Archive for September, 2007

Wrinkles and Liver Spots are Signs of Aging, Mature Skin

Saturday, September 29th, 2007

By Danny Siegenthaler Wrinkles Gravity is the skins worst enemy. Weakening of collagen and elastin fibres causes reduced firmness of the skin, gravity pulls at the skin and causes it to sag, this in combination with a reduction in the fatty padding of the skin inevitably causes wrinkling of the skin tissue. Can Wrinkles Be Avoided? Environmental factors such as over exposure to the sun, smog, cigarette smoke can all have an adverse effect on your skin. In addition, you may also have inherited weaknesses from your parents that can cause premature aging of the skin. Despite these challenges, there are simple steps you can take to prevent wrinkles and remember - the earlier you start, the better! Wear Sunscreen, Always wear a hat with a wide brim when going outside remember, just because theres clouds does not mean theres no UV, Dont sunbathe, and Where possible, stay out of the sun between 10am to 3pm. As we progress through our 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond, our skin requires an appropriate skin care regime to maintain, as well as repair, the skin. The older you are when you start to protect and care for your skin, the less effective it will be, however, it is never too late to start. Treatments for Aging Skin There are a multitude of drugs, chemicals and procedures on the market these days, promising you that you can have the face of a baby in your 90s. We all know where to put that However, there are many natural and totally safe methods of treating aging skin and preventing premature signs of aging and Im not just referring to your facial skin, although this is the most visible and therefore the most important to many people. Using a natural skin care regime should apply to your entire body and not just to your face. Regularly use a clay mask to nourish your skin and remove impurities, cleanse your skin, tone it and last but not least moisturise, moisturise, moisturise. Do not use commercially available soaps unless absolutely necessary these soaps remove the protective acid mantle of your skin and dry it out. Instead, use an exfoliant followed by a cleanser to clean your skin and leave it smooth, invigorated and with its protective acid mantel in tact. Follow this by using a toner. Toners close open pores to prevent loss of moisture, resulting in firmer skin. The last step is to use a moisturiser. Moisturisers help to hydrate your skin, prevent loss of moisture and provide nourishment and nutrients for your skin to use in fulfilling its many functions. Liver spots or age spots Aging skin often develops unsightly blemishes, commonly called liver spots, which can appear on the face, neck and on the back of the hands. They are caused by the sun and accumulation of lipofuscin (pigments and/or wastes) that is derived from free radical damage of skin cells. Liver spots, also known as lentigines or lentigos, are sharply defined, rounded, brown or black, flat patches of skin. The epidermis (top surface layer) is expanding with more pigment, developing what looks like a large freckle. They may appear as a single spot or in clusters. Remember that your skin is an eliminatory organ and therefore it eliminates toxins from your body one reason for liver spots is that the eliminatory organs (Kidneys, Liver and Bowels) are not working as well as they should and therefore the skin takes up the slack. Removal of these impurities can be achieved using the above described skin care regime. In addition, when showering, use a Lufa or other type of skin brush on your bodys skin. This will not only remove dead skin cells, but promote blood circulation to the skin which in turn provides the skin with nutrients carried in the blood. Green Tea is a fantastic anti-oxidant and should be consumed regularly. Leafy green vegetables, fish such as salmon and tuna, nuts and fruits contain essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants to nourish your organs and help them perform their vital functions adequately. It is vitally important that you not only have a good skin care regime, but you should also have a good health regime, which includes a good diet, 8 -10 glasses of water per day and a regular exercise programme. This is very important and cannot be underestimated in its positive results on keeping you looking and feeling younger for longer. About The Author Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you. Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter its fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Danny_Siegenthaler http://EzineArticles.com/?Wrinkles-and-Liver-Spots-are-Signs-of-Aging,-Mature-Skin&id=53447 tramadol without prescription cheapest tramadol discount tramadol online best tramadol without a prescription

