Four Ways to Be a Great Roommate

    Having a roommate can be one of the best experiences in college or, easily, one of the worst.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Follow these tips to avoid the common mistakes that turn good roommate relationships sour.

    Talk things out.

    Communication is key. If something happens, sit down with your roommate and have a face-to-face conversation. I've seen roommate relationships fall apart because something happens and, instead of talking to each other, the two start complaining about their roommates behind their backs. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Don't expect to be best friends.

    Some roommates become the best of friends, and some don't. Don't put pressure on yourself or your roommate, especially when you first meet. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} And if your roommate doesn't end up being your best friend, don't worry.

    Ask before you take.

    This applies to food, clothes and anything else. If you want to keep a relationship going, show your roommate that you have respect for what is his or hers by asking first. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}     ◇Clean up after yourself.

    This should do without saying. Don't be lazy. Or, at least, don't bury your roommate in your clothes and garbage. Most people I've come across in college are messy. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But being considerate with where you put your stuff will help you avoid conflict.

A. So you need to think twice before you help your roommates out.

B. This creates nothing but awkward situations and unhappiness.

C. Even if you both agree to share everything, you should still ask.

D. You don't have all the time to clean your room and keep it organized.

E. It all starts with you to have a good relationship with your roommate.

F. Sometime you get stuck with someone who has tons of negative energy.

G. Remember, you're trying to make a new friend, not to scare your roommate away.

If you have a dream

    What do you dream about? There have been so many times when I've come back to Thomas Edison's wise words: “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this – you haven't.”

    If there is a dream in your heart, you should dig it and shine a little light on the vision（视野）. This time, instead of looking at it as impossible, start thinking freely:{#blank#}1{#/blank#}?

    If you have a dream…

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Seeing it on paper will help you see the possibility. It will be a daily reminder to work on your dream.

    Tell someone. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Later on, you'll need someone to poke holes（指出漏洞）in your dream and help you make it into something that makes sense in the real world. But right now, you just need someone who will give you a big hug and tell you not to stop believing.

    Do one thing that will bring you closer to your dream. Read a book about the subject of your dream. Email someone who is living your dream and ask him or her what's the one thing someone just starting out can do to move forward. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Your dream might sound crazy or impossible, and that's OK. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. 5 or 10 years may sound like forever, but if you were directing some of your resources（资源）towards your dream each day, wouldn't those years be more enjoyable?

A. Ask for help

B. Write it down

C. Start now by doing one thing

D. Can you work hard to make your dream come true

E. The right someone is a loving, kind person you trust

F. It may take some time to make your dream come true

G. What changes could you make in your life to give your dream a chance

    If you feel depressed （消沉的） it's best to do something about it -depression doesn't just go away on its own. In addition to getting help from a doctor here are four things you can do to feel better.

    Exercise.

    Take a 15-to-30-minute walk every day or dance if you prefer.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}But make yourself do it anyway. Once you get in the exercise habit it won't take long to notice a difference in your mood.

Provide yourself with good nutrition （营养）.

    Depression can affect appetite （食欲）. Some people may not feel like eating at all while others might overeat.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}So eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and get regular meals.

    Find out troubles.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}When you know what's got you feeling blue and why talk about it with a caring friend. Talking is a way to receive some understanding. If there's no one to tell pouring your heart out to a journal works just as well.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Depression affects a person's thoughts making everything seem unhappy and hopeless. If depression has you noticing only the negative, make an effort to notice the good things in life. Try to notice one thing and then try to think of one more. Consider your strengths or gifts.

Most of all don't forget to be patient with yourself.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Depression takes time to heal.

