Problem: Article: When you have thick hair, fighting your natural hair texture is a constant battle. Save yourself time and energy by choosing a natural style. Use hair products formulated for your hair texture to help your locks look their best. For instance, wear your natural curls as your everyday hairstyle. If your hair is straight, don’t worry about curling it every morning. Once your hair is dry, it’s okay to use your hair straightener to create a sleeker look. Apply a heat protectant if you haven’t already. Then, run your hair straightener over 1 in (2.5 cm) sections of hair until your hair is smooth. This might take awhile since your hair is so thick. It might help to take breaks to rest your arms. During your breaks, you might continue getting ready so you’re not taking extra time. As you know, thick hair can feel especially heavy. Adding styling products on top of your luscious locks will only make it heavier. Try spray-on gels instead of traditional gel, mousse, and other styling products. It will give your hair some hold without weighing it down. Follow the directions on your spray gel to apply it to your hair. Your hair already has natural volume from being so thick. Adding a volumizer will only make your hair look fluffier. Check the labels on the products you plan to buy to make sure they don’t say “volume” on the label. A side part will make your hair look thicker and puffier on one side. To minimize your hair’s bulk, wear a center part or a slightly off-center part. This way the hair on both sides of your head will be mostly even.  Play around with your part to see what you like best. If you like having a bit of volume on one side, go ahead and wear a deep side part. Soft ponytail holders likely won’t work with your thick hair. Fortunately, covered rubber ponytail holders are strong enough to hold your hair and won’t cause as much damage as an uncovered rubber band. Use a covered ponytail holder if you want to style your hair in a ponytail, braid, or bun. Some thicker scrunchies may hold your hair, so they’re an option, as well. for a simple, easy style. Thick hair looks lovely in a braid, so use this style to keep your hair under control. Try a traditional french braid, do boxer braids, or just braid the bottom part of your hair. Your hair will look cute and well-managed.  If you have flyaways, secure them with a light mist of hair spray. Today’s braid can be tomorrow’s waves! Undo your braid to reveal beachy curls.
Summary: Embrace your natural hair texture. Run a hair straightener over dry strands to remove frizz if you like. Use a spray gel for styling hold rather than heavier products. Skip products that contain volumizers, as they’ll add more bulk. Keep your part close to the center of your forehead. Use a covered rubber ponytail holder if you want to tie up your hair. Braid your hair

Problem: Article: Though you don't necessarily need to be board certified, getting the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) certification can increase your professional opportunities and advance your career.  Getting board certified by ASHA requires you to complete and maintain a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in either Audiology or Speech-Language Pathology. For a career as an audiologist, you will want the Audiology CCC.  ASHA certification is recognized by the state regulatory agency in almost every U.S. state. You will need to register with ETS in order to take the ASHA Praxis II exam (Subject Assessment in Audiology: 5342). You can find test centers and testing dates by searching online by your ZIP Code, or find international test sites by searching for the country you reside in. The exam will take two hours to complete and is taken entirely on a computer. The exam is a mix of multiple choice and constructed-response questions. For multiple choice questions, it's best to limit your answers to one of the given options and eliminate the answers that you know are incorrect. For constructed-response questions, you'll need to answer the question as accurately and completely as possible. You can take the practice exams online at the ASHA website to get a good feel for the types of questions asked and the general format of the exam.  There are five categories: Foundations (12 questions), Prevention and Identification (12 questions), Assessment (48 questions), Intervention (36 questions), and Professional Issues (12 questions). The Foundations section is worth 10% of your grade. It covers acoustics, anatomy, physiology, etiology, psychometrics, counseling principles, and cultural linguistic diversity. The Prevention and Identification section is worth 10% of your grade. It covers education and prevention, as well as screening and risk assessment. The Assessment section is worth 40% of your grade. It covers planning, behavioral evaluation, physiologic evaluation, and other methods of assessment. The Intervention section is worth 30% of your grade. It covers treatment planning, device selection, device verification, symptom management, and rehabilitation. The Professional Issues section is worth 10% of your grade. It covers professional ethics, legal practice, and patient advocacy. You will receive a raw score, which tells you how many questions you answered correctly, as well as a scaled score that adjusts your score according to the difficulty of each question. For audiology, you must earn a minimum scaled score of 170 in order to pass the Praxis exam.  It may take up to 16 days after the testing window closes before you receive your score.  You will be able to download your scores through the Praxis website by creating a My Praxis account online. To apply for ASHA certification, you must hold both a doctoral degree and a masters degree from universities accredited by the CAA. You will need to complete a four-page application (with one page being completed and signed by your program's director), disclose any ethical problems, send official graduate transcripts, and pay the necessary dues and fees. In addition to your application materials, you will need to pay to become ASHA certified. You will then have to make annual payments to maintain that certification. How much you pay will depend upon your previous professional associations and educational experience.  If you are or have been a member of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA), you may be eligible for a reduced fee of $289. Otherwise, recent graduates (within the last 12 months) must pay $461. Anyone who did not graduate recently and is not affiliated with NSSLHA must pay $455 for certification or $511 for certification and ASHA membership. Once you've completed the application, passed the Praxis exam, and assembled your application packet, you'll need to submit it to ASHA for review. You should send your materials through the mail and address the package to American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, P.O. Box 1160, #313, Rockville, MD 20849. After your application has been received, it can take four to six weeks for your materials to be reviewed. During busy periods, it may take up to eight weeks for your application to be fully reviewed. If you're concerned about your application materials, you can contact the ASHA Action Center by calling 800-498-2071.
Summary:
Consider getting certified by ASHA. Register for the ASHA Praxis Exam. Take the ASHA Praxis Exam. Earn a passing Praxis score. Apply to the ASHA certification board. Pay your dues and fees. Submit your materials. Wait for your results.