Flower Girl Gifts

Thursday, September 27th, 2007

By Yolanda Nash You are getting married soon and you are buying gifts for everyone in your wedding party. Well do not forget the flower girl. Since most flower girls are still children they will really appreciate a gift and it will make her feel like a big girl. Below I have put together a list of some popular gifts that you can give your flower girl. Flower girl heart charm bracelet This heart charm bracelet is one of the sweetest gifts that you can give your flower girl. Little girls love to play with jewelry, and this is the ideal piece to give your flower girl. It comes engraved with “flower girl”. Bracelet measures 6.5″ in total length including charm. Comes with a complimentary organza gift pouch. This is just a really nice gift to give to the flower girl. Pink flower girl jewelry box Make your flower girl feel like a “big” girl with this sleek and petite jewelry box. It’s the perfect treat to make your flower girl feel special. The jewelry box has a pink embossed finish with pink suede interior lining. Includes silver oval plate that is engraved with flower girl, which can be placed in the location of your choice upon receipt. Flower girl tote bag The perfect gift your little flower girl can use over and over again. The little girl will feel all grown up when she carries this canvas tote bag with a signature flower girl print embellished with sparkling crystals. The opposite side may be embroidered with her first name in pink thread. This is just a few of the very many flower girl gifts that you can purchase for that little special child in your life. So just browse around and just think of what you would like to have if you was a little child and keep your budget in mind. Yolanda is the owner of Yolandas wedding favors and wedding planner. She enjoys seeing all the different table decorations and wedding party favors that go along with the reception. She also sells a nice line of flower girl baskets and flower girl gifts such as flower girl jewelry box, flower girl cones and many more. So be sure to check out Yolandas wedding favors for all of your wedding favors and wedding accessories. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yolanda_Nash http://EzineArticles.com/?Flower-Girl-Gifts&id=392292 online pharmacy no prescription buy cheap levitra online online discount pharmacy buy levitra online

How You Can Burn Fat Swimming and Walking

Wednesday, September 26th, 2007

By Paul Foley You can burn fat swimming and walking if you really want to. Swimming and walking are two great ways to burn fat and get in shape. It is not as hard as you think. Many people never try to get rid of fat and lose weight because they think a big exercise program is going to be hard to do and too time consuming. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a matter of fact you can burn fat swimming and walking just as easily as those who take regular trips to the gym. To start with you need to understand what cardiovascular exercise is. Aerobic exercise is a type of exercise in which muscles draw on oxygen in the blood as well as fats and glucose, that increase cardiovascular endurance. Swimming and walking are two great forms of cardio exercise. Swimming is among the highest calorie-burning activities because of the way the water supports your body. Since your muscles don’t have to split attention between keeping your frame upright and moving you forward, they will expend more calories in moving you through the water. Swimming uses almost all of your major muscle groups. It places a vigorous demand on your heart and lungs. Swimming is also popular with people who are extremely overweight, pregnant, or suffering from some kind of injury. Swimming is also great because water requires more work on your part to push against it and move forward. This takes more effort from muscles allowing you to burn more fat and calories. Walking is also good for burning calories if you get your heart rate up. This means picking up the pace and trying to walk in hilly areas that challenge your muscles. You can duplicate that effect by using a treadmill that has an adjustable incline. Some treadmills have programs that give you the feeling of walking in a hilly area, these programs will adjust the incline throughout the workout to strengthen and tone several areas of your body. Include arm movements with your walk and you boost your heart rate and metabolism. As always this means more calories are being burnt. Interval training is a good choice as well because of the amount of calories you can burn during a workout. It can be incorporated with brisk walking whether you’re at the gym or on the street. In summary to burn fat swimming and walking you have to get up and do it on a regular basis. Having a well rounded exercise program and including walking and swimming will help keep you from burning out doing the same thing over and over. If you’d like more information or perhaps free recipes to help you lose weight come along to (Burn Fat Now) - I’ll show you (for free) how to sort out that tummy. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Foley http://EzineArticles.com/?How-You-Can-Burn-Fat-Swimming-and-Walking&id=572850 online pharmacy fioricet butalbital buy fioricet discount fioricet order fioricet online