B. Take action to solve problems.

C. Look on the bright side.

D. Proper nutrition can affect a person's mood and energy.

E. Try to make out any situations that have led to your depression.

F. People who are depressed may not feel much like being active.

G. With depression a person's creativity and sense of fun may seem blocked.

    Body language provides a lot of information on what other people are thinking. A research has shown that 55% of communication comes from body language. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Next time you're in a meeting, watch for these cues(暗示):

    Real smiles crinkle (使起皱纹) the eyes. When it comes to smiling, the mouth can lie but the eyes can't. Real smiles reach the eyes, crinkling the skin to create crow's feet around them. People often smile to hide what they're really thinking and feeling, so the next time you want to know if someone's smile is real, look for crinkles at the corners of their eyes. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Have you ever been in a meeting with someone and noticed that every time you cross or uncross your legs, they do the same? Or perhaps they lean their head the same way as yours when you're talking? That's actually a good sign. It means that the conversation is going well and that the other party accepts your message.

    Eyes that lie. Most of us believe that it's difficult to hold someone's gaze (凝视) when they're lying. But that's such common knowledge that people will often try to hold eye contact, hoping to cover up the fact that they're lying. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you're talking with someone whose gaze is making you uncomfortable, something is up and they might be lying to you.

    Even if you can't read a person's exact thoughts, you can learn a lot from their body language.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Copying your body language is a good thing.

B. If they aren't there, that smile is hiding something.

C. Good sings lead to good conversations in a meeting.

D. You'll have to find out how long they have looked at you.

E. Learning how to understand that 55% can give you a lot of help.

F. That's especially true when words and body language don't match.

G. The problem is that most of them will hold eye contact until it feels uncomfortable.

Finding time for yourself

    Few people, these days would disagree with the theory that it's vital to take time for yourself. Creating some space for enjoyment and restoration each day or at least every week, is a win-win proposition. It'll make you both happier and more effective in fulfilling your responsibilities at work and home. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Here are some useful suggestions.

    Don't wait until it feels right. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, so you want to tell yourself that you'll only relax once everything is under control. But since both work and family life generate an infinite number of to-dos, that strategy is doomed (注定要失败的). As time-management writer Laura Vanderkam points out, it's far more useful to learn to tolerate the discomfort of knowing your email inbox is filling up, or that the living room is still a pigsty.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. It's all too easy to fill 'me time' with things you think you should enjoy, above all exercise. If you genuinely love such activities, they're perfect. But if the truth is that you don't, you'll only get angry. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}, even when the person doing the telling is ourselves. Make sure at least a small part of your week is spent doing something you can honestly say you enjoy for itself.

    Pay attention to good feelings. Once you do get some restorative time, borrow a Buddhist technique for making it count: when you realize you're enjoying yourself, spend half a minute consciously paying attention to the feelings of pleasure. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Choose true enjoyment

B. We hate being told what to do

C. Make commitments in advance

D. It's unpleasant to have unfinished tasks bother you

E. So, you'll often find that those feelings increase as a result

F. Making a plan in advance can create the space you need for your own happiness

G. Making sure you actually get a moment to yourself requires a shift in perspective

Tips to Increase Your Productivity

    Want to get more done in your day? Of course you do. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The good news is that everyone can increase the amount of tasks they accomplish in a day. Here are some tips to help you have a more productive day.

    Make a plan for your day. Make sure you know how you want your day to go in advance, even before you start. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} To work best, create the next day's plan the night before so that every morning you spend time performing, not planning.

    Break large tasks down into bits accomplished easily. Do you have a large project that's just so big that you keep putting it off? Or maybe you're just unsure of where to begin, so you put it off. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Therefore, you will feel a sense of accomplishment as you check the items of your list.

    Always set your priorities (优先事项). {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Figure out what must be done, do that first and rank the rest of your work according to importance. If you don't get to the items at the end of your list, it won't be a big problem, and you can do them another time.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you are the most productive in the morning, that's when you should hit it hard and do as much as you can. If you work better in the afternoon, take care of some things like emails in the morning and then accomplish the important projects in the afternoon. Keep on top of your work habits, and you'll be more productive.

A. Reward yourself if you are productive.

B. This can provide you a roadmap for the day.

C. Be aware of when you are the most productive.

D. It's tough to meet depressed people who are productive.

E. It's important to accomplish the most important tasks first.

F. A good way is to break the project down into more manageable ones.

G. To stay competitive in any industry, you need to improve your productivity.