Problem: Article: A while before you begin the grooming process, you need to stock up on brushes, combs, clippers, shampoos, and conditioners.  For brushes, bristle brushes can be used on all coat types. In general, the longer the coat the more widely spaced and longer the bristles should be. Wire-tipped brushes without rubber ends are also a good choice for dogs with long, coarse, or curly coats. If your dog has a lot of mats or tangles, slicker brushes are a useful tool to remove such problems. After you brush your dog down with a brush, use a comb designed for dogs to ensure that all tangles or mats are gone.  Combs are used to get right down to skin and also tease out tangles. Clippers should be purchased, and you can get a recommendation from a local pet store for your dog's specific needs. Clipper coolant or lubricant is also necessary, as clippers become hot when used and need to be cooled off to avoid burning your dog. There is a place for scissors when used with care.  For shampoo and conditioner, use baby shampoo or special skin condition shampoo. Avoid flea removal shampoos; these rarely effective and have no action at all once the pet is dry.  Dog toothpaste and toothbrushes, which are available at pet stores and most department stores. Sharp, guillotine type nail clippers.  Cotton balls and ear cleaner to clean your dogs ears, and tweezers to pluck out unwanted ear hair.  Detangler should be available in the event of any difficult mats or tangles. Brush your dogs back, legs, underbelly, chin, and neck with your slicker brush, targeting tangled or mated fur. Brush any featherings on the dog's legs, tail, thighs, neck, and back.  If you encounter any particularly difficult tangles or mats, put a dime-sized glob of detangler on the mat and working it out with a comb and your fingers.  A lot of dead hairs will likely fall off during this process, leaving a pile of dog fur on the floor. Brush your dog on a surface that's easy to sweep or vacuum. If available, use a grooming table. Brushing in the direction the coat grows, go over your dog's coat again with a bristle brush to smooth out the detangled hair. Due to the twisty nature of a dog's ear canal, it's easy for parasites and bacteria to thrive. Once-weekly cleaning is key to your dog's well-being and should be incorporated into any grooming routine.  Dampen a cotton ball and use it to gently swap the dog's ear with ear cleaning solution. Never insert anything, like q-tips, into the dog's ear canal. Stick to the exterior lining.  Earwax may rub off on the cotton ball. The wax is usually brown or black. If you notice crusty skin, redness, discharge, bad smells, or swelling this can be a sign of an infection and should be addressed by a veterinarian.  Use tweezers to pull out unwanted hair, which can tangle and cause mats to form in the ear canal. However, discuss tweezing with your vet beforehand. Ear hair removal is not necessary for every dog breed.
Summary: Get your materials ready. Begin your grooming session using a slicker brush to remove tangles and dead hairs. Go over the coat again with a bristle brush. Clean your dog's ears.

Problem: Article: A step-up is simply an elevation in the level of the track. As you're getting comfortable with jumping, start by driving over a step-up slowly enough so that you don't go airborne. This will get you used to the sharp change in elevation that's involved in a standard jump. Work your way up to accelerating enough so that you lift off the ground before landing at the top of the step-up. As you get more comfortable with jumping, you can also try doing step-downs, where you move from a higher elevation to a lower one. A tabletop is a good starter jump once you're ready to move on from step-ups. This type of jump consists of a takeoff, an elevated plateau (the “tabletop”) and a landing on the other side. Drive over the jump slowly a couple of times, then try approaching it fast enough to get airborne. Make sure to maintain smooth throttle control and hold a good body position through the whole jump. After you've gotten used to doing tabletops, you can try moving up to more complex jumps, such as doubles and triples. These jumps are more difficult because you have to develop an accurate sense of timing and distance. If you overshoot your first jump, you could end up crashing into the face of the next one. Practice driving over the jump slowly multiple times before you attempt to go airborne.  As you get more experienced, you can practice jumping over 2 or 3 jumps at once instead of jumping each part of the double or triple separately.
Summary: Get started with step-ups. Move on to tabletops as you get more comfortable. Try doubles or triples once you've mastered the basics.

Problem: Article: Often times, people find it difficult to concentrate on their studies because they are overextended with other obligations. If this is you, don’t be afraid to tell people no. Just explain that you need to study and won’t have the time or energy to do so, if you help them out. Aim to work for 30-60 minute periods with 5-10 minute breaks in between. It is a lot easier to push yourself for a set period of time, if you know you have a break coming up. Your brain needs the break to recharge and to process the information.  Schedule yourself to study different subjects. Studying the same thing for too long is a recipe for boredom. Know yourself. Do you get bored easy? If so, schedule your time strategically. When are you most productive? Working when you have a lot of energy makes the work easier. If you know that you get tired at a particular time of day, schedule tasks that require less attention then. Some people are early birds. They wake up early before most people even begin their days. They take this peaceful time to catch up on their studies. Other people are night owls. They thrive after everyone else has gone to bed. Their home is quiet and they can concentrate easier. Some people don’t have the luxury of waking up early or staying up late. Maybe you are one of them. If so, find a time in the day that you can devote to studying that works for you. Write down your study goals for that day. What do you want or need to accomplish? Make sure they're doable. If you need to write a 10 pages in a week, schedule yourself to write 2 pages a day for 5 days. The task will no longer seem daunting and discouraging. This works for any assignment, whether you need to read a book, study for a test, build something for science class, or whatever. Break the task into manageable parts.
Summary:
Learn when to say no. Make a schedule. Make lists.