Gay Male Couple Seeks The Same 4 Friendship

Tuesday, September 25th, 2007

By Brian Rzepczynski Introduction Knowing how and where to meet other gay men for friendship and dating has long been a challenge and complaint for single guys, but the task is made that much more daunting for partnered men. How does a gay couple go about finding other couples who are similarly committed to their relationships for genuine friendship and companionship? I get that question a lot as a coach. I never see other gay couples out and about. Only singles. Yeah, I meet other couples but it always ends up with them wanting to have sex. For partners seeking like-minded comrades, it can sometimes feel very isolating. This article will offer some creative suggestions for enhancing your exposure to other gay couples with the hope of promoting your chances for building your friendship circle. Gotta Have Friends! Although its slowly changing, its hard to be gay when our relationships arent recognized or validated by society. This lack of affirmation and absence of visible gay couples to act as role models makes having a strong social support system extremely important. Some gay men do not have the luxury of family support to celebrate their relationship, making the LGBT community and heterosexual supporters a vital source of strength for feeding our self-esteem as a couple. And having another gay couple in your support network can be a bonus. Knowledge of the joys and hardships a committed relationship can endure, a feeling of affiliation and normalization can grow when a gay couple shares a friendship with another gay couple; this commonality can breed mutual understanding and a strong bond can develop. Friends are beneficial to your relationship because they bring fun, diversity, and support from stress in ways your primary relationship may not meet such needs or can help enrich it. Create A Friendship Vision Just like when you were initially dating your partner, you will want to screen potential friends for compatibility with your values and lifestyle. Not just anybody will do! Make sure they have something of value to bring to the table that will positively enhance your lives. Exercise: It would be helpful for you and your partner to sit down and develop a friendship vision. What does friendship mean to each of you? Whats the purpose behind trying to seek other gay couples for companionship? What will you gain or lose by doing this? What would your ideal friends be like? What would you be looking for in terms of values, interests, maturity, etc. Are you looking for intimate friendships where you can share thoughts and feelings about your lives or for purely social recreation? Before you begin your search, make sure you and your partner are in agreement on all aspects of friendship choices and practices. Being in alignment will minimize potential conflicts and ensure youre both on the same page about what this means and how to go about executing things. Keep the channels of communication open and perhaps write your vision down and journal about your needs and experiences along the way. Gay-Dar For Gay Couples Fine-tune that gay-dar because now the quest for good friends begins! Here are a few ideas for putting yourself in settings where youll increase your chances of meeting other gay couples. 1. Keep your eyes peeled for other couples at restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, galleries, etc. 2. Attend community events, fund-raisers, gay pride parades and festivals. 3. As a couple, think of a cause or charity thats meaningful to you and volunteer for an organization together. Lots of couples also attend political rallies and theatre. Larger cities have LGBT community centers where you could help or attend their social activities or support groups. 4. Attend church. Metropolitan Community Church, for example, tends to attract a large gay population. See if there are any near you. 5. Let your friends know youre in the market for expanding your circle. Attend their parties or throw your own party and allow friends of friends to come. 6. Form a special interest group or club, such as a book reading club that discusses LGBT literature or a couples group. Advertise it in local media. 7. The Internet can be a vehicle for searching and placing personal ads for meeting other gay couples. Just be careful about sites that have sexual cruising sections as you might be setting yourself up for attracting the wrong type of men if youre looking solely for platonic friendship. There are also multiple online gay social networking clubs available for professional or social networking. 8. Place a classified ad in the personals section of the newspaper indicating your interest in meeting other gay couples. Spell out what youre looking for and screen respondents accordingly for goodness-of-fit. 9. Create an online discussion forum at places like yahoogroups.com specifically catering to gay couples. This could be a great opportunity to meet people from all over the globe and could perhaps spark your interest in exploring travel. Final Thoughts & Resources Some additional tips to ponder as you go about cultivating new friendships: Go slow. Just like any relationship, friendships take time to develop. You cant rush intimacy or you risk sabotaging your ventures. Screen prospects thoroughly together. Your friendship quest is intended to bring more richness to your life, not to bring more stress on you by becoming a counselor to someone who is codependent or needy and sucks the living energy out of you, for example. If you and your partner are seeking platonic friendships only, be mindful of those men who are actually hunting for sex and could view you as a possible 3-way treat. Be clear about your intentions up front, but not everyone will be respectful of that. Practice good boundary-setting and assertiveness. Dont abandon your single gay friends and straight fans. They are a vital part of your network too! Balance your search for friends with attention focused to all the other parts of your life. Always keep your relationship with your partner as the number one priority. And finally, two resources of interest that might jump-start your quest include: 1. The Partners Task Force for Gay & Lesbian Couples has a national listing of Organizations Supporting Same-Sex Couples. Go to www.buddybuddy.com/orgs.html and see if there are any organizations in your area that you could join. 2. Meet Gay Couples (www.meetgaycouples.com) is an international forum where gay couples can correspond and cultivate new affiliations. Check it out and perhaps put a posting up of you and your partner! Best wishes on your friendship expedition! 2006 Brian L. Rzepczynski WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this resource box are included: Brian Rzepczynski, Certified Personal Life Coach, is The Gay Love Coach: I work with gay men who are ready to create a road map that will lead them to find and build a lasting partnership with Mr. Right. To sign up for the FREE Gay Love Coach Newsletter filled with dating and relationship tips and skills for gay singles and couples, as well as to check out current coaching groups, programs, and teleclasses, please visit http://www.TheGayLoveCoach.com Please also include with the article the words Copyright and prominently display a link to our main page at the end of the article. Any feedback would be appreciated and can be sent to brian@thegaylovecoach.com. Thank you! Brian Rzepczynski holds a master’s degree in Social Work from Western Michigan University and is also a Certified Personal Life Coach through The Coach Training Alliance. He launched his private coaching practice, The Gay Love Coach: Man 4 Man Coaching Services (http://www.TheGayLoveCoach.com), in 2003 and works with gay men, both singles and couples, on developing skills for improving their dating lives and relationships. He publishes a free monthly ezine called “The Man 4 Man Plan” that has helpful articles, tips, resources, and an advice column relating to gay relationships and dating. He is also the co-author of the 2005 self-help book “A Guide to Getting It: Purpose & Passion.” Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Rzepczynski http://EzineArticles.com/?Gay-Male-Couple-Seeks-The-Same-4-Friendship&id=338577 pharmacy xenical orlistat xenical buy xenical or orlistat prescription xenical

