The first step toward understanding is knowledge. There are many resources, like the Trevor Project, that will aid in becoming familiar with sexual orientation and the general concerns of queer communities. Understanding that everyone is different and admitting that you don’t know or understand a gay teen’s experience is a key place to start and begin to move forward.  Keep in mind that it is perfectly acceptable, and often common, to have differing beliefs and experiences from others. Learning about gay teens and sexual orientation is not about agreeing with their beliefs but about learning new information. You may feel that through your own research you need to reexamine your own beliefs on sexual identity. Use this as an opportunity to be empathetic by communicating your concerns with others. Try and keep an open mind when learning new information about sexual orientation, when asking questions, and when engaging in conversation. Keeping an open mind will help suspend judgement, stereotypes, and harmful generalizations that can often obstruct understanding and be the cause of unwanted conflict.  Ask yourself questions, like “what would it be like to tell someone something I have never told anyone?” “What would expect from this other person?” “How would I like to be treated in this situation?”  Stay calm and practice listening instead of immediately responding to feelings of conflict or contradiction. There are many national organizations, like PFLAG, that aim to bring queer teens and their allies together in order to advocate for their well-being and to educate others about the issues important to the queer community. Many community organizations similar to PFLAG also offer educational courses centered around supporting and communicating with gay teens. Reading self-help and support books written for gay teens will expose you to a number of relevant questions and concerns many gay teens have. Although every teen is different, reading books meant for gay teens will give a broad and more general understanding of their interests and concerns.
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One-sentence summary -- Educate yourself on sexual orientation. Keep an open mind. Seek out community centers for queer teens and allies. Read a book meant for gay teens.


These exams are definitely not a walk in the park. The IB is hard for most people (even geniuses like us) so prepare for it! And when — not if, when — you pass your exams, smile and be thankful that it's over. Help the first year students. Work through as many past I.B exams as you can possibly handle!  The questions in your textbook or those which you are completing in class may be drastically easier than the actual exam.
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One-sentence summary -- Revise. Practice.


Before you go outside, warm your body slightly by stretching your arms and legs and torso. Athletes do this to prepare for playing in colder temperatures, while also preventing injuries during the event. Try not to stretch too much before you go outside. If you begin to sweat indoors, then it will feel colder when the cool air touches the sweat on your skin. A good way for a quick warm-up is a quick warm-up. When you're active, your body's blood circulation increases, which causes you to warm up. Here are some standing exercises to keep warm while outside:  High knee kicks. Place your hands in front of you and kick your knees up to your hands. Jumping jacks. Torso twists. Keeping your elbows lifted, twist your upper body from side to side at a moderate pace. Dance. If the occasion calls for it, don't be afraid to dance to the music! Even if you're just wearing a t-shirt, keeping other parts of your body can warm your overall internal core. Blow hot air into cupped hands and rub them together. Outer extremities are the first to develop damage from cold temperatures. These consist of your toes, fingers, ears, and nose. Extremities don't have the muscle or blood flow to keep them as warm as the rest of your body. Keep these areas warm to avoid freezing injuries like frostbite. Hot coffee, tea or cocoa are excellent ways to warm your hands and taking sips of the warm liquid will warm your body. It will force you to move around in order to get the drink, and the caffeine and sugar will give you energy to keep moving. It's a win-win for staying active and keeping warm.
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One-sentence summary -- Stretch. Move around. Keep your extremities warm. Get hot coffee.


Whatever other home-security steps you may take will be of little use if a burglar can walk straight in through the front door. Many robbers only enter homes when they find that a door is unlocked, in fact; most burglaries simply happen due to doors and windows being left unlocked. To prevent this, lock all external doors (front, back and side) at all times, even when you're home or are going for a short walk around the block.  If you have a balcony door, never leave it unlocked at night or when going out. Balconies could provide easy access to burglars. Garage doors provide access into your home, so treat them as any other door. Make sure they are locked properly, as well as the door that leads from the inside of the garage into your house. Ground level windows and sliding doors are easy to open from the outside, if they're left unlocked. If a thief finds that your front door is secured, they'll likely move on and try to enter your home through a window. Deter them by keeping windows locked at all times. If you're concerned about the security of your sliding glass door, drop a dowel or metal rod into the track on the inside. This will supplement the sliding door's lock (which is often weak). Well-lit entrances are an effective deterrent, as burglars will be looking for houses that they can enter with no likelihood of being seen. It will be harder for a thief to break in if there are lights placed at entry points to your house. Install lights near all exterior entrances. If you’re concerned about your house being broken into while you’re away overnight, install motion-activated floodlights in your front and back yards. Alternatively, you can set a timer on your indoor lighting to make your home appear occupied. Even if you're just working in your own back yard, notes left to delivery services, friends, or visitors will advertise the fact that you're not inside the house. Not only will thieves look on your porch for packages to steal, they'll likely be inclined to enter your home and look for items to burgle.
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One-sentence summary --
Lock external doors at all times. Lock your external windows and sliding glass doors. Use exterior lighting to ward off potential robbers. Don't leave notes on the door.