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Learning a language

The world that we live in today makes it so easy to build connections with people all over the world. It's as easy as clicking a button. The Internet allows us to do that. The biggest barrier that people have when it comes to communicating with people from other countries is not knowing their language. And nowadays it's so easy to learn languages. You can learn them in school, university, over the Internet and so on.

I think that it's always a good idea to learn a language other than your mother tongue. It can be challenging, especially when you don't have a good enough reason to learn it. You need to dedicate time for it. It is like taking care of a baby. At the beginning you don't really know what you are doing, everything is new and difficult. But as the baby grows it gets a little easier because you are more experienced. And once it becomes an adult it can look after itself and it's easy. I think that learning a language is similar because there will be obstacles but you can overcome them with time and determination.

Reasons for learning a language:

• you like to travel
• you like that country's food
• it's a hobby/interest
• broaden your knowledge
• your boyfriend's/girlfriend's language 
• and many more

So, you need something to motivate you and keep you committed to learning that language.

Learning a language can be fun. I didn't get the opportunity to do it in high school so I'm doing it in university. You can also teach yourself the basics of that language prior to learning it in school or university. There are also many apps that could help. One of my friends told me about this app called HelloTalk. It allows you to learn a language from native speakers who are learning your native language. So you can be each other's students and teachers. And it is a great way to learning a language. Why not give it a go?

がんばってください！
Do your best!

by Gayathri ガヤトリ

7 Simple Job Interview Tips

Some simple yet effective tips for doing well in your next job interview. I think people with a loud, confident voice are lucky especially when it comes to make good first impressions and such. But that doesn't mean that soft spoken people can't do the same. Each of us have our strengths and weaknesses. You might be confident and great at socializing but bad at time management and being prepared. Or soft spoken and timid but really knowledgeable about the company. It's not about who wins or loses but how you can show your strengths and how you can overcome your weaknesses. 

So lets get started.  

Note: the first 2 steps are things you should cover prior to a job interview.

1. Being prepared: 
As obvious as this sounds. You are responsible for doing research about the company or organisation prior to the interview. Visit the company website and read (not scan) through everything. You should also know your strengths, weaknesses and accomplishments however small or large they are. Ask your friends and family for advice if you can't identify your strengths and weaknesses. If you are still not sure read tips on interviews, Identify your strengths and weaknesses by comparing yourself to those around you, write them down. You probably found them by now I hope. Also know what your interests are. Do you like reading, cooking and so on? If you don't have any interest, find them. 

2. Dress appropriately: 
Dress for the job and to match the company's atmosphere. Maintain professionalism from head to toe. Looks matter when creating a good first impression. The clothes you chose for that day and your whole look will create an impression of you to the interviewer before the interview even starts. So dress professionally, in clothes that make you feel confident (don't force yourself to wear something just to look the part, pick something that captures the company atmosphere but also reflects on you as a person). Pick something that is professional, comfortable, suitable for the company atmosphere and something that makes you look great (in your opinion). 

3. Be early for the interview:
It's definitely better than being late. So manage your time, get enough sleep prior to it. Bloodshot eyes and dark circles are not a great look. Sleep and a well balanced diet are important. Plan ahead so that you have more than enough time to take care of yourself, this includes personal hygiene and getting dressed. Organize everything including transport. Are you taking public transport? Are you driving? Turn up 15 or 30 minutes early. And relax. You are doing great!

4. Be yourself:
Don't put on an act, just be you. Just be confident in who you are. You will be just fine. And concentrate on your interview rather than your acting skills. Be relaxed in your own skin (if you are a stressful person consider doing yoga, it helps). When shaking hands with your interviewer, smile (naturally, not creepily), apply the same pressure as the interviewer (do not break his or her hand and do not try to tickle them). Your posture is important. You should always have a good posture. If you don't, then here's  your opportunity to improve it, don't waste it. Good posture shows that you are confident (even if your soft spoken), it shows you are interested and gives the interviewer a good first impression of you. If you are someone that is bad at talking to people then here are some steps for you:

• Practice talking, just general dialogue by yourself. Just like learning a speech. Say your words clearly. If you mess up, Keep trying. Stuff like this doesn't happen overnight.
• Talk to your pets or friends or family. Whoever or whatever you are comfortable talking to. Ask yourself or ask them (excluding pets...) to ask you a few interview questions. Then give them a response (small, stupid, whatever) just try it. 
• Try talking to people you don't talk to in class, at university and so on. Get used to that sense of nervousness. It's alright if you are nervous. Just talk, just say hi or small talk is fine. And each time you do it, just talk for a little longer than before. This should help you with your communication skills but also your listening skills. (It's most likely that your listening skills is already great, I can relate). 