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Sunday, September 23rd, 2007

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7 Ways to Evaluate Your Marketing Plan

Sunday, September 23rd, 2007

By Stuart Ayling Business owners often find it difficult to know whether their marketing tactics are working. This can be especially tricky when you use a combination of marketing activities simultaneously, or if using personal-contact tactics such as networking. No matter what business you’re in, your marketing should be accountable. So here’s a few ways to evaluate how well you’re doing. 1) Look at your sales (or fee income). They should be going up! But be careful about what you measure. Some firms have a longer sales cycle than others. To get an accurate picture you might need to also measure the number of new leads being generated, or the number of appointments, or the number of billable hours achieved. Remember discounts or variances in fees will affect total sales values. 2) Ask your clients. Check to find out where they heard of you. Most businesses never ask this question and miss out on gleaning valuable insights into how clients select a service provider. 3) Does your advertising and/or promotional activity produce direct responses? It should. If your answer is “I don’t know” then you’ve got some work to do. In addition to 2) above, there are some things you can do to improve response rates. –Firstly, make sure you are advertising in the right media. Choose media to suit your selected audience. Be as specific as possible. And avoid rejecting options just because they don’t look “exciting”, such as trade journals that might have relatively small readership. Importantly, check with your audience to make sure they actually do read the publication. –Use a strong headline that asks a pertinent question, or gives a solution-oriented statement. –Include a clear call-to-action. Tell people what they should do. For example: Ring today for your free appointment; Ask for our free information sheet. –Include multiple methods of contact. Phone, email, and web site are all important. Give prospects a choice of how to contact you. 4) Do your networking activities create new opportunities for you? One of the major principles of effective networking is to “give” rather than “sell”. That is, you should look to help others as you spread word about your services. But this softly, softly approach can make it hard to measure effectiveness. To measure your networking activities make sure you track the source of incoming enquiries. Then see if any of your visible/tangible tactics can be credited with generating the enquiry. If not, then maybe you can safely say it was a referral generated by networking. This is made a lot easier if you’re a member of a lead-generating club such as BNI or Leads. You’ll get specific feedback each week from these groups. 5) Do your marketing tactics make it easier to sell your services? To do this your marketing activities and/or material should do the following: –Attract qualified prospects (who have shown a specific interest in your services). –Anticipate and diffuse potential questions/concerns from prospects. –Be easy to use when personally selling to prospects. For example: material should be relevant; images/charts easy to understand; and be presented in a format the prospect will be likely to keep. –Focus on your client needs and your points of difference (Unique Selling Proposition). 6) Check your sales conversion rate. The best approach here is to look at your historical records and determine whether your conversion (or closure) rate has improved. “Selling” is an important part of the “marketing” function, so make sure you assess your success at closing the sale, rather than just focus on generating new leads. 7) Does your plan have a positive return on investment (ROI)? Does it bring in enough new/repeat business to justify the expense? Rather than just look at the “marketing budget” as one total, you really need to evaluate the cost effectiveness of each specific marketing activity. Even if you think you’re getting a great ROI overall, maybe you can do even better by changing or eliminating unproductive tactics. (c) 2004 Stuart Ayling Stuart Ayling runs Marketing Nous, an Australasian marketing consultancy that specialises in marketing for service businesses. He helps clients to improve their marketing tactics, attract more clients, and increase revenue. For additional marketing resources, including Stuart’s popular monthly newsletter, visit his web site at www.marketingnous.com.au Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stuart_Ayling http://EzineArticles.com/?7-Ways-to-Evaluate-Your-Marketing-Plan&id=1905 what is sildenafil sildenafil synthesis cialis prescription online medication levitra

