In formal speech and debate, you’re allowed a limited amount of time to plan impromptu remarks on an assigned topic. If someone asks you to speak on the spot, tell them you’d like a few minutes to think of what to say and to jot down some notes. You shouldn’t try to write out your remarks in full. Just jot down a few key words to help you remember your main points. If you’re just speaking for 5 minutes or less, introduce your topic with a concise, attention-grabbing summary statement. If you'd like, you can make a joke to break the ice first, but make it quick and ensure it is relevant to the topic. Since your time is limited, you should get to the point sooner rather than later.  Suppose you’re asked to talk about a work project at a company meeting. You might start with a joke to introduce the problem the project addresses: “As a member of the design team, I want to personally thank all engineers present for not staging an all out mutiny due to the ongoing specification problems.” After breaking the ice, get straight to the point: “We understand your frustrations, and we’ve established new software solutions and pricing protocols to prevent future miscommunications.” Avoid making jokes like, “Three guys walked into a bar…” Instead, stick with funny or absurd comments that relate to your own personal experience, but keep it brief. If you’re speaking for 15 or 20 minutes, you have time to grab the audience’s attention with a story related to the topic. The story’s resolution might introduce the problem or topic, or you could start the story in your introduction and conclude it at the end of your speech. For instance, if your assigned topic is how dogs improve quality of life, you could open with a story about rescuing your pooch. List your main points early in your remarks so your audience clearly understands the direction you’re taking them. Additionally, mapping out your structure will help you stay on track for the rest of your speech.  If you’re presenting a school project, you might say, “Despite their friendship and philosophical commonalities, Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre held contrasting ethical views. I’ll start by discussing their similarities, then I’ll explain their quarrel over whether political justice warrants violence.” For this example, you could spend 1 to 2 minutes on the philosophers’ similarities, a minute or so on each of their ethical stances, and another minute clarifying the differences between their perspectives. After you’ve delivered the body of your remarks, remind your audience of the path you’ve lead them. Commit this formula to memory: “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you’ve told them.” You can adapt this structure for any topic, so keep it in mind any time you’re asked to make off the cuff remarks.
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One-sentence summary -- Ask for a moment to organize your thoughts. Begin a short speech with a headline statement. Start with a story if you’re making a longer speech. Map out your structure and use it as a guide. Restate your main points at the end of your remarks.


This may seem like a no-brainer, but ensuring she's actually available will save you from having to endure the embarrassing mistake of asking out a girl who's taken.  Ask around, but be causal about it. You don't want to spread the word that you're trying to figure out if she's dating anyone. Check Facebook. It may be harder to determine if she's single if she's dating someone who's not in your school, but social media is a good place to start. After all, you’re asking out an older girl. No matter their age, girls are usually attracted to confident guys. Although awkwardness can be endearing sometimes, it might come off as immaturity when asking out an older girl.  Stand up tall. Walk with purpose. Don’t stare at the floor. Make eye contact with her. Use this guide to help you appear more confident. This may be difficult to do at school, as girls tend to hang out in groups. If she is with a group of her friends, she may feel pressure to say no to your date because she’s afraid of what her friends will think. Being able to text her may be helpful in this case. Girls are more apt to go on a date with you if you actually suggest an activity rather than just asking if they will go out with you. Asking a girl to “go out with you” sounds more like you’re proposing to be boyfriend/girlfriend. She may not be ready for this before going on a couple dates with you.  Suggest a fun activity for you to do together. This could be going to a movie, dinner, ice skating, concert, or athletic match together. Know her interests. Suggesting an activity that you know she enjoys will make it more likely that she’ll want to go on that date with you. For example, if you ask her to go to a country concert with you, but she hates country music, she may say no for that reason and not because she doesn’t like you. Typically, girls mature faster than guys, which puts younger guys at a disadvantage in dating older girls. This can potentially result in an even greater difference in maturity levels. Be aware of any differences in maturity and act accordingly.  Try to emulate her behavior in situations that you are unfamiliar with. For example, when hanging out with her older friends, don't try to be the center of attention. Sit back and observe how her older group of friends interacts before jumping in. Try not to draw too much attention to your age difference. She may have a later curfew than you or none at all, while you are still expected to be home early. Simply make plans for earlier in the evening rather than having to cut activities short because you have to be home early. Trying to act like someone you're not will only work for so long and she will eventually see through it. She may love the fact that you're younger and possibly have dated fewer people than she has. Dating an older girl may mean dating someone with more experience than you. Don't feel pressured to do anything you aren't ready for. Be honest with her and communicate that you want to take things slow. If she really cares about you, she will understand. Just because a girl says no to a date with you doesn’t mean that she doesn’t want to be your friend. Maybe she just hasn’t realized that she likes you yet. Give her time to get to know you better if she says she just wants to be friends and maybe she will change her mind later. In the meantime, don’t continue to pressure her to date you as it may drive her further away.
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One-sentence summary -- Make sure she's single. Be confident. Try to get her alone. Have a date in mind. Be mindful of your maturity difference. Be yourself. Be prepared for rejection.


For regular use, you would leave the NuvaRing in for three weeks, then remove it for one week before inserting the new ring. If you are using your ring to skip a period, you can leave it in for up to four weeks before starting a new ring. At the end of the four weeks, remove the NuvaRing and replace it with a fresh ring. This will re-dose your body with hormones, effectively skipping your period. The regular ring cycle ends after three weeks. You may leave it in for the fourth week, or you can remove it and replace it immediately with a fresh ring. If you've been using a NuvaRing for three or more weeks, simply remove it for four days to get your period again. After four days, put in a new ring to resume your cycle.
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One-sentence summary --
Make sure that you have the next month's NuvaRing. Keep your ring in for four weeks, then immediately replace it. Leave the ring out to have a period again.