6 Tips on How to Be More Productive during the Rainy Season

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Besides colds and flu, rainy weather also brings in the “lazy syndrome”. Most of us tend to stay under the sheets and enjoy the “bed weather” rather than go to school or work. No wonder late and absences are high during this season. So to help you fight laziness and be more productive, here are some tips:

1. Stay Healthy

Rainy season causes various diseases and you cannot concentrate on what you are doing if you are sick. So to avoid acquiring colds and flu, drink lots of water, take your vitamins, get enough sleep, and exercise whenever possible. It will not only give you energy but will also lessen your excuses for not working at your best.

2. Make a To-Do List

List your tasks for the day and make to you finish each item by the end of the day. Remove distractions and don’t let the gloomy weather affect you. Finish one task at a time and you’re done before you know it.

3. Take a Break

If you feel unproductive, instead of staring blankly on your monitor or sleeping, take a walk, socialize, or drink hot coffee or choco. Go back to work when you’re feeling energized.

4. Unwind

Unwind and relieve yourself from stress by doing what you love. Go on a date, watch movie, or go out of town with your family this weekend so when you get back to work, you’ll feel fresh and inspired.

5. Have an Energy Booster

Grab something sweet or gulp drinks with caffeine to boost your energy. A bar of chocolate, hot coffee or an energy drink will help you knock the sleepiness out of you.

6. Change Your Perspective

It’s a matter of perspective. If you let laziness kick in, then most likely you’ll spend the day looking at the clock waiting for it to hit the 5 p.m. mark. Maintain a positive attitude and make the most out of your time.

Don’t let the rain affect you and wash away your productivity! You have the control over yourself so it’s all in the mind. Enjoy the weather and make the most out your time.

Do you have other tips to fight laziness? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

What to Do Before, During, and After an Earthquake at Work

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Knowing the do’s and don’ts can help you survive when the Big One strikes. Use these survival tips to prepare yourself for an earthquake at work.

Before the Earthquake

1. You must know how to act and be prepared so your response is automatic. Identify the safest places in your work area to drop, cover, and hold. Know at least two ways to exit the building after the earthquake.

2. Prepare an emergency survival kit: portable radio, extra batteries, flashlight, whistle, blankets, clothes, shoes, money, and first aid kit. Also, prepare food and water that can last for three days.

3. Plan your work area for safety. Place heavy objects on low shelves and breakable objects in cabinets with latches. Anchor bookcases, large file cabinets, and artworks.

During the Earthquake

4. Stay calm as the quake occurs so that others will follow you. If you’re indoors, move away from windows and unsecured furniture. Protect your head, neck, and face and stay under a sturdy table or along an interior wall until the shaking stops and debris settles.

5. If you’re outdoors, look for and stay in an open area away from falling hazards like trees, buildings, and power lines. Drop to the ground, cover your head and neck, and hold until the shaking stops.

After the Earthquake

6. Stay calm and check yourself and other for injuries. Administer first aid but don’t move injured people unless they’re in danger.

7. Expect and prepare for aftershocks that can last for days for large earthquakes.

8. Asses your surroundings and know how to access and use your survival kit. Plan how to move around and exit in the dark. Beware of unstable objects and structures.

9. If possible, leave the building with extreme caution. Take your personal belongings and lookout for falling debris and other threats. Don’t attempt to enter damaged buildings until an “all clear” signal is given.

10. If possible, use your telephone to report emergencies. Cellphone lines can be jammed, so if can’t make a call just send a text message because they can take less bandwidth.

Do you have other tips for earthquake survival? Please share your thoughts and comments below.

Rainy Season Warning: Four Common Diseases to Avoid

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We’re on the third quarter of the year and for Filipinos it signals the onset of rainy season. Apart from ongoing schooling and a few school openings, this period of the year also reminds us to take care of our health.

While people may get sick at any time of the year, transmission and acquisition of diseases are prevalent during rainy season. And the most alarming fact: students are very much vulnerable to any type of sickness.

In the current local education setting, it is ironic that students go to school during the rainy season, when cyclones and typhoons often batter the Philippines. This was one of the reasons why a few local universities began shift to international school calendar (September opening) and many proposed the same thing to all of local schools.

Take Care of Yourself

As always, the Department of Health is quick to warn the public against four diseases with high number of cases during rainy season in recent years.

Get to know these health threats and the ways to avoid them.

