As a senior year student, you may have so many pressures coming from so many directions that you can't figure out what to do first.

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    When you have many things to do and a lot of demands on your time, you can lose sight of what's important. One of the best ways to see the big picture - what you want out of life - is to lay out your goals.

    Pressure Points and How to Deal With Them

    Confused or overwhelmed - talk to someone you trust.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} They may help you find solutions to your problems and worries.

    Being too hard on yourself - ease up, take a break and do something you enjoy. Daydream, read a book, go out with friends — anything that helps you relax.

    Problems, problems, problems — recognize your limits. It's too stressful to try to deal with all your problems at once.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Goal-Setting Tips

    It's important to remember that goals belong to you — not to your parents, your teachers, or your friends. After you've set your goals, identify the skills you have to achieve those goals.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Try the library, your guidance adviser and teachers, and other people who could help you.

    Goals exist to serve you. If your goal is something you no longer want, change it. Identify the barriers to getting your goals.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Don't get depressed by a big, long-term goal — see what steps you can take to achieve it and set those steps down as short-term, “do-able” goals.

A. Too much to do

B. Balancing goals in life

C. Consider ways to overcome them

D. Discuss your concerns with a friend, parent or teacher

E. Choose what's most urgent and set aside the rest until later

F. As long as you know what skill is important and what isn't

G. If you're not sure what skills you'll need, do some research

    Have you ever set a goal for yourself and got excited to get working on it? The first few weeks are great! You're moving forward. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Before you know it, your goals have taken a back seat. Sound familiar? We are not alone. Many face the same struggle. Here are the four ways to complete these goals.

Make yourself a priority（优先权）.

    You most likely put others before yourself. It is a wonderful thing to want to help others, but if you are putting others before your own priorities and goals, you will be quickly in a great pressure. This is a habit we have to get rid of. If we don't care about ourselves first, we can't be our best to help others. Take yourself seriously. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Make clear goals with action steps.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Create action steps, and no matter how small you think they are, use them. It becomes a way for you to measure your progress. Don't discount the small steps. When life gets in the way it's so much easier to move on or pick right back up when you have these small action steps to guide you.

Create your own hope.

    This is your self-talk. Make it positive and daily. You do not need permission to take action towards your goals and don't wait for someone to give you this permission. If you need to, seek positive influencers and listen to their stories. Learn to say “No.” {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. This is your journey, not theirs.

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    Have a mindset to be grateful for the things, people, and opportunities in your life. If we don't appreciate what we have now, how would we be able to appreciate anything once we completed our goals? Each of us has our own life experiences and life struggles, which shape us into who we are. They are lessons that can either make you or break you. The choice is up to you and determines if you will be successful in achieving you goals.

A. The more details you can have with your goal, the better.

B. Make this a positive healthy habit.

C. Then life starts throwing tons of difficulties at you.

D. Learn to be thankful.

E. Focus on the process.

F. You don't have to do everything for everyone.

G. This is actually difficult for those of us that care for others.

How to Deal With Gossip (流言蜚语)

Gossip is a double-edged sword. Not only can it be incredibly harmful for you, but also others may be affected. Do a serious favor for your friends and yourself — quit your gossip habit and become a better and more positive person. It's good to find ways to get started dealing with gossip.

    Face the source of the rumor directly. If you know for sure who's responsible for spreading a rumor about you, don't take it lying down. When you have a chance, walk right up to him or her and say that you don't appreciate the mean things she/he has said. Stay calm when you do this. You don't want to adopt the cruel words this person has.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Alert your friends. If you learn that someone's been spreading nasty rumors about you, your first action should be to consult with your close friends. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Tell them the facts of the situation. If the rumor's not true, they'll be sure to fight the spread of the rumor. If the rumor is true, they can still help stop its spread by sticking up for you.

    Ignore it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When you hear gossip about yourself, laugh it off. Act as if it's ridiculous! Share a chuckle(窃笑) about it! Turn the tables by making the person who started the rumor the butt (笑柄) of the joke.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If nasty rumors and gossip are a frequent problem, or if someone's told a rumor that might get you in trouble for something you didn't do, talk to a teacher, counselor, or administrator. These people can help you work through the problem. They can give you advice on how to proceed, make you feel better, and even discipline people who've started the rumor.

    Stay away from people who gossip. The single best way to avoid having gossip told about you is to stay away from the kinds of people who tell mean gossip! As popular or cool as they may seem, these people are sad and desperate. They can't have a good time without spreading hurtful rumors about someone else. Don't bother with them. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Remember a friend who stabs you in the back by telling a nasty rumor isn't much of a friend at all.