 Another important thing is to show your strengths in way that hides or outshines your weaknesses. For example:
You are: confident, knowledgeable, positive, arrogant, great at communicating, bad at time management and so on.

 Strengths:

• confident
• positive
• knowledgeable
• great at communicating  

Weaknesses:

• arrogant
• bad at time management 

Then you should show your confidence, positive energy, knowledge and communication skills. And limit your arrogance and improve on your time management skills. At least this shows the interviewer that you are capable of learning from your mistakes. That you are aware of your weaknesses.

You confidence levels should be at its peak. Even a soft spoken person must have something that makes them feel confident. Surround yourself with positiveness. Maybe read some positive quotes, do something you love. Surround yourself with people who make you feel happy in your own skin. This should help. And it's something everyone should try. 

5. Be attentive:
Listen to the interviewers words carefully, DO NOT TALK OVER THE INTERVIEWER. Just relax, listen and respond when asked to. You will get your chance to speak soon. Be patient. Show some emotion, smile (even if it's just a little) when he/she says something funny. Nod when he/she is looking for some agreement. Doing all these little things have a big impact on first impressions. Don't just sit there like a lifeless being. Show some interest. 

6. Watch your body language:
Things like biting your nails, shaking your legs, twirling your hair, playing with a pen. STOP IT. Bad habits are bad (a no no, a zero, a fail). An interview is not the time or place for you to be doing those bad habits, save it for later (or better just stop doing them). If you can't limit it, control it. It's not a great look. It shows that you can't do step 5 properly (and step 5 is very important). All your attention should be on your interviewer (he/she is lucky). Just put down everything, maintain good posture, look at your interviewer (maintain eye contact, it's not scary). Relax. No eye twitching, no creepy smile. Just relax.You'll be fine. 

It's just you and the interviewer/s. You are listening to this nice person talking. They are going to ask you a few questions. However tough the questions will be, you'll be fine. You are prepared. You'll do great. So don't be nervous or scared or upset. Your responses should show your effort (and they will, trust me). It (your responses) should tell the interviewer a bit about the type of person you are. If you have done the prior steps properly then you don't have to worry. Because the interviewer should already get a nice, clear picture of you. 

You did it! Your interview is over.You did well! Be proud!   
So, how was it? Bad?! Better than you expected?! Couldn't have done any better?! Whatever it is you have done it. It wasn't the end of the world. 

If your interview was bad, please don't be depressed and don't blame yourself. Stay positive, it will be fine, okay?  You gained another experience. You'll only get better from here on!

7. Learn from your mistake/s:
So you didn't get hired huh? It's alright. It can't be helped. Cry, scream, do whatever you need to, so that you'll get all that useless negativity out of your system. But by the end of it, just move on. More importantly find out why? Why didn't you get the job? When they tell you, you should write it down. You should then read over what you wrote and then improve. Learn and grow. So next time you'll do even better. 

So, that's it from me. I'm a soft spoken person with a lot of knowledge and if these steps can help someone like me or just anyone I'd be super happy. Lets do well in our next job interview! Do your best! All the best! 

Best regards,
Gayathri

For further reading:

1. http://www.kellyservices.com.au/AU/Careers/my-Career-Centre/Job-Interview-Questions-and-Interview-Tips/#.Vo8uvPl94dU
2. https://www.roberthalf.com.au/job-seekers/career-advice/job-interview-tips
3. http://career-advice.careerone.com.au/job-interview-tips/interview-questions/how-you-handle-tough-interview-questions/article.aspx
4. http://au.hudson.com/job-seekers/helpful-tips-career-advice/interview-preparation/interview-tips
5. http://www.seek.com.au/career-advice/job-interview-tips
6. http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2013/01/top-10-tips-for-acing-your-next-job-interview/
7. http://www.quintcareers.com/job-interview-tips/
8. http://www.hays.com.au/advice-services/interview-questions-tips-1650

Chase your happiness

Bad things happen. Sometimes you see them coming, and other times, it'll crash into you like a truck. (You may think this is just a simile but I actually got hit by a truck this year.) (It was the first day of semester 2 and that's when I knew what the following months would be like.) Whether you are going through a messy breakup, had a fallout with your friends, were fired from your only job, lost your licence, failed a unit (or two,) this is for you.

I don't know how many of you will get this reference, but if you wanna know more, watch the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away. ^_^ (although this picture won't be as funny if you had to study it for a year in Japanese Extension for your HSC.)