BlackBerry 7130G - Inventive Mechanism

Saturday, September 22nd, 2007

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Samuel_Herrick]Samuel Herrick Millions of people are using mobile phones right now. What distinguishes you from them? An inventive handset with features that sum up your professional and personal needs, perhaps? BlackBerry presents a mobile model to give you exactly what you want. The BlackBerry 7130G comes with a SureType keyboard. Synthesizing qualities of a PC keyboard and a mobile keypad, the hybrid board does much to facilitate typing of messages and mails as on a keyboard. The BlackBerry 7130G is quite a specimen of inventive technology. The phone hosts Digital TTY/TDD. This feature lets people with hearing disabilities to communicate by typing TTY type messages. This is a major breakthrough in the mobile arena. The focal point of this phone is its internet/mailing functionality. BlackBerry 7130G gives you multiple email access. You can manage up to ten mails simultaneously. Push Mail sends mails from your PC directly to the mobile. The phone retrieves mails in an area with wireless network support. Elsewhere, it deploys the General Packet Radio Service. It provides WAP and HTML browsers to support web access. BlackBerry 7130G uses the LCD display technology. It exudes a resolution of 240×260 pixels. It is of major assistance in viewing menu, messages, and pictures. The phone’s messaging options include text messaging, multimedia messaging, instant messaging, and email. The phone has an in-built Music Player. It can play songs in the MP3 format. The Music Player comes along with a 2.5mm Headset Jack. This device is plugged in the handset to hear music. Games are embedded and can also be downloaded. Connectivity consists of Bluetooth, USB, and Sync PC. The last feature is furnished to help synchronize applications such as the calendar between the phone and a personal computer. [http://www.mobilejazz.co.uk/NewDeals.asp?id=332]BlackBerry 7130G has exceptional memory options. It has 64 MB of Flash Memory and 16 MB of SRAM. These help manage the mails and messages. Wielding this phone helps you wield technology. Samuel herrick writes about [http://mobilemaster.wordpress.com]full phone specification of [http://www.mobilejazz.co.uk/]latest mobile phones, read [http://mobilephonenewsreviews.blogspot.com]mobile phone reviews. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Samuel_Herrick http://EzineArticles.com/?BlackBerry-7130G—Inventive-Mechanism&id=540297 increase amount of semen treatment of male infertility natural ways to increase semen infertility in male

Who Me? Wear a Clerical Shirt?

Tuesday, September 18th, 2007

By George Zgourides Clothing says a great deal about ones profession, and this is no less the case with ministers of the Gospel. The special shirt that ministers wear outside of worship services is known as a clerical shirt or collar shirt, which typically is black or another color with a white collar (sometimes affectionately referred to as a dog collar!). The wearing of special ministerial clothing has a long and distinguished history, and is found throughout Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions. While there have been many variations in clerical dress over the centuries, the rationale for wearing special clothing has to do with the ministers professional role and function. A collar shirt lets people recognize him or her as an ordained clergyperson. Clerical clothes can open doors in many ministry settings for you, such as in hospitals where staff members wear uniforms that identify their respective professions. Visits to congregants or parishioners homes during times of illness, tragedy, or death can also be enhanced when you wear clothes that are a reminder of your Christian witness and purpose. And when traveling, you might have the opportunity to share your faith with strangers who strike up a conversation because you have on a collar shirt. While clerical dress is certainly not for all ministers, take a moment to think about how occasionally wearing a black shirt with a white collar might prove to be a useful tool in your ministry. Who knows? You might just find yourself able to connect with others and spread the Gospel in new and exciting ways! George D. Zgourides, M.D., Psy.D and his wife Christie are the authors of several books dealing with various health-related, psychological, and self-help topics. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Zgourides http://EzineArticles.com/?Who-Me?-Wear-a-Clerical-Shirt?&id=51719 pain prescriptions online medications online without prescription generic medications online your prescriptions online

