the old paint from your staircase surfaces, if necessary. If your old paint is relatively smooth and in good shape, you can just paint over it. However, if the surfaces are peeling or have too many layers of paint built up, you should consider stripping it off. To do this, you can either use a heat gun or a chemical stripping product.  To use a heat gun, hold the gun 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) away from the paint until it bubbles, keeping the heat gun moving to prevent scorching the wood. Once the paint bubbles, use a putty knife or paint scraper to remove the paint. To use a chemical stripper you will need to follow the directions on the packaging. In general, you will apply the product with a paintbrush, wait until the stripper starts to dissolve the paint, and then scrape it off with a putty knife or paint scraper. When using stripper it’s important to wear personal protective equipment, to ventilate the area, and to wash the surface down afterwards to clean off excess chemicals. Use wood filler or spackle and a putty knife to fill any holes or dings that need to be smoothed out. For small holes, such as nail holes, pick up a pea-sized amount of the filler on your putty knife. Push the filler into the hole and scrape off any extra with the flat end of the putty knife. Let the filler dry for as long as directed on the container, which can vary from an hour to a day depending on the product.  Most spackles will work to fill holes and imperfections in wood and wall surfaces, such as drywall or lathe and plaster. Look along the railing, the balusters, the trim surrounding the stairs, and the steps themselves for spots that need to be touched up. If your holes are larger than 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm), you may need to use a more advanced filling technique that includes patching the hole. Look over all of the surfaces to find spots that are rough and need to sanded. Also, feel the surfaces with your hands to find small areas that could use sanding. Sand the surfaces with 200 to 400-grit sandpaper to smooth out areas that you filled and any irregularities in the existing paint. You can either use an electric sander, such as an orbital palm sander, or a simple sanding block. Remove any dust that you create with a tack cloth or lightly damp cloth after you are done sanding. Scuff up surfaces that are totally smooth with sand paper. Get fine-grit sandpaper with a grit rating of around 400. Rubbing this on the surface will scuff it up just a bit, which will allow the new paint to stick but will not create a textured surface on your final coat of paint.  Simply run the sandpaper quickly over all of the surfaces you are going to paint. There is no need to be very detailed about this process. You just want a surface that is not totally smooth. This is especially important for surfaces that have shiny, new paint on them already. Wipe down areas you will paint with a rag and a mild surface degreasing cleaner. This will remove any dust that you created while sanding, in addition to removing any grease, dirt, and wax build-up that might remain. After wiping the surfaces with the cleaner, use a clean, dry rag to wipe it off.  Many people use TSP to clean surfaces before painting them. This product is very good at cleaning surfaces and it will also dull any painted surface it’s used on, which helps new paint to stick better.  For stubborn dirt, use a multi-purpose household cleaner. If the stairs are concrete or metal, you may also use a wire brush to remove set-in dirt.

Summary: Strip Fill small holes and imperfections with wood filler or spackle. Sand any surfaces that are rough. Sand all painted surfaces very lightly to help the new paint stick. Clean every surface that will be painted with a degreaser.


Look over the top of the cauliflower for any brown or discolored spots. Remove them with a sharp knife. You want to get to the good, white stuff, so remove the leaves and discard them. Then, cut the florets off the core until you have a pile of florets and the core.  Discard the core. Cut the florets into evenly sized pieces. Don’t worry about making the pieces perfect or completely even. You can also use a blender if you don’t have a food processor. If you have neither of these kitchen tools, you can try to grate up the cauliflower florets with a grater. But be prepared to use your arm muscles! Set the food processor on low speed. Don’t overload the bowl of the processor or blender by pouring in all the cauliflower at once.  The florets should be evenly chopped, but not pulverized. They should resemble grains of white rice. If you’re processing a lot of cauliflower, store the “rice” in freezer safe sandwich bags. Make sure you remove the excess air in the bags before you seal them.  Store the “rice” in the freezer for up to three months.  When preparing frozen cauliflower rice, remove the bags from the freezer and leave them on the kitchen counter for a few minutes. This will soften and defrost the rice so it will be ready for cooking.

Summary: Remove any brown spots. Rip the leaves off the bottom of the cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower in half. Place the florets in the food processor. Process the florets in batches. Store the cauliflower rice or cook with it.


Make a point of approaching the professor after the class to say a quick “hello” and introduce yourself. Let the professor know you are excited about their class and look forward to learning from them. Mention your name and try to chat with the professor about your educational interests or background. For example, you may say, “Hi, my name is Selena Gomez. I’m a second year med student. I’m looking forward to taking your class.” Most professors will hold office hours outside of class time and like it when students make the effort to attend them. Go to the professor’s office hours to introduce yourself one on one.  Come prepared with a question or thought about that week’s class. Bring along notes from class so you can discuss them with the professor. Having notes will give you something to chat about during the office hours. Most professors have open office hours, or office hours by appointment. Show up on time for your appointment with the professor so they are not kept waiting. Be friendly to the professor when you spot them walking around campus or in the hallway between classes. Say “hello” to them at social events on campus. Doing this will let them know you are open and friendly. You may try some small talk with the professor when you see them and they do not seem in a hurry. You may say, “How’s your day going?” or “Great to see you.”
Summary: Say “hello” to the professor after the first class. Go to the professor’s office hours. Greet the professor when you see them around campus.