With a topic outline, the headings and subpoints are all given in single words or short phrases. With a sentence outline, all of the headings and subpoints are provided in complete sentences.  Topic outlines are usually used when your research deals with many different issues that can be arranged in different ways. Sentence outlines are usually used if your research focuses on complex issues. Some instructors will insist that you must not combine these two forms. Many others, however, offer one exception to this guideline by allowing the main section headings to be short phrases while the remaining subpoints are written as full sentences. This structure uses a series of letters and numbers to identify and arrange section levels. The first level is represented by Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, etc.), the second level is represented by capital letters (A, B, C, D, etc.), the third level is represented by numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), and the fourth level is represented by lowercase letters (a, b, c, d, etc.). In sentence outlines, headings and subpoints are almost always written with correct sentence capitalization rules. This is not always the case with topic outlines, though.  One school of thought indicates that first level headings should be written in all capital letters while all remaining headings use standard sentence capitalization rules. Another school of thought suggests that the first level headings should only have the first letter of each word capitalized, rather than the entire word. The remaining headings, again, use standard sentence capitalization rules. Your outline should run no longer than one-quarter to one-fifth the total estimated size of your final research paper.  For a four to five page paper, you only need a single page outline. For a 15 to 20 page paper, your outline will usually run no longer than four pages.

Summary: Choose between a topic outline and sentence outline. Most outlines use an alpha-numerical structure. Note capitalization issues. Keep matters of length in mind.


Eating healthy is really important if you want to be a healthy teen. You don't need to go on a diet, just pay attention to what you're putting in your body.  If you only ever eat sugary breakfast cereals and candy bars you aren't going to be healthy. Depending on your body and what works best for you, you can eat three meals a day or 5-6 mini-meals a day. NEVER skip meals. Try healthy alternatives, instead of having a bowl of ice-cream, opt for a frozen yogurt. Or try having apple slices instead of potato chips. Try to replace processed foods, especially those which contained added sodium and sugar, with whole natural foods like fruits and vegetables. Drink more water. This is basically the most important thing of all. If you drink more water you will be much healthier. It flushes the toxins out of your body and gives your skin a healthy glow. It also keeps your skin hydrated and helps prevent spots. It also helps if you have acne. As a rule of thumb, try to drink a lot to the point where your urine is almost completely clear. As a rule of thumb, try drinking half of your body weight in water everyday. Whether it's walking in the park, or doing a couple of crunches do at least 30 minutes of physical activity several times a week.  You should not exercise every day, when you work out you break your muscles down. It's the rebuilding that makes them stronger. If you don't give them time to rebuild, you're going to seriously hurt yourself. Try working out for 6 days a week and give yourself 2 days to rest and recuperate. Exercise will make you stronger and tone your muscles. You  can go to the gym and swim or run on the treadmill, buy a few work out DVDs, or just go for a jog around the block. Whatever it is, exercising will make you healthier and happier about your body. It also releases oxytocin which helps reduces stress and calm the mind! During puberty you'll find you need more sleep than you did when you were younger. Sure it's tempting to stay up late chatting with friends on the phone or computer, but the next morning you'll be miserable   You need to get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep every single night. To find out how many hours you personally should be sleeping, on a weekend go to bed at the time you do on a school night and don't set your alarm. When you wake up count how many hours you were asleep and get that many hours every night. It may be tough if you get back late and have to wake up early on a normal school day, but if you put the extra effort in of an early night you will feel much more refreshed the next morning. This will aid your concentration and you will be in a much happier and friendly mood. Also try to get the same amount of sleep everyday so that your body is adjusted to it.

Summary: Start eating healthier. Start exercising more. Catch up on your sleep.


This will give you an overview of the facilities and help you learn where everything is and what options are available. You can even schedule a tour before joining the gym, just to make sure that it’s a good fit.  You can call ahead or just ask the person at the front desk, “Hi, I’m new here. Could I have a quick tour?” When on the tour, take note of the equipment or machines that you prefer so you can easily find them later. The tour is a great chance to ask any questions you may have about the gym. Different gyms may have different rules about noise and behavior, so make sure to read over those rules beforehand. Often, gym-related anxiety comes from not knowing what to do. Having a working knowledge of your new gym’s etiquette can help you feel more assured and comfortable. Knowing the rules can also help you avoid awkward situations. In some gyms, grunting and making loud noises is against the rules and could lead to you being asked to leave. Having someone to talk to can lighten the mood and make you feel less self-conscious. Try bringing a friend to work out with for your first few gym visits until you feel a little more comfortable. Take advantage of times when the gym is empty by using that time to familiarize yourself with the layout and equipment available. This will give you more privacy and time to familiarize yourself with the gym until you become more comfortable.  Peak hours tend to be early in the morning before work, during lunch, and right after work gets out.  Off-hours are generally mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and after 7 pm.
Summary: Ask for a tour. Brush up on the gym rules. Bring a friend. Avoid peak times and go during off-hours.