Lima Bean Potato Gruel

Sunday, September 16th, 2007

By Pamela Svoboda Recipe(The way my family ate it)Cut up 1 small potato into large thumb size dices. Boil on med. boil for 10 minutes in 2 cups of water.Add teaspoon salt, teaspoon of pepper.Add 2 large tablespoon of butter then turn heat to medium.While stirring, add 2 tablespoons of flour in a little at a time.Keep stirring softly until all the flour is all dissolved and it makes thick gravy.Turn heat on low. Add 1 can of lima beans. Do not drain. Gruel will thin down a bit.Place lid on pot and let sit on low heat for 10 more minutes until thick. By now the potatoes will just be starting to loose their square shape and start to look more rounded, but still firm in the middle. This is exactly what you want because the outer edges of the potatoes that mix with the flour water, is actually what makes the flavor of the gruel so good. The dish will turn out to be 1/3 gravy and 1/3 potatoes and 1/3 Lima beans. To ad even more flavor, drain the lima beans and replace the bean juice with chicken stock. Serving Suggestions: You serve each person a full bowl of their very own. A cottage style bowl that is thick made of ceramic or pottery. These bowls keep the heat in best and keep the gravy from cooling to quick. Serve with a huge wedge of warm crusted homemade bread. No fork needed for this meal! You just sop up the gravy, beans and chunks of potatoes with the bread and your fingers! Wash it down with a cold glass of milk. You just cannot eat this without the bread! This recipe is taken from the Gruel recipe collection athttp://www.gone-ta-pott.com/gruel.htmlAuthor: Pamela Price Svoboda Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pamela_Svoboda http://EzineArticles.com/?Lima-Bean-Potato-Gruel&id=73752 discount soma online soma carisoprodol online where can i purchase soma keywords soma online

