Electives are a great chance to learn more about a particular interest or hobby of yours. Have you always wanted to know more about ancient history? Do you like to write poetry in your spare time? Choose something you're passionate about, and you'll not only have a good time, but you'll be motivated to work hard doing something you enjoy. Colleges consider your choice of electives when evaluating your transcript. Choose electives that allow you to learn about something you may want to study in college or pursue a career in. You'll be better prepared, and colleges will see that you've shown an interest in the subject. This is a good time to branch out and discover new things. Even if you don't know the difference between a Picasso and a Monet, try an art history class. You might find that you enjoy something you never thought you'd be interested in. While it's important to be adventurous, choose courses you think you can still get decent grades in. For instance, if you know that you're normally terrible at math, don't sign up for a math class that's not part of your requirements – or if you do, make sure it's an easy one. If you are tackling several challenging requirements this semester, it may be a good idea to fill the rest of your schedule with classes that you expect will be fairly easy. On the other hand, if you mostly have easy requirements, consider trying something that will challenge you.  It's important not to overschedule yourself, even if none of the classes you're taking are overly challenging. It can be tempting to cram as many credits into one semester as possible, but even if you have excellent time-management skills, your grades (and sanity) will suffer if you stretch yourself too thin. Don't forget to take into account your extracurricular activities and anything else that might be going on in your life. Try to come up with a realistic idea of how much time you'll have. Consider dropping any activities or hobbies that you're not truly interested in anymore if it will give you time for the coursework you want. If this is your first year at your high school, you can ask older siblings or any classmates you know if they have any favorite teachers. If it's not your first year, look for interesting classes taught by teachers you like and have a good relationship with. You'll learn better with someone you engage well with. Many colleges look for comments or recommendations from teachers about a student's engagement when considering an application. Building good relationships with teachers can be a great way to improve your chances of positive recommendations.
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One-sentence summary -- Choose something you're interested in. Choose some subjects that are totally new to you. Make sure your schedule is a balance of easy and difficult. Choose teachers you have a good relationship with.


Most decanters are meant to hold one glass at a time, but larger options are available. The largest decanter available is made for a bottle of wine. Any bigger, and you're reducing the surface area of wine exposed to air (and thus its effectiveness). Unless you're buying an antique decanter, these will be your options. Crystal decanters are durable and decorative, allowing for more intricate designs. For a stylish decanter that will last years or even decades, crystal is your best option. Do not buy crystal decanters made before 1969, as these are usually made of lead crystal. Lead crystal can leach out into your drink and cause poisoning. Standard glass decanters are usually cheaper than their crystal counterparts, and they are also more dishwasher safe. Because crystal is porous, it must be hand-washed while glass is nonporous. Glass decanters require less maintenance over time. Glass is also more heat-resistant than crystal. After sitting in a decanter from 18-24 hours, your wine will lose its flavor without a stopper. If you don't plan on drinking your wine directly after serving, use a stopper to preserve its flavor and aroma (especially if you're serving an aged wine). Not all decanters come with a stopper, so keep this in mind while shopping.  Remove the stopper around an hour before serving so your wine has time to aerate. Wine will last between 3-5 days with a stopper, on average. Sparkling wine will not last as long, and light or fortified wine will last longer. If you have a preference for red or white wines, you could buy a decanter specially made for your favorite kind. White wine decanters keep the drink at a cooler temperature, and red wine decanters usually have thinner necks for separating sediment. You can also choose decanters made for a only one type of wine, like merlot, chardonnay, or pinot noir decanters.
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One-sentence summary -- Decide whether you need a large or small decanter. Buy a decanter made of crystal for durability. Pick a standard glass decanter for a budget-friendly option. Choose a wine decanter with a stopper. Choose a decanter especially made for certain wines.


There are three main terms with which you should be familiar before you create your filing system:   File — An individual item, such as a picture or a document.  Folder — A storage container used to hold files or other folders.  Subfolder — A folder inside of a folder. Your computer already has a built-in file manager (File Explorer on Windows, Finder on Mac) that organizes your files into various folders, so your filing system should be for things like commonly-used files, items you want to keep separate from the rest of your computer's files, and temporary project resources. Attempting to move all of your computer's default folder contents into your filing system may cause your computer (or specific programs) to stop working correctly. The easiest place in which to create a filing system is the Desktop, as placing your filing system there will make accessing your files easier than if you place it inside of a different folder on your computer. If you'd rather place your filing system inside of a pre-installed folder (e.g., the Documents folder), keep in mind that you'll have to navigate to that folder to open the filing system every time you want to use it. On Windows, many programs give you an option of where you'd like to install them. Unless you're installing a portable program (e.g., a program that can run from anywhere on your computer or a flash drive), always use the program's default installation path during setup.  Failing to use the proper installation path can result in program errors down the line. Mac computers don't give you an option to determine a different installation path.
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One-sentence summary --
Understand your filing system's terminology. Determine which files you have to organize. Choose a location for your filing system. Don't use your filing system for programs.