Useful tips

   Why Talk to Your Teachers?

The last thing you want is a bad grade on a paper that took a lot of hard work and time. What a nightmare! If you don't understand an assignment, you might do the assignment wrong!

   To be successful in school, you have to make sure you know what assignments you're supposed to complete and exactly how and when you're expected to complete each assignment. Otherwise, you could end up writing a five-page paper in the wrong format, or turning in a big research paper on a topic that doesn't fit the assignment.

   When Should You Talk to a Teacher?

   You don't have to become a dork and follow the teacher around. You don't have to speak to the teacher at the end of every class. However, you should check in with your teacher every time he or she assigns a project that is new or unfamiliar.

   You should also communicate with your teacher if you receive a poor grade unexpectedly. Teachers are human, and they make mistakes. If you don't understand why your grade is low, go ask! Be polite. Your teacher will explain (and maybe appreciate the opportunity to fix any potential mistakes).

You should also ask questions any time a big test day is approaching. On test review day, pay attention and ask if there are any themes or patterns that were covered during the test period. Ask the teacher to explain any terms or exercises that aren't absolutely clear to you.

   How to Talk to a Teacher

   Your teacher will provide contact information and let you know how he or she wants to communicate with you. If the teacher provides an email address, use it often! Be sure to be respectful in your wording, watch your grammar, and proofread before you send a message to your teacher.

   If your teacher gives you his/her cell phone or home phone number, then use it, but use it sparingly. Don't be a pest, and don't call your teacher after dinnertime. Teachers have lives and they might use the evening hours to take care of family matters and to sleep!

   Does your class have a web site or forum? Definitely visit those often. Many teachers update information on a web site to post study guides, homework hints, test prompts, and helpful links.

   You should also ask questions any time a big test day is approaching. On test review day, pay attention and ask if there are any themes or patterns that were covered during the test period. Ask the teacher to explain any terms or exercises that aren't absolutely clear to you.

Keep Your Eyes Healthy!

   Do you eyes feel tired and sore by the end of the day? Modern life puts a lot of stress on our bodies and eyes are among the first things to suffer. But it doesn't have to be this way. Learn simple things you can do for your eye health and your eyes will feel and look much better in only a few days.

   Have your eyes checked every 12 month.

Uncorrected vision problems can progress, and wearing corrective contact lenses or glasses that are no longer right for you can cause vision problems and severe headaches.

   If your contacts don't feel right in your eyes, it is probably time to visit an eye doctor, even if it hasn't been a year since your last visit.

Go for the best quality contact lenses.

   Not all contact lenses are equal. Some are safe for you, while others put you at risk of damaging your eyes.

In summer, always wear sunglasses.

It is proven that UV rays can seriously damage your eyes, but good sunglasses can prevent this damage. When buying sunglasses, make sure that they block at least 98% of UV radiation. Contrary to popular belief, light sunglasses can block UV as well as very dark ones, even though dark glasses usually offer more protection against bright sunlight.

   By the way, did you know that you need sunglasses on cloudy days as well? Clouds might provide shade, but they are no barrier for UV light. Clouds are basically water, and water is UV-transparent.

   Finally, remember that you would need sunglasses even if your contact lenses offer UV protection. Even a very high quality lens can only protect the area it covers, but the entire surface of your eye needs protection.

   Eat what is good for you and your eyes

   The good news is that there are no foods that would be harmful for your eyes. Most foods don't affect your eyesight at all, although the right vitamins and minerals are helpful. Recent studies have shown that vitamins of the antioxidant group can prevent, or at least slow down, age-related conditions like macular degeneration and the development of cataracts. So a healthy diet won't restore eyesight that is already lost, but it can definitely slow down the process of the disease, or prevent one from starting.

   Vitamins C, A and E, folic acid, selenium and zinc are definitely beneficial for the health of your eyes. The effects of the other vitamins and minerals aren't determined yet, but it seems likely that they affect your eyesight as well. Thousand-page books have been written on the topic of nutrition for eye health but, to summarize, it is known that whatever is good for your body is good for your eyes, too. So put a carrot and a bunch of grapes into your lunch box.

   When you read or work on the computer make sure that the light is right

   It is a common knowledge that working with poor light can cause eyestrain, but light that is too bright can do as much damage.

   Keep your window blinds down on sunny days and switch off half of the household lights, if possible. The best lighting for working on the computer is a soft desk light, coming from the side. Also, you can try decreasing the brightness of your monitor. The colors won't be so vivid, but your eyes will feel much better by the end of the day

   Give your eyes a health break.

   The great invention of the 20th century -- computers -- is not so great from the point of view of health. Almost everybody feels discomfort in their eyes after peering at a computer screen all day long. This is because people blink about 25% less often then usual, while working at the computer, which causes eye dryness.

  We won't advise you to blink more often -- it is almost impossible to control natural reflexes. One thing you can do, though, is close your eyes and count to 5 before opening them, whenever your computer decides to take its sweet time doing something. Another thing is to look away from the screen and focus on some faraway object, as often as possible. If you train yourself into the habit, your eyes should feel much better at the end of your working day.

   If you wear contact lenses, take proper care of them

   Contact lenses don't require a lot or fuss, but you can't neglect their cleanliness. Every time you put your lenses in or take them out, rinse them. You should also take care to change the solution, when you are putting your lenses to rest for the night.

   Wear your contact lenses to the recommended schedule

   Daily disposable lenses should be replaced daily, two weeks replacement lenses should be replaced every two weeks, and so on. Some people try to save money by wearing their lenses for much longer than is intended. This isn't a good idea. Even though the quality of the lens itself might not decline, protein build-up will make your vision less clear. Another thing to consider is that the longer you wear your lenses, the higher is your risk of eye infections.

   There are other ways to save on your contacts without risking your eye health. See suggestions on how to get discount contact lenses at (http://www.1-contact-lenses-consumer-guide.com/discount-contact-lenses.html)

   Try not to wear your contact lenses from 6 in the morning until midnight. Most lenses aren't designed to be worn for longer than 12 hours. If this doesn't suit your life style, though, try using extended wear lenses. You can wear Acuvue contacts for a week without removing them, or Focus Night and Day lenses for up to 30 days.

   If you want to change the color of your eyes, choose only top quality color contact lenses

Color contact lenses are great fun. If you didn't try them yet, maybe you should. But only high quality color contacts, like Freshlook or Acuvue 2 Colors, are as safe and comfortable as they are beautiful. Many beauty salons, however, sell color contacts lenses of questionable quality, and these can do serious damage to your eyes.

   If you follow these simple rules, your eyes should feel much better. They will look better too -- you might notice that your eyes shine and their whites are actually white, again.