Avoid Graduate School Hell! Select Your Advisor and Committee Wisely

Saturday, September 15th, 2007

By Wendy Carter Many students think I write article like these because I did not have a good advisor. However, I want you to know that I had a wonderful advisor. He was a tenured professor and well respected in my academic department. He wasnt my best friend; my friend Elsie had fulfilled that role a long time ago. He was intelligent, well respected in the field, and had the reputation of being an advocate for his student advisees. I chose him because he was reliable and a great advocate for me. While some faculty members might be able to serve as mentors, you need an advisor who has power and respect in the department. Selecting an advisor requires you to make an honest assessment of your working style. What type of working environment maximizes your true potential? Do you need someone to micro-manage every aspect of your thesis or dissertation project? Do you flourish when you are given a task and allowed to work at your own pace? Do you excel when you are allowed to figure things out by yourself? Are you willing to ask for help when you need it? To successfully complete your thesis or dissertation, you need an advisor who complements your working style. Here are 7 tips to managing your advisor and committee members: 1. Interview Potential Advisors: Remember, you and your advisor should be enthusiastic about your thesis or dissertation topic. When selecting a selecting a topic you have to think of whom on the faculty is an expert on that topic and would be willing to work with you. Prior to your interview for an advisor, consider writing a three-page draft of a proposal to discuss with your potential advisor. Be sure to ask if the faculty member is planning a sabbatical in the next two years. Selecting the right advisor is critical to your success in graduate school. Your advisor can propel or hinder your academic progress. As a graduate student you have very little power in your academic department. Hence, you need to select an advisor who can be an advocate for you. To be your best advocate, your advisor should have tenure and the respect of his peers. As chair of your committee, peer respect will be invaluable when your advisor has to supervise the other committee members and facilitate your defense hearing. 2. Interview Fellow Students/Advisees: Although a faculty member might be respected in his or her discipline, be aware that some faculty members might be difficult to work with; advisors sometimes ask for a draft when what they really want is a polished piece. Some advisors might prefer to work with the same sex graduate student. Others may or may not be willing to co-author with their graduate students. Your peers are your greatest resource; advanced graduate students are often willing to share information about what it is like to work for or with a particular faculty member. As a possible advisee, you need inside information on: Availability and accessibility of the advisor Timeliness and quality of the feedback His/her expectationsare they realistic? The working atmosphere in the lab Management stylemicro or macro Facilitation skills during defense hearings Average time his/her advisees take to finish 3. Be Professional With Advisor/Committee Members: The quality of the advisee/advisor relationship varies and is based on the commitment level and personalities of your advisor and yourself. Both of you have some responsibility for making this relationship work successfully. You should be as professional with your advisor/committee members as possible. Let your advisor/committee member know that you value his or her time. Get to your scheduled meetings on time. Dont sweat it if your advisor/committee member is late. Be prepared with an agenda for your regularly scheduled meetings– prepare questions ahead of time. Call and cancel if you will not be able to make your scheduled meeting. Send a follow-up email confirming any items and resolutions that were discussed during the meeting. Prepare a coversheet with an outline of your document indicating the type of feedback you are looking for. Dont get frustrated if they ask for another copy of the latest draft of your document even if you havent made any changes since you gave it to them last week. Always bring a hard copy of the chapter to be discussed with you. Takes notes at all meetings; you wont remember everything once you leave the office. 4. Dont Assume, Ask: The relationship between you, your advisor and committee members varies by the amount of direction, personal interaction, and psychological support. In addition, the type of criticism given and the frequency of interaction will depend on the type of relationship you and your advisor has established. It is quite possible that each committee member could have different expectations of you. It is your responsibility to find out what level of participation each member of the committee is willing to commit to. I know of a student who directly asked each committee member what do you need to see in this dissertation for you to sign-off on it? By asking ahead of time, she was able to address each members concerns with the help of her advisor. 5. Understanding Your Advisor And Committee Members: The best academic advisor does not have the time to hold your hand throughout your academic career. The academic advisors time is limited because, after all, he or she is a professor first and is getting paid to teach courses, advise graduate students, supervise graduate research, write books or journal articles, and serve on campus- and university-wide committees. Moreover, your advisor went through the same process without much assistance from his/her advisor when he/she attended graduate school. Therefore, the tradition of completing a thesis or dissertation is a lonely process and an unsympathetic advisor does not want to cheat you out of having the same experience he/she suffered through years ago. Hence, your academic advisors main commitment is to supervise your research project. He/she will not be your friend, therapist, financial aid counselor, or marital advisor. 6. Choose your battles wiselyHandling Conflictsand Disagreements: Your advisor is the coordinator of your thesis or dissertation project. While the major role of your advisor is to share his or her expertise with you to help you develop your ideas, your advisor is also supposed to advocate on your behalf as well. Should your committee members give you conflicting advice you should bring this to your advisors attention. Resolving conflicts among committee members is part of your advisors responsibilities. After you resolve the issue with your advisor, ask if she/he is going to be responsible for communicating the solution to the other committee members. If she/he suggests that you handle that issue it might be prudent to send your advisor an email confirming the agreed upon resolution. You might consider copying the other committee members with this confirmation. If you and your advisor disagree you might consider writing a more persuasive argument addressing his concerns. Arguing with your advisor is not time well spent. If you spent the time choosing a well-qualified expert, an active supporter and head cheerleader, these disagreements should be minor and short-lived. You need him/her—Your advisor will be writing recommendations for you well after you have left the university. 7. Seeking Feedback And Advice From Your Advisor and Committee Members: If you are having problems getting timely written or oral feedback from your advisor there are many things that you can do to move this process along. Your advisor and committee members are busy people. Consequently you must make the best use of their time. First, if you cannot get feedback from your advisor, try another committee member to keep things moving along. Second, when you submit your thesis or dissertation chapters for review you should provide some guidance on how you want your advisor / committee member to read your document. Sometimes you might just be looking for answers as to whether or not your methodology or reasoning is logical and going in the right direction. If you want this type of feedback your advisor might not have to read as closely as he might think if you do not provide any instructions. It would be a good idea to provide an outline of your chapter so that your advisor can get a good overview of what the chapter is about and where it fits into your thesis or dissertation. Without instructions your advisor is likely to place your document in a pile of must-read items. Leave the grammar and editing to an editor; your advisor will give the final grammar edits on your final draft. About the Author: As a single mother, professor Wendy Y. Carter, Ph.D., completed three masters’ degrees and a PhD. Her motto is a Good Thesis/Dissertation is a Done Thesis/Dissertation. She is the creator of a new innovative interactive resource tool on CDTADA! Thesis and Accomplished. To learn more contact the author at drcarter@tadafinallyfinished.com or visit ==>http://www.tadafinallyfinished.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wendy_Carter http://EzineArticles.com/?Avoid-Graduate-School-Hell!-Select-Your-Advisor-and-Committee-Wisely&id=146859 buy propecia online pharmacy purchase finasteride cheap online buy finasteride online online propecia cheap