• Flu

It is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus. It transfers from an infected person to another through coughing and sneezing. Physical contacts (e.g., handshake) can also spread the virus.

What should you do to avoid it? While getting flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself against flu, you can do other healthy yet simple routines: wash your hands often, do not make close contact with sick people, and practice personal hygiene and other good health routines.

• Leptospirosis

It is an infectious bacterial disease caused when urine-contaminated environment (e.g., water, soil, etc.) gains entry to one’s skin and mucous membranes. If left untreated, the disease can lead to one or many more serious illness and even death.

What should you do to avoid it? Do not wade in floodwaters or if you don’t have no other choice but to do it, wear protective gear (e.g., clothing, footwear).

• Waterborne Infections

These are any illness caused by pathogenic microorganisms (e.g., human or animal feces, other fecal material), which contaminated the fresh water, often drinking water. These diseases include cholera, diarrhea, typhoid fever, dysentery, malaria, gastroenteritis, and hepatitis.

What should you do to avoid it? Drink safe potable water, wash your hands often, wash raw foods before cooking them, and do not consume raw foods from roadside.

• Dengue

It is a mosquito-borne disease affecting tropical areas, such as the Philippines and all of Southeast Asian countries. Its symptoms are mild and often mistaken for a flu. This illness can lead to dengue hemorrhagic fever.

What should you do to avoid it? Stay away from area where dengue is common, protect your skin by applying mosquito repellent, and destroy mosquito habitat.

Share your thoughts about this article by placing your comments below.

8 Must Have Items to Survive This Rainy Season with Style

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The rainy season has officially started! The tanning sun and sweat-inducing weather is now over and with unpredictable downpours every now and then, it pays to be ready. Whether you’re at work or in school, having these 8 items will not only prevent you from getting sick, it will also keep you clean, dry, and fabulous.

1. Umbrella

An umbrella should always be present in your bag to shield you not only from rain but also from the scorching hot sun. Ditch the boring black classics and go for stylish and foldable that will fit in your bag.

2. Waterproof Bag

Opt for a roomy and rainproof bag to keep your things dry. You can also bring an extra plastic bag for your wet umbrella or jacket.

3. Boots or Plastic Shoes

If you’re in a flood-prone area, wearing a pair of boots can save you from the costs of buying a new pair of shoes or diseases like leptospirosis. But if you want to remain fashionable, you can opt for jelly or plastic shoes that come in various colors and designs.

4. Raincoat or Waterproof Jackets

Keep yourself dry and warm with raincoat or jackets. Go for bright colors to keep the mood up amid the low, gloomy weather.

5. Skin-Toned Undies

Getting drenched in the rain is inevitable no matter how prepared we are. So if you don’t want strangers to know what you’re wearing your lucky red underwear, go for the neutral tones.

6. Alcohol or Hand Sanitizer

Personal hygiene must always come first to keep yourself from getting sick during the rainy season. If washrooms are nowhere in sight, a small bottle of alcohol or hand sanitizer can be handy in keeping you safe from diseases and infections.

7. Lip balm and Lotion

Always carry some lip balm and lotion to keep your lips and skin from drying and chapping during the cold rainy weather.

8. Tissue or Wipes

A pack of tissue or wipes will help keep you clean the water, mud, and dirt from your body and to dry your things that are drenched in the rain.

Do you have other must have items for the rainy days? Share them on the comments section below.

Ten Events and Things I Won’t Forget about My Schooling

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Being a student is an experience in itself. While each of us has different school-related experiences, all of us have memorable stories to share. Some of them may be funny, some may be victorious, and some may be embarrassing.

Let me go back to the highlights of my schooling, as I can vividly recall them.

1. Scent of eraser – When I think about school opening and any classroom setting, this thing always comes out of my mind. It seems the smell of a “cherry” eraser filling up the entire classroom retains in my nose.

2. On- and off-campus competitions – I was an active student who joined lots of contests. In elementary, I represented my school in Damath contests for three years and Math quiz bees twice. In high school, I won several competitions, such as Social Studies quiz bees, spelling bee, extemporaneous speaking contest, and slogan making contest. I was also a part of a chorale group that won in the district level.

3. Classroom parties – I experienced Christmas and closing parties since I was in second grade. My senior year in high school was the most unforgettable of all since I was forced to sing in a videoke for the very first time.

4. Lots of memorizations – From multiplication table, to divisibility of numbers, and up to capital cities of the world, I can’t figure out how I was able to memorize them all at a young age. The most notable is when I recited 109 chemical elements and their symbols (out of 110 at that time). Why did I forget Thulium?

