed ( 无知的) comments or asking unsuitable questions. As you get ready for class, think about important questions and concerns that may appear in class. Be sure that you are prepared to deal with these.

    Try to sit close to the front of the class{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Besides, you can hear what the teachers say clearly.

    Listen to what the other students say. You can then build on their comments to make your own. Be active when you respond to something another student says. You can disagree, but don't go into an “attack mode”.

    Don't be afraid to be wrong{#blank#}4{#/blank#} You can learn from being wrong. Don't be afraid to ask questions. This is a good learning skill. Also, the chances are that other students in the class have the same questions as you do, and they will appreciate your asking.

    Be sure that your questions and comments are closely connected with the class topic.

    Don't waste the time of the teacher and other students by going off way. Don't take it in person if others disagree with what you say{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Creating a personal connection helps you feel more comfortable about participating in class.

B. Be confident that your opinions will be valued by your teacher and other students.

C. It's hard to stay unconcerned when you are near to the teacher.

D. Be sure that you are well prepared before coming to class.

E. This may be because they are shy or fearful of being judged and criticized (批评).

F. Your class should be a good place for giving opinions and taking advice.

G. Learning is a change in behavior based on experience.

    Building the thinking habit is important because it helps you live with a purpose. How can we build the thinking habit? Here are some tips.

    Be curious.

    Curiosity is powerful. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It also helps you recognize the ideas when they come. Curiosity is an important attitude to have in building the thinking habit.

    Read widely.

    If you want to come up with good ideas, you need to feed your mind with good ideas.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} This will give you fresh, new ideas. Don't just read from the fields you are familiar with. Read from other fields as well.

    Read actively

    Not only should you read widely, but also you should read actively. Find some ideas and think about how you can use them. My favorite way to do this is by highlighting the book I read. I will then put the actionable ideas in my idea journal.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Keep an idea journal.

    When you find a good idea, don't just keep it in your mind. Instead, write it down to catch the idea.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Keeping an idea journal makes you more alert lo new ideas. You will quickly recognize them because you already have the habit of catching ideas.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Of course, it doesn't do you much good if you just write down ideas. Take time to read these ideas every now and then. In my case, I mark the ideas that I consider important and review them regularly. This often opens the way to new ideas.

A. Go over your ideas

B. Design your own ideas

C. One way to do that is to read.

D. It makes you like finding new ideas.

E. Otherwise, the idea might be gone forever.

F. This helps me get the most out of the book.

G. In this way, others ran also benefit from your ideas.

    Maybe once you lived with your roommates! Many of us live with a roommate at some stage. Sometimes, there can be problems. Who hasn't had an argument about whose turn it is to take out the rubbish or who should be the one to clear up after dinner? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} 

    You know that there's always someone else around, which can help you feel safer. There is always someone to talk to, so you never feel lonely. Besides these obvious benefits, there are some you may not notice. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    To examine the effect of living alone, Australian university researchers did much research and found that people living alone tended to eat less fresh food, which can have a significant negative effect on long-term health. However, those living with others generally benefited from a more varied diet compared to those living alone.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The researchers believe the social and cultural roles played by cooking, food preparation and eating may be important considerations. For example, those living with friends have someone else to go shopping with, and thus are likely to buy high-quality fresh food regularly.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If people living alone find they do not have the knowledge required to prepare a particular dish or cook a certain food, they may fall back on ready-made, less healthy food.

    However, if they live with at least one other person, they maybe able to ask for help.

    In addition, people living alone can eat whatever they want at any time of the day or night. However, it's helpful to have someone around who questions your decision to eat frozen pizza at 3 am. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    So, if you now live alone and find yourself fighting a losing battle against poor eating habits, why not consider sharing a home with someone else? You could encourage one another onto greater health and well-being.

A. Cooking skills maybe another factor.

B. In other words, roommates can draw your attention to unhealthy routines.

C. Living with a roommate could be good to share your expenses and contribute to your home's maintenance.

D. For example, we're actually more likely to eat healthier food when living with others.

E. What could explain these findings?

F. It's hard to find someone who doesn't grate on your nerves, has a similar cleanliness level as you and goes to bed at the same time.

G. However, living with another person also comes with many benefits.

    Do you want to create more successful writings? Perhaps you can benefit from the following suggestions on excellent writing.

    You need time. A lot of smart people lie to themselves like, “I finish my task best at the last minute.” In fact, it's not true. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Sure, you are smart, but you still need to have some pressure. For example, if you are working on an important topic, why do you think that you can write well at midnight just before the conference? Writing can be a miracle if you are given enough time.

    Writing requires practice. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Would you do nothing before running a marathon? No, you would practice running gradually to make your body stronger. In order to become a writer, you need to write.

    Write at the best time. I happen to be a morning person, so I write early in the day. Then I spend the rest of my day teaching or having meetings. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Or, at least, they are not correct to some extent. Nearly all of the best scholars are changed by their experiences in doing research and writing about it. They learn by doing, and sometimes what they learn is that they were wrong.

    Revise your writing again and again. Have other people look at it. You need to overcome a fear of refusal. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The difference between a successful scholar and a failed one is about who is better at writing and revising.

A. Not all of your thoughts are influential.

B. No one works better with time running out.

C. You get better and faster through exercise.

D. Exchange papers with peers or an instructor.

E. Your first thoughts are often wrong.

F. Make sure you save your most productive time for writing.

G. Nobody's first drafts (草稿) are good.