Taking good notes is a time-saving skill that will help you to become a better student in several ways. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Second, your notes are excellent materials to refer to when you are studying for a test. Third, note-taking offers variety to your study time and helps you to hold your interest.

    You will want to take notes during classroom discussions and while reading a textbook or doing research for a report. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Whenever or however you take notes, keep in mind that note-taking is a selective process. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

The following methods may work best for you.

●Read the text quickly to find the main facts and ideas in it.

●Carefully read the text and watch for words that can show main points and supporting facts.

●Write your notes in your own words.

●{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

●Note any questions or ideas you may have about what was said or written.

    As you take notes, you may want to use your own shorthand(速记). When you do, be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them all the time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Doctors say anger can be an extremely damaging emotion, unless you learn how to deal with it. They warn that anger can lead to heart disease, stomach problems, headaches, emotional problems and possibly cancer.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some people express anger openly in a calm reasonable way. Others burst with anger, and scream and yell. But other people keep their anger inside. They can not or will not express it. This is called repressing anger.

    For years many doctors thought that repressing anger was more dangerous to a person's health than expressing it. They said that when a person is angry, the brain releases the same hormones (荷尔蒙). They speed the heart rate, raise blood pressure, or sugar into the blood, etc. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Some doctors say that both repressing and expressing anger can be dangerous. They believe that those who express anger violently may be more likely to develop heart disease, and they believe that those who keep anger inside may face a greater danger of high blood pressure.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They say the first step is to admit that you are angry and to recognize the real cause of the anger, then decide if the cause is serious enough to get angry about. If it is, they say, “{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Wait until your anger has cooled down and you are able to express yourself calmly and reasonably.”

    Doctors say that a good way to deal with anger is to find humor in the situation that has made you angry. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    The steady increase in women having babies later in life is undeniable. First-time mothers are more likely to be 35 or older than their counterparts (对应者) from two decades ago, according to the Pew Research Center. While the number of first-time moms between ages 20 and 24 falls, the number of births to women in their 30s and 40s keeps growing. In addition, recent wide-ranging studies have found significant long-term benefits in waiting to have babies. These benefits counterbalance (抵消) some worries about being an older mother and the effects it may have on children.

    Longevity for women who wait

    A study in the journal Menopause examined older mothers' life expectancy (寿命) and found that women who had their last child after the age of 33 are more likely to live to 95. In fact, researchers reported that these women had twice the chance of living to 95 or older than those who had their last child before their 30th birthday. The news for women having babies after 40 is equally promising.

    Boosted brainpower for older mothers

    It's also possible that later pregnancies (怀孕) protect against cognitive decline. Researchers at the University of Southern California found that women have better brainpower if they have their last baby after age 35. The researchers looked at the pregnancy history of a group of 830 women ages 41 to 92. Their research provides strong evidence of a positive association between later age at last pregnancy and late-life cognition.

    Increased income over time

    There's a measurable link between the age you have your first child and income gains and losses. Women who start their families when they are older are likely to increase their earning potential.

    Educational and emotional support for children

    Older parents who are less stressed about income or job security tend to be more patient and can spend more time with their children. Parents who have more secondary education can also offer more specific stimulation to their children, which can be helpful for development. An investigation of 8- to 12-year-olds explored how specific parenting beliefs and behaviors—such as reading, constructive play and emotional support—affected child development. The research published in the Journal of Family Psychology found that parent education and income positively affect child achievement.

    Having babies later in life

    I do think that dieting does not work. What it does do is to make you uneasy about food. Imagine you are prepared to abandon your belief and imagine yourself like a slim person...how do you get there?

Transform your focus

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Focus on what you really want, not what you don't want. Imagine how you would like to be. See a big picture of yourself, looking fantastic in your bathing suit, how good would you be feeling?{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Understand your hunger

    Slim people eat based on how hungry they are and when lunch time or tea time or dinner time around; they don't just fill up their plate because the food is there. The next time hunger pangs （剧痛） strike, imagine you have a scale in your mind from one to ten. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Check where you are on that scale before you put something into your mouth. You can also use the scale to judge how full you're getting.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Hunger is the only good reason for eating. Most overweight people have got into the habit of eating    when they are not hungry. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Many people have forgotten how to eat when they're hungry and most    diets tell you to ignore pleasure and ignore hunger and they also tell you when/how much and exactly what to eat.

    Tests can be worrying even for the most prepared students. When some students take tests, their minds don't work as well as usual. They may experience something called test anxiety (焦虑), which can have a negative influence on their performance. Well, the following tips can help you pass your next test more easily and achieve more success!

    Get Enough Sleep

    6 hours of sleep or less can slow your mind and thus has negative effects on your performance on tests, even if you spend those missed hours of sleep studying. So, it's very important for you to get a good night of sleep before your big day.

    Study Smarter

    How do you study 'smarter'? Make a list of the things you need to learn in order of importance. That way, if you don't have enough time, you can still hit the items at the top of the list. Make a list of all the work you have to do, judge how much time each item will take, and compare that with the number of hours you have available; this will tell you whether you can read carefully or just skim, how much time you can spend checking papers, and tell you other ways to pace yourself so you can get everything done. If your time is still limited, it's important to learn to let go of being perfect.

    Visualize (想象) Success

    Before you fall asleep each night, it is a great way to visualize yourself taking the tests and doing wonderfully. Detailed visualizations can help you feel like you're really experiencing something，and visualizing yourself doing well is a way to 'practice' success in a way that can help you perform better and feel confident. Visualizations can also help you to remember the facts.

    Stay Calm

    Anxiety can harm your memory, so it's important to stay calm before and during tests. While that's easier said than done, there are several techniques that can help you calm down quickly whenever you feel nervous. For example, breathing exercise has been shown by research to reduce test anxiety, and can be very effective in helping you relax: just take deep breaths and let the anxiety come out.

    How to deal with your test anxiety

    I am a member at the Blue Ridge Mountains Writers Conference. This is the conference where I got my start about 15 years ago, so it feels special whenever I go back there.

    I usually teach multiple sessions, host a table at meals where I can talk with conferees, and often have about 40-50 private appointments with attendees. I take great pleasure in giving my personal advice on the beginners' writing journey after listening to their puzzlement.

    And then I realized something, as I looked across the room and saw AI Gansky and Eva Marie Everson whom I'd had private appointments with many years ago when I was one of the conferees. The only reason I am a member there now is because countless people like them have invested in me. As a new writer, I once expressed my book ideas to Al and Eva, and they encouraged me a lot. Award-winning authors Yvonne Lehman and Steven James welcomed me to their group and shared their knowledge. And Edie, Vonda, Linda, Lynette, Michelle and so many others became my writing friends, offering encouragement and support along the way. I'd never have made it on this journey without them.

    Last week, I was invited to experience the life in the countryside with some writer friends. I refused the invitation at first. I was away from home a lot because of the numerous book releases and conferences. I felt so exhausted that I just wanted to stay at home. However, my sweet husband said, "Honey, why don't you go? It will be good for you. It can be a great source of inspiration for you." I'd never have made it without the support of this precious man who's been my chief encourager. It moves me to tears to think about all the times he's cleaned the kitchen, folded the laundry, taken care of our children and lugged my suitcases to the car so I can chase my dreams.

    I wouldn't be where I am today without all the supportive people and I want to give them a much-deserved shout-out today.