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. This is one quote someone on askfm two years ago had in their bio, and although it seems like just another cliché, it's true. I've learnt that no matter what happens, you should always get up, dress up, and show up. The best revenge is to move on, get over it, and continue to succeed. You should never give someone the satisfaction of watching you suffer.

Not every day is good, but there is always something good in each day. Maybe you got your winged eyeliner right on the first go. Perhaps the barista wrote your name before you told him. Or maybe you saw a dog. (If that doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will.)

I think sometimes we underestimate ourselves and what we are worth. But I believe that the bottom line is, we deserve to be happy... and the first step is to see the positive side, even if it feels like the whole world is against you. You won't feel better if you always complain about your problems or about other people. Focus on yourself and don't compare yourself to anyone. Most negative thoughts are self inflicted. If you can't find anything worth living for, find something worth dying for.

Time doesn't heal if you do the same thing every day. What changes people are experiences, and those they surround themselves with. One day you will fall in love, and it won't even have to mean anything. It could just be with how the sky changes colour in the morning as the sun rises, or with the adrenaline rush when you go to the skate park. And if you hate the thought of feelings, just remember I too used to dance with a different stranger at every party I went to in my first year of uni. There are thousands of books you haven't bothered to read, and new songs coming out every day. Things will get better.

Stay away from vodka and don't re-read old conversations. Don't check your bank account balance, or calculate your GPA - just pretend everything is okay. Did you know scar tissue is stronger than regular tissue? No matter how alone you feel, you always have yourself, and I think that's the most important person. Life goes on. Will you?

How to tell if someone likes you

I'm sure by this age you've liked someone, and wondered if they liked you back too. Sometimes the signs are obvious, and other times there can be mixed signals. Snapchat and chill anyone? Haha, so I asked my boyfriend for how he's able to tell if someone likes him. He said "I can't tell, I just get told." LOL but not all of us are fortunate enough to have friends who find out who your crush else likes and feeds you that information. Soooo I came up with a list of twenty signs that might help!

1. They find out about your hobbies and try and gain an interest in them if they don't know much about the topic. If you have a lot in common, they'll be really excited and base a lot of the conversation on mutual interests. They will notice your music tastes and find songs they think you'll like, and apparently it's love if they suggest a book that you like.
2. They call you almost every day and the calls last over an hour. Does anyone even like talking on the phone? Also, sometimes there is nothing left to talk about on the phone but they make no attempt to leave the conversation or hang up.
3. When they introduce you to someone, they don't say "my friend," they just say your name. Because subconsciously, it hurts a little to know that you're still just a friend.
4. Their replies are always fast, and they never give you the seen or unseen. They're always keen to talk to you and don't care if their instant replies are embarrassing, because they want you to know they're interested.
5. They compliment your appearance and notice when you do something different, e.g. straighten your hair or get a haircut. Even if they don't like the haircut, they will comment on it. Just something simple like "you got a haircut."
6. They make excuses to be with you alone. When you want a romantic relationship with someone, you might completely disregard mutual friends, whether it is intentional or not. They might walk you to bus stops when they live on campus, go looking for you when you get kicked out of a bar, ask you to spend the night painting fairies with them when they are perfectly capable of doing it on their own, insist on doing lecture announcements when they don't even have uni that day...
7. They work on something with you but end up talking and laughing most of the time. If they didn't have feelings for you, they would be fully focused on the task at hand and will want to get it done as fast as possible.
8. They don't check the clock. This is a huge sign when they're not even interested in the activity. Oh and even more so if they are usually on time to everything. But yeah, if they are enjoying spending time with you, they won't want to know what the time is, because it'll mean there's less remaining.
9. They lean in to be closer to you, even if they can hear you perfectly. Being physically closer can lead to feeling emotionally closer.
10. They initiate the conversation or approach you first. Orrr they could play hard to get. But usually both of these things are easy to see through.
11. They ask about your past. They want to know what you were like as a child, whether you've dated before and how far you've gone, what hurt you... they want to know you. If you tell them about your past relationships, they can have an idea of what it would be like to date you.
12. They're a bit nervous around you - they'll try to be smooth but they'll probably stuff up a little. Or maybe they're like me and think things through a hundred times before saying them HAHAHA.
13. They remember your birthday. It's something small but big enough that if they didn't remember it, it would hurt haha. There is no such thing as high maintenance. But really, they need an excuse to spoil you!
14. They laugh at your jokes, even if they're not that funny. You know how sometimes you give support likes on Facebook, sometimes girls give support laughs to the guys they like, just to save their ego.
15. They try harder with their appearance. They might start wearing makeup, styling their hair, care more about big brands, and even ask you for advice on what you think they suit better! If they ask you to do their hair for a big event (and they really care about their looks) then they definitely like you.
16. They either stare, are really good at holding eye contact, or can't look for two seconds without blushing. There is no inbetween. Perhaps they like what they see, like the intimacy of extended periods of eye contact, or secretly have this fear that you'll realise they have feelings for you and that's why they have to look away. Who knows...
17. They lose interest in the conversation and zone out when you talk about another boy/girl. I think this one is pretty self explanatory haha.
18. They listen to everything you tell them, and remember the small details. They want to know everything about you, and will want to prove to you that they care by remembering what you tell them.
19. They make time for you even when they are sad or busy. You know those moods when you don't want to talk to anyone? Well, the person you like will always be an exception.
20. They either constantly touch you, or don't move away when you accidentally (or "accidentally") brush your arm/leg against theirs.