A. When you're worried about a piece of gossip, change the way you live.

B. Tell an authority about it.

C. Gossip is often best dealt with by paying no attention to it at all.

D. They should be people you know and trust.

E. Work out a plan to avoid being laughed at.

F. Find friends who don't get enjoyment from hurting people.

G. You also don't expect to give bystanders the impression that the rumor's true.

    Being a teenager can be tough. “Troubled” and “rebellious(叛逆的)” are often labels that people give kids in their teens. There are even scientific theories explaining that the likelihood of teenagers taking is due to the fact that their brains aren't fully developed yet. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    But a new study by researches at the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University may have finally cleared up this misunderstanding. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}They simply are easily attracted by new things and are eager to explore the world.

    The adolescents(青少年) lack experience. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}This personality trait(特征)is called “sensation seeking”, which is shared by a lot of people and usually peaks during adolescence.

    Instead of being something to worry about, sensation seeking is actually necessary, since the process of learning usually goes hand in hand with taking risks. "Teenagers need to build experience so that they can do a better job in making the difficult and risky decisions in later life. 'Should I take this job? or ' {#blank#}4{#/blank#}' ”said Valerie Reyna, co –author of the study.

    “{#blank#}5{#/blank#}If they don't make a mistake in their teenage years, they will have no life experience when they turn 18 and step out of their parents' protection and into a world that's unknown to them. Kids need the freedom to test out boundaries while still in a safe environment,” wrote Ann Robinson, editor of The Guardian.

A. Should I marry this person?

B. It turns out that teenagers are fine

C. Adolescents should do as follows

D. What can parents do to help the kids?

E. There's something scarier than taking a risk.

F. in other words, they just can't help it.

G. Therefore, they keep trying things out for the first time in their life.

How to Keep a Healthy and Strong Relationship

    Are you new to experiencing relationships? Well, let me give you advice on having a healthy and possibly long-term relationship.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Do not hide things from them and do not lie. Don't be afraid to say things that aren't very flattering about yourself. Getting them to trust you is the most important element in any relationship. If there's no trust, there's nothing there. So please be honest and they'll learn to open up to you.

    Make sure you give them respect. Now respect isn't just simply treating her or him nicely. There's a lot more about it. You have to learn to adjust to their liking. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Don't just think about yourself; think about what your partner needs as well.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Always be willing to help them and give them honesty and positivity at the same time. Make them feel you are someone they can really count on and build a future with. This is an important step in a relationship. Your partner has to be able to count on you when needed.

    Make sure you have a good sense of humor with them. Laughter is the key to happiness. Laugh a lot with them and joke with them. Laughter may seem silly, but it's the secret to a lot in life. It will keep the sparks alive. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Make sure the communication is good. This goes along with trust, but always communicate how you feel, even if it's something that upsets you. Instead of screaming, talk to them. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It's important to communicate with them. Don't keep it bottled up.

    If you're thinking about studying abroad, but aren't sure how to convince your parents or yourself, here are some of the best reasons why spending a semester or year overseas is a smart and fun thing to do.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Want to impress potential employers? Companies around the world continue to invest in the global market, and prefer to hire employees who have international experience. Not to mention the knowledge of a second language. Your resume (简历) will stand out from everyone else applying for the same position.

    Learn foreign languages. Language teachers say being immersed (沉浸) in a culture that speaks the language you want to learn is the quickest and most effective way to learn it. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} As globalization brings the world together, it's important to be competent in more than one language.

    Experience different cultures. Immersing yourself in a totally different culture is powerful. You'll experience things like trying different foods, celebrating traditional customs, and learning the history of another country. A person's culture reflects beliefs and values that influence their way of life. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Expand your worldview. Previously held beliefs about foreign countries will change once you've been abroad. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It can be surprising just how much you know is slightly biased (有偏见的), based on where you're from. It's also a unique opportunity to educate others on your country！

    Earn money! {#blank#}5{#/blank#} We are pretty lucky that English is the international language of business. It's an important language that many foreigners want to learn. You can get paid for teaching, interpreting, or translating English while you're studying abroad.

A. Discover what you want out of life.

B. Improve employment opportunities.

C. You can actually earn income while you study abroad.

D. You'll gain a completely new view on your own country  too.

E. You'll gain an understanding of this that can't be taught with books.

F. Mastering a foreign language opens up all kinds of new opportunities.

G. You'll miss your friends who will want to share their culture and ideas with you.