Posts by valpal95

That's great -- congrats!

Original Post by chixtwix455:

THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS! 

Your replies really, really helped. I emailed her and she replied saying that she would be happy to discuss my test and quiz tomorrow morning before school. I'm really going to do EVERYTHING I can to make up for my awful grades. Thanks so much =D

I think this is the best approach to dealing with the situation and I applaud you for being proactive to raise your grade.  Please don't ever cry about a grade -- it's never worth it.  Getting upset about a grade is not going to change it, and that time and energy would be better spent searching for a solution.  Some tips I can offer from personal experience:

- Your teacher is your best resource.  Always go to her if you are struggling.  Teachers are usually happy to help and they respect students who take their education seriously.

- Don't be afraid to ask questions in class.  If you don't understand something, ask a question.  I'm sure your classmates will appreciate your asking.

- Study with a friend or group.  Your classmates sometimes can explain something to you in a way your teacher can't.  Also, this makes studying more fun and less pressured.

- Get a tutor if you need one.  Both my hs and college offered free tutors.  There's nothing wrong or shameful about getting tutored.

- Do extra credit projects when they are offered.  If no extra credit is offered but you still want a grade boost, ask your teacher if you can do a project for extra credit.  (I've never had a teacher say no.)  Be prepared to suggest something specific -- that way you can pick something you're interested in and your teacher doesn't have to make the effort to create her own extra credit assignment.

- Start early.  In math, concepts build on previous concepts -- so if you have trouble with one thing early on, it will be a part of many other lessons to come.  If you are struggling, talk to your teacher immediately because the sooner you understand the concept, the easier future tests will be for you.

I graduated high school with a 4.1 GPA, but believe me, I saw several awful quiz grades along the way (one as low as 17... I will not forget that one haha).  A few low quiz grades will not kill your GPA -- as long as you can bring the grade up in time for report cards, you will be fine.  Keep in mind that moving from junior high/middle school to high school is a transition period and can be challenging for many people.  What will separate you from underachievers is your proactive attempts to do well.  Good luck with everything!

I am part of the cankle club... my ankles are 9 inches.  I think it's genetic because my mom has them, too.  I tend to stick with pants over skirts/dresses.  And I disagree with the heels only rule.  Some heels look awful because you have the stark contrast of the skinny, skinny heel against my huge cankle. 

On the plus side, if I twist my ankle, I feel no pain.  And I can ice skate for hours and not get tired ankles.

I've always wondered if there was a link between cankles and height and shoe size.  I feel like most people with cankles are short with long feet.  I'm 5'3" and I wear a size 8 shoe.

- potato chips

- cheese and crackers

- cookies

- 90-calorie Quaker granola bars -- I can NEVER have just one!

What time is the bedtime?  And is it just weeknights or also weekends?

I had a bedtime of 8pm until I got to high school (age 14) and made an argument for my parents to allow me to stay up until 9pm.  When I turned 16, I got a job and so the requirement of bedtime kind of tapered off (because some nights I'd have track practice, then work for 4 hours, then I'd have some hw to do, so there was no way I'd be in bed by 9).  I was always well-rested and did well in school when I followed the bedtime rules.  So even though it was annoying, I know my parents had my best interest at heart.

I grew up (and currently live) about 45 minutes from Boston and I remember my grandmother telling me that the professional women in Boston wear sneakers on their commute because of all the cobblestones and uneven pavement.

In the cooler weather, I wear sneakers to commute to and from work.  In the summer, I wear flip-flops during the commute.  (I tend to not wear socks with my shoes in the summer, so wearing sneakers would involve wearing a pair of socks, taking them off, putting them back on at the end of the day.)  My commute is 1 hr and 15 min each way and involves taking the commuter rail and two subway lines.  (There are a lot of stairs involved, and a lot of walking -- sometimes even running.)   I keep two pairs of shoes at work, and if I want to wear a different pair that day, I carry them with me.

There are numerous benefits to wearing sneakers/flip-flops on the commute.  Your nice shoes last longer.  Your feet don't hurt.  You can run if you're late.  Your heels don't get caught in the cobblestones.

Honestly, I'm surprised that women in other cities don't wear flip-flops.

1. Don't drink coffee.

2. Get plenty of sleep.

3. Focus on posture and stretching.

I hit 5'2'' when I was 12 and stayed that way.  Then, at age 20, I went for a check up and the nurse announced I was 5'3''.  I was shocked (and happy) that after 8 years of not growing, I gained an inch.  That past semester, I had taken a beginning ballet class where the instructor focused a lot on posture and stretching -- especially the core and back.

I once saw an episode of Oprah in which she revealed that prices of EVERYTHING -- even department store clothing-- is negotiable (more or less).  It couldn't hurt to speak with the manager directly and see if you could get a better deal.  Maybe they will price match another gym or offer you a special that's not in season right now.  I say, go for it!  Good luck!

I know where you are coming from.  I have 6 lbs left to go and they are coming off sooo s l o w l y.

You might want to try mixing up your cardio more.  If you run everyday, your body gets used to it.  You could try biking, stairs, jump rope, elliptical, dance, aerobics, or any combination of those.

Also, just a thought -- you may not be eating enough.  1300 sounds low if you are at all active.  My absolute minimum calorie intake is 1500.

Good luck!

Maybe you could try signing up for a class at your gym -- or even just planning to go to one.  I'm more likely to go to the gym if I'm planning to take a class because I know there's a specific time I need to be there and I know I can just follow the instructor for an hour and then leave.

I used to find it intimidating to go to my local YMCA gym, so then I joined a smaller, women's only gym.  (It's the sister gym of a local, huge co-ed gym.)  The women's only gym is so much less intimidating and I see the same ladies there all the time -- women of all sizes and all fitness levels.  Everyone is helpful and supportive and I don't feel like anyone's watching/judging me while I'm there.  So you could try joining a women's only gym, or maybe try going to your gym during off-peak hours when there will be less people around.

Good luck!  Getting to the gym is half the battle.

I'm 5'3" and 122 now.  When I'm active, I still lose 1 - 2 lbs a week on 1600 - 1700 calories a day.  I would recommend upping your calories and continuing your workouts.

From my experience, I would recommend a double room in a dorm, but I do think it depends on the school.  At my college, typically only juniors and seniors (and some sophomores) got singles -- and they already had their own group of friends.  Also, upperclassmen friends would often choose to live together in single rooms in suites.  So it might be harder to break into a group of friends if you get placed in the suite of 4 singles and all 3 of the others already know each other and are older.  Also, most people who are choosing to live in a double without knowing who their roommate will be are probably looking to make a new friend -- so they'd be in the same boat as you.  However, if at your school it is common for freshman to get singles in suites, then you are more likely to have a positive experience.

Singles can be good if you like privacy, but if you are shy, they can be lonely.  With a double, you get to meet a new person and through her you can meet even more people.  Also, it's likely that you and your roommate will at least be able to get along, even if you don't become best friends.  If your roommate turns out to be a total nightmare, you can always put in a request to res life to switch.

And also, meal plans are great, especially for freshman.  Just be careful to make good choices.  In college, somehow there are too many opportunities for free pizza/fried food/junk food.  So just be aware of your calorie intake.  I made bad decisions for 4 years and gained 20 lbs -- it really sneaks up on you!

Good luck with your decision!

My grandparents had been married 58 years when my grandfather died in December.  My nana was upset/depressed/melancholy about it for awhile.  She wasn't eating right, either.  But after a few months she told my mom she had a realization that "Jack may have died, but I didn't."  Then she basically put her life back together; she stopped dwelling on his death and, instead, focused on things she liked to do -- crossword puzzles, going to bingo, visiting with her sister, etc.

The grieving process takes time, for sure.  Not sure how healthy or active your father-in-law is, but I believe it would help if he had socialization or activities or responsibilities that he could focus on.  If you asked him to pick up one of the kids from school or if one of his grandkids asked him to come to one of his school events or sports games, that would give him something to focus on and make him feel useful. Knowing that other people not only appreciate you but are counting on you to help them out gives you a purpose in life.  Also, maybe he could go to bingo or church events or join a senior center.  Having some fun may be just what he needs!

I love chips and used to eat them all the time.  Now I crave them all the time lol, but I've been trying to find healthier substitutes.  The other day I had 1/4 cup of salted peanuts (170 calories) instead of chips and that got me some protein as well, although it was a small serving size.  Sometimes I will have a bowl of cheerios with some lowfat milk (~130 calories) instead of chips.  When I start craving chips, I try to distract myself by doing something else instead.  Usually I can just forget about them.

Also, I have seen "baked" options of chips/cheetos, but I have yet to try them.  Some people at work had them and the individual serving sized bag was a decent quantity for about 130 - 160 calories.

Food is always an issue with roommates.  I shared one apartment with two of my friends.  One of my roommates was a vegetarian and decided after one month of living together that since she didn't eat the same foods as me and our other roommate, she was going to shop for herself and only pitch in for the things that she ate (milk, eggs, butter, etc.).  This made the bills wildly confusing and I don't know if we ever worked everything out perfectly, but it actually worked out pretty well.

I have a friend who is very thin and doesn't eat a lot, but she had roommates who loved to eat.  She ended up just going with the flow but she was ALWAYS annoyed because someone ate her last granola bar or took one of her yogurts or whatever.  So speak up for yourself early before things have a chance to go wrong.

Communicate your expectations as soon as possible, preferably before you move in.  From your post, I'm guessing you're vegan, so that's a valid excuse for wanting to do your own shopping.  Be sure to offer to pitch in for the stuff you plan to share with them (if you plan to share anything).  Also, I would recommend sometimes cooking and eating together with your roommates.  This can often alleviate the tension food issues can cause.

I would also recommend talking about cleaning schedules/dishwashing/guest rules around the time you have this conversation.  It's a lot easier to decide these things beforehand because then everyone knows what they're in for.

Good luck and enjoy your new apartment!