Hope this helped! Or at least made things a little more clear. 

~ xoxo Farzana

Relationship myths

I'm no Dr Phil when it comes to relationships, but a few weeks ago, I read a blog post about bad relationships by Emma Chow from 96.1 on Popsugar that deeply resonated with me. As I read each point, I thought "wow that's sooooo true, feeling her sooo hard right now." I thought I would do something similar, but more on myths rather than lessons I've learnt. Can't roast anyone too badly on here haha.



The friendzone.

I've lost count of how many times I've written about this or told people it's not real. But it really isn't. I've had people ask me "weren't you worried that he would never see you as more than a friend? I would never date someone who's a friend" and it shocked me. If you only consider people you just meet, how do you know that the interest (from either side) isn't purely based on looks? Some people don't want others to know their flaws, but you know what's even better than people not knowing your flaws? People knowing your flaws and still accepting you. That's when you know it's real. You can't hide forever LOL. People date friends, and the truth is, if a friend wouldn't date you, it's because they're not attracted to you. It's not "because you're a friend."


Opposites attract.

Initially, this could be true. However, if/once the infatuation dies down (which it probably will,) what are you going to do? If you want to go out to parties and he wants to stay at home playing videogames, would you still go? If you hate mainstream music but she loves Taylor Swift then what songs are you gonna sing along to on your long drives? Would you feel awkward about spending all his money on designer bags he doesn't see the point of? Over time, you'll realise that the list of things you can both enjoy becomes shorter and shorter, and you'll end up relying on your friends and family to stay happy. That's when you know it's time for quits - when you feel happier without them.


They'll change.

If you want someone to change, or if you're having thoughts like "if they ______, then I would be happy" then chances are, they won't change, or even if they do, it won't be as expected. You can't make someone quit smoking. They'll just find ways to do it without you finding out. People only change for themselves. There is nothing wrong with change; personal growth is essential, but it's little things that can end up mattering the most.




by Farzana

Most Effective Ways to Stay Fit and Healthy

Are you struggling to maintain a balance between commitments and  maintaining a healthy lifestyle? 

Below is a list of some effective ways to enjoy a social life, stay fit and not be broke!

1. GYM

Average Cost:15- 25$/ wk

Going to a gym is by far the most effective and most efficient to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. With cost averaging a little over $2 a day, a consistent routine will turn all those kebabs into rock solid abs in no time. People often enjoy getting a head start to the day by waking up early and heading to the gym to feel re-energized or going after work to get rid of built of stress, or simply going because there is nothing else to do. gym-goers often find that the key to success to maintain themselves heading to the gym is by figuring out a routine that works for them.

Tip: Find a workout buddy

2. Tennis    

Average Cost: 15-20$/ hr

Tennis is a more enjoyable way to stay active and is also less time constraining. For those who are just looking to release a short burst of energy on a weekly basis while also maintaining a form of social life, tennis is the perfect option and all that you are required to bring is one friend. Tennis is a really fun sport that doesn't require a lot of skill and is still pretty enjoyable if you are not the best of players 

3. Indoor Soccer

Average cost: 10-25$/ hr

Indoor soccer is a great way to remain fit and maintain your social life with a larger group of friends. Once a week, round up a circle of friends and head down to a local indoor court (you'll find one not too far away from you) and play for an hour or so and you'll be exhausted. Its always fun to be competitive however passionate players should avoid taking things too seriously without a referee (remember, you're here to keep friends not lose them!)   

4. Cross fit

Average cost: 40-50$/ wk

While at first you may be deterred by the price, in the long run it will all be worth it and your body will thank you dearly. This form of exercise contains a staggering amount of body transformations that will be leaving your jaw on the ground in awe. By no means easy or cheap, you better prepare for workout routines that will leave your shirts soaking wet.