5. Consistent honor student – Being on the pilot section is already an honor for me. Getting medals was like a hobby as I was able to do it at the end of each school year from first grade to senior high school. There was a time I was awarded with five medals and that the emcee mentioned all my awards all at once so that I would not get tired of going up on stage.

6. Flag raising ceremony – One Monday morning, I was unexpectedly requested to lead the singing of the national anthem. I was unprepared and felt very nervous. What came next? I uttered the wrong lyrics shortly before the anthem was about to end. That was really embarrassing.

7. Student leader – I was able to hold top positions when I was in high school. During my first year in college, I was elected as Vice President of a scholars group.

8. Perfect attendance – As I can recall it, there were school years when I had impressive attendance record. I was the type of student who never wanted to miss out on something about my subjects. (Well, I also got sick. In fact I was absent for over two weeks due to dengue fever and broken knee bone).

9. JS proms – Our batch held both our two JS proms outside our school quadrangle, and as we all knew, that was the first (and perhaps the last time) for our alma mater.

10. Graduations – Sitting along with the girls? Leading the pledge of loyalty? Receiving a diploma under the rain? Well, I experienced all of them in three different situations.

All these notable experiences made me who I am today (except for the scent of "cherry" eraser). They all taught me lessons which helped shape my life.

Share your stories by placing your comments below.

Latest Must-Have Technologies for Students

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One of the best things about modern technological progress is that it eases the way we do our stuff. While all of us benefit from the rapid evolution of technology, students seem to enjoy much more. This is because many technology trends are designed to further students’ education.

Just like science, learning has also evolved so fast. With many resources just around us, it makes learning a good experience. Indeed, learning during this modern age is fun and somewhat a lot easier.

Move over scientific calculators, students now have more tools to respond to the changing demands of schooling.

Study Partners

If you are a student who wants to bolster your technology skills and become better in school, these latest trends will surely help you:

• Mobile Devices

Owning a touchscreen mobile device that run with a modern OS is a must for students. While it seems like a luxury, a smartphone, tablet, or iPad, is now a necessity. It will just require an Internet connection for you to conduct a research on various teacher-given topics. Learners just have to use a mobile device properly, say for schoolwork and not to cheat or disturb the class.

• Laptop

Bringing a portable computer with you is so cool. Just ensure that yours is installed with necessary programs and software apps so you can get the most out of it. With a laptop, students can capture anything—save files and ideas—and remember everything.

• Apps

Have your mobile device installed with various apps that can help you as you pursue your studies. Instead of having online games, you must install apps that contain quizzes, transfer files so fast, download the best cloud, or keep files securely. You may also have apps that solve math problems easily, or offer downloadable educational videos for offline viewing, among many others.

• Thumb drive

This tool, which comes in a variety of names, makes every student ready with all activities. With a handy storage device, you can save files and work on them later anywhere you may go. With it, it seems all your schoolwork also come in handy. You just need to be cautious in using a flash drive: do not expose it to a virus and keep it so others won’t access or steal your files.

Using these tools will help you become better in school. As these trends will not die away so soon, expect that the future generation will enjoy more high-tech innovations. Who knows time will come that students will just need to install a memory chip on their brains to broaden their knowledge.

As science continues to evolve each passing day, you can expect more “best-fit” solutions to meet your academic needs. As a student, you just need to be creative, practice good ethics, and study hard to reach academic success!

How College Taught Me to Become a Leader

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For an average student like me, surviving college has been tough especially when I was chosen to become the leader for our college thesis. At first, I taught that it’s the same when I was in high school. But the weight of being a leader hit me big time – not just once but twice.

The first is when we are at the company who’s going to be the recipient of our thesis to present what we have done so far. We all thought that we’re all prepared, but unexpected things happen a few minutes before our presentation. The HR manager said that their CEO would be joining us and just before I can recover from the shock, my sister texted me that my beloved grandmother just passed away.

I felt numb and can’t decide whether to tell my friends or not. I’m in the brink of my tears when I saw their restless faces. Right then, I knew that couldn’t show them my weakness and it’s my responsibility to help them pass the presentation that we all worked hard for. “Its mind over matter,” that’s what I told myself I talked about our thesis. The presentation went smoothly and the CEO even praised us for the job well done. But as soon as we leave the building, I broke into tears and told my friends what happened. They said that I did a great job and they are proud that I’m their leader. Those words helped me and probably the best compliment I ever received.

The second time was when we failed the final defense and need to redo the three-month worth program in just two weeks. All the emotions, stress, and fatigue creep in and we all started to cry, the other one even fainted. But as the leader, I knew I needed to be strong for my teammates. Plus, I’m also required to talk to the panel of judges (who failed us) to get pointers for our program. I encouraged them that we can do it even if it means we need to triple our efforts. Luckily, with the help of our other classmates, our teamwork, and prayers, we passed our last defense and graduated on time.

College had given me tough challenges, but it has taught me how to become a leader, to strong and independent, and let me meet friends that I can treasure. It can be a real pain in the ass, but it also teaches you things that you will need and use when you’re set to face the real world.

Do you have similar experiences that can help our struggling college friends? Please feel free to share it! 

Seven Things I Regret Not Doing in College

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If i had only done these things, i could have a better life now. I am not saying that I have a hard life. But, i could have more if I had performed well in college. 

I never thought that I will be sharing my remorse one day. But, I am. I realize, if this article reached millions of students out there, it would help them do better in college. 

I believe, I fail to maximize what college can offer. And, If I could go back now, I would do these things:

 1.   Get more friends. During college days, I hide from my shell. I avoid parties and invitations from acquaintances.  In short, I am shunning opportunities to meet more friends. To think that making more friends has benefits during and after college. They could be your companions and mentors to help you cope the hard years in college. Then, right after graduation, they can give you referrals for a better job.

2.   Join school club and be active. Clubs are important to improve knowledge and life skills. Under one umbrella, you can find members supporting you. I regret not finding a good group because it is a way to gain self-confidence and sense of belonging.

3.   Do my homework on my own. It’s a shame to admit, but I let someone else do my Accounting subject’s assignments. Thus, I pass the subject with less knowledge on taxation and balancing of transactions.

4.   Not dropping even one subject. I often dropped subjects because I want things to be easy. I am a working student then. So, it is quite hard to manage my time. But I regret doing this because it just add more years to my studies.

5.   Take extra load. It could add stress, but I would have finished my course ahead of time.

6.   Maintain good grades. It was during job hunting that I find the importance of having good grades. If you look for your first job, employers will look into your transcript to weigh performance in class. As such, high marks can make you employable.

7.   Take my thesis seriously. It was heartbreaking for me to fail on my first thesis defense, where in fact, I find it easy. It was wrong for me to take the research lightly. 

It’s really ironic to wish that I could go back to my college days. I guess the best lesson learned: do your best and try everything that will give good paybacks until you are young and capable. Be reminded that the things you do in college are small pieces that complete a thriving future. 

8 Factors to Consider When Choosing a College Dorm

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Starting your independent life in a college dorm is not as easy as you think. There several factors that you need to consider before you rent and transfer to your second home.

1. Location

The place should be 15-30 minutes away from school and near establishments like restos, coffee and computer shops, and ATM booths. Choosing a flood-free place will also be a big help during the rainy season.

2. Bathroom

Most dorms offer communal bathrooms so ask the landlord how many people you will be sharing it with. I’m sure you don’t want to be late or go to class without taking a bath, am I right?

3. Facilities

You should check the water supply, lighting, closet space, electrical outlets, and ventilation (electric fan or AC) the first time you set your feet in the dorm you’re checking out.

4. House rules

Dorms have various house rules that everyone should follow. Some have an early curfew, some don’t accept guest, and some won’t allow you to bring specific appliances so make sure to ask them before you pay for rent.

5. Security

24/7 security guards, a fire escape, and a working door lock is a must when you’re looking for a dorm. Anti-theft systems like CCTV and double locks are plus points. You can also bring a small vault just to make sure.

6. Laundry

Some dorms provide laundry services for an additional fee, but most don’t offer this extra service. So also consider looking for a dorm with cheap laundry shops as your neighbor. This will be helpful in times when you cannot go home due to your busy schedule.

7. Roommate

If you’re given the chance to choose your roommate, choose someone you know who can respect you and your things. Someone clean and organized will be the perfect one but remember that you should do the same for him/her too.

8. Noise

When you’re living in the same house with approximately 20 hormonal people like you, you can expect some days to be a little noisy and less conducive for studying. So be sure to bring noise-proof earplugs or find a dorm with a nice little café nearby where you go for a retreat.

Do you have other know-how that can help our college friends? You’re always welcome